She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 801

Horace Sterling stood up with impeccable elegance, returning his unlit cigar to its humidor as if the deal they’d just struck—one that sealed a national hero’s fate—was nothing more than a routine business transaction.

"I look forward to your good news, Mr. President," he said, giving a slight nod before turning toward the door. Just as he reached the threshold, he paused, as if struck by an afterthought. His tone was casual, yet his words sent a chill down the President’s spine.

"Oh, right. As a token of my sincerity, and to help you feel more secure in moving our little project forward, I’ll be sending you a gift. It contains detailed records of your deputy—the one who loves making moves in the Emerald Strait—and his financial ties with Ares Global. I figure this should help you clean house."

The door clicked shut.

Inside the study, President Harding sat alone in his oversized leather chair, motionless for a long time. The sunlight streaming through the window was warm, but his entire body felt ice-cold. Staring at his trembling hands, he knew he had just crossed a line from which there was no return.

Lucian had supported and protected him all these years, and in return, he had just betrayed his most loyal commander.

The overwhelming guilt hit him like a physical blow. A violent fit of coughing seized him, stealing his breath. It took him a long time to finally steady himself.

Meanwhile, Lucian had his most trusted men covertly monitoring the movements of smugglers. Just as he expected, Ares Global was making moves. Almost every day, a batch of smuggled individuals contained at least one Ares operative. But without exception, under Lucian’s iron-fisted control, they were all intercepted and deported.

However, today he deliberately let three specific cargo containers slip through the cracks.

Hidden beneath the plastic tarps of those containers were eight elite Ares operatives, dispatched solely to escort Luna back home.

That very same day, Loyce orchestrated a "coincidental" run-in with Luna. This time, she brought Yuna Lombard along—Sybil Seabrook's former lackey.

Yuna never in her wildest dreams imagined a day where she’d be casually shopping with Loyce. She had once suffered a massive loss at Loyce’s hands, which had ruined her family. But now, as long as Loyce was willing to be her friend, her life was about to turn around.

The person who sent her to hell was naturally capable of pulling her back up to heaven. Because of this, Yuna didn't hold an ounce of resentment toward Loyce. In fact, she felt like she had won the lottery.

Especially when she looped her arm through Loyce’s, parading around high-society circles as her good friend, Yuna felt like she was plated in gold. She was bursting with pride.

"I could honestly cry tears of joy that you invited me out today," Yuna said, eager to please. "What are we up to today, Loyce?"

Loyce locked onto the luxury boutique Luna had just walked into and tipped her chin toward it. "I heard Hermès just dropped a new limited-edition collection. Want to take a look? If you see something you like, just let me know. We can get matching bags."

Nightingale purposefully walked right past Luna, who was looking at a bag, and snapped at the associate helping her. Her tone was dripping with impatience. "Is your client done yet? If she is, hand over the bag. I have VIPs to attend to."

"Excuse me?" Luna snapped, turning to see which clueless employee dared to speak to her like that. Instead, she locked eyes with Loyce, who was watching her with a half-smile.

"Talk about bad luck," Yuna sneered. She had heard the rumors about the Shapiro family and knew Luna was Channing Shapiro’s girlfriend—the guy trying to steal Lucian’s inheritance. That made Luna the enemy. Yuna immediately opened fire. "Loyce, I heard the gossip from the manor. Didn't this whole branch of the family get kicked out? Where does a stray dog get the cash for luxury goods?"

Loyce replied airily, "I have no idea. Lucian already froze all their cards."

Hearing this, Nightingale expertly twisted the knife. "So she’s broke and just window-shopping to stroke her ego?" She reached out and snatched the bag right out of Luna’s hands. "If you're poor, don't touch the limited editions. If you scratch the leather, selling you wouldn't even cover the damages."

"You—!"

Luna's face flushed crimson with rage. She instantly cursed in French. "You’re just a glorified shopgirl! How dare you look down on me and make me a laughingstock?! You have no idea who you're messing with!"

Loyce calmly turned to Yuna and asked, "What do you think of this one?"