She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 688

Channing forced a smile and greeted him, "Lucian."

Lucian gave a brief nod and asked smoothly, "What are you doing here?"

Channing chuckled defensively. "Well, I asked to join your company before, but you shut me down. I figured I needed something to do, so I asked Grandfather to let me start from the bottom in the military. I wanted to experience what your early life was like."

"The Admiral's early life?" An older, high-ranking officer passing by barked a laugh. "He was deployed to active warzones before he was legally an adult. Sitting in an office pushing paperwork is hardly the same thing, kid."

Channing's face tightened, his pride hanging by a thread. "Is that right?"

"I handle paperwork occasionally," Lucian said coolly, offering the barest shred of dignity. "It's not easy to do it right."

Channing forced a stiff smile. Surrounded by the chattering crowd, he suddenly dropped his voice and asked, "Do you hate me that much, Lucian?"

The nearby officers immediately fell silent, their eyes darting over.

Lucian didn't blink. "Why would you ask that?"

"My background is in corporate management and strategic consulting. But ever since I came back to the Shapiro family, you've been entirely cold to me. You refuse to let me help with your business. You barely speak to me at home. You even moved out recently. Today is Christmas—one of the most important days of the year—and you refused to spend it at home with me and our parents. I just don't understand."

Channing's voice dripped with manufactured hurt. "Why do you despise me so much? You already have everything... is there really no room for me?"

Listening to this spectacular display of manipulation, Loyce frowned in disgust. Lucian's hand, still resting on her waist, gave a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

Then, without an ounce of hesitation, Lucian addressed the crowd with brutal honesty.

"You're right. I don't like you. For thirty years, I believed I was an orphan with only my grandfather. Then, suddenly, my biological parents return out of nowhere, bringing along a brother who is only a few years younger than me. You, Channing, have spent your entire life leaning on your parents. I grew up surviving on my own, relying only on my grandfather and myself. You enjoyed everything I ever wanted as a child, and now you want to force me to welcome you into my life? No."

Channing's face went completely bloodless. He hadn't expected Lucian to tear him apart so publicly.

"Lucian, that wasn't my fault!"

He stammered, "I-I'm not entirely sure. I just know my parents must have had their reasons. They didn't abandon you on purpose, Lucian."

Loyce's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Not on purpose? Are you telling me a wealthy family couldn't afford to feed one extra child?"

Channing grasped at straws. "Maybe they just wanted to leave Lucian behind to keep Grandfather company."

"Oh, give me a break," a senior commander who knew the history snapped. "Lucian was practically a toddler when he was thrown onto the training grounds with the grunts. He was covered in bruises by the time he was a kid. What kind of loving parents let their child go through that? Or go to war without so much as a phone call?"

The mothers in the crowd shook their heads in revulsion, quickly coming to the only logical conclusion.

"There's only one explanation. That mother despised him. She couldn't even stand to look at him. A real mother would die for her child, not throw him away."

The words hit Lucian's ears. Even though he had known the ugly truth for years, the reality of it still left a dull, bitter ache in his chest.