At that moment, Lucas's phone rang. He tapped his Bluetooth headset, his heart racing.Desmond's urgent voice crackled through, "Mr. Tudor, we've located your wife. She's being held in an abandoned factory near the forest on the west side of the city."Lucas' handsome face tightened even further, his eyes bloodshot as he stared ahead. His voice was cold as he said, "Go to the shareholders' meeting for me. You don't need to do anything, just make sure those old men there stay calm."Desmond hesitated briefly before replying, "...Alright."The pressure was immense.After a pause, Desmond added, "By the way, Maria found out that Russell is also heading there with his men.""I know," Lucas replied curtly before ending the call.At the abandoned factory, Aveline adjusted herself into a more comfortable sitting position. Her hair was disheveled, and her body was covered in dust. Her clear, cold eyes were fixed on Darren, who was still toying with the lighter."Why did you kidnap Lucas and hi
"Aveline, don't be afraid! I'll get you out of there!" Russell's voice echoed through the factory."Hey!" Darren snapped, his eyes narrowing to slits. "What am I, invisible? You're shouting like that right in front of me?"Russell's gaze shifted, locking onto Darren. His voice turned cold. "So, you contacted Lucas and demanded money from him. But even if I pay you and he doesn't, you still won't let her go, will you?"Darren replied, "That’s right."He continued to fiddle with the lighter, opening and closing it, making everyone tense with anxiety.Russell’s expression remained cold. "Kidnapping and extortion are crimes. You just got out, do you really want to go back to jail again?"Darren laughed. "As long as you pay up and help me get away, how could I get caught?"His eyes gleamed with a hint of madness. "Hurry up and decide. My patience is running out."Russell turned to his men. "Go to the bank and transfer the money." Then he looked back at Darren. "Give me your account number.
Darren's expression darkened, his grip on the knife tightening as emotions churned in his eyes. "I don’t know what you’re talking about. I want money, and I want to get out of here—nothing else matters!"Russell was about to say more, but his phone rang again, persistently interrupting him. With a furrowed brow, he answered, "Rina, what is it?"Rina’s voice was filled with tears, "Russ, come back, please come back! I’m hurt, it hurts so much."Russell asked calmly, "Have you called for an ambulance?"Her sobbing intensified. "I did, but Russ, I need you here with me. I can only feel safe with you by my side. Please, come now, okay?"Russell, trying to remain patient, responded, "Rina, I’m in the middle of something important. I’ll come to you as soon as I’m done, alright?"But Rina was insistent. "No! You have to come now! If you don’t, I’ll tell my grandfather to cancel our cooperation. Russ, don’t make me do this!"Russell’s eyes, usually warm and inviting, turned cold. "Fine, I’ll c
Lucas looked at Aveline. "Can you run?""I can." Aveline nodded.Lucas tightened his grip on her hand and glanced up at the precarious beams above. His eyes filled with cold determination as he commanded, "Run!"They sprinted towards the exit together!The flames licked at their clothes, but they ignored it, focusing solely on the escape route ahead.“Crack...”Suddenly, the sound of wood splintering echoed above them.Aveline’s heart clenched, but before she could react, Lucas shoved her forward forcefully.“Crash!”The sound of something heavy collapsing followed, momentarily smothering the flames.Aveline’s face turned pale as she spun around, only to see Lucas trapped beneath a fallen beam!The fire had already started to consume him."Lucas!" Aveline screamed, rushing back towards him.Seeing Lucas pinned beneath the beam, her heart shattered. The emotional walls she had built crumbled, and tears streamed down her face."Go, run!" Lucas shouted at her as she approached.But as he
Aveline’s eyelashes fluttered, but she remained silent. Selena was stunned, having never imagined that Lucas had such a tragic past. She opened her mouth to say something but thought better of it and remained quiet. Instead, she focused on Aveline, knowing that whatever decision needed to be made would ultimately be up to her.The room fell into a quiet stillness.After what felt like an eternity, the doors to the emergency room finally opened, and Lucas was wheeled out.Aaron stepped forward and asked, "How is he?"Aveline stood up as well, but as she did, her body wobbled slightly. Selena quickly steadied her, preventing her from falling.The doctor replied, "He has two broken ribs but no other major injuries. He just needs time to recover."Lucas was moved to a VIP room.Aaron arranged for 24-hour care to be provided by a nurse.Standing by the bedside, Aveline gazed at the still-unconscious Lucas for a long moment before reaching out and gently poking his face."Lucas, does it hu
Upon hearing this, Aveline quickly sat up, but she soon collected herself and replied, "He’s in the hospital. The doctors should be taking care of him."Aaron's tone grew colder. "But he’s been calling out your name, Aveline. After everything you two have been through, I know you're about to divorce, but that doesn’t mean you have to cut each other off completely. He’s injured because of you—don’t you think you should be here for him?"Aveline closed her eyes for a moment before replying, "I’m on my way."After hanging up, she changed clothes, grabbed her car keys, and left.When she arrived at the hospital, the doctors were attending to Lucas."Ave... Ave..." As she approached, she heard him murmuring her name.Aveline paused, hesitating for a moment before walking over and taking his hand. "Lucas, I’m here."The next second, his grip tightened around hers, and the murmuring stopped. His condition seemed to stabilize.Seeing this, Aaron said, "Stay with him until his fever breaks."A
Lucas closed his eyes, clearly looking exhausted. Aveline watched him for a moment without saying anything, then turned and left the room.She was hungry and decided to go out for breakfast.While she was at the breakfast spot, Selena called her."Ave, where did you disappear to so early in the morning?""I’m at the hospital," Aveline replied.Selena paused, then asked, "Are you there to check if he’s still alive and able to make it to court?"Aveline gave a slight smirk. "Real funny, Selena."Selena teased, "Otherwise, I can’t figure out why you’d be at the hospital this early. It couldn’t be for love, right?"Aveline took a sip of her porridge and said, "I came over last night.""So, you’re really doing it out of love," Selena teased again.Selena’s playful banter lifted Aveline’s spirits a little. She gave a brief rundown of the situation.Selena offered her opinion, "He’s a clever one. He’s definitely doing it on purpose, and the worst part is, he’s got every reason to. That’s what
Russell instinctively wanted to go after her, but Aaron stepped in, blocking his path."Mr. Skyler, didn’t you notice she just turned you down? Chasing after her now would make you seem desperate," Aaron remarked with a smirk.Russell’s tone was cold. "What does this have to do with you?"Aaron raised an eyebrow. "How does it not? They’re still married, and she’s my friend’s wife. With my friend lying in a hospital bed, I can’t just stand by and watch you try to steal her away."He looked Russell up and down with disdain, his voice laced with contempt. "Let’s be real—if it were someone decent trying to win her over, I might step back. But you? Juggling Rina to secure your spot in the Skyler family while cozying up to Aveline—doesn’t that make you feel even a little bit disgusted?"Russell’s expression darkened further.Aaron patted his shoulder, adding, "I’ve seen some low moves in my time, but you, Russell, take the cake."With that, Aaron turned and walked away, feeling quite satisfi