The Day I Walked Away My Empire Began novel Chapter 337

The car rolled to a gentle stop at the front of the villa. On the lawn, the butler and a small crowd of staff were already waiting. As soon as Lucie got out, the butler and Ruth hurried over.

“Miss, you’re finally home! I made your favorite lotus seed and lily soup. It’s still warm, just the way you like it.”

Lucie nodded, letting Ruby help her inside. The familiar scent of agarwood drifted through the air, soothing her nerves until she could finally breathe easy.

The butler smiled. “Miss, we’ve got a bath with citrus leaves ready for you. Maybe you’d like to wash away that hospital feeling?”

Lucie answered softly. “Alright.”

She went upstairs, changed out of her clothes, and slipped into a hot bath. Here in New Amberton, it was tradition—if you’d been to a hospital or a cemetery, you always took a special herbal bath when you got home to shake off any bad luck. The bigger the family, the more they stuck to these rituals.

After her bath, the butler had someone bring in mugwort and incense, waving the fragrant smoke gently around her.

“That’s good,” Lucie said.

“You must be hungry, Miss. Dinner’s already set out.”

Lucie just nodded and headed to the dining room without a word. The table was already laid with a bowl of soup and some light side dishes. She was only a few sips in when her phone rang. It was the warehouse.

“Hello, Mitchell.”

“Ms. Anderson, the second batch of items for transfer has been checked and counted. When would you like us to move them into storage?”

“Do it now,” Lucie replied, setting down her spoon and pulling up the storage list on her tablet. “Have Riley double-check every item number. I want everything to match the records—no mistakes.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll take care of it.”

Lucie hung up and immediately called her lawyer.

“Edgar, do the police have confirmation on the transaction location yet?”

“They’re working on it,” Edgar replied, cautious. “They say the address is real, but there’s hardly any security cameras around. It’ll be a tough spot to monitor.”

“Mr. Heath gave us a specific time. Should we put people in place early?”

Outside, the sun was sliding down, casting streaks of light across the floor through the blinds. When she finished the last file, Lucie rubbed her aching neck and glanced at a photo on her desk—a snapshot of her and her grandfather at the collection hall, his smile gentle and warm.

“Don’t worry, Grandpa. I’ll take care of everything,” she whispered, running her finger along the frame.

Her phone buzzed again. This time, it was an unknown number. Lucie hesitated, then answered.

“Ms. Anderson? This is Morgan from Elmridge Museum. I heard you’re looking to sell some pieces from your collection. We’re very interested. Would you have time to meet?”

Lucie’s lips curled into a small smile, her tone cool and professional again. “Of course. I’ll expect you in my office tomorrow at ten.”

“Perfect. See you then.”

She ended the call and took a deep breath. Back in her own world, surrounded by her work, Lucie finally felt the panic fade, replaced by a grounded sense of purpose. Steven’s drama, Elio’s troubles—she pushed them aside for now.

Right now, she had more pressing things to handle. Besides taking care of her pregnancy, she had to get the Anderson Group back in shape and fix all the cracks before they became real problems.