Chapter 10
Noticing the slight curve of Lucius’ lips, Sonia’s heart missed a beat. “Was it something I said, Mr. White?”
Lucius’ smile faded. “I won’t interfere in your family affairs. As long as you find me Phantom Healer, I’ll give you whatever you want.”
“I’ll do everything I can to help you track down Phantom Healer,” Sonia hurriedly promised.
After being escorted out of Azure Bay by the housekeepers, Sonia realized that she’d forgotten to mention something important. Valerie was still locked up in the detention center.
Near midnight, streaks of violet lightning split the sky above Windmere. Most of the townspeople slept on, unaware of the strange phenomenon.
Lucius and Valerie were asleep in their own homes. When the lightning struck, both of them felt a sudden jolt run through them. That night, everyone slept unusually well.
Lucius was jolted awake at dawn by a sharp numbness in his arm. He slowly came to and realized that Valerie was lying beside him. She was resting on his arm, her cheek pressed against his chest.
Valerie wore a black silk slip that made her skin glow against the dark fabric. The hem barely reached her hips, leaving her long legs bare.
Lucius told himself this had to be a dream. He closed his eyes, counted to ten, and opened them again. But the sight before him didn’t change.
Lucius scanned his surroundings warily and realized that he wasn’t in his spacious, luxurious bedroom at Azure Bay. His mind raced. Where was he, and why was he sharing a bed with Valerie?
Valerie stirred in his arms. Lucius held his breath and waited.
When she woke, she sensed something was wrong and slowly opened her eyes, meeting his gaze. He caught the murderous intent that flashed through her eyes.
“Val-” Before he could finish, she flipped over with lightning speed. Her knee drove into his stomach, and her fingers clamped tightly around his neck. Valerie was so fast that even Lucius, who had trained in martial arts since he was young, couldn’t react in time.
Her loose black silk slipped as she leaned over him, exposing a wide stretch of her skin. She didn’t seem to care, though. Her fingers tightened around his throat. “Why are you in my bed?
Lucius could hardly breathe. “Let go of me first!”
Valerie slowly loosened her grip. He then sat up on the bed. “Is this your place?”
“Obviously. You were here once before.”
“Last time, I only stood at your door for five minutes.”
After learning that he’d somehow been married, Lucius had tracked down his wife, tossed one of the marriage certificates at her, and asked when they could discuss divorce.
At the time, he knew nothing about Valerie and had no interest in digging into a stranger’s life. He never imagined that just a few days later, they’d wake up in the same bed.
To avoid any misunderstanding, he explained, “I went to bed at my own place. When I opened my eyes, I was here.”
Ignoring him, she grabbed her phone from the nightstand and pulled up the bedroom’s surveillance footage. It showed her lying down at 1:00 am and falling asleep five minutes later.
The moment the time mark hit 1:05 am, a wash of static covered the screen. Barely three seconds later, the feed returned to normal.
Moments earlier, Valerie had been alone in bed. However, once the static cleared, Lucius had mysteriously appeared beside her.
