Chapter 216: I Only Want Your Life

Chapter 216: I Only Want Your Life
Tara's POV

"Miss Taylor," James's voice came through, hesitant and clearly uncomfortable. "I didn't say anything to Mr. Carter just now. I was only asking if he's coming to the office today. There are too many things at the company, and I simply can't finish everything by myself!"

I frowned, immediately detecting the lie in his voice. "We've known each other for nearly four years, James. I can tell your truths from your lies without having to think twice!"

After a brief, tense silence, James sighed in defeat.

"Here's what happened," he reluctantly admitted. "Just moments ago, the company's firewall was attacked, and the entire system has been paralyzed..."

I felt my blood run cold. "So they've already made their move against Luke, just as I suspected. Now they've turned their focus on him."

Luke watched me intently as I processed this information. The situation had escalated beyond my control.

"Since it's already begun, there's no point in saying anything now," I realized aloud. "Even if I distance myself from Luke now, they might not stop!"

I returned the phone to Luke, my thoughts racing. Until now, I had refused to believe Howard could be the mastermind behind all this. Despite all evidence pointing to him, everyone convinced it was him, I had insisted deep down that someone was deliberately imitating him.

"We need to go to your study," I said decisively. "Right now."

---

Luke's study was just as I remembered it—spacious, elegant, with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and that massive mahogany desk where he had spent countless hours working during our marriage. I sat in the chair behind his computer, while Luke positioned his wheelchair beside me.

My fingers flew across the keyboard, accessing the Carter Group's network, quickly assessing the damage. What I found made my stomach sink.

"Whoever it is, they're serious this time," I murmured, studying the complex pattern of the attack. "They're using an extremely sophisticated method, one I've never seen before!"

The attack was systematic and thorough, targeting not just the main systems but also the backups and recovery protocols. This would have required months of preparation—studying the network architecture, identifying vulnerabilities, creating specialized malware.

I turned to Luke, my expression grave. "Luke, your family's entire fortune could be destroyed today."

To my surprise, his face showed no alarm, only a completely unexpected calm acceptance.

"Let it be destroyed," he shrugged, "it's not like having so much money is useful anyway. Besides, if I become penniless, don't I still have you? Miss Taylor's resources have never been less than mine. Remember that bidding meeting when you confidently invested forty-five billion dollars all at once? Your spending was much more generous than mine."

He grinned at me, his eyes twinkling with a surprising mischief despite the gravity of the situation. "Miss Taylor, if I truly end up with nothing, you'll support me, won't you?"

Despite the seriousness of the situation, I felt my lips curving upward involuntarily. "I'm sorry, you're too expensive. I can't afford you!"

"How do you know you can't afford me if you haven't tried?" Luke countered, still smiling. "I'm easy to maintain—I don't eat much, and I spend even less, so why not give it a try?"

I rolled my eyes, turning back to the computer. "At your age, don't you find this behavior terrifying? Who taught you this? Acting cute only works for certain people, you know."

"Tara," he protested, "I'm only five or six years older than you. Is that so old?"

His indignation made me smile despite myself, but the lightness in our exchange couldn't distract me from the gravity of the situation for long.

"You speak so casually," I said, my smile fading. "That's not just your company, it affects many people's lives! If the company fails, you might live comfortably for the rest of your life even without relying on me. But what about your employees? If the company truly goes bankrupt, where will they find jobs with such high salaries? So what I was worried about before wasn't just you, but also those innocent people!"

Luke fell silent, looking at me intently, the intensity in his gaze making me uncomfortable. "I thought I knew you well," he finally said, "but now I see I didn't understand you deeply enough! Though you're younger than me, you consider issues much more thoroughly than I do."

He reached out to gently touch my fingers. "Tara, I, Luke Carter, can't live without you in this lifetime. No matter the cost, even if it costs me my life, I'm willing to pay it, so no one can separate us!"

His words, spoken with such absolute conviction, stirred something deep within me. But there was no time to dwell on emotions—we had a crisis to handle.

For the next half hour, we worked in tandem, our minds and skills complementing each other perfectly. Luke's methodical approach balanced my more aggressive techniques. Apart, we were formidable; together, we were nearly unstoppable.

