Chapter 127
Logan watched the surprise in her eyes as he coaxed her into deleting Lucas's contact and replacing it with his own.
He thought he was just messing around.
Until later, when the Wells family went under. He didn't hesitate to bail.
He told himself a fallen heiress wasn't worth his time.
But he never expected that seven years later, seeing her again, that flutter in his chest would be even stronger than before.
Logan yanked himself out of the memory and lit a cigarette irritably.
He opened his laptop. On the screen was a photo his people had found. Lucas and Juliana stood side by side, the two boys holding their hands—one on each side. A picture-perfect family of four, their smiles blindingly bright.
The way Lucas looked at Juliana—it was a tenderness and possessiveness Logan had never seen from him.
And Juliana... standing beside Lucas, her expression relaxed, radiating a peace and happiness he'd never given her, never even seen on her face.
An emotion he couldn't quite name—jealousy, resentment, maybe both—wrapped around his heart like vines, choking him.
Why?
Why did Lucas get to have everything? Family background, status, and now even Juliana was his.
Logan stared at Juliana's face on the screen, the cigarette's ember glowing and dimming, reflecting the twisted obsession churning in his eyes.
What he couldn't have, Lucas wouldn't get to keep either.
He grabbed his phone and dialed.
"Yeah, it's me. That ink weed I had you look into—any news?"
……
At the Sharp Estate.
Juliana sat in the back seat, looking at the familiar building through the car window.
She was leaving the kids here temporarily.
"Mommy, you're really not staying with us?" Damian gripped the front seat's headrest, his little face full of disappointment.
"Mommy and Daddy have something very important to do." Juliana patted his head, then looked at Matthew sitting quietly beside him. "You two need to listen to Grandma, okay?"
Matthew nodded, speaking like a little adult. "Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on Dami."
Lucas glanced back at them and told the driver, "Let's go in."
The car slowly pulled up and stopped at the main building's entrance.
Inside, Ashley sat on the couch sipping tea, her posture elegant but radiating a keep-your-distance coldness. When they came in, she barely lifted her eyelids—that was her greeting.
"Grandma!" The two boys ran over naturally enough.
Ashley's expression softened slightly. She set down her teacup and patted each grandson's head.
Juliana ignored the subtle chill in the air. She pulled a sheet of paper from her bag, walked to the coffee table, and held it out.
"These are some things to keep in mind with the kids. I wrote them down."
Ashley didn't take it, gesturing for the nanny Tina to collect it instead.
Juliana spoke anyway, her voice clear and steady. "They're both allergic to strawberries—severe, immediate reactions. They can't have anything with strawberry in it, not even traces. Matty needs to sleep with his old stuffed animal or he won't rest well. Dami needs half a glass of warm milk before bed—not more, not less—or he'll get an upset stomach. Also..."
She went through item after item, all little details an outsider wouldn't notice.
Tina listened carefully, taking notes.
Ashley was initially impatient, thinking Juliana was being overdramatic. Did she really think the Sharp family's staff couldn't handle two children? But as she continued listening, her gaze shifted slightly.
This woman really was devoted to the kids.
"Alright, got it." Ashley waved her hand dismissively. "The Sharp family won't let them go hungry or poorly dressed."
Juliana had said everything she needed to and didn't push further.
Only then did Ashley turn her attention to Lucas, her brow furrowing slightly. "Lucas, you have so much going on at the company. Why are you going abroad with her? Can't you just send some people to handle whatever it is?"
On the surface it sounded like maternal concern, but the barb was aimed at Juliana—implying she was thoughtless and only knew how to distract Lucas from important business.
The air in the room instantly cooled.
Juliana kept her eyes down, her expression neutral.
Lucas stepped forward, his voice mild. "Mom, Juliana's business is my business."
One sentence shut down whatever Ashley was going to say next.
Damian caught the meaning—Grandma was bad-mouthing Mommy. He immediately puffed up his cheeks indignantly. "Grandma, Mommy's stuff isn't small! It's super, super important!"
Matthew set down his toy and looked at Ashley, speaking with clear logic. "We're Mommy's children. Daddy is Mommy's husband. Helping family is family responsibility. Grandma, you should support Daddy."
Ashley's face went through several shades of red and white.
She'd been tag-teamed and shut down by her two beloved grandsons.
She never imagined these two little guys, after spending such a short time with Juliana, would already be taking her side so completely!
That Juliana—her methods were really something. Not only had she completely captivated Lucas, now she had the kids wrapped around her finger too!
Ashley's chest tightened with frustration she couldn't release. She could only pick up her teacup and take a large sip to cover her embarrassment.
Lucas watched his mother's discomfort, a barely visible smile flickering in his eyes.
He took Juliana's hand and said to the boys, "Alright, we need to go."
"Bye Mommy! Bye Daddy!"
"Come back soon!"
The two little ones stood at the door, waving with all their might.
They didn't turn back inside until the car disappeared from view. Ashley looked at those two little faces so much like Lucas's, the anger in her heart impossible to suppress but also impossible to express. Finally it came out as a cold snort.
……
In the car.
Juliana leaned back against the seat, watching the streetscape rush past the window. Her tightly wound nerves finally relaxed a little.
Her heart felt like it had been soaked in warm water—soft and warm.
"What are you thinking about?" Lucas's voice came from beside her.
"Thinking about how amazing my sons are." Juliana turned her head to look at him, her eyes carrying a smile she didn't even notice herself.
"Our sons," Lucas corrected her, then added, "They take after me."