Chapter 75
A few seconds later, Lucinda pushed open the front door and walked in.
She'd just changed into slippers when her phone buzzed twice.
She pulled it out. A bank notification. Wesley's account had transferred ten million dollars to her.
It buzzed again immediately. Valencia's account had transferred ten million dollars to her.
She stood in the entryway, staring at the two lines of numbers on the screen, silent for several seconds, a deep sense of helplessness welling up inside her.
What kind of parents just casually transfer ten million dollars?
Lucinda slipped her phone back into her pocket, bent down to change her shoes, and Reginald followed behind her, carrying her bag.
In the living room, Dahlia sat on the sofa, her hands still clenched tightly.
She watched Lucinda glance down at her phone, watched the two bank notification screens flash briefly across the display, and instantly her face darkened with fury.
Why did Mom and Dad send her so much money?
She'd said so much—every single word calculated to hit the points her parents cared about most.
And the result? Not only did Mom and Dad not blame Lucinda at all, they'd each transferred her ten million dollars.
She'd been in the Douglas family for twenty years. Twenty years of saving allowances. Buying a single necklace required months of hesitation.
Lucinda had been home for a few months and casually received twenty million dollars without so much as blinking.
She hated it.
Lucinda and Reginald walked into the living room.
Valencia looked up, her gaze settling on the two of them, her face full of satisfaction.
Reginald wore a dark gray coat, his tall frame standing half a step behind Lucinda. One hand held her bag, the other hovered gently near the small of her back.
Lucinda stood in front of him. One cool and striking, the other noble and refined—they looked like they'd stepped out of a painting.
The more Valencia looked, the happier she became. The smile at the corner of her mouth refused to fade. She turned toward the kitchen and called out, "Uma, add a few more dishes! Make Reginald's favorites—truffle cakes and crab!"
Then she pulled Lucinda by the hand and seated her beside Reginald before sitting down herself, completely content.
Dahlia sat across from them, watching the scene unfold. The smile on her face had completely crumbled.
She stood up, her voice trembling slightly. "Mommy, I'm not feeling well. I'll head upstairs."
Valencia was busy serving Lucinda food and didn't even look up, responding absently, "If you're not feeling well, rest early. Have Uma make you some chicken soup."
Dahlia turned and headed upstairs, her fingers clenching once again.
After dinner, Valencia pulled Wesley upstairs. Before leaving, she turned back and smiled at Reginald.
The living room fell quiet.
Lucinda leaned back on the sofa, a document she needed for tomorrow spread across her lap, her head lowered as she flipped through it.
Reginald sat beside her, so close their shoulders were nearly touching.
His gaze rested on her profile. From start to finish, he hadn't looked anywhere else. A faint curve lingered at the corner of his mouth.
He watched her for a while, then suddenly leaned over and pressed a kiss to her temple.
Lucinda didn't even lift her eyelids. She kept reading the document, though the corner of her mouth twitched slightly.
He waited a moment. Seeing no reaction, he leaned in again and kissed her temple.
Then her brow. Then her cheekbone. Then her earlobe.
Lucinda finally looked up from the document and met his gaze. That face was so close—deep-set eyes, a high nose bridge, a jawline sharp as if carved by a blade. Right now, he was looking at her with intense focus.
She raised an eyebrow. Fine. He was this handsome—letting him steal a few kisses wasn't a bad deal.
She lowered her head and continued reading.
After a while, she closed the document and glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's getting late. You should head back and rest."
"I'm not going back. I'm not tired." Reginald blurted out, his gaze never leaving her for even half a second.
"I need to sleep." Lucinda's tone was exasperated.
"Okay." Reginald pressed his lips together, kissed her forehead once more, grabbed his coat draped over the armrest, and walked toward the door.
At the doorway, he turned back to look at her, his eyes like those of a large dog kicked out of the bedroom by its owner, standing pitifully at the door, waiting for the owner to change their mind.
Lucinda's brow furrowed slightly. She waved him off.
The door closed.
Reginald stepped out the front door. The night wind hit him head-on.
He stood on the steps, buttoning his coat, when hurried footsteps sounded behind him.
"Reginald!"
Dahlia ran out from the shadows of the portico.
She'd changed into a different dress, redone her hair, and touched up her makeup. Clearly, she'd been waiting by the door for some time.
She stopped in front of him, tilted her face up, and looked at him. "Reginald, I saw everything. Lucinda was so cold to you just now. She didn't even walk you out. If it were me—"
She bit her lip, her lashes fluttering. "If it were me, I'd never treat you like that. I'd cook whatever you like. I'd go wherever you go. If you were upset, I'd stay quietly by your side. I'd never let you walk away alone."
Reginald looked at her, no expression in his eyes—as if he were looking at something that had nothing to do with him.
Dahlia felt her confidence waver under that gaze, but she forced herself not to look away. Instead, she took half a step forward, tilting her head at an even softer angle. "Reginald, could you—"
"Get lost." Reginald pulled his gaze away and strode toward the Maybach parked by the curb.
The car door opened and shut. The engine started. The taillights faded into the night.
Dahlia stood beneath the portico, her nails digging into her palms until they drew blood.
Lucinda.
It was all Lucinda.
If it weren't for her, Reginald wouldn't refuse to even glance her way.
If it weren't for her, Mom and Dad wouldn't ignore her completely.
She'd monopolized all the light in this house and pushed everyone standing in her shadow into the darkness, one by one.
She couldn't let this go!
She had to make Lucinda pay!
Dahlia bit her lip, returned to her room, sat at her vanity, and stared for a long time at the face in the mirror—disheveled from the night wind.
Then she picked up her phone and navigated to the Lancaster Group's official website.
On the screen was an announcement: the Lancaster Group would host its first Global Youth Technology Innovation Competition, open to submissions worldwide. Winners would not only have the opportunity to join Lancaster Group's R&D department but would also be personally recognized by Reginald himself at the awards ceremony.
Her eyes slowly lit up.
Last year, to earn praise from her parents, she'd deliberately studied technology and even made a name for herself in an international tech competition.
Despite that, Mom and Dad still refused to let her take over company management.
Yet Lucinda, who knew nothing, had already become CEO of Ridgeway Tech.
She refused to accept it.
She would prove herself on that stage—show her parents her capabilities, and show Reginald too.
She'd show him what kind of woman deserved to stand beside him.
This time, she would crush Lucinda beneath her feet!