Finally, looking at the successfully decoded encrypted content, I allowed myself a small smile of satisfaction. "We did it!"

I glanced at Luke, finding him already watching me, a peculiar expression on his face. There was pride there, certainly, but something else—a depth of emotion that made my heart race.

"It feels different, working with you," he said quietly. "I'm no stranger to success, but it's never felt as satisfying as it does now."

Our eyes met, an unspoken understanding passing between us. We had accomplished something significant together, and despite the lurking danger, this was a moment of genuine connection.

Luke extended his hand to me, the gesture both formal and intimate. "Miss Taylor, may I request your company for the remainder of my life?"

The sincerity in his expression made my heart race. I realized, with a mixture of surprise and acceptance, that in all these years, no man besides Luke had ever made my heart beat so irregularly.

I studied his face carefully—the sharp angle of his jawline, the depth of his eyes, the slight curve of his lips always seeming poised to form either a smile or a frown. How many times had I traced these features with my eyes, my fingers, my lips? How many nights had I spent trying to forget them?

A strange calm enveloped me, like the stillness at the center of a storm. My feelings for him had evolved in ways I hadn't fully acknowledged. It was no longer the desperate, all-consuming love I had felt before—that wild, uncontrolled passion that both sustained and devastated me.

After everything we had been through together, my emotions had become more complex, more nuanced. The foundation of attraction and desire was still there, but layered on top was something deeper: respect for his strength, admiration for his determination, gratitude for his loyalty.

It was no longer just romantic love, but something akin to family—a bone-deep connection that transcended physical desire.

This realization terrified me. I had learned how to defend against romantic love, how to build high walls against desire. But this more complex emotion? I had no defenses against it.

My contemplation was interrupted by a sudden sound from the computer. Both our gazes immediately turned to the screen, where a new message had appeared:

[Those were just appetizers. The real game officially begins now. I hope Miss Taylor and Mr. Carter enjoy playing!]

Luke's jaw tightened. "It seems they were just toying with us again, like last time!"

A surge of anger rose in my chest, hot and direct. "Damn bastard, when I find you, I'll tear you to pieces!"

But when a new image appeared on the screen, my anger transformed into icy fear. Lucy—Luke's sister—was bound, surrounded by several menacing figures. The timestamp in the corner indicated this had been taken less than thirty minutes ago.

"Luke, I told you to stay away from me!" I cried out in desperation. "Why wouldn't you listen?"

Luke was already on the phone. "James, send everyone out to find Miss Carter, quickly!"

I felt my composure crumbling. "You think it's that easy to find her? Luke, that's your own sister. If something truly happens to her, you'll never forgive yourself!"

Pain flashed across Luke's face. "I just wanted to be with you..."

"In this world, you can't always do what you want!" I said harshly, fear manifesting as anger. "I told you I'm bad luck, that being close to me would bring you harm. Why wouldn't you listen to me?"

Just as Luke was about to respond, my phone rang—an unknown number. My stomach tightened, that sixth sense developed from years of living on the edge of danger suddenly screaming warnings. My hand trembled slightly as I reached for the phone, my fingertips feeling ice-cold despite the comfortable temperature in the room. In that moment, I was absolutely certain that whatever happened next would change everything.

With fear coiling in my stomach like a venomous snake, I answered the call.

"Miss Taylor," a distorted voice greeted me, "I heard you've been looking for Miss Carter. I've found her for you—would you like to come get her?"

"I don't care who you are," I answered coldly, "release her immediately and direct whatever you want to do at me instead!"

A soft chuckle came from the other end of the line, sending chills down my spine. "In that case, I've been meddling unnecessarily, but I've already picked her up! How about this—I'll send Miss Carter back the way she came, though what might happen along the way, I can't be sure. If something happens, Miss Taylor, please don't blame me!"

"What exactly do you want?" I demanded, struggling to keep my voice steady. "After doing so much, you must have a purpose. Why not state all your intentions at once?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and when the voice spoke again, the mockery was gone—replaced by cold, deadly intent:

"I don't want to do anything! I just want your life, that's all!"

The call disconnected, leaving me staring at Luke.