Chapter 70
Juliana's face turned completely red, the flush spreading from her cheeks all the way to her ears.
She tried to slap his hand away, but Lucas caught her wrist first. He didn't say anything more, just looked at her with those unfathomably deep eyes, emotions so intense they threatened to overflow.
He lowered his head and kissed her again.
He parted her lips, his tongue entering with undeniable insistence yet tangling with hers gently.
Juliana's defenses crumbled instantly. Her hand loosened around the empty bowl—it clattered to the floor and shattered.
The sharp sound made Juliana jolt, bringing back a shred of rationality.
She pushed him hard. "Your wound!"
Lucas grunted, his face paling several shades, but he didn't let go. Instead, he held her tighter, his entire body pressing forward, trapping her between the chair and himself.
"Lucas, you're insane! Your wound will tear open!" Juliana panicked. As a doctor, she knew better than anyone how bad his condition was right now.
"This wound won't stop me. Juliana, I've missed you so much."
He suddenly scooped her up in his arms.
Juliana cried out, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck, afraid he'd fall. "Put me down! Your wound..."
"Be quiet."
It was only a few steps, yet Juliana could feel his arm muscles tensing, could even see fine beads of sweat forming at his temples.
He laid her gently on the bed, his tall frame covering hers.
"Lucas..."
He kissed her earlobe.
"Lucas..."
His body stiffened momentarily, then more intense kisses came crashing down like a storm.
Clothing was stripped away. The medicinal smell in the air gradually gave way to something more primal, more scorching.
The last thread of rationality in Juliana's mind snapped completely.
She could feel the fierce scars on his abdomen, could feel him trying desperately to control himself, avoiding pressure on his wounds. Yet even so, every movement was like dancing on a knife's edge.
She didn't know if she felt more heartache or more surrender. Perhaps both.
……
Afterward, the room returned to quiet, only their mingled breathing remaining.
Juliana rested on Lucas's arm, her whole body feeling boneless, not wanting to move even a finger.
Lucas wasn't much better off. His breathing was somewhat labored, his face looking exceptionally pale in the dim light.
"Does it hurt?" Juliana reached out, her fingertips lightly touching the gauze on his abdomen. A spot of blood had already seeped through.
"It doesn't hurt." Lucas caught her hand and kissed it. "Compared to being with you, this pain is nothing."
Juliana said nothing, just burrowed deeper into his embrace.
After a long while, she finally spoke softly, as if having made a decision. "Lucas, there's something I should tell you."
"Mm." He responded, his fingers idly playing with her long hair.
"I... once met someone online. His name was Logan."
Lucas's movements stopped.
Juliana didn't notice and continued. "We chatted for a long time, I guess you could say... we were in an online relationship. Later, before I returned to the country, we met in person. It was the day you had your car accident."
She finished speaking and carefully looked up to gauge his reaction.
"Lucas, I... actually, the Logan I knew online felt different from the one I met in person..."
"I've had an online relationship too."
Lucas suddenly spoke, interrupting her.
Juliana paused.
Was he... joking?
Lucas, the powerful head of the Sharp Group, that decisive, ice-cold man, had an online relationship? That was less likely than Mars hitting Earth.
"Stop messing with me." Juliana couldn't help laughing, the tension in her heart evaporating.
Lucas turned his head, looking at her bright eyes in the darkness, and laughed too.
His laughter was low and deep, resonating from his chest, making Juliana's ears tingle.
They just looked at each other like that, sharing a smile.
After laughing for a while, Lucas pulled her back into his embrace, his chin resting on top of her head.
"Juliana." He suddenly spoke, his tone unprecedentedly serious. "When I came back from the military, the Sharp family was in chaos—internal and external troubles, a complete mess. To consolidate power, I used many methods and made many enemies."
"Some of those people went bankrupt, some went to prison, and some... disappeared. Their families, friends, subordinates—they all see me as a thorn in their side." His voice was calm, as if talking about someone else. "Being with me will be very dangerous."
Juliana's heart twisted. She could imagine what kind of thunderous force and bloodshed lay behind those casually spoken "many methods."
"I won't force you. You have the right to choose. If you're unwilling, you can leave now. I'll arrange everything to ensure you live a worry-free life."
He'd given her an escape route.
A safe, smooth path—one without him on it.
Juliana tightened her arms around his waist, burying her face deep in his chest.
After a long time, she finally spoke, her voice muffled.
"Lucas."
"Mm?"
"With all this baggage, you're going to have a hard time finding a wife in the future."
Her tone carried a hint of disdain mixed with resignation. Danger, enemies, bloodshed—any one of those things would be enough to make an ordinary girl run for the hills.
Lucas laughed softly. "Don't I have you?"
His arms tightened further, as if trying to merge her into his bones and blood. "Even if you refuse, I'll pester you for a lifetime."
Juliana pursed her lips and said nothing more, but her heart felt full, warm and content.
Just then, three soft knocks came from outside the door.
They both froze simultaneously.
Juliana instinctively tried to get up from his embrace, but Lucas held her in place.
He shook his head at her, signaling her not to move.
The hallway went quiet for a moment. Then the doorknob turned gently, and the door opened a crack.
A small head poked through.
It was Matthew.
In the faint light from the hallway, he immediately spotted the two people embracing on the bed.
The little guy's movements froze instantly.
The next second, that small head retracted like lightning. With a soft click, the door closed again, as if everything just now had been an illusion.
Juliana's face flushed completely red, hot and burning. She scrambled out of Lucas's arms in a panic and sat up straight.
Being caught by her son in this situation was just... too embarrassing.