Chapter 43
Lucas's face instantly turned cold.
"My marriage is my own decision."
"Your decision? What decision will you make?" Ashley's emotions flared. "Are you going to marry this woman who came out of nowhere? What kind of spell has she cast on you!"
"I'm not marrying Bianca." Lucas's answer was definitive.
"You!" Ashley clutched her chest, her face flushing red. "You... you're going to be the death of me!"
She suddenly turned her head and—with a harsh sound—spat out a mouthful of blood onto the carpet beside the bed.
"Mom!"
Lucas's face went pale. He turned and shouted at the butler, "Call an ambulance!"
At the hospital, Lucas leaned against the hallway wall, smoking one cigarette after another. The trash can beside him overflowed with butts.
When David rushed over, this was the scene that greeted him.
"Lucas, how is she?"
"Still inside." Lucas stubbed out his cigarette, his voice hoarse.
Before long, the doctor emerged from the emergency room.
"The patient suffered from emotional distress causing a sudden spike in blood pressure, which triggered complications from an old stomach condition. That's why she vomited blood. Her condition is stable now, but she needs to stay for observation."
Lucas listened without a word.
David patted his shoulder consolingly. "As long as she's okay. Lucas, I know you're frustrated, but Mom is getting up there in years. Can't you just go along with her a little? With Bianca, you could just apologize, smooth things over..."
"Get the car ready." Lucas suddenly cut him off.
David froze. "Where to? You're not seriously going to apologize to Bianca, are you?"
Lucas shot him a look cold as ice. "To pick up Juliana."
David was completely thrown. "Pick her up for what? Mom doesn't want to see her right now! You know that—that's why you called the ambulance directly!"
"I don't trust the doctors here." Lucas dropped that line and turned toward the elevator.
"You've lost it!" David quickly grabbed him. "Lucas, calm down! If you bring Juliana here now, you're just adding fuel to the fire! Listen to me—let me go in and talk to Mom first. Don't do anything rash, okay?"
Seeing David's anxiety, Lucas finally stopped. He irritably tugged at his tie. "You've got ten minutes."
Then he turned and walked to the window at the end of the hallway.
David breathed a sigh of relief and pushed open the door to the hospital room.
Inside, Ashley showed no trace of her earlier near-death performance. She was sitting up in bed, elegantly wiping the corner of her mouth with a wet wipe—cleaning away the "blood" that was actually syrup she'd prepared in advance.
"Well?" She looked up as David entered. "Did that rebellious son of mine give in?"
David looked at her spirited appearance and shook his head.
"What?!" Ashley's eyes flew wide, her well-maintained face twisting with rage. "That vixen! What kind of power does she have to bewitch both my son and grandson like this!"
She pounded the hospital bed in fury. "No. I absolutely cannot let her win! David, help me think of something. Lucas must marry Bianca!"
David looked at Ashley's near-manic state, caught between a rock and a hard place. Finally, he nodded.
When Lucas returned to the Sharp estate, it was already the small hours of the morning. A floor lamp still glowed in the living room, a slender figure curled up on the sofa.
It was Juliana.
She seemed to have fallen asleep while waiting, covered only by a thin blanket.
Lucas looked at her peaceful sleeping face, emotions churning inside him. His mother's manipulation, the scene of her vomiting blood, the mess at the company, and toward this woman—that frustration and possessiveness he couldn't even untangle himself... all those feelings found an outlet in this moment.
He strode toward her.
Juliana was startled awake by his footsteps, opening her eyes groggily. "You're back? Mrs. Sharp, is she..."
Before she could finish, a tall shadow loomed over her. Lucas said nothing, bracing his hands on either side of her on the sofa, leaning down to capture her lips.
The bitterness of tobacco and the sharp scent of the man instantly overwhelmed all of Juliana's senses. Her mind went blank for a full three seconds.
When she came back to herself, a massive wave of humiliation and fury crashed over her. She mustered all her strength and raised her hand.
Crack!
Lucas's movement stopped. His head turned slightly to the side, a clear handprint rapidly forming on his handsome face.
Juliana trembled with rage. "Lucas, you bastard!"
Lucas looked at her expressionlessly. His eyes held no anger, no desire—only an unfathomable, thick exhaustion and... pain.
Juliana was startled by this version of him. This wasn't the aloof, inscrutable Lucas she knew.
The fury in Juliana's heart was inexplicably replaced by a strange emotion. Almost involuntarily, she asked, "What... what happened to you?"
Lucas slowly straightened. That sting was nothing compared to the chaos in his mind.
"Family business." His voice was terribly hoarse.
He took a step forward. Juliana instinctively shrank back.
His lips curved slightly. "What, scared now?"
He didn't press closer. Instead, he turned and headed toward the stairs.
"If you want to know, follow me."
Juliana stood frozen, angry and confused. Follow him? She'd have to be crazy to follow a man who'd just assaulted her into his bedroom.
But if she didn't follow, that image of him looking like he was about to shatter kept replaying in her mind.
She bit her lip and ultimately followed.
She told herself she just wanted to figure out what was wrong with this man, to prevent him from harassing her like this again in the future.
Lucas's bedroom was like the man himself—decorated in black, white, and gray, cold and devoid of warmth.
Juliana followed him inside. "Lucas, what exactly do you want?"
He swung the heavy door shut behind them and locked it.
The crisp sound of the lock clicking was like thunder exploding in Juliana's heart.
"You—!"
Before she could finish, a powerful force swept her up by the waist. The world spun, and she was thrown heavily onto an absurdly large bed.
The mattress was soft and she sank into it, but she felt no comfort—only the terror of her heart pounding wildly.
"Lucas! You lunatic!" She scrambled with both hands and feet, trying to get up.
But in the next second, a tall figure pressed down on her, hands braced on either side of her body, pinning her firmly beneath him.
"Lunatic?" The man's breath fell on her cheek, carrying the scent of tobacco and alcohol. "Let me show you what a real lunatic looks like."