She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 846

She wore a simple, elegant black knit dress, her long hair cascading over her shoulders. She was holding a cocktail glass, a soft, genuine smile playing on her lips as she listened to whatever Lucian was saying.

Then, Lucian did something that made Nathan's blood run cold. He stood up, slipped off his tailored suit jacket, and draped it tenderly over her shoulders. He leaned in, taking her hand, and gently bit a piece of candy right out of her fingertips.

The sheer devotion and adoration in his eyes was something Nathan had never seen him direct toward Sigrid.

Nathan's pupils dilated.

He shot up from the barstool. The alcohol hit his brain like a sledgehammer, snapping the last thread of his sanity.

"Hey!" Rosalyn gasped, trying to grab his arm, but he shoved her off.

Nathan marched across the lounge, bridging the distance in seconds.

"Lucian!"

He slammed his hands onto their table, chest heaving as he glared at the man, his eyes darting to the woman sitting across from him.

"What the hell are you doing here?!"

Lucian looked up slowly. His expression was completely blank, as if Nathan were a fly that had just buzzed into the room.

"Nathan," he said calmly, rolling the candy around in his mouth. His hand rested casually on Loyce's thigh. "Is there a problem?"

"A problem?" Nathan let out a manic, shaking laugh. "You steal my clients, you steal my position, you steal my woman, and now you're sitting here hooking up with your ex?! What do you think Sigrid is going to do when I tell her about this?"

Lucian didn't even shift in his seat. He picked up his whiskey glass, took a slow sip, and set it down.

"Nathan," his voice was smooth and unbothered. "Who do you think she's going to believe? You, or me?"

"You son of a bitch!" Nathan slammed his palm onto the table, rattling the glassware.

"Draft your resignation letter and get out of my sight." Lucian raised a hand, catching the attention of the floor manager. "I don't want to see him in this establishment ever again. Handle it."

The manager hesitated for a fraction of a second. Nathan was a VIP regular who dropped tens of thousands a night. But the man sitting at the table was untouchable.

The choice was obvious.

The manager bowed deeply to Lucian and snapped his fingers, summoning three massive bouncers. "Throw him out. And tell the front door: Banned for life. Nathan Huxley and dogs prohibited."

The bouncers immediately grabbed Nathan, dragging him backward as he thrashed and screamed. The manager practically groveled, asking if there was anything else Lucian needed.

Lucian tossed a stack of hundred-dollar bills onto the table. "Excellent service. Keep the change."

"Thank you, sir! Thank you!"

The manager was ecstatic, immediately sending a group of beautiful hostesses over to ensure the VIP was perfectly attended to. Everyone in the club hovered around Lucian as if he were an emperor holding court.

He roared, his eyes wild and bloodshot. His sister flinched, shrinking back in pure terror, too scared to even cry out loud.

Seeing her shake snapped him back to reality. He pulled her into a hug, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm sorry. I'm just... the company is trying to force me out. The hospitals know I'm losing my status, so they're cutting ties."

His sister looked up, panicked. "But... what about the rent? And my tuition..."

She was studying at the most elite private arts academy in the country. A normal salary wouldn't even cover a fraction of the cost.

The crushing weight of reality slammed into him like a freight train. His throat tightened. "I have to go back out. I'll fix this."

***

Back in the dim lighting of the lounge, Loyce pushed Lucian's hand off her leg. "What are you doing?"

Lucian crunched down on the mint in his mouth. "Just laying the groundwork."

Loyce studied his profile. "Did you get your memory back?"

He shook his head, but when he turned to look at her, his eyes were incredibly soft. "No. But I know you didn't betray me. And I know I love you so much that even if you had tried to kill me, I would have handed you the knife."

Loyce raised an eyebrow. "What did Quintin show you?"

"Enough," he murmured, "but it wasn't just the files. It's this."