Chapter 152
Emily was knocked sideways, her head slamming hard against the floor with a heavy thud. In that instant, all she could hear was a loud ringing in her ears, and her vision kept flickering in and out of darkness.
She lay there on the ground for a long moment, completely dazed, unable to react.
Lucas, who had been blinded by rage, suddenly snapped out of it. He stared at his hand in shock, as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just done.
He thought, ‘I didn’t mean to do that. I just wanted her to calm down, to stop hurting Lydia, that’s all.
Lydia called out, “Lucas.”
Her voice snapped Lucas back to reality. He looked at Lydia, stunned.
Her hair was a mess, but Lydia looked so pitiful and fragile. She said, “Don’t be mad. It’s all my fault-I just don’t know how to say the right things. I probably had it coming when Emily hit me.
“If this helps her cool off, as long as she doesn’t accuse me of something as serious as causing someone’s death, I can put up with it.”
She was basically hinting that Emily only hit her because her plan to frame her didn’t work, so now she was just taking it out on her.
Lucas’s face was full of worry. He said, “Don’t worry, Lydia. As long as I’m here, I’ll never let her bully you.” He pulled Lydia protectively into his arms, shooting Emily a fierce glare.
He said, “Emily, cut out your scheming. No matter how you try to explain, I saw it with my own eyes-you were bullying Lydia.”
Emily let out a cold laugh, her bloodshot eyes fixed on Lucas. She sneered, “No matter what I say, you’ll just call it an excuse. Even if the evidence is right in front of you, you’ll always take her side.
“The Bennett Family had the whole hotel reserved for the party. Even if the cops wanted to come in, the waiter would have to tell the manager first, and only then would the manager pass the word to the family.
“If that waiter wasn’t bribed, where’d he get the nerve to come running out, yelling his head off, and make a beeline straight for Grandpa Charles? Lucas, did you leave your brain at home or what?”
Emily’s words made Lucas suddenly remember that Austin had once said the same thing to him. It was like someone stuck a needle right in his heart.
It felt like the spot that had always belonged to him had suddenly been taken by someone else. Panic surged through him, and without even realizing it, he let go of Lydia and took a step toward Emily, wanting to help her
But Emily didn’t even spare him a glance-she got up by herself. Her head was spinning, and she swayed a couple of times before finally steadying herself, but her eyes on Lydia stayed icy cold.
She said, “You’d better pray Grandpa is fine, or I swear I’ll take you down with me.”
Lydia, terrified, quickly hid behind Lucas, but this time, he didn’t shield her like he always did. Instead, he just kept staring at Emily, unable to shake off that strange, restless panic churning inside him.
When he saw Emily about to leave, he moved on instinct to go after her-only for someone to suddenly grab his wrist.
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Chapter 152
“Lucas, it hurts so much,” Lydia said, her eyes brimming with tears. She looked up at him like a helpless little deer, just waiting for him to comfort her.
Back then, Lucas could never bear to see her look like this. But now, as he looked at her, besides that same old ache in his heart, he was haunted by the memory of Austin’s sarcastic, almost pitying words-telling him to use his brain.
He thought angrily, ‘What right does Austin have to say that kind of thing to Emily? I’m the one who’s been with Emily since we were kids. What gives Austin the right to be the one by her side?’
For the first time ever, Lucas didn’t try to comfort Lydia. Instead, he just pulled his hand away from hers and said, “I’ll go get a doctor. Just stay here and don’t move.” With that, he dashed toward the gate.
Nobody could tell if he was really going to find a doctor-or if he was actually chasing after Emily, who had just left.
