The room remained still after the door slamd shut, the echo of the impact reverberating through the air.
Lucas sat there, his eyes locked on the door as if expecting Julia to burst back in.
But she didn’t.
The silence stretched on, and Lucas’s grip tightened around the armrests of his wheelchair, his knuckles turning white.
A slow breath escaped his lips, though it did little to calm the anger that pulsed in his chest.
He hadn’t ant to lose control like that, but Julia had a talent for dragging him into places he didn’t want to go.
She always knew how to push his buttons, how to provoke him just enough to get a reaction.
And the worst part? She thrived on it.
As long as it kept her in control, as long as it kept her lifestyle intact, she didn’t care how far she had to go to maintain the facade of their marriage.
Lucas shook his head bitterly.
He had spent years trying to keep her at a distance, but it had never been enough.
Julia always found a way to weasel back in, to stir up just enough chaos to make him feel like a prisoner in his own life.
But that wasn’t what made his blood boil tonight.
No, there was sothing far worse.
Sothing Julia had done that Lucas could never forgive.
His mind flashed back to a mont from earlier—one he’d tried to forget, but it haunted him all the sa.
The mont he’d gone to the hospital for a private eting with his doctor.
It had been a routine check-up, but sothing had felt off.
Lucas had wheeled himself to the doctor’s office, after he intended to leave.
As he reached the door, he heard the low murmur of the doctor’s voice through the thin walls.
He hadn’t ant to eavesdrop.
But the doctor wasn’t speaking to a nurse or an assistant.
It was a phone call.
And Lucas would swear on his life that the person on the other end of that call was Julia.
He had pressed his ear closer to the door, trying to make out the words, but the conversation was too muffled.
A few seconds later, the call ended abruptly, and Lucas had felt a wave of frustration hit him.
He couldn’t hear anything concrete, but the idea that Julia was involved made his stomach churn.
With a burst of anger, he had barged into the office.
The doctor had looked up, startled.
In fact, he’d looked terrified, his face pale and his hands trembling as he quickly set down the phone.
Lucas had noticed it right away—the fear in the man’s eyes.
"What’s going on?" Lucas had asked, his voice low but dangerous.
The doctor had stamred, clearly shaken. "N-nothing, Mr. Rossi. I was just finishing up so paperwork."
Lucas hadn’t believed him for a second. "Who were you talking to just now?"
"I-I—" The doctor’s voice had faltered, his eyes darting to the side as if looking for an escape.
"I didn’t hear anything," Lucas had admitted, though his suspicion had only deepened. "But it doesn’t take a genius to figure out Julia’s involved."
The doctor had swallowed hard, his gaze dropping to the floor.
And then, out of pure fear, he had spilled the truth.
"Your wife... she’s been monitoring your dical progress. She... she checks in on your condition regularly."
Lucas had felt his heart freeze in his chest.
He had known Julia liked to control his public image, his business dealings, his schedule.
But his health?
He couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that Julia had been secretly tracking his recovery, watching over his dical records like so kind of puppet master.
He hadn’t said much after that.
Just wheeled himself out of the office, anger bubbling up inside him with every turn of the wheels.
Now, sitting alone in his room, that sa fury threatened to consu him again.
Julia had crossed so many lines in their relationship, but this?
This was nothing compared to what she did few years ago.
---
The next morning, Lucas wheeled himself downstairs, still feeling the weight of the previous night’s confrontation.
As he approached the dining room, the sll of breakfast drifted through the air, though it didn’t do much to stir his appetite.
Mrs. Hayden, the housekeeper, was busy setting the table.
She glanced up when she saw Lucas, offering him a small smile.
Before she could say anything, though, Julia appeared from the kitchen, moving quickly as if she had been waiting for him.
"Good morning," Julia said, her voice a little too bright. "I made breakfast."
Lucas raised an eyebrow, his expression flat. "You? Cooking breakfast?"
He looked her up and down, unimpressed. "That’s a lie. You don’t even know how to make noodles, Julia."
Julia’s smile faltered for a mont, her brow furrowing in frustration.
How had Lucas figured it out?
She had always pretended to be the one making his als, but it had been Mrs. Hayden all along, quietly preparing his food behind the scenes.
Lucas saw the flash of anger in Julia’s eyes as she shot a quick, sharp glare at Mrs. Hayden, who imdiately lowered her gaze to the floor, avoiding any confrontation.
Lucas noticed it right away and felt a surge of protectiveness for the housekeeper.
"Don’t even think about it, Julia," he said sharply. "Mrs. Hayden didn’t say a word to . It wasn’t hard to figure out that soone else was cooking for ."
He paused, letting the words hang in the air. "You couldn’t cook to save your life."
Julia looked embarrassed, her lips pressing into a thin line. But she wasn’t about to give up.
"Fine," she said stiffly, "but at least sit down and have breakfast."
Lucas shook his head, already wheeling toward the door.
"I’m not hungry," he muttered, his voice colder than usual. "I have to hurry to work."
Julia’s eyes widened.
Lucas had never skipped breakfast before. It was part of his routine—sothing he never missed.
"You’re... leaving already?" she asked, her voice tinged with surprise. "Lucas, what happened between us last night—"
"Gabriel," Lucas called out, cutting her off.
His assistant had been standing nearby, quietly observing the interaction.
At Lucas’s signal, Gabriel moved forward, ready to assist.
Julia’s words hung in the air, unfinished, as Gabriel stepped in to wheel Lucas toward the door.
"You don’t want to talk?" Julia asked, her voice rising slightly in disbelief. "You’re just going to leave?"
Lucas didn’t even turn to look at her. "There’s nothing to talk about," he said flatly. "You’ve made your choices, Julia. I’ve made mine."
Julia stood there, stunned, as Gabriel wheeled Lucas toward the entrance.
She wanted to say sothing, to fight back, but for the first ti, she found herself at a loss for words.
Lucas’s cold dismissal felt final—like a door closing between them that she couldn’t reopen.
As they reached the door, Lucas glanced back over his shoulder, his expression hard.
"Enjoy your breakfast, Julia," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Since you made it and all."
With that, Gabriel opened the door, and they left, the sound of the wheels clicking softly on the floor as they made their way to the car.
Julia stood alone in the dining room, her hands clenched at her sides, her heart pounding with a mix of anger and fear.
She had always been able to control Lucas—manipulate him, push him into doing what she wanted.
But now? Now it felt like she was losing her grip.
Mrs. Hayden moved quietly in the background, clearing away the dishes.
Julia glanced at her, her glare sharp as a knife.
"Don’t think this changes anything," Julia snapped, her voice low but vicious. "You keep your mouth shut, and you keep doing your job. Understood?"
Mrs. Hayden didn’t look up, just nodded once before continuing with her task.
Julia’s chest tightened as she turned back toward the table, staring at the untouched breakfast.
Lucas had never missed a al before. Not ever.
And now, for the first ti, she realized sothing.
She might actually be losing him.
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