Chapter 3
Lucas left with his secretary and bodyguards, never returning.
Juliana couldn't care less—she had work to do. The Sharps were all suspicious and cold-blooded. She didn't want to draw Lucas's attention this early. Thinking back to being dragged to the police station for no reason, Juliana's expression darkened. She could only hope Lucas's visit today was genuinely just about stomach pain.
Juliana was on call that day. By the time her shift ended, darkness had fallen. The moment she stepped through the hospital doors, she spotted a tall figure posted under a streetlamp. Harsh yellow light fell across his face as he held a cigarette between his fingers, his features etched with faint exhaustion and impatience. A sleek black car idled nearby, bodyguards watching like hawks.
Juliana swept a quick glance over the scene, immediately understanding the situation. She walked past Lucas without acknowledging him, only to have her wrist caught in his grip. The delicate bone felt far too fragile. How is she so thin? The thought flickered unbidden through Lucas's mind.
Juliana looked back at him, her bright eyes gleaming in the dim night. "Let go. Or I'll report you for sexual harassment."
Lucas dropped his cigarette, crushing it under his shoe. "Ms. Wells, quite the hypocrite. You abducted my son. If I hadn't been merciful, you wouldn't have walked out of that station so easily."
So it was him who called the police. Juliana's heart sank, though her face remained impassive. The Sharp family—whether Ashley or Lucas, the cruelty ran in the bloodline. Vicious and ruthless. So Lucas came today to warn her off from trying to take the child?
Juliana's eyes flickered. "I just got back to the country. I don't know how I've offended the Sharp family."
Lucas let out a derisive laugh. "Don't know? You abducted my son and I didn't press charges—and you're still playing dumb?"
He tightened his grip on that impossibly smooth wrist, leaning down to interrogate her, his presence overwhelming. They were so close Juliana could smell the faint tobacco on him. She hated that scent. Her free hand flew up to cover her nose and mouth as she stepped back, her voice muffled but carrying an almost petulant tone. "Are you insane? Do you have any evidence or are you just spouting nonsense?!"
Lucas froze. His ears inexplicably tingled with a strange sensation before her words sparked his anger.
Lucas smiled coldly. "Shameless! You think I won't make a move against you?!"
Juliana's pupils contracted. She lifted her foot and stomped down hard on Lucas's leather shoe, then kicked at his shin. The man let out a pained grunt and released her wrist. She seized the moment to back away as bodyguards moved to intercept. She grabbed her bag and hurled it at Lucas's body before spinning on her heel and running.
"Get treatment if you're sick. I don't deal with psychopaths!" she called over her shoulder.
What Lucas felt about that, she had no idea. But Juliana felt pretty damn satisfied. She ran to the curb and flagged down the first cab she saw. The bodyguards made to pursue, but Lucas stopped them.
He bent down to pick up a photo that had fallen from the bag, his pupils dilating in shock. The image showed Juliana and 'Damian' together. The background was blurred greenery, nothing special—looked like a casual snapshot taken on the street. The woman and child smiled brilliantly at the camera, but that image stabbed straight into Lucas's heart like a blade.
Damian had willingly posed for a photo with this woman. And he looked so happy. Since his son had grown old enough to remember things, Lucas had rarely seen him smile so openly.
Back home, the tension finally drained from Juliana's body. She quietly checked on her sleeping son in the bedroom, then slipped back out. In the hallway, she slid down against the door, opening an email from her lawyer. Her fingers trembled slightly.
She wasn't afraid of anything except failing to get her son back. Lucas's behavior tonight was off. It seemed like he already knew she was the child's birth mother. Was the police report meant as a warning? That would be exactly the kind of thing the Sharp family would do.
The lawyer said the earliest he could return was three months from now. Juliana's chest rose and fell with her turbulent thoughts. The Sharps had noticed her. She needed to figure out how to respond.
Her phone vibrated with an email from her grandmother. The message was brief:
[Darling, if you need help, the Lynd family stands ready to support you. We're family. Please don't try to shoulder this alone.]
