Chapter 248

Mr. Anderson was so furious he could barely stand. A nurse hurried over with a wheelchair.

"Sir, please, sit down!"

His face was stone cold. He trusted his granddaughter. There was no way, after the divorce, that she'd go chasing after her ex.

"Young lady, if you're making things up, I'll make sure you regret it." He shot a glare at Rose. "Keep calling. If you can't reach her, try her secretary, her assistant, anyone."

"Yes, sir." Rose had no choice but to dial Ruby's number again.

The phone rang. This time, Ruby picked up. "Hello?"

"Ruby, is Ms. Anderson with you?" Rose asked, voice tight.

Ruby froze, nerves jangling. "Uh... Ms. Anderson, she..."

"Spit it out, Ruby. Where is she? Mr. Anderson is desperate to find her."

Ruby swallowed hard. "Ms. Anderson is at the hotel... with Mr. Heath."

The news hit Mr. Anderson like a punch to the gut.

Shannon couldn't help herself. "Hear that? Your precious granddaughter is with Steven in a hotel room. Alone. What do you think they're doing? I bet she's throwing herself at him."

"You-shut your mouth!" Mr. Anderson's hands were shaking. He'd always trusted Lucie, but now he felt so disappointed.

"Tell her... tell her to come home. Now."

He suddenly gasped, his face turning a scary shade of purple.

"Sir! Sir! Somebody get a doctor!"

He collapsed, completely unconscious.

A couple minutes later, the doctor rushed in.

"Doctor, he fainted!" Rose blurted out, panicked.

The doctor checked him over, face turning serious. "We need to get him to surgery right now. There's no time."

The nurses and orderlies worked like clockwork, lifting him onto a gurney, giving him oxygen, and wheeling him out.

Shannon just rolled her eyes and strutted off. She muttered to herself, "Old geezer, you'd better die on that table. If you do, Lucie will be heartbroken for ages."

Rose wrung her hands. "What are we going to do? We have to let Ms. Anderson know."

"Have Ruby go find her in person," Madison said urgently.

Rose nodded and quickly called Ruby again.

In the hotel's presidential suite, Lucie lay sprawled on the bed, weak and completely drained. From yesterday afternoon to this morning, Steven had put her through hell. He didn't hold back, not for a second. Every I move every cruel word, had pushed her to the absolute edge.

Steven was at the dining table, leisurely eating a plate of top-grade wagyu beef with a glass of

Romanée-Conti. He liked to soling

mornings with steak one found

beef to refuel after a long night.

his

of

Halfway through his meal, he looked over at Lucie, still out cold on the bed. He cut another piece of steak.

"Come eat something."

She didn't move an inch. Lucie just lay there, hair tangled on the pillow, bruises and bite marks scattered across her skin.

Steven felt a twinge of guilt. Maybe he'd gone too far last night. Maybe he'd been too harsh.

But then again, she'd been stubborn. She'd made him jealous on purpose, even flirting with Elio right in front of him. She had to learn what happened when she pushed him too far.

Still seeing no response, Steven walked over, slid his arm under her neck, and pulled her up. “Baby, come on. Eat something."

The sudden motion jolted Lucie awake. She opened her eyes, disoriented and scared, her vision blurry. Steven's handsome, dangerous face slowly came into focus.

"Don't touch me!" she blurted out, trying to pull away like a frightened bird.

Steven's face darkened. He tightened his hold. "Am I really so scary? Why are you hiding from me?"

She froze, trembling, eyes wide like a trapped rabbit.

Steven's gaze softened just a little, almost pitying. "Be good. Open your mouth."

He brought the fork with a piece of steak to her lips.

Lucie turned her head away. "I don't want to eat."

Steven's voice dropped, surprisingly gentle. "You have to. You haven't had

anything since yesterday. Aren't you hungry?"

“Just eat a little, okay? Don't make yourself sick."

Lucie kept her eyes down, refusing to look at him. Only now did she realize how terrifying he really wasz He could put on so many faces, and she never knew which one was real. When she listened, he was gentle, even loving. But when she resisted him, he turned into someone else entirely-demanding, merciless, impossible to escape.