Betrayed by Blood: My Second Life as a Queen novel Chapter 77

A dark, suffocating gloom settled in Lucian's eyes. His fingers dug into the thin sheet of paper, crumpling it uncontrollably until it was covered in harsh creases. Finally snapping out of his daze, he carefully smoothed the edges and tucked the note safely into his suit pocket.

He stared at the floor, his face an unreadable mask.

With Willow gone, the tiny apartment felt completely drained of life. The silence was deafening, suffocatingly hollow.

A second later, the sharp ring of his phone shattered the quiet.

Lucian glanced down. It was York.

"What do you want?" Lucian answered, his voice dripping with ice.

York raised an eyebrow on the other end of the line. "You sound like you're in a terrible mood."

His wife had just walked out on him. How exactly was he supposed to feel?

Lucian had zero desire to speak to York right now. Just hearing the man's voice brought back the painful echo of Willow's bold claim about their mutual affection.

It dug into his chest like a jagged thorn.

Fortunately, York was immune to his boss's cold demeanor. He chuckled. "The Landon problem is handled. The second they heard you were pulling out, they started crying like babies. They're begging on their knees for a meeting. So, Lucian, want to see them?"

"No," he snapped. "Tell them to get the hell out."

His wife was gone; why would he waste time on a bunch of idiots?

York laughed. "Thinking back to how arrogant they were at the banquet makes this hilarious. When are they going to figure out that it wasn't the Jagger family trying to enter the market, but just you?"

Lucian didn't respond. He traced the sharp edge of the folded paper in his pocket.

Sensing the heavy silence, York dropped the jokes and asked seriously, "Are you heading back to The Federated States now?"

Lucian hesitated. If he went back, his ties to Willow would be severed completely.

He refused to let that happen.

Ten seconds later, he spoke quietly. "Organize a piano competition in my name. Invite all the top masters in the industry. Set the grand prize at ten million dollars."

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