8 Why Not Consider Me?

Lucas replayed the past few days in his mind. How she had hesitated to speak, how she cried in secret, how a woman who had always been independent and devoted to work suddenly treated him with such gentleness.

So that was why she suddenly wanted to get married. She knew her time was running out and wanted to fulfill one last wish.

What had he done?

When she was vomiting blood, weak and in need of comfort, he had been with other women.

Only then did Lucas think of the camera. He opened the footage and discovered that she had not gone to work for days.

Anna had been clearing out her belongings, coughing up blood from time to time.

Every time she bent over clutching her abdomen, swallowing painkillers in embarrassment, then curling up by the sofa wiping her tears alone.

Her pain was physical. His was in his heart.

He knew she had stomach problems, but he never imagined it was colon cancer.

The New York golden boy who had always had everything within reach had never cried in his life. Today, his tears would not stop.

When he heard the phone call Stell made to Anna, his face changed completely.

So she had known about his betrayal all along. Until the very end, she never tore things open.

After hanging up, she only showed a faint bitter smile.

“Lucas, let someone else walk the rest of the road with you.”

The footage froze on the final frame of her dragging her suitcase away.

Thinking of how she had asked him to go to San Diego with her yesterday, Lucas wiped his tears and immediately ordered someone to investigate.

Curtis soon sent him the news.

“Lucas, I found Anna name on a flight to San Diego. It takes off in one hour.”

“It is too late to catch that one. Buy me the next flight.”

“Lucas, you are supposed to meet the Whitmore family today to discuss the marriage. Anna can wait a few days…”

“Shut up. Do you want me to abandon her again? Buy the earliest flight. If there are no tickets, get a private jet.”

“Alright. Do not panic. I will arrange it now.”

As Lucas cried like a lost dog in the room, he did not realize there was still a hidden camera in a corner.

At that moment, Anna was sitting in the VIP lounge, resting her chin on one hand, smiling as she watched his miserable state.

Lucas, take your time crying. I prepared another big gift for you. Please enjoy it.

“Boarding time.”

Lucas would never know that if he had not left at the last minute, he would have been on the same flight as Anna, meeting her in first class.

Anna calculations had been flawless. Yet the moment she stepped into first class, she saw an unexpected figure.

It was him.

Lorenzo was dressed in a tailored suit, silver rimmed glasses on his nose, fingers flying across the laptop keyboard.

His handsome brows were tightly knit, his entire presence sharp and cold.

Sensing a gaze, he looked up abruptly. A dangerous look, almost murderous, locked onto Anna face.

When he recognized her, the coldness faded slightly, replaced by a hint of surprise.

The next second, his thin lips curved.

“It seems we are quite destined.”

Seeing that strikingly handsome face reminded Anna of that night of madness. Especially under his unblinking gaze, her body heated up without reason.

Her seat was right next to his.

She ignored him and told the flight attendant she wanted to sleep and did not want to be disturbed.

She put her things down and reclined her seat, only to find his gaze still on her.

She muttered, “Bad luck.”

Then she pulled the divider closed, blocking his view.

The flight lasted three hours.

Anna put on her eye mask, lowered the window shade, and inserted her noise canceling headphones, planning to catch up on sleep.

As the plane cut through the clouds, turbulence came and went. She slept restlessly.

She dreamed again of her mother jumping from the rooftop, bloodied, crashing at her feet.

“Mom!”

Anna woke up drenched in sweat.

A sharp pain surged through her stomach.

Her stomach condition had not acted up in a long time. Since discovering Lucas true face, she had barely rested and barely eaten.

Knock, knock.

Someone tapped on the divider. She assumed it was cabin crew and opened it halfway.

In the dim light, the tall silhouette of a man stood before her.

“What is wrong?”

“N nothing.”

He raised the window shade slightly. Under the brighter light, her miserable state was fully exposed.

She was drenched in sweat, hair loose and disheveled, her small face pale, the corners of her eyes faintly red.

One hand pressed hard against her stomach. Her delicate brows were tightly knit, making her look pitiful.

“Stomach pain?”

“Yes.”

She forced out the word. Before she could call for a flight attendant, the man left and quickly returned with a cup of water and a pill.

“I have painkillers. They work well.”

Her whole body was curled up in pain, unable to move.

The next second, a shadow loomed over her, enveloping her.

The man knelt on one knee between her legs, leaned in, and wrapped an arm around her back to lift her up.

“Open your mouth.”

His tone and movements were both firm, leaving no room for refusal.

Anna slowly opened her mouth, letting him feed her the pill and water in one smooth motion.

He gently laid her back down.

She said weakly, “Thank you.”

He lowered the window shade, turned around, and closed the divider for her.

With the help of the painkiller, she soon felt much better.

After sleeping for a while, she got up to order food and touched up her makeup before landing.

She deliberately waited twenty minutes before getting off the plane to avoid him.

That night had been a reckless mistake under the influence of alcohol. She was about to return home for a marriage alliance. She should not entangle herself with such a dangerous man.

But no matter how she tried to avoid him, the moment she stepped out of the plane and turned a corner, she crashed straight into a solid wall of muscle.

The man removed his glasses. Without the lenses, his sharp gaze fell directly on her face, making her feel inexplicably guilty.

After all, he had just helped her.

She forced an awkward greeting. “What a coincidence.”

“Not a coincidence. I waited here for you on purpose. We need to talk.”

Her heart tightened. She looked at him warily.

“You know me?”

Lorenzo voice was low and magnetic.

“The eldest daughter of the Whitmore family. It is hard not to know you. You left in a hurry last time. I still owe you a proper introduction.”

“There is no need. I am not interested in who you are, sir. Since you know my identity, I will be honest with you. I will soon enter a marriage alliance. I do not need to take responsibility for anything that happened in Miami, nor do I need you to keep bothering me. Do you understand what I mean?”

He stepped closer, closing the distance. He leaned down slightly, his burning breath brushing her ear.

“Since you are entering a marriage alliance, why not consider me?”