She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 106

Loyce suddenly broke into a smile. "Alright then."

Just then, the main doors to the research institute swiped open, and Hank Lonsdale’s cheerful voice boomed through the gap.

"Loyce, your classmate said you were here—"

Hank’s voice died in his throat the moment he saw Lucian’s disheveled state. In the next second, the smile on his face curdled into fury. The muscles in his arm bulged as he lunged forward, yanking Loyce behind him. "Fuck! Lucian, are you messing with my sister?!"

Hank’s fist flew, but Lucian caught it effortlessly. "You’ve misunderstood," he said calmly.

"Misunderstood? Your damn pants are thrown on a chair, and there’s a bathtub set up right next to it! You’ve got some nerve, telling me I’ve misunderstood!" Hank aimed a kick at him, which Lucian just as easily blocked.

Perhaps unaccustomed to seeing Hank so enraged, Lucian added, "Isn't everyone all about dating freely these days? And if I remember correctly, your sister is over twenty."

Seeing Hank’s face flush crimson with anger, Loyce grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "Hank, calm down. It’s really a misunderstanding."

Hank turned to see his sister looking perfectly calm, and something inside him shattered. The little sister he’d barely had a chance to spoil was already being whisked away, lock, stock, and barrel, by Lucian?

He spun around, placing his hands on Loyce’s shoulders and leaning in to plead with her earnestly. "Loyce, listen to me. You absolutely cannot be with Lucian. He’s either at sea for years at a time or dodging assassins when he’s back. Now he’s got a terminal illness and doesn't have long to live. There’s no good future with him. What will you do, a young widow? I don't approve of this relationship. Break up with him! You have to!"

Loyce tilted her head and gave Lucian a weary look. "See what you’ve done?"

A faint smile remained on Lucian’s face, but a chill had crept into his eyes. Hank’s words had struck a nerve, leaving him deeply unsettled. He was worried that Loyce might share those concerns, but he couldn't voice such insecurities so early in their budding relationship.

"Hank, we're really not dating. He's just teasing you," Loyce said, patting his arm reassuringly. She pointed to the cluttered lab bench where she had mixed the medicine. "I was just preparing an injection for him. I'm treating his illness, and I was the one who asked him to get undressed and soak in the tub."

Only then did Hank notice that Loyce was wearing an unbuttoned lab coat. Dressed so informally, it did little to suggest professionalism and instead brought to mind some kind of role-playing costume. Besides, his sister was still a university student. Although she had assisted Heath in Forrest's tumor removal surgery, Lucian's condition was far more complex than a benign tumor.

The statement left Hank utterly stunned. Loyce braced herself for a scolding, knowing her actions were a major breach of protocol. But surprisingly, Hank didn't say a harsh word. Instead, he fell into deep thought.

Finally, he looked at Lucian and said in a low voice, "I’ll take full responsibility for what my sister has done. I don't want her getting dragged into any trouble after you're gone."

Now it was Loyce's turn to be shocked. Her brother's first instinct was to take the fall for her. A wave of warmth spread through her chest.

"Hank," she said softly, "Zeke Shapiro knew and approved of him becoming my patient. If you’re really worried, you can call him and ask. You’ll find out whether I can practice medicine and whether I'm lying."

Her expression was so earnest that she didn't seem to be lying at all. Hank was starting to have doubts.

Just then, Lucian, now fully dressed, turned to him. "I’ll head back first. My father will call Gordon personally later. As for my illness, my fate is in God's hands. Whatever the outcome, the Shapiro family swears we will never involve Loyce."