Chapter 132
The webbing of her right hand had been scraped raw—probably from when she'd been shoved into the warehouse and hit the doorframe.
She hadn't felt any pain at the time. Only now, when Lucinda asked, did she notice the burning sting.
"Minor injury. Nothing serious." She pulled her hand back and wiped it roughly with her sleeve.
Lucinda stood up, retrieved a first aid kit from the trunk, and used her left hand to tear open the iodine packaging.
Gaia rushed over and took the cotton swab from her hand. Her hand was still trembling.
"I'll do it myself." Lucinda glanced at her, took back the swab, and cleaned the wound in a few swift motions. She wrapped it with gauze and used her teeth to hold one end of the tape while securing it.
The entire process was clean and efficient. Clearly, she'd done this before.
"Get in the car. I'll take you home."
Gaia opened her mouth to refuse, but when she met those eyes that left no room for argument, she swallowed all her words.
She picked up the cardboard box and bent down to get into the car.
The car pulled out of the dim street and merged onto the main road.
Gaia sat in the passenger seat, clutching the box. She turned her head to look at Lucinda.
Her right hand, wrapped in gauze, rested on the steering wheel. Her left shoulder moved stiffly, but her expression remained neutral.
"Ms. Wipere." Gaia's voice was soft.
"What?"
"Thank you."
Lucinda didn't say anything. Her mouth just curved slightly.
The car stopped in front of Gaia's rented apartment. Gaia got out, holding the box. She stood by the roadside, bent at the waist, and bowed deeply toward the car window.
When she straightened up, her eyes were still red, but her mouth carried a smile. "Ms. Wipere, drive safely."
Lucinda nodded, rolled up the window, and turned the car around.
In the rearview mirror, Gaia still stood in place, clutching the box, watching her car disappear into the distance.
The car crossed half the city and turned onto the tree-lined road where the Douglas Estate was located.
The streetlights glowed a dim yellow. The shadows of trees swayed gently.
Lucinda parked the car at the entrance, pushed open the door, grabbed her bag, and walked toward the portico.
After all the delays, it was nearly midnight by the time she got back. Everyone in the Douglas family had already gone to bed.
The villa was quiet now. Only the entryway light had been left on for her.
Lucinda shook her head helplessly.
She'd promised to have dinner with Manuel tonight, and she'd been delayed again.
She bent down to change her shoes. The movement pulled at her left shoulder. She hissed sharply in pain.
She tiptoed upstairs. As she passed Manuel's room, a thin line of dim yellow light seeped from under the door.
Her footsteps paused. She glanced at the light, then looked away and continued toward her room.
She closed the door and leaned against it, exhaling a long breath.
She unwrapped the gauze, reapplied the medicine, and put on fresh bandages.
When she pulled off her shirt to check her left shoulder, she looked in the mirror.
A large bruise spread across her shoulder—a deep purple-blue that looked especially shocking against her delicate skin.
She rummaged through a drawer, found a bottle of medicinal wine, poured some into her palm, pressed it against the bruise, and rubbed hard.
The pain made a thin layer of sweat break out on her forehead, but she didn't stop. Not until the bruise felt warm to the touch.
She changed into her pajamas and sat on the edge of the bed, picking up her phone.
Several unread messages sat on the screen. All from Reginald.
[I'm here. It's cold.]
[Did you eat?]
[Did it rain over there? The weather forecast said there'd be rain.]
[Asleep?]
The last one had been sent twenty minutes ago: [Good night.]
Lucinda stared at the messages. Her finger hovered over the screen for a moment. Then she typed: [Just finished up. Good night.]
After sending the message, she set the phone on the nightstand, pulled out another phone from her bag, and dialed a number.
The call was answered after one ring.
"Boss."
"Look into a group of people who showed up near the warehouse at 237 Cedar Lane in the east district. The leader's a bald man with a scar on his left ear. I injured his right shoulder. Find out whose people they are and who sent them."
"Understood." The person on the other end didn't waste words. They acknowledged and hung up.
Lucinda placed the phone on the nightstand, turned off the lamp, and lay down.
In the darkness, she stared at the ceiling. The wound on the back of her right hand throbbed faintly. The bruise on her left shoulder felt warm from the medicinal wine.
She turned over, buried her face in the pillow, and closed her eyes.
The next morning, when Lucinda came downstairs, Uma was already waiting at the foot of the stairs.
Her eyes were slightly red. The moment she saw Lucinda, her mouth opened and closed hesitantly before she finally spoke. "Miss, what time did you get home last night? Mr. Manuel Douglas waited for you for a long time. He asked me to make sure I ask you today—can you come home earlier tonight?"
Lucinda's footsteps paused.
She remembered the thin line of dim yellow light seeping from under Manuel's door when she'd passed by last night.
"Something came up last night. Please tell him I'm sorry. I'll definitely be home for dinner tonight." Her voice carried a note of apology.
Uma's eyes lit up instantly. She nodded repeatedly, turned around, and rushed toward the kitchen. Her voice floated back down the hallway. "I'll go tell Mr. Manuel Douglas!—No, wait, I should prepare the food first—"
Lucinda watched Uma's delighted, flustered figure and shook her head helplessly. She grabbed her bag, pushed open the door, and walked out.
The morning breeze hit her face. She hunched her shoulders, tucked her injured right hand into her coat pocket, and quickened her pace toward the car parked at the entrance.
Ridgeway Tech, Technical Department.
Gaia sat at her workstation. In front of her was the speech draft she'd revised over a dozen times. Her fingers pinched the corner of the page. She'd read it over and over again.
When Lucinda walked in, that was the scene that greeted her.
The girl sat with her head lowered, her brow knotted. Her entire face screamed, "I don't want to go."
"Gaia."
Gaia's head snapped up. The moment she saw Lucinda, her eyes brightened—then dimmed again.
She stood up. Her fingers gripped the speech draft. Her voice was muffled. "Ms. Wipere, I… I still don't think I can do it."
Lucinda walked over to her. She didn't say anything. She just looked at her.
Gaia grew even more flustered under her gaze. She lowered her head. Her voice grew quieter and quieter. "The people attending the conference are all top experts in the industry. Some of them have published so many papers in top journals. Some of them run national key laboratories. What am I… I'm just an ordinary undergrad. I didn't even go to grad school. If I go, I'll just be a joke…"
"Gaia." Lucinda cut her off.
Gaia looked up and met those clear, bright eyes.
"That new proposal you developed—the data runs smoothly, and efficiency improved by twelve percent. That result would hold up anywhere in the industry." Lucinda spoke slowly, but every word hit home. "Education doesn't equal ability. Publications don't equal competence. You have real substance. What are you afraid of?"
Gaia's eyes reddened. She still hesitated. "But…"
"No buts." Lucinda placed a light hand on her shoulder. "I'm going with you. Didn't we agree on that?"
Gaia froze.
Her mouth opened. Something welled up in her eyes. Her mind drifted back to what Lucinda had told her that day.
"I'll go with you. You don't need to be afraid."
So Ms. Wipere had remembered all along.
Her tears finally broke free. One fell. But the corners of her mouth turned upward.
She quickly wiped her face with the back of her hand and nodded hard. "Okay! Ms. Wipere, I promise I won't let you down!"
Lucinda's mouth curved slightly. She turned and walked toward the door. "Get ready. We leave at two."