Two days passed after Caro’s visit to the Shepherd estate. The Griffin household felt like a house of mourning.Scarlett watched her daughter deteriorate into something she could barely recognize. Caro barely left her bedroom. She refused to eat, ignored calls from work, and spent most of her time staring blankly out the window. The staff whispered among themselves, and Sophie and Bianca had stopped coming by after being turned away for the third time.Caro's eyes were hollow. Her skin had gone pale. She looked like a ghost haunting her own house.And Marcus was still missing. Guilt gnawed at Scarlett endlessly. She knew she was partly responsible for all of this. She had betrayed her ex–husband and her daughter.Scarlett couldn't bear it any longer. She locked herself in the guest bathroom, took out her phone, and dialed Bruce's number.Bruce answered on the second ring. "Scarlett.""We need to meet," Scarlett said, her voice shaking. "Please. It's important that we meet."There wa

Marcus leaned back in his chair, his eyes cold and calculating. "We have to be careful around your mother. If she's passing information to Bruce or whoever supports him, then everything we say and do is being reported back."Caro's face turned pale. "You really think Mom would betray us?""I think we can't afford to find out." Marcus folded his hands on the desk. "If she's away, back in Hollywood, we might actually outsmart Bruce. We'll be able to move freely without someone watching our every move."Caro shoulders slumped heavily, her mind still reeling from the accusation against her mother. But she pushed the thought aside. There would be time to process that later. Right now, they had a more pressing enemy."What should we do about Bruce?" she asked. "You mentioned that we need to take an indirect approach."Marcus nodded slowly. "Every time we've gone after him directly, it's backfired. The lawsuit, the police, the kidnapping attempt," he said, his fingers drumming against the

Bruce's Camry screeched into the hospital parking lot, tires screaming against the asphalt. He didn't even bother parking properly. He flung the door open before the car had fully stopped and ran toward the entrance like a madman.His heart was pounding so fiercely that he could feel it in his throat. He sprinted toward the nurses' station."Lucy Watson!" he shouted, his voice echoing off the walls. "Where is she?!"A young nurse glanced up, startled by the anxious expression on his face. "Sir, you need to calm down—""Calm down?!" Bruce gripped the edge of the counter, his knuckles white. "I asked where she is! Lucy Watson! She was admitted shortly after being hit by a vehicle!"The nurse's face softened as she recognized the name. "She is currently in the emergency ward on the third floor, undergoing surgery. You can wait in the family area, but you can't go up until—"Bruce was already gone, racing toward the elevators. He slammed the button and rode the lift to the third floor.W

An hour later, Bruce slowly entered the ICU. The room was quiet except for the soft beeping of monitors and the steady hiss of the ventilator. Lucy lay in the bed, her face pale, her body wrapped in bandages and connected to tubes. Her eyes were closed, but when she heard him approach, they fluttered open."Bruce," she whispered softly, her voice fragile yet warm. "You came."Bruce stopped at the doorway for a moment. Seeing her like this made his chest tighten painfully.He walked toward her slowly. "You're awake," he said softly.Lucy nodded weakly.He pulled a chair close to the bed and sat down, taking her hand gently in his. Her fingers were cold, but they curled around his with the little strength she had left."How are you feeling?" he said gently. Lucy let out a small, breathy laugh. "Like I got hit by a car."Bruce didn't smile.Lucy noticed his expression and sighed."Hey, don't look like that," she said tenderly. "It's not as bad as it seems."Bruce's jaw tightened, but

Bruce felt his blood run cold. He looked down at the bound men lying on the floor, then raised his eyes to Kenshin. "Who was the final employer?" he asked, his voice dangerously quiet. Kenshin's red eyes gleamed. "Marcus Griffin. Your ex-father-in-law." Bruce felt the air leave his lungs. He shook his head slowly. "I don't believe it." Kenshin glided across the room and crouched beside one of the bound men. The man's eyes darted wildly as Kenshin tore the gag from his mouth. "Tell him," Kenshin commanded. The man's chest rose and fell heavily. "I... I was the intermediary. Marcus Griffin contacted me through a secure line. He wanted someone to be hit. A woman named Lucy Watson." Bruce clenched his hands into fists. "I arranged the deal," the man continued, his voice shaking. "I complicated the contacts by using various phones and routed cash payments through shell companies. It was designed so it couldn't be traced back to Marcus." Bruce remained silent, his face blank. He wa