Free Web NovelChapter 58: The crash
It was early morning.
Julian stood by the cabin window, wearing only a pair of grey sweatpants that hung low on his hips. His chest was bare, and his hair was still messy from the night.
He was on the phone, speaking quietly with Lily.
"Good," he was saying, his voice cold. "Keep those bastards locked up till I get there."
He cut the call and turned toward the bed. Lyvana was awake, watching him from under the sheets.
"Who were you talking to?" she asked softly.
"You’re awake, babe," Julian said, his expression softening as he walked over to her. "How are you feeling?"
She groaned, holding her head. "Like I got hit by a truck."
Julian sat on the edge of the mattress and reached out to brush her hair back.
"I am so sorry you went through that," he said.
Lyvana looked up at him, her face turning a deep shade of pink. "Well... I do remember everything that happened last night," she said with a blush.
"Everything?"
"Yes," she whispered, placing a pillow over her face. freёwebnovel.com
Julian let out a small, low laugh and reached out, gently pulling the pillow away from her face so he could see her eyes.
"Don’t hide," he murmured. "You were beautiful."
He leaned down, pressing a slow, lingering kiss to her temple before resting his forehead against hers.
"I’m just glad I was there last night," he said softly. He took her hand under the covers, lacing his fingers with hers and squeezing tight.
"Me too," she admitted quietly.
For a moment the cabin was silent.
Lyvana studied his face. "You still didn’t answer my question," she said gently. "Who were you talking to?"
Julian’s expression shifted slightly, the softness in his eyes giving way to something more serious.
"Lily. They have the waiter from last night," he replied.
Lyvana frowned.
"The waiter?"
Julian nodded once. "And a few others who were involved."
She pushed herself up a little against the pillows, suddenly more awake.
"So you know who did it?"
Julian looked at her for a long moment before answering.
The drug used on you isn’t something you buy in a nightclub or from a street dealer. It’s called Euphoryl. A prototype compound, and there is only one lab in the world that developed it. I know it because a few months ago it almost killed someone I care about."
Lyvana’s eyes widened.
"What happened?"
Julian looked toward the window for a moment before answering.
"Ethan’s younger sister. She was at a private party and some guy slipped some into her drink as a joke. The son of one of their lab workers. Although the drug was still experimental and had no safety trials, No dosage control. And she was allergic to an ingredient used."
"Did she survive?"
"Yes," Julian said. "Barely. After that incident, I made sure the lab responsible for developing that substance was forced to shut down their operations."
Lyvana felt a chill run through her.
"But someone used it on me."
Julian nodded slowly.
"Yes. I don’t know if the attack was aimed at me. Perhaps someone wants to use you against me. I am going to find out who is responsible for all of this."
Two hours later, Marco drove Lyvana out of the dock, following Julian’s instructions.
Julian stayed behind to finish a few calls before leaving.
When he finally got into his car and pulled onto the main road, everything seemed normal.
Then the traffic light ahead turned red.
Julian pressed the brake.
Nothing happened.
His eyes narrowed and he pressed harder.
The pedal sank uselessly to the floor.
"Damn it."
The car sped toward the intersection. Julian jerked the steering wheel, trying to avoid the vehicles ahead.
The tires screamed against the asphalt as the car swerved.
For a split second he realized what had happened. Someone had tampered with his brakes. But then, he had swapped cars with Lyvana. This was a trap set for her.
Before he could digest that information, the car slammed into the guardrail at full speed. The violent impact threw Julian forward, his head striking the steering wheel before the airbags deployed.
Everything went black.
....
When Lyvana walked into Aurora that morning, Mark was already there, standing by her desk. She had completely forgotten he even existed.
"Where the hell were you, Liv?" he snapped. "You just vanished from the gala last night. I was worried sick."
Lyvana forced herself to look sorry. "I’m so sorry, Mark. I... I had to leave. I couldn’t find you to tell you."
"Why?" Mark pressed, crossing his arms. "What was so important? Did something happen to you?"
She said the first thing that popped into her head. "I had a little accident."
Mark looked confused. "An accident?"
"Yea," she said, her voice getting even lower. "My period started out of nowhere. It was a mess, Mark. I had to get out of there before anyone saw my dress."
Mark’s face changed instantly. He uncrossed his arms. "Oh. Right. I... okay."
"I just went straight home."
Mark nodded. "Yeah, no, I get it. Don’t worry about it. You shouldn’t have even come in today."
It was a lie, but it worked perfectly. It was the one thing Mark would never ask more about.
"I will leave in a few hours," she said
"Take it easy today," he muttered, already turning towards the door. "I’ll have Bertha bring you some tea or something. Just... stay put."
As soon as he closed the door, Lyvana sat down. He was so fake.
The win against Mark didn’t last long. She tried calling Julian, but there was no answer. She tried again an hour later. Then again.
By the evening, she was sitting in the back of the SUV, staring at her phone.
"He’s not answering," she said to Marco. "Julian always answers my calls."
Marco kept his eyes on the road, his expression unreadable.
"He might be on a plane, ma’am," Marco said. "You know how he is with work. He probably turned his phone off for a long flight."
Lyvana frowned. "But he didn’t say anything about a trip. We were supposed to go to the cottage together tonight." freeweɓnovel.cøm
Marco didn’t say anything else. He just kept driving through the dark streets.
That night, Lyvana couldn’t sleep. The house was too quiet. Every time she heard a noise, she checked her phone, but it was always dark.
She was now very worried.
