Chapter 174 I’ll take care of it
Chapter 174 I’ll take care of it
The second Leonard hung up with Love, he was already punching in Lucinda’s number.
She was splitting her time between Nature and LL Group like always, and today she was stuck in the middle of a big board meeting at Nature. The phone barely rang once before she picked up, a little smile playing on her lips.
“Babe,” she murmured, keeping her voice low so the executives around the massive conference table wouldn’t overhear. “Did you forget I’m in a meeting right now?”
Leonard didn’t waste a single second. “Honey, I’m already on my way to get you,” he said, his voice tight with tension. “We’re heading to LA right now. Love is in serious trouble.”
The whole world around Lucinda just vanished. The thick reports, the staring executives, the glowing presentation on the huge screen, none of it existed anymore. Her chair scraped loudly as she shot to her feet, and every head in the room snapped toward her in shock.
She didn’t say a word. She snatched her phone and rushed toward the exit, her heart hammering wildly. The entire conference room went dead silent behind her. Even the guy giving the presentation froze mid-sentence.
All Lucinda could think about was her daughter, her sweet, bright little girl was in danger, and that fear clawed at her chest like nothing else ever had.
Nothing else in the world mattered. She shoved through the conference room doors and nearly broke into a full run down the hall.
Her assistant came sprinting after her, looking totally confused. “Ma’am! What happened?”
Lucinda jabbed the elevator button over and over, way too frantic to just stand there and wait.
Over the years, so much had changed. Nancy and Ashley had joined their husbands’ companies after getting married, and even Suzy had gone to work with Jackson.
That left Lucinda juggling both Nature and LL Group, bouncing between them depending on the day.
But today? Business could go to hell.
The elevator doors finally slid open. Lucinda stepped inside and turned to her assistant, her voice shaking even though she was trying hard to hold it together.
“Cancel the meeting. I’m leaving for LA right now.” She swallowed hard against the massive lump in her throat. “I don’t know when I’ll be back.”
The doors closed before her assistant could ask anything else. The ride down felt like it took forever, every second stretching painfully. The moment the doors opened again, she bolted into the underground parking garage.
Right then, Leonard’s black SUV came roaring in and screeched into a spot. He jumped out, but before Lucinda could even get a word out, his phone rang again. He answered instantly.
“Lord,” he said, his face still deadly serious. “Your sister’s in trouble in LA. Your mom and I are heading there now.” He glanced at Lucinda. “Both companies are in your hands until we get back.”
On the other end, Lord didn’t even hesitate. “Dad, if my sister’s in trouble, then I’m coming too.”
Leonard pinched the bridge of his nose, worry and frustration mixing in his voice. “We can’t all just drop everything.”
Lord’s answer was rock-solid. “Every company has assistants, vice presidents, and department heads. That’s exactly why we pay them. They can handle things until we’re back.” He was already grabbing his car keys. “I’m coming.”
The determination in his son’s voice hit Leonard hard, it sounded exactly like himself years ago. Arguing was pointless. He let out a long breath and finally gave in.
“Fine. Meet us at the airport. I’ve already called the pilot. We’ll take off as soon as you get there.”
“Understood.”
Lord didn’t waste a second. He burst out of his office, ignoring all the greetings from his employees, and raced straight to the parking garage.
A few moments later, his car was flying down the road toward the airport, his thoughts racing even faster.
Love had sounded so terrified on the phone. He’d never heard his cheerful, sunny twin sister like that before, and it made his stomach twist with a fierce, protective anger. His hands clenched the steering wheel so tight his knuckles went white.
Then one name hit him. “Asher.”
He snatched up his phone and dialed. The call connected on the second ring.
“Lord,” Asher’s calm voice came through. “How are you?”
“I’m not,” Lord said bluntly. “Love’s in trouble.”
There was a beat of silence. “I’m flying to LA.”
Asher frowned. “I’m already in LA.”
Lord blinked. “You are?”
“Came here for work.” Asher was already grabbing his own keys. “I’ll call Love right now. You should contact your uncle, ask him to send some guys from one of his security companies. I came alone, so I’ll need backup.”
Pure relief flooded through Lord. Thank God. At least someone they could really trust was already on the ground there. “I’ll take care of it.”
The call ended, and Lord immediately reached out to his uncle. After a quick explanation, everything was set, armed security teams in LA would back Asher up until the family arrived. Only then did he keep speeding toward the airport.
Not long after, he joined Leonard and Lucinda on their private jet. The plane took off minutes later, slicing through the clouds on its way to Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, across the city, Asher stood in his hotel suite. His important client meeting didn’t matter one bit anymore. Love came first, always. He tried calling the client to reschedule, but after a few unanswered rings, he gave up and dialed Love’s number instead.
She picked up almost right away. “Asher?”
Just hearing her voice eased the knot of worry in his chest a little. “Love,” he said, walking over to the garage and sitting in his car. “I’m in LA for business, but your brother just called me. Tell me exactly where you are.”
Love gripped the phone tighter, her heart slamming against her ribs like it was trying to break free.
Even though Asher was younger, he’d always carried himself with this crazy maturity and quiet confidence that made him seem older than everyone else.
The way he naturally stepped up and took control in any crisis, sometimes she honestly couldn’t tell who was more intimidating. Asher, his dad, or Uncle Charlie.
She drew in a shaky breath. “I’m at a hospital.” Her voice cracked with fear. “I only have a few minutes before they put me under anesthesia. I—”
Before she could finish, the nurse beside her bed suddenly leaned in closer, her face lighting up with an idea. “I think I know what we can do.”
Love turned toward her, a spark of real hope flickering in her chest for the first time since she’d woken up in this nightmare. “What… what’s the plan?”