Chapter 245

Chapter 245
Lucien wrapped his arms fully around her again, holding her against his racing heart.

He didn’t care who was watching.

He didn’t care that CEOs, nurses, and patients were staring.

Let them stare.

Let them see what Serena Lin meant to him.

Let them see that if anything happened to her mother… he would burn the world to ash.

He kissed her hair again, breathing her in, grounding himself as much as her.

“Come here,” he murmured, brushing tears she didn’t even realize had fallen. “Let me be the one to carry this with you.”

Serena finally melted into his chest, her arms sliding around his waist as though he was the only thing keeping her upright.

And Lucien held her, softly, tightly, reverently. As if he was afraid that if he loosened his grip even a fraction… someone would rip her away.

“Which doctor attended to her?” Lucien asked darkly.

Serena pointed toward the physician nervously talking to a nurse. Lucien didn’t hesitate, he marched toward him, Serena’s hand still in his, like he refused to allow even air to come between them.

“You.” Lucien’s voice dropped several degrees. “Explain. Now.”

The doctor nearly choked. “M.. Mr. Feng, I... of course, your mother in law… she had a sudden falling episode. We’re still stabilizing her levels, but she’s conscious and responding well now.”

“Cause?” Lucien demanded.

“T.. There was a sudden blood pressure drop,” the doctor said. “But… well…”

Lucien’s eyes narrowed. “But what?”

The doctor exchanged a look with the nurse, one of those silent should we say it or not looks.

Serena stiffened beside him.

Lucien’s voice dropped, dangerously calm. “Speak.”

The doctor swallowed. “Your mother in law… she wasn’t alone before the fall. Someone visited her.”

Serena blinked, confused. “Visited? Who?.”

The nurse cut in quietly. “The guest didn't sign in… but the cameras caught her face and most nurses are familia with her.”

Lucien’s grip on Serena tightened.

“Who?” Serena whispered.

The nurse lowered her voice. “Arabelle Weng.”

Serena froze.

Lucien’s jaw clenched so hard a vein ticked in his temple.

But the nurse wasn’t done.

“She stayed with your mother for approximately eight minutes. She left the room. And two minutes after she walked out… your mother collapsed.”

Silence.

Long, cold, suffocating silence.

Serena felt the floor tilt under her. Lucien caught her instantly, steadying her by the waist, holding her protectively against him.

“…Arabelle…” Serena breathed, numb.

Lucien felt something inside him snap.

Not in panic this time.

In murderous clarity.

He lifted Serena’s chin gently. “Look at me.”

She did, eyes wide, swirling with fear, rage, disbelief.

“I’m going to handle this,” he said softly but with an authority that sent chills down every medical staff member still standing nearby. “You’re not dealing with her alone. Not after this.”

Serena swallowed hard. “Lucien… she was with my mom. She.. she hurt her... she...”

Lucien pulled her into his arms again, voice low and furious against her ear.

“She touched your family. She dared to hurt someone you love.” His breath trembled, not from fear, but from the violence he was holding back. “She just declared another war.”

He kissed the top of her head, then her forehead, grounding her as her trembling started again.

“I’ll make sure she regrets ever breathing in your direction,” he whispered.

Serena closed her eyes, finally letting the first tear slip, not from grief. But from the relief of knowing she wasn’t facing this nightmare alone.

The moment the doctor left, Serena didn’t even wait for the door to fully close. She turned back to the hospital room where Mrs. Lin rested, frail, shaken, her fingers twisting anxiously in her blanket.

“Mom,” Serena whispered. Her voice trembled, but her eyes were sharp. “Tell me the truth. Don’t hide anything. Please.”

Mrs. Lin offered a weak smile, forcing calm into her voice. “Sweetheart… I’m fine. The doctor said I just slipped. You shouldn’t...”

“Don’t.” Serena stepped closer, hands curling into fists. “I heard the nurses talking. They said someone was in your room earlier. Someone who shouldn’t have been.” Her chest tightened painfully. “They said… Arabelle Weng was here.”

Mrs. Lin’s breath hitched.

Lucien, who had been standing behind Serena with a hand protectively on the small of her back, felt the shift instantly.

He leaned forward, voice low and edged with steel. “Aunty Lin… please. We need the truth. Serena has a right to know.”

Mrs. Lin swallowed hard. Her eyes flitted between her daughter and Lucien, between the fear in Serena’s face and the cold fury simmering behind Lucien’s calm expression.

For a long moment, she said nothing. Then her lower lip trembled. And she broke.

“She came,” Mrs. Lin whispered, voice shaking. “Arabelle came into my private room session. She walked in like she owned the place… smiling. She said she wanted to ‘check on me’.”

Serena felt her blood freeze.

Lucien’s hand tightened at her waist.

Mrs. Lin continued, eyes glistening as she wrung her fingers. “She said… she said it must be stressful for me. Having a daughter in the limelight. Being targeted.” Her breath trembled. “Then she told me accidents happen so easily to people who… who don’t stay out of the way.”

Serena’s entire world tilted.

Lucien’s jaw clenched so hard it creaked.

Mrs. Lin’s voice cracked. “I told her to leave. I told her Serena never did anything to harm her.” Tears spilled over. “But she just laughed, Serena. She laughed and said the Lin family didn’t know how deep the game goes. And she said...”

Mrs. Lin hesitated, trembling.

Lucien stepped closer.
“What. Did. She. Say.”

Mrs. Lin finally broke completely. “She said she already took something from you once. It wouldn’t be hard to do it again… only worse this time.”

Serena’s breath vanished.

Her knees nearly buckled.

Lucien caught her before she fell, pulling her back into his embrace, his arms wrapping around her with a protective ferocity that made Mrs. Lin burst into sobs.

Mrs. Lin reached for Serena’s hand. “I didn’t want to worry you. That’s why I didn’t tell you. I thought… I thought if I ignored her, she would go away. But then...” Her voice cracked. “I felt dizzy. I… I don’t know if she did something. I really don’t. But she was in the room not long before I collapsed.”