Chapter 45

"Even if that bastard really got kidnapped..."

Andrew Lucas's voice was as cold as an ice blade, each word piercing Susan Thompson's heart. "It's none of my business!"

The call ended abruptly.

None of his business...

Susan stared at the darkened phone screen, her fingers trembling uncontrollably. She tried to stand up from the hospital bed, but her legs felt like lead.

Tears blurred her vision.

Faintly, she recalled the man's tender vows.

He had once said, "Susan, you and our child are my life."

Now, they had become burdens he dismissed with "none of my business."

Andrew, you're ruthless!

Susan bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, forcing herself to stay upright. She knew if she collapsed now, she'd never get up again.

Pain coursed through her body like thousands of needles. Every step felt like walking on knives.

When she called Andrew again, no one answered.

Outside, the city bustled with traffic and neon lights. Susan grabbed her purse and rushed out, only to turn back and snatch the fruit knife from the bedside table.

If he hated her to the bone, she'd give him what he wanted. As long as she could save Daniel, he could take her life!

This winter in Seaview City was unusually cold. It hadn't snowed when she left the hospital, but by the time she reached Shallow Water Bay, thick flakes were falling.

The villa was brightly lit.

The sign that read "Susan Thompson and Dogs Not Allowed" stood out starkly in the snow.

Perfect, Susan thought. That sign would make a fitting epitaph for her.

She rang the doorbell for over ten minutes, her fingers turning purple from the cold.

Finally, the door opened.

"Go in," the butler said coldly.

"Thank you!" Susan staggered inside.

"Thank Miss Capra instead," the butler sneered. "Mr. Lucas said dogs aren't allowed, but Miss Capra pleaded for an exception."

"Miss Thompson, know your place. Mr. Lucas says seeing you makes him sick for days."

Susan's ears buzzed.

Nicole Capra was here too.

Of course they lived together. Hadn't he divorced her to marry Nicole?

In the living room, Nicole wore a semi-transparent silk nightgown, her curves faintly visible.

"Sister, what brings you here?" She smiled like a white lotus. "Andrew and I were just... well, you know how he can't keep his hands off me."

"I barely managed to slip away, and now I have to go back and soothe him." Nicole covered her lips coyly. "Looks like I won't be sleeping tonight."

Susan had no patience for her act.

"I need to see Andrew."

"Sister, don't humiliate yourself," Nicole sighed. "Tell me what you need."

In a flash, Susan pressed the fruit knife against Nicole's chest.

"Andrew Lucas!" she screamed toward the upstairs. "Come out now, or I'll kill her!"

The blade pierced the silk nightgown, drawing a drop of crimson.