Chapter 145
The two sat for a while longer. Then Hayden took a phone call and stood up, claiming the company needed him to handle something. But before leaving, his meaningful gaze swept back and forth between the two of them several times.
"You young people chat. This old man won't get in the way."
As he left, he shot Reginald a pointed look.
The meaning in his eyes was practically written in bold: I'm giving you the chance. Don't waste it.
Reginald's expression remained calm, as if he'd seen nothing.
But the moment Hayden was gone, he sat down on the sofa across from Lucinda.
The spacious living room suddenly fell quiet.
Lucinda picked up a financial magazine from the table and flipped through it.
After turning two pages, she suddenly felt a gaze lingering on her.
She frowned and looked up. Reginald was watching her.
She pressed her lips together, pretended not to notice, and lowered her head to continue reading.
Two minutes later, Lucinda couldn't help but look up again.
Reginald was still watching her.
Lucinda fell silent.
Finally, she closed the magazine.
"Reginald."
"Mm?" He responded.
"Don't you have anything else to do?"
Reginald's gaze rested on her face. His expression was so serious, it didn't seem like he was joking. "I do."
"What?"
"Keeping you company."
Lucinda was silent.
She suddenly understood why Hayden always said his son had been slow to catch on.
When he was oblivious, he was like a block of ice. And now that he'd finally woken up, he wasn't much better—like he'd become a completely different person.
Reginald caught the faintly exasperated look on her face. The corner of his mouth curved ever so slightly.
Just then, his phone buzzed.
The moment he saw the caller ID, his eyes darkened. The warmth that had been there seconds ago vanished, replaced by a cold, sharp edge.
Lucinda noticed the shift immediately. "Something wrong?"
Reginald had already stood. When he looked at her again, his expression had returned to its usual composure.
"Just taking a call."
He turned and walked toward the terrace.
Sunlight fell across his back, but it couldn't dispel the sudden chill that had settled over him.
Lucinda watched him thoughtfully. The next second, her own phone rang.
The screen displayed a name: Elijah.
Seeing it, Lucinda's expression stilled.
Elijah Morgan was one of the earliest people to follow her in Sylvanor—and one of her most trusted confidants.
If he was calling directly, something serious had happened.
She answered. "Talk."
The breathing on the other end was rapid.
"Boss, we've got a problem."
A bad feeling crept into Lucinda's chest. "Who?"
"Niamh."
The moment she heard that name, Lucinda's body went rigid. Her fingers tightened around the phone.
Niamh—the girl who had once saved her life in Sylvanor. The only person she'd ever truly thought of as a younger sister.
Years ago, when Lucinda had first entered Sylvanor, she'd been ambushed and badly injured. She'd nearly died in an abandoned mining zone.
It was Niamh who had dragged her out of a pile of corpses.
She'd treated Lucinda's wounds, found her food, and even given her the last of the money she had.
Later, the two of them survived countless life-and-death situations together. That bond had long surpassed ordinary friendship.
It was only after Niamh returned to the country to study that they'd gradually lost touch.
And now Lucinda realized—the girl in Hayden's photo album was Niamh.
"What happened?" Lucinda's voice turned cold.
Elijah's tone was grim. "Niamh led her exploration team into Sylvanor half a month ago. They found a special mineral deposit in Blackrock Canyon—Crimson Star Crystal."
Lucinda's pupils contracted.
Crimson Star Crystal—an extremely rare, high-energy stabilizing material.
If used in the core components of the latest generation of pharmaceutical equipment, it could drastically improve precision and stability.
Even on the international market, it was worth a fortune.
"She tried to bring the materials back to Starlight City?"
"Yes." Elijah's voice grew heavier. "Somehow the news leaked. The Black Wolf Crew got wind of it. They demanded she hand over the Crimson Star Crystal. She refused."
"And then?"
"The Black Wolf Crew seized both her and the materials."
The air in the living room seemed to freeze. Lucinda's expression grew colder and colder.
Elijah continued. "We organized a rescue the moment we heard, but the Black Wolf Crew deployed heavy weaponry this time. We lost several people, and three more were seriously injured. We tried twice. Neither attempt succeeded."
From the other end of the line came the sound of suppressed, furious cursing. Clearly, the situation on-site was dire.
"How much are they asking for?"
"Fifty million USD."
Lucinda let out a cold laugh.
The Black Wolf Crew had never been in it for the money.
What they really wanted was the Crimson Star Crystal.
Even if she sent the ransom, there was no guarantee Niamh would come back alive.
"How is Niamh right now?"
"Not in immediate danger." Elijah paused. "But they've issued an ultimatum. If they don't get an answer within three days, they'll sell her to a desert armed group."
The last trace of warmth vanished from Lucinda's eyes. The veins on the back of her hand stood out sharply.
Elijah kept talking. "Boss, honestly, we wanted to move on this earlier. After all, Niamh saved your life back then—everyone remembers that debt. But the Black Wolf Crew was too well-prepared this time. Our assault failed. That's why we're contacting you."
Lucinda was silent. But her mind involuntarily drifted back to that thin, small girl from years ago.
The first time they'd met, Niamh had been crouched by a campfire, gnawing on a compressed biscuit, a backpack nearly as tall as she was strapped to her back.
She'd been dirt poor herself, but she'd still broken her last piece of chocolate in half and handed it over.
"Here. Don't starve to death."
Later, Lucinda had asked about Niamh's family. Niamh had always grinned and said, "Just a normal family. Nothing special."
But Lucinda had never believed it.
A girl from an ordinary family wouldn't have had that kind of vision or courage. She wouldn't have been able to traverse so many dangerous zones on her own at such a young age.
Now, looking back, it all made sense.
She wasn't from an ordinary family.
She was just like Lucinda—unwilling to rely on her family's name. She wanted to carve out her own path.