Chapter 36
The apartment door banged open as Juliana stumbled into the bathroom.
She forced herself to induce vomiting as quickly as possible. Ice-cold liquid flooded her stomach, feeling like her organs were twisting out of place.
But the drug had already entered her system.
Vomiting wouldn't be enough. She needed a hospital.
The living room was just steps from the bathroom, yet it felt like crossing mountains.
Thud. She crashed hard onto the floor.
No... losing... consciousness...
The light faded from her vision, then plunged into complete darkness.
At the Sharp family estate, David entered the living room.
"Mom, don't you think that was a bit much?"
"Much?" Ashley gave a cold laugh. "Everything I do is for Lucas's sake. That woman has ulterior motives. Keeping her around would only bring disaster. Today was just a lesson."
David remained silent.
A lesson? Throwing out a doctor who'd just spent twenty-four hours saving your life—treating her like garbage—that's a lesson?
"What about the Hale girl?" Ashley asked when he didn't respond.
"She just left."
"At least she's useful." Ashley nodded with satisfaction. "She needs to keep putting that Wells woman in her place. Make her understand who the future mistress of the Sharp family will be."
David's mind flashed to the scene he'd witnessed earlier at the gate—Bianca gripping Juliana's chin, forcing something into her mouth.
A thought made his heart sink.
"Mom, does Lucas know you threw Dr. Wells out?"
"So what if he does? I'm his mother!" Ashley's tone brooked no argument. "He wouldn't turn against me for some outsider, would he? David, I watched you grow up. You need to help me. Lucas's marriage can't be delayed any longer. Once he and Bee are married and produce an heir for the Sharp family, everything will be secure."
David frowned and excused himself.
Once outside the estate, he called Lucas.
"David? What's up?" Lucas's characteristically cool voice came through.
"Bianca just fed Dr. Wells some kind of pill outside the Sharp estate." David spoke rapidly, getting straight to the point. "You should check her apartment right now."
"What did you say?!"
David quickly relayed everything he'd witnessed. This involved someone's life—he couldn't just stand by.
Lucas hung up.
"Get the car!"
Sitting in the back seat, Lucas's veins bulged, his knuckles standing out stark and white from clenching his fists.
Fed her drugs?
Bianca!
Only one thought consumed his mind: faster, faster!
The car screeched to a stop outside the apartment building. Lucas charged into the elevator.
"Juliana! Open the door!"
"Juliana!"
Only deadly silence answered him.
Lucas stepped back and kicked the door lock with all his strength. The sturdy lock shattered.
He burst through the door and immediately spotted the woman collapsed on the living room floor.
Juliana's face was paper-white, her lips an abnormal purplish-blue.
Lucas's heart nearly stopped.
He rushed over. "Juliana!"
No response.
Lucas scooped her up and bolted for the exit, those deep eyes churning with towering rage and unprecedented panic.
At the hospital, emergency room. A masked doctor emerged, expression grave.
"Who's the patient's family?"
"I am." Lucas immediately approached.
"The patient's condition is very serious." The doctor removed his mask, brow furrowed. "We detected traces of a banned substance in her stomach contents and bloodstream."
"Banned substance?"
"Yes. A neurological toxin strictly prohibited on the market. This drug typically circulates only on the black market. It rapidly destroys the central nervous system—even a moderate dose can be fatal."
Lucas's pupils contracted sharply.
The doctor continued, "Fortunately, the patient induced vomiting, which slowed the toxin's absorption. Otherwise... the consequences would've been catastrophic. But here's the problem—this drug has no conventional antidote."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean," the doctor sighed, "to completely eliminate the toxin from her system, we'd need the proprietary antidote from whoever manufactured this drug. Otherwise, even if we save her life this time, residual toxins will cause irreversible permanent brain damage."
The Hale family.
Perfect.
"Understood."
Lucas didn't return to the hospital room. He walked to the window at the end of the corridor.
He made two calls.
The first was to his overseas contact.
"Look into a neurological toxin circulating on the black market. I need to know which organization manufactured it. I need the antidote." His voice was low and flat, devoid of emotion. "Whatever it costs."
The second call was to Marcus.
The phone rang for a long time before someone picked up. Marcus's forced-calm voice came through. "Lucas, it's so late. What's going on?"
"Where's Bianca?" Lucas got straight to the point.
"Bee? She... she was exhausted from her schedule today. She's already asleep."
"Is that so?" Lucas's lips twisted into a smile—one so cold it could freeze blood. "Then I'll make sure the entire Hale family sleeps with her. Permanently."
On the other end, Marcus's heart lurched.
Before he could respond, Lucas had already hung up.
Meanwhile, David's car pulled up outside the Hale Mansion. He'd come on Lucas's orders to pick up the child.
Emily answered the door. Seeing David, she forced a smile. "David, what brings you here?"
"Mom sent me to bring Dami home." David kept it brief, his gaze scanning inside.
The living room atmosphere was oppressive. Marcus sat on the sofa with an ashen face, while Bianca had curled up in an armchair, deathly pale.
Seeing this scene confirmed David's suspicions.
Emily was about to say something when footsteps sounded from upstairs.
Matthew descended the staircase. Seeing David, he paused.
This uncle—he'd seen him at the Sharp estate that day.
He was with Lucas.
"Dami, come here. Your uncle's here to take you home." Emily quickly beckoned him over.
This late at night? To pick him up?
Matthew knew something must have happened. Instinct told him the less he said right now, the better.
He wasn't Damian.
He couldn't blow his cover.
He nodded and walked over obediently.
David was somewhat surprised.
In his memory, Damian was a fearless little hellion. Since when did he listen so well to the Hales?