Chapter 1509:
Testing her boundaries would be a dangerous gamble, and Lucian’s instincts warned him against reckless defiance. In an instant, he made up his mind. He swept the gold bars out of sight and instructed the driver curtly to halt at the roadside ahead.
Elena seized the car handle, tugging sharply, but the door refused to yield—it remained firmly locked. Her brows arched as she turned back toward him.
“What is this supposed to mean, Mr. Stanley?”
His tone was low, deliberate.
“There are countless lives on those ships, Miss Harper. When do you intend to restore their course?”
Elena met his gaze without flinching, her voice edged with cool triumph.
“Haven’t you realized yet? Control belongs to me now.”
Elena lifted her chin, her voice steady and edged with menace.
“Mr. Stanley, the tables have turned. I’m the one delivering the threat now. If you don’t want those cruise liners to drift endlessly in open waters, then you’d be wise not to test me.” Her lashes flickered upward, confidence radiating from her measured stare.
Lucian hadn’t heard such fearless defiance directed at him in years. A shadow crossed his eyes, but fury never surfaced. He understood all too well—the woman before him possessed the skill and audacity to match her words.
From the front seat, the driver’s hand moved instinctively, fingers closing around the hilt of a concealed blade. A single order from Lucian, and this insolent woman’s fate would be sealed before she was dumped into the sea without leaving a trace. But the command the driver had been waiting for didn’t come.
Lucian’s voice cut through with unbending authority.
“Open the door.”
The driver froze, startled. His gaze darted to the mirror, where Lucian’s icy eyes bore into him. Trembling, he dropped his head and obeyed, unlocking the door in haste.
Elena pressed her hand against the handle and stepped out without hesitation.
𝗕𝗲 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 — 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝘁 ⲅ𝗮𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀・ⅽ𝗼𝗺
Lucian had yielded—for now.
When the silence returned, the driver’s bewilderment broke through.
“Mr. Stanley, are we truly letting her walk away? What if she refuses to repair the navigation system for the ships?”
Leaning back against the leather, Lucian allowed the shadows to veil half his features. The curve of his lips betrayed a glimmer of calculating wisdom, concealed beneath the flawless mask of a devoted husband.
“Return home.”
The steel in his voice silenced further protest, and the driver dared not pursue the matter again.
By the time Lucian’s car rolled through the gates of the secluded manor, the household remained hushed—Carola still lay asleep.
Lucian retreated into the study, cigarette smoke curling around him as his thoughts wandered. Time slipped away before he finally shed the clothes saturated with smoke and walked into the bedroom. With quiet care, he straightened Carola’s covers, ensuring no chill would reach her fragile body, and then departed for the hospital.
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