Juliana exhaled in relief. At least she wasn't alone. She had people in her corner.
The next day, the dean came looking for Juliana.
"Juliana, a patient filed a complaint against you yesterday. They're specifically requesting you make a house call to apologize... what do you think..."
Juliana looked up. "A Sharp?"
The dean looked uncomfortable. "Yes, they're one of the hospital's biggest benefactors. Donated quite a bit of money. Many patients have received financial assistance from them. If that funding gets cut off, those people might..."
Using lives as leverage. How very Sharp family.
"The Sharps said they just need you to apologize in person."
"Fine, Dean." Juliana pinched the bridge of her nose. "I understand. I'll go."
The Sharp family estate was extravagant—built on an entire mountain.
Dating back to wartime, when the Sharps had made significant contributions to the country and accumulated massive wealth. They'd purchased the whole mountain. Juliana listened to the Sharp family driver ramble on about the property's history, a hint of mockery in her eyes.
The Sharps were obscenely wealthy, that much was clear. Every corner revealed expensive landscaping. Even the ornamental trees in the courtyard were worth hundreds of thousands of dollars each. Juliana followed the servant inside, eyes forward. All the money and power in the world couldn't change her opinion of them.
She sat down, drank tea, and waited. And waited. Lucas was nowhere to be seen. After another hour, the butler appeared with an apologetic expression. "My apologies, Ms. Wells. Mr. Sharp was called away on urgent business. If you could wait just a bit longer..."
Juliana smiled politely, though her eyes were cold. She was about to respond when an exquisitely beautiful woman appeared behind her. The butler greeted her respectfully. "Ms. Hale."
Bianca hadn't expected outsiders in the Sharp home. Her critical gaze swept over Juliana from head to toe. "Who are you?"
Juliana said nothing.
The butler helpfully explained, "This is Dr. Wells from Blessed Care Hospital."
Bianca's fake, gentle smile vanished. "Oh, a doctor. If there's no urgent business, you should leave."
She'd seen plenty of women who used their looks to worm their way close to Lucas. This Dr. Wells was probably no different.
"Where's Dami? Still refusing to eat?"
The butler answered, "Yes, Master Damian Sharp hasn't had lunch yet."
At the word 'Master,' Juliana's eyes shifted slightly. A flash of annoyance crossed Bianca's face—one that Juliana caught.
"He's old enough to know better. Making everyone beg him to eat."
The butler reminded her gently, "Ms. Hale, you are Master Damian Sharp's mother. He'll be hurt if he hears you."
Bianca smoothed away the sharpness, pasting on a warm smile. "I'll go check on the child." She turned to Juliana. "Why are you still here? Do I need to have someone escort you out?!"
Juliana's face went cold as she turned to leave. She didn't dare stay longer. If her suspicions were correct, the butler's 'Master Damian Sharp' was her child. And this Ms. Hale, using her title as his mother, didn't cherish him at all—just casually spewing vicious words.
Was this the life her son lived in the Sharp family? Unfortunately, the timing was wrong. Juliana was alone—she couldn't force her way through. This required a long-term strategy. At least now she knew her child's name.
As Juliana stepped out of the main house into the courtyard, she suddenly heard a small voice calling out.
"Mommy—"
Juliana whipped around, following the sound. From a small shrub emerged Matthew in a white shirt, his head popping up, his dirty little face breaking into a smile as he sweetly called for Mommy.
Juliana's vision went dark. She rushed forward to scoop him up, equal parts shocked and terrified as she scolded, "Matty! This is the Sharp family! How could you sneak over here?! What if they find you?!"
She didn't question why Matthew was here—only assumed he'd become extra clingy since returning home. Juliana couldn't imagine what would happen if the Sharp family discovered the other twin was alive. The trouble would multiply tenfold.
A deep male voice suddenly echoed from the distance.
"Where is she?"
Lucas's voice.
"Ms. Wells has already left."
Juliana's heart jumped.
Lucas had come back at exactly this moment!