"Please get in."
Once Lana was seated, the car pulled away smoothly. The driver discreetly sent a ssage to Hector.
....................
Hector was in the middle of a eting when his phone vibrated. He frowned, glanced at it briefly, and ignored it, assuming it was just another unimportant notification.
Only after the eting ended did he finally check his phone.
The mont he read the ssage, he cursed under his breath.
"Damn it..."
He usually checked every ssage without fail. Today, of all days, he had assud it was spam.
Without hesitation, he contacted Lucian and relayed everything.
Lucian’s eyes narrowed the mont he heard it.
"If that’s the case," he said coldly, "we need to trace the source first."
He paused, his gaze darkening.
"Normally, assassination attempts would’ve slowed down by now. Instead, they’re increasing."
Hector rubbed his fingertips together thoughtfully.
"Is it possible," he asked carefully, "that Lana offended soone far more powerful?"
Lucian was about to answer when his phone rang.
He glanced at the screen, then slowly arched an eyebrow.
"It seems... that’s exactly the case."
Hector understood imdiately. Lucian had been monitoring Lana for a long ti. He knew her movents, her actions, and her growth.
If Lucian had reached this conclusion now, it ant he had already identified sothing crucial.
"So what do we do?" Hector asked.
Lucian fell silent for a mont before replying. "For now, we dodge."
His voice was calm but firm. "This enemy is much stronger than before."
Hector nodded in agreent. Protecting Lana was not a loss in his eyes. On the contrary, it was an investnt.
Lana was a mystic cultivator.
If nurtured properly, she had the potential to support an entire city. The people around her could rise alongside her, possibly even becoming influential officials or the ruling power of that city.
By comparison, offending the governnt was insignificant. If it ca to that, they wouldn’t hesitate to protect her.
Lucian, however, had a far simpler reason.
He didn’t want Lana to be hurt.
.....................
When Lana returned to Lucian’s mansion, she went straight to her room and began cultivating once more, imrsing herself deeply until night fell.
Later that evening, she changed into a flowing gown.
Just as she stepped out, she ran into Lucy and Lucian.
They both froze. For a mont, even the air seed to still.
Lucy blinked, then murmured unconsciously, "She looks like a fairy straight out of a fairy tale."
Lana flicked her hair back proudly.
"Of course," she said with a grin. "I’m a fairy who descended upon this world to soothe human eyes."
At her shaless declaration, a faint smile tugged at Lucian’s lips.
Lucy shook her head helplessly, amused.
anwhile, Mr. Crow puffed out his chest and proudly nudged Lana’s shoulder.
He didn’t say it aloud, but he was extrely satisfied with her choice of dress. The colors complented his own feathers perfectly.
Standing together like this, it almost felt as if he and Lana truly belonged together.
Lucian asked in a calm voice, "Are you going to a party or so grand occasion?"
It was then that Lana realized she had completely forgotten to tell him where she was headed. A faint crease ford between her brows.
"I’m going to a birthday party," she said quickly. "Betty’s birthday party."
Lucian nodded calmly, as if committing it to mory. After a brief pause, he seed to think of sothing else and added, "Free up your schedule three days from now."
Lana blinked, montarily confused. She studied his profile, searching for clues, but decided not to pry. ’If he’s saying this, he probably needs my help.’ She nodded obediently.
"I will."
Then, almost instinctively, the words slipped out before her mind could stop them.
"Are you going with ?"
The mont the sentence left her lips, Lana froze.
So did Lucy.
Lucy’s eyes widened in shock. She had never imagined Lana would ask sothing so... bold.
It wasn’t that she looked down on Lana. Rather, she knew her boss too well.
Lucian was famous for maintaining distance from won. Even with Lana, he was always composed, restrained. Lucy had never seen him act intimately or touch Lana unnecessarily.
So this question felt like a thunderbolt.
Lucian, however, looked at Lana as if the question were perfectly natural.
"Yes," he replied calmly.
Then he extended his hand.
Lana’s breath caught.
For a split second, ti seed to rewind. In her previous life, Lucian had done this countless tis.
Escorting her out of cars. Offering support when she stepped onto a stage. Always there, always steady, making sure she never stumbled.
That strange, aching familiarity surged through her chest.
Without thinking, she placed her hand in his.
Lucy felt as if she had just been slapped.
Earlier, she thought Lana was being audacious. Now, she realized sothing far more unsettling. Lana wasn’t acting oddly at all.
She was acting... familiar.
As if this was normal between her and Lucian.
Lucy swallowed hard. ’I need to reassess Lana’s position in his heart.’
Once inside the car, Lucian glanced at Lana and spoke casually.
"Did you help soone nad Blake on these past days?"
Lana’s eyes darkened slightly. ’So it’s connected after all.’
She nodded without hesitation.
"He’s from one of the political families," she replied honestly. "I helped him because I wanted to build a connection."
There was no pretense in her tone. No embarrassnt. She never felt the need to sugarcoat her intentions in front of Lucian.
Lucian chuckled softly, clearly amused.
"I figured."
Lana then turned toward him, curiosity flickering in her gaze.
"So... is this the Rivers family’s rivals? Or their political opponents?"
Lucian shook his head.
"No. It’s the Rivers family themselves."
Lana narrowed her eyes. "Did I offend them?"
Again, he shook his head.
"Not all of them," he clarified. "Just soone who desperately wants Blake removed."
Lana released a quiet sigh of relief. ’Good.’
If she had truly offended the entire Rivers family just by trying to make a connection, that would have been a disastrous trade.
"Have they done anything to punish the mastermind?" she asked next.
Lucian’s expression turned thoughtful.
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