Chapter 128
Juliana couldn't help but laugh at how matter-of-fact he sounded.
The atmosphere in the car instantly lightened.
Watching her smile, Lucas felt the weight he'd been carrying—the dread of facing unknown dangers ahead—finally settle back into place.
As long as she was still smiling, there was nothing to fear.
He pulled out his phone and dialed, his tone returning to its usual calm authority.
"Everything arranged?... Good."
……
They caught a late-night flight and arrived at the hotel.
Juliana lay in bed, wide awake.
Tomorrow they'd find that former VP—someone who might know the whole truth. Her heart was half anticipation, half the nervous hesitation of getting too close to answers she'd been chasing.
Beside her, Lucas's breathing was even. He'd fallen asleep.
His sleeping face was peaceful, stripped of the sharp intensity and commanding presence he wore during the day. His features were relaxed, like a kid who'd let down all his defenses. Juliana turned on her side, using the faint light seeping through the curtain gap to trace his features with her eyes.
This man was taking over her life in a way she couldn't resist.
Just then, Lucas's lashes flickered.
Those eyes, still deep even in darkness, suddenly opened. He didn't say a word, just raised one finger and pressed it gently against Juliana's lips, signaling her to stay quiet.
Juliana's heart skipped a beat.
Lucas sat up silently, like a predator disturbed in the dark, every muscle coiled and ready to strike.
He tilted his head, listening to sounds outside the door, his eyes cold as ice.
The hallway carpet was thick enough to muffle most sounds.
But Lucas still caught something unusual—a deliberately suppressed noise.
He slid out of bed, his movements so light they didn't disturb the air. His tall frame instantly melted into the room's shadows.
He bent down and picked up the heels Juliana had kicked off on the couch earlier, weighing one in his hand before pressing it into Juliana's palm.
The heel was sharp and thin, gleaming coldly in the dark like a weapon.
Juliana sat up in bed, pressing her back against the headboard, every nerve on high alert.
Click.
The sound of a keycard being hacked.
The door was pushed open a crack from outside, completely silent.
Two men dressed in black tactical gear slipped in like snakes.
They carried silenced handguns, their movements professional—clearly not ordinary thieves.
The first man had barely stepped into the room, his eyes still adjusting to the darkness, when a sudden force came at him.
Lucas.
He'd somehow moved behind the door and launched a surprise attack.
No fancy moves—just a precise strike to the back of the man's neck.
The guy didn't even make a sound before crumpling to the floor.
The second man's reflexes were lightning-fast. He immediately swung his gun around.
But fast as he was, Juliana was faster.
The moment Lucas moved, she'd already thrown off the covers and rolled off the opposite side of the bed.
Just as the man turned his attention toward Lucas, Juliana burst from his blind spot and swung the stiletto heel with all her strength at his gun hand.
The sharp point drove into his wrist like a steel spike, deadly accurate.
The man let out a short cry of pain. The gun flew from his grip.
He tried to fight back, but Lucas was already there. One iron hand clamped around his throat, cutting off all sound and struggle.
Lucas's other hand twisted sharply. There was a muffled crack of bone shifting, and the man went limp.
The whole thing took maybe fifteen seconds.
Lucas turned on the bedside lamp.
Warm yellow light flooded the room, illuminating the mess and the two uninvited guests sprawled on the floor.
Juliana looked at the bloodstained heel still in her hand. Her stomach churned.
She'd seen blood before—the operating room had far worse scenes than this. But that was to save people.
Just now, she'd been ready to kill.
A warm, dry hand settled on her back, patting gently.
"It's over."
Juliana looked up at him. He wore only a black silk robe, the front hanging open to reveal his solid chest.
After that fight, his breathing hadn't even changed.
Lucas took the heel from her hand and poured her a glass of water from the table.
Juliana took a sip. The cold liquid sliding down her throat helped calm her racing pulse.
Lucas crouched down and started checking the unconscious men.
He efficiently searched them, pulling out phones and IDs. The IDs were fake, but the phones were real.
One phone's screen was still lit, showing the messaging app.
There was a recently sent message. Just one word: [Done.]
The recipient's number had no name attached.
Lucas stared at those digits and let out a low laugh.
Juliana looked at him, confused.
"What is it?"
"My dear baby brother." Lucas tossed the phone onto the coffee table, his tone full of dark amusement. "Really outdoing himself. Using my people, spending my money, trying to take my life."
Juliana picked up the phone and glanced at the number. She didn't recognize it.
"Is this Logan's?"
"Nope." Lucas leaned back into the couch, crossing his legs casually. "This is a dedicated line for one of my intelligence networks in Europe. Only Sharp family core members have clearance to use it, and only for the most urgent situations."
He paused. "Not sure how he got access."
Juliana understood.
"He knows we're here," she said.
"Someone at home is feeding him information." Lucas's tone was matter-of-fact. "Not surprising."
He pulled out his own phone and made a call.
It was answered quickly.
"Clean this up." Lucas gave an address and hung up.
After handling that, he turned to look at Juliana's hand—the skin on her knuckles was slightly reddened. He reached out, his fingertips brushing over the spot.
"Scared?"
Juliana shook her head.
Having this man beside her gave her an inexplicable sense of security.
"Just now—we worked well together," Lucas said.
Juliana's cheeks warmed. She thought about that ruthless energy she'd just displayed—nothing like a doctor dedicated to saving lives.
"Learned it from you," she said quietly.
The ice in Lucas's eyes gradually melted.
"You learned well."