Chapter 75
Emily's words caught in her throat. After a long silence, she seemed drained of all strength and nodded weakly. "No."
Admitting those two words seemed to take half her life's energy.
"But Lucas," she quickly added, "our feelings for Dami are genuine! These past seven years, no matter how busy Bee's work was, she always thought of him. The Hale family has loved Dami like our own grandson. We..."
"I know."
Emily froze.
"When Dami first came to the Sharp family, he was very attached to her." Lucas's gaze drifted toward the window, as if recalling something. "In his family portraits, he drew her the biggest, right next to me. He'd secretly hide her hair clips and cry when she left for filming."
Emily had never heard these details. Her eyes instantly reddened.
"Later, he gradually stopped mentioning her." Lucas withdrew his gaze. "Because she promised to take him to the amusement park but broke her promise for a commercial event. Because she promised to attend his parent-teacher conference but sent her assistant with signed photos instead. Because when he was sick with a fever and called her, it was always her manager who answered."
Emily's tears finally spilled over. She covered her face, sobbing. "I'm sorry... we failed the child..."
"What's done is done." Lucas stood. "For the sake of Dami once genuinely treating her as his mother, I won't pursue past matters. I'll also remember what the Hale family has done for Dami."
Emily looked up sharply, hardly believing her ears.
"But there's a condition." Lucas looked down at her. "Control your daughter. From now on, she stays in line. If she gets any ideas she shouldn't have, or tries to hurt Juliana and her son, we'll settle both old and new accounts together."
"She won't! Absolutely not!" Emily hastily promised, grasping at this lifeline. "I'll send her abroad immediately. She'll never appear before you again!"
Lucas said nothing more, which counted as tacit agreement.
Emily left with profuse thanks, her steps noticeably lighter.
After seeing Emily off, Lucas drove back to the hospital. Damian was lying on the hospital bed, and when Lucas approached, he saw what his son was holding—a laminated family photo.
It had been taken years ago. Now Bianca's face was completely scribbled over with black marker, leaving only a grotesque dark smudge.
Lucas's heart felt violently squeezed, aching dully.
He crouched down and gently embraced his son from behind.
Damian started, instinctively trying to hide the photo behind his back.
Lucas held his small hand and pulled out the defaced photo, casually tossing it into the nearby trash. "We'll get a new one from now on."
"One with Mom in it?"
"Yes." Lucas reached out to ruffle his hair.
The next morning, just as dawn broke, Juliana yawned and opened her apartment door to find Lucas standing outside, moisture dotting his lashes.
"You..." Her drowsiness vanished instantly. "When did you get here? Why didn't you knock?"
She pulled him inside. His hands were ice-cold. Frowning, Juliana immediately wrapped both her hands around his, trying to warm them.
"How long were you standing out there? You're still injured!"
Lucas let her hold his hands. "Not long. Just arrived."
Juliana rubbed his hands while complaining. "Your hands wouldn't be this cold if you just got here. You think I'm stupid?"
"Maybe it's not just my hands that are cold." Lucas suddenly said.
"Hm?" Juliana didn't catch on.
"My stomach's cold and hurting too."
Juliana immediately grew anxious. "Are you crazy?!"
In her panic, she simply slipped her warm hands under his shirt hem, pressing them against his firm abdomen.
Her palms were soft and warm, intimately conforming to his cool skin through the thin fabric.
Lucas's body tensed instantly.
Juliana didn't notice, asking seriously, "Does this help?"
Lucas looked down at her focused expression. His tense lips suddenly curved into an extremely subtle arc.
Juliana was feeling the tautness of his abdominal muscles when she looked up and saw the smile on his face. She froze.
In that instant, everything clicked.
This man was completely playing her!
"Lucas!" Juliana's face flushed with embarrassment and anger as she tried to yank her hands back.
But he pressed them in place first. "It doesn't hurt now."
He held her wrists firmly, her warm palms still resting on his abdomen. Through the thin shirt, she could feel the defined lines of his muscles and his burning body heat.
Juliana was mortified and annoyed. "Let go!"
"Recharging." Lucas still carried the morning chill mixed with his unique, crisp scent—like an invisible net wrapping around her completely.
"Recharging what?"
"Didn't sleep all night. Out of battery." His explanation was concise.
Where did this man learn this?!
Unable to break free, Juliana gave up and just glared at him indignantly.
Seeing her like this, the amusement in his eyes deepened. He whispered near her ear, "Sweetheart."
Those words were like an electric current coursing through Juliana's entire body. She went completely rigid, her mind buzzing.
"What... what are you calling me?!"
"Not random." Lucas was in an excellent mood. "Don't you love me most?"
The abrupt topic shift made Juliana pause. She instinctively retorted, "No."
Lucas's eyebrow arched slightly, waiting for her to continue.
"I love my sons most." Juliana said firmly. Whether Dami or Matty, they were both the treasures of her heart.
The man's expression darkened. Juliana's heart sank—this petty man, was he angry again?
Sure enough, the next second his hand at the back of her head pressed firmly as he kissed her without warning.
Juliana was kissed until she felt dizzy, her limbs weak. She could only stand by clinging to his arms.
Just as she was about to run out of breath, an urgent phone ringtone cut through the intimate atmosphere.
Lucas paused momentarily. He released her but kept her confined in his embrace as he pulled out his phone and glanced at it.
David's call.
He pressed answer, his voice returning to its usual cool composure. "Speak."
David seemed accustomed to his style and reported quickly. "The DNA results are in."
Lucas's gaze fell on Juliana's reddened lips, his eyes darkening. "Mm."
"Should I bring them to you now?"
"No need." Lucas said flatly. "Take the results directly to the hospital and give them to my mother. Let her see them with her own eyes."
What he wanted was never just a result—he wanted the instigator to personally unveil the lie she'd buried.