She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 836

Sigrid clung to Lucian's arm, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. "Let me introduce you. This is my fiancé, Mr. Shapiro."

She turned to Lucian, gesturing toward Loyce. "This is Ms. Lonsdale, the heiress to the wealthiest family in Harmony Country. I believe you two actually had some business dealings in the past."

Lucian gave a curt nod. "I remember."

He extended a hand toward Loyce, his demeanor freezing and utterly detached. "Long time no see, Loyce."

Loyce reached out and gripped his hand. "Long time no see."

The moment their palms connected, Lucian tried to retract his hand, but Loyce's grip was like a vice. She stared dead into his eyes. "Mr. Shapiro, I heard you were in a horrific helicopter crash recently. How is your health?"

"I'm perfectly fine," he replied flatly.

Just as he was about to demand why she was refusing to let go, Loyce released him first. She turned her gaze to Sigrid. "I think you and I need to have a conversation."

Sigrid smiled pleasantly, standing on her tiptoes to press a kiss to Lucian's cheek. "Wait for me."

She turned and walked away with Loyce. Neither woman noticed the way Lucian's brow violently furrowed the second they turned their backs. He lifted a hand and harshly wiped his cheek. He didn't know why, but the touch of his fiancé repulsed him. Even a simple kiss made his skin crawl.

As Lucian turned back to the crowd, a swarm of Stellar Trust executives cornered him. He grabbed a glass of champagne, slipping into auto-pilot corporate pleasantries.

Meanwhile, in a deserted corridor away from the ballroom.

Sigrid pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders, her chin tilted in sheer arrogance. "You saw it with your own eyes. Lucian chose me. He's going to help me consolidate Stellar Trust and fulfill my father's empire. If you have any brains at all, you'll walk away and let him go."

Loyce's voice was deadly calm. "What exactly did you put in his head?"

Sigrid knew the woman standing across from her was dangerous, so she didn't bother lying. "You're the head of X. You know how to use neural chips to manipulate the brain. Why wouldn't I do the same? My research team got a hold of your prototype, reverse-engineered it, and made a few structural adjustments."

Loyce's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "You implanted a loyalty chip into him?"

"He will only ever love me. No matter what you do, he will never look back." Sigrid's smile was laced with pure malice. "And if you try to forcefully trigger his memories, his brain will detonate inside his skull."

"I know women have a competitive streak," Sigrid said, believing she had Loyce completely figured out. "But Loyce, you can't take on the entirety of Stellar Trust. I won't deny that you are a terrifyingly brilliant woman. Even my father respects your lethal efficiency. A woman like you will have endless men throwing themselves at your feet. You don't need Lucian. I can even introduce you to a few prime candidates, and we can just be friends. How about it?"

Loyce's lips curled into a cold, mocking smirk. "You honestly think an arms dealer who supplies the entire globe can't take down a glorified trust fund?"

She took a slow, menacing step forward, her eyes locked onto Sigrid's. "I don't know if your father is just painfully arrogant, or if he drastically underestimates me."

He heard the door click open behind him.

He looked up and saw Loyce standing in the mirror's reflection.

He casually grabbed a towel, dried his face, and turned around. "Get out," he rasped, his voice rough. "This is my private lounge."

Loyce pulled a peppermint candy from her purse, unwrapped it, and stepped right up into his personal space. "Eat this."

"Who the hell do you think you are?" he sneered, recoiling in disgust. But before he could finish the sentence, she popped the candy into her own mouth, wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, and pulled him down.

She didn't use nearly enough force to physically drag a man of his size down, but the moment her signature scent wrapped around him, his mind short-circuited. He found himself bending toward her on pure instinct. Her lips parted over his, and with a breathless kiss, she slipped the candy from her mouth into his.

The second their tongues brushed, Lucian's heart slammed violently against his ribs. Instantly, his brain flared with agonizing pain. The loyalty chip was aggressively punishing him, screaming at his nervous system that he was betraying Sigrid by touching this woman.

Thankfully, Loyce broke the kiss quickly. She wiped her lips, gave him one long, unreadable look, and walked out without a word.

Barely two minutes later, Sigrid burst into the lounge. Seeing Lucian slumped alone on the sofa, her stomach dropped. "Who were you just with?"