Lucian sighed as he gritted his teeth against the familiar pain, ever since he returned from the penthouse the episodes had become more frequent, each one leaving his head pounding harder than the last, if only he could remember what had happened before everything spiralled out of control.
He shut his eyes again and forced himself to think, searching every corner of his mind for even the smallest fragment of memory, but the harder he tried the more unbearable the ache became until he finally slammed his fist against the desk in frustration.
His breathing turned uneven as he reached for a stick of cigarette, placed it between his lips and lit it with practised ease, drawing in a long breath before slowly exhaling a cloud of smoke into the quiet office, his dark eyes remained fixed on nothing in particular as though the answer would suddenly appear if he stared long enough.
The sharp ringing of his phone cut through the silence.
Lucian slowly opened his eyes before glancing at the caller ID and answering without hesitation.
“What is it?”
“Young Master,” the butler’s respectful voice came from the other end, “the First Young Lady of the Zhao family has arrived, she insists she wishes to see you.”
Lucian’s brows immediately drew together.
He had left her at the penthouse days back, yet somehow she had already found her way to the villa, he had barely stepped into his office before another disturbance arrived at his doorstep, Nuisance.
“If you let her anywhere near this villa, I’ll break your legs.”
“O… okay, Young Master, I’ll send her away immediately.”
The butler hurriedly ended the call before Lucian could say another word.
Only then did Lucian release a slow breath as he leaned back into his chair, but the brief moment of silence did little to settle the restlessness weighing on his mind.
He picked up his phone again and dialled another number.
The call connected almost instantly.
“Dominic.”
“Young Master.”
“Get me the CCTV footage of everything that happened at the penthouse today.”
“Understood.”
Dominic had been by Lucian’s side since childhood.
As the Third Young Master of the Kui family, he possessed wealth and status most people could only dream of, yet he had walked away from his family long ago, unwilling to involve himself in the brutal battle for inheritance that consumed his two elder brothers, both men would stop at nothing to seize power, and Dominic wanted no part in their endless schemes.
Despite having a fortune waiting for him, he chose to remain beside Lucian instead, serving as his personal bodyguard and most trusted confidant for years.
“And get me every file you can find on the First Young Lady of the Zhao family.”
“Right away, Young Master.”
Lucian ended the call and slowly lowered the phone onto the desk before another cough escaped his throat, he covered his mouth with his fist, waiting for the tightness in his chest to ease before leaning back against the office chair with tired eyes.
In Zhao’s villa
“Mum… he wouldn’t even see me.”
She was dressed in a flowing white chiffon gown embroidered with delicate silver lotus patterns, the fitted bodice accentuated her slender figure while the layered skirt drifted gracefully around her ankles with every step, the long translucent sleeves softened her appearance and made her look gentle and fragile, almost like a flower that would wither from the slightest touch.
Her makeup was equally delicate, a light layer of foundation enhanced her flawless complexion while soft pink lipstick and carefully brushed lashes completed the innocent image she had spent hours creating.
She had chosen every detail with one purpose.
She wanted Lucian to notice her.
She had even prepared homemade food herself, hoping to personally deliver it to him, only to be turned away before she could even enter the villa.
The humiliation stung far more deeply than Camille wanted to admit.
“Don’t cry, Camille,” Odessa said softly as she gently rubbed her daughter’s back.
“He’ll notice you sooner or later.”
Camille bit her lower lip and slowly shook her head, her fingers tightening into fists
“This only happened because of Mei.”
Her voice was filled with hatred, everything had been perfectly planned.
She had wanted everyone to witness Mei walking out of Leon’s bedroom so they would assume she had willingly slept with him.
Once the rumours spread, Mei’s reputation would be completely ruined, and the Zhao family would have no choice but to disown her in disgrace.
Instead, that part of the plan had fallen apart.
Not only had Mei escaped unnoticed, but Lucian had also treated her with nothing but cold disgust after waking up.
The reality made Camille grit her teeth.
She hated it, She had gone through so much to get close to Lucian, yet Mei had once again become the variable that disrupted everything.
“Don’t worry, he’ll be yours soon enough, be patient”
Odessa comforted her.
Just then, a man in his mid fifties walked into the living room wearing an expensive set of silk navy blue pyjamas.
A pair of gold rimmed glasses rested neatly on the bridge of his nose while his neatly combed hair and well maintained appearance reflected years of luxury expected of one of River City’s most influential businessmen.
This was An zhao
“Now what’s making my beautiful daughter cry?”
He walked over with a warm smile and gently wiped away the tears lingering at the corner of Camille’s eyes
“It’s nothing, Daddy,” Camille answered softly, “I just don’t feel very well.”Camille lied
Zhao sighed before slipping a gold bank card from his pocket and placing it into her hand, “I’ll have the driver take you to the hospital tomorrow, afterwards you can stop by the mall and book that SK-II Platinum Facial you’ve been talking about.”
Camille’s eyes sparkled almost instantly.
She had been running short of money for weeks and had been putting off her facial treatment, manicure and pedicure, she had also been eyeing several limited edition designer dresses that many of her friends already owned.
This card solved all that.
“Thank you, Daddy.”
She threw herself into his arms with a bright smile, hugging him tightly like a little girl who had just received the greatest gift in the world.
Standing nearby, Odessa quietly watched the father and daughter together.
A trace of moisture gathered in her eyes, yet beneath that emotional expression lay something else, satisfaction.
Camille was playing her role perfectly.
“My darling.”
Zhao turned towards Odessa with an affectionate smile before wrapping an arm around her slender waist and pulling her closer.
“An zhao stop,” Odessa laughed softly as a blush spread across her cheeks, “our daughter is still here.”
She rested both hands against his chest before tilting her head slightly.
“You bought something for Camille, did you forget about me?”
“How could I?”.
Zhao chuckled.
“I found an eighteen carat gold Love necklace today and thought it would suit you perfectly.”
Odessa’s eyes immediately brightened.
“My darling, you’re always so thoughtful.”
She eagerly reached for his arm, but before she could take another step Zhao effortlessly lifted her into his arms.
Odessa let out a startled laugh before instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck, her cheeks burning crimson as he carried her towards the staircase.
She glanced back at Camille with a shy giggle while Zhao Cheng continued upstairs without slowing down.
Only after the couple disappeared upstairs did the front door quietly open.
Just then, Mei entered.