Chapter 16
Central Hospital, VIP ward.
Juliana sat propped against her pillows when the door swung open. Lucas's tall frame filled the doorway.
"Mr. Sharp." Juliana offered a polite greeting while her mind raced to figure out why he'd come.
Lucas's gaze landed on her face. He ignored her formality and got straight to the point. "My son wants to see you."
Juliana's fingers pressed into the blanket.
His son?
Dami!
A surge of overwhelming joy threatened to break through, and she nearly lost control of her expression. Her other child—he wanted to see her too!
Juliana took a deep breath, forcing her voice to stay level. "Really? Is Damian... is he doing alright?"
Her reaction didn't escape Lucas's notice.
The way her eyes lit up instantly. That smile tugging at the corners of her mouth despite her efforts to suppress it. The forced composure. To him, it all looked like the satisfaction of a plan coming together.
Just as he'd suspected.
Lucas's last shred of interest evaporated. He'd half-expected to see what kind of touching performance she might put on, but this? Crude tactics, transparent desperation.
"He's fine." Lucas's tone flattened, taking on an air of dismissive indifference. "Since you want to see him too, I'll arrange it."
Without another glance, he turned to leave.
This woman was no different from all the others who'd schemed their way into his orbit over the years. The only distinction was that she was smarter—clever enough to target his son as her entry point.
"Mr. Sharp, you certainly have plenty of free time on your hands."
Joshua appeared in the doorway, medical file tucked under his arm, blocking Lucas's exit.
"Instead of attending to your critically ill mother, you keep finding excuses to harass my patient?"
Lucas stopped in his tracks.
Looking at the man before him, he suddenly understood the source of Joshua's hostility.
Before, he'd assumed it was just old family grudges. But now it seemed there was more to it. When a man can't control his own wife's attempts to climb into another man's bed, naturally he won't have a kind word for the supposed 'other man.'
A sardonic smile pulled at Lucas's lips.
"Professor Lynd." He took a step forward, brushing past Joshua's shoulder. "Rather than wasting time here, you'd be better off keeping a closer eye on your woman."
With that, he strode off without looking back.
Joshua's expression darkened instantly. He watched Lucas disappear down the corridor, then glanced back at Juliana sitting innocently in her hospital bed, completely baffled.
What the hell did he mean by 'keep an eye on your woman'?
Had Lucas somehow gotten the wrong idea about something?
...
Half a month later, Juliana's wounds had mostly healed.
The Sharp family sent a car to collect her. It glided smoothly through the gates of the Sharp Estate.
In the living room, Ashley reclined on the sofa. With Joshua personally overseeing her care, her complexion had improved considerably, though the sharp edge of superiority in her expression remained unchanged.
Bianca attentively offered her a plate of cut fruit, the picture of filial devotion.
When Juliana entered, Ashley barely glanced up.
"Get on with it." Ashley lifted her chin.
Juliana said nothing. She opened her medical kit, positioned her stethoscope, and began the examination with calm efficiency.
Her movements were professional and controlled, her fingers cool as they made contact with Ashley's skin through the thin fabric of her clothing.
Ashley's brow creased almost imperceptibly.
The examination proceeded smoothly.
Juliana packed away her instruments, delivering the standard instructions in a clinical tone. "You need to rest. Avoid anything spicy or greasy."
"I know." Impatience colored Ashley's voice. She turned to Bianca. "Bee, I think we should set your wedding date for the end of next month. A celebration will lift everyone's spirits, and it'll help my recovery."
Bianca nodded with demure pleasure. "Whatever you think is best."
Their conversation reached Juliana's ears clearly. The movement of her hands slowed almost imperceptibly as she continued packing.
The wedding... so soon.
Her chest tightened, though her face betrayed nothing. She needed to find Damian. Fast.
"Mrs. Sharp, may I use the restroom?" Juliana asked.
"Have a servant show you." Ashley waved dismissively, her attention already elsewhere.
Juliana followed a maid upstairs. At the corner of the hallway, she slowed her pace. "I can find it from here. You can go back down."
The maid nodded without question and descended the stairs.
Juliana stood alone, scanning her surroundings.
So many rooms on this floor. Which one belonged to her child?
She didn't act rashly, instead moving carefully from door to door, listening and observing, until she reached a room at the far end of the hallway.
The door stood slightly ajar.
Possessed by some inexplicable impulse, Juliana pushed it open and stepped inside.
A dark mahogany desk dominated the space. The air carried the mingled scent of tobacco and ink. This was Lucas's domain.
Her attention caught on a photo frame sitting on the desk. She moved closer.
The photograph showed a small boy in a crisp little suit, standing beside a piano.
It was her Dami.
Juliana's heart clenched painfully. She reached out, her fingertips barely grazing that face so achingly similar to Matty's.
Several thick photo albums lined the bookshelf.
Juliana reached for the topmost one and opened it.
The first page showed a newborn baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, tiny and wrinkled.
The second page captured his full-month photo. The baby had filled out, his features holding a striking resemblance to her own.
Page after page.
She felt like an intruder in frozen time, hungrily devouring glimpses of the seven years she'd missed.
Heat prickled behind Juliana's eyes.
She turned pages rapidly until one particular photograph made her freeze completely.
In it, Damian was held in Bianca's arms, a carousel visible in the background.
Bianca's smile was radiant and smug. The Damian in her embrace looked uncomfortable, resistant.
Below the photo, embossed in gold lettering: Dami and Mom.
Mom?
Nausea rolled through Juliana.
A man's low voice came from the doorway.
"Dr. Wells. What fascinating entertainment you've found."
Juliana's body went rigid. She spun around.
Lucas stood in the doorway, hands tucked casually in his pockets, his gaze heavy as it settled on the album in her hands. His mouth curved in an expression somewhere between mockery and disdain.
"I see your 'research' on my son is progressing nicely."
Juliana instinctively snapped the album shut, her heart hammering against her ribs.
"I was just—"
"Just happened to wander into the wrong room? Just happened to be interested in someone else's family photos?" Lucas advanced into the room, each step deliberate, his tall frame radiating intimidation.
He pulled the album from her hands, his eyes landing precisely on the page she'd been viewing.
"What's wrong? Not pleased with this one?" He tapped Bianca's face in the photograph. "Think that position should be yours instead?"