Even in Darkness She Chose to Rise (Tatiana and Jasper) novel Chapter 394

Chapter 394 Displaced Anger

A shadow sprinted into the room at a blinding speed.

“Dr. Lucas!”

It was Tammy.

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She rushed to Lucas’s side, ignoring the shocked stares of everyone else as she grabbed his arm to inspect him. “Dr. Lucas, are you alright? Are you hurt? Did they do something to you?”

The dining room fell into a stunned silence.

Mandy looked on with pure disdain. “Where did this sun–blackened woman come from?”

John rubbed his eyes in disbelief. “…I think I just saw her fly through the door.”

“What is she even jabbering about?” Mandy continued, her tone dripping with mockery. “I can’t understand a word. How barbaric.”

Holton’s face darkened as he slammed his wine glass onto the table. “What is the meaning of this?”

Lucas snapped out of his daze, his temples throbbing with a burgeoning headache. His tone was sharp with irritation. “What are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you to wait for me at the hotel?”

Tammy fired back even louder, her voice echoing off the walls. “I was waiting for you! I waited for three hours! When you didn’t come back, I worried something had happened! I thought these bad people had captured you! So I came to find you, and now you’re shouting at me?!”

Her volume increased with every sentence until the last shout felt like it might rattle the ceiling.

Lucas’s ears were ringing. Tammy had grown up on an island with no telecommunications; in the jungle, you communicated by shouting. To get into Lucas’s good graces, she had been suppressing her natural voice for months, speaking in a soft, forced whisper. Now that she felt wronged, she wasn’t holding back.

The members of the Lund family were physically shaken by the sheer volume of her voice.

John’s mother, Leroy, muttered under her breath, “Such… impressive lung capacity.”

Lucas pressed a hand to his aching ear. “Keep your voice down.”

Tammy glared at him, her eyes rimmed with red. “You started it!”

“Fine. My mistake. I’m sorry. Can you please just calm down?” Lucas surrendered.

Tammy finally lowered her voice, though she continued to huff.

Holton spoke up, his voice cold. “Who is she?”

“Dad, she’s… a friend I met abroad.”

“A Black woman?”

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Chapter 394 Displaced Anger

“No, she’s just heavily tanned from the coast.”

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“Why do you keep bringing such riffraff into this house?” Holton’s eyes showed unvarnished disgust. Between Tammy’s mismatched clothes and her violent, unrefined behavior, he felt she was an embarrassment to the Lund name.

Tammy couldn’t understand the language, but she was acutely sensitive to emotion. She saw the ugly, middle–aged man’s hatred for her instantly.

“Dr. Lucas, is this the old man who’s bullying you? Let me teach him a lesson!”

Lucas moved fast, grabbing her arm before she could pounce. “That is my father! What do you think you’re doing?”

Tammy blinked. “Your father? Really? Why does he look like he doesn’t love you? He looks like your enemy.”

Lucas felt a sharp pang in his chest. That hit far too close to home.

“Go back to the hotel.”

“No! I promised Tati I would stay with you! You aren’t shaking me off again!”

“Alita! Just listen to me for once!”

“No! My name is Tammy now!”

The last of Lucas’s self–control finally snapped. He pointed toward the door and roared, “Get out! Take your ridiculous name and get the hell out of here! Stop annoying me! Do you understand?!”

Tammy froze, staring at him in shock.

“Go!” Lucas turned his face away. He had no energy left to deal with a “primitive” woman who didn’t understand the nuances of the modern world.

Tammy didn’t say another word. Her eyes filled with tears, and she turned and ran out of the house.

After she was gone, Lucas took a deep breath to steady himself. “Father, I’m sorry. She has a short temper and doesn’t speak the language. It was all a misunderstanding.”

Holton sneered. “What kind of monsters have you been associating with for the last two years? Cut ties with her immediately. Disgraceful.”

“Yes, sir. I understand.”

That night, Lucas was relegated to a small, drafty guest room. He lay on the bed, trying to untangle his emotions, when his phone vibrated. It was a call from Tatiana.

“Hello?”

“You’ve arrived?”

“Yes.”

“You sound like you’ve had a difficult evening.”

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Chapter 394 Displaced Anger

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Lucas remained silent. He didn’t want to involve her in the filth and drama of his family life; he would shoulder that burden alone.

Tatiana didn’t push him. Instead, she made a calm announcement. “I’m heading your way in two days.”

Lucas sat bolt upright. “What? Your condition isn’t stable enough for a long voyage. Just wait for me to bring the specialist back.”

“It’s fine. I have personal business to attend to. And remember–don’t tell him.”

“But if something happens on the way…”

“Dr. Lucas, this is my decision.” Her tone was final.

He knew her well enough to know she wasn’t asking for permission. He let out a weary laugh. “I understand. I’ll be there to meet you. But please, don’t push yourself too hard, okay?”

“Don’t worry. Never underestimate the endurance of a mother.”

Knowing her character, Lucas felt slightly more at ease.

“By the way,” Tatiana added, “is Alita with you? I called her, but she didn’t pick up.”

At the mention of her name, Lucas’s brow furrowed. “She was just here. She’s on her way back to the hotel. She’ll probably call you later.”

“You sound upset.”

“She gave herself a new name. Tammy.”

A soft laugh came from the other end of the line. Tatiana laughed for a long time. “What a lovely name.”

“Don’t laugh! She can’t integrate into this society. She doesn’t belong here!”

“Did the two of you have a falling out?”

Hoping to convince Tatiana to take the girl back, Lucas gave her a brief summary of what had happened. He didn’t expect Tatiana’s tone to turn so stern.

“Dr. Lucas, you are taking your personal frustrations out on Alita. She was only looking out for you, and because you were angry with your family, you lashed out at her. That is displaced anger, Lucas.”

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