Chapter 2

It was clear that Edward wasn't in good shape. Giselle's eyes were wild with panic. Knowing that she couldn't expect Lucian to help her, she shouted, "Dad! Help me get Eddie up."

She pulled her phone out to call for an ambulance.

Heath frowned, but after seeing Edward writhing on the floor in discomfort, he stood up and helped him back into the wheelchair.

Edward seemed a little out of it. Leaning against the wheelchair, he murmured weakly, "Giselle… it hurts so much…"

Giselle's eyes filled with tender concern. She hastily crouched down beside him and said, "I'm here, Eddie. Don't worry. I'm right here with you."

As Lucian took this in, he felt the world spin. Unable to continue watching this scene, he turned around to head back to the bedroom.

"You stop right there, Lucian!" Giselle's icy voice rang out from behind.

His steps halted.

Clenching her teeth, she growled, "Don't you think you've gone too far? If anything happens to Eddie, I'll make you pay for it!"

Melody drank some juice before chiming in hesitantly, "Edward's the one who chose to drink the liquor, Giselle. It's not like Lucian forced him—"

"You shut your mouth!"

Giselle shot Melody a glare that instantly made her clam up.

Lucian took a deep breath and looked straight at Giselle, his tone just as frosty as he retorted, "You'll make me pay for it, huh? So, if he dies today, what will you do? You want me to pay with my life?"

The coldness in his eyes made Giselle stiffen. "That's not what I meant…"

"That's precisely what you meant."

Lucian shut her up with a wave of his hand. Not wanting to speak to her any longer, he went back to the bedroom and closed the door.

Giselle's eyes widened. Her lips parted, and she felt a rush of anger.

Lucian was the one who forced Edward into it! How could he still be taking this attitude when Edward was already in such a condition? He was completely in the wrong!

Seeing that the couple had gotten into a fight, Fiona quickly tried to help out. "Giselle, leave Edward to your dad and me. You should check on Lucian."

Giselle felt a flicker of unease when she recalled the look in Lucian's eyes just now. But when she saw Edward's pained expression, she got all riled up again.

"Mom! Lucian's clearly the one at fault right now. Why should I check on him? And besides, how can I not worry about Eddie when he's in this condition?"

As a man, Heath knew how Lucian was feeling right now. While keeping an eye on Edward, he said, "Giselle, you should really go talk to Lucian right now—"

"Why are all of you taking this attitude with me?" Giselle slammed her hand on the table, her expression cold. "Are you forgetting whose parents you are? Eddie's the one who's in pain right now. Can't you even tell what's more important in a situation like this?"

All of a sudden, Edward reached out and grabbed Giselle's wrist with a trembling hand, saying weakly, "Giselle… don't… argue with… Lucian… and your parents… because of me… They… mean well…"

That only made Giselle feel even more sorry for and protective of Edward. "See, Dad? Look at how thoughtful and mature Eddie is being!"

Heath simply shook his head and said no more.

Soon, the ambulance arrived, and the emergency responders brought in a stretcher.

"You stay home, Giselle," Fiona said. "Your dad and I will follow Edward to the hospital."

"No. I'm too worried about Eddie. I'm going with him," Giselle stubbornly declared before leaving with the emergency responders.

Before long, peace returned to the house.

Interestingly enough, even with all the drama happening around her, not once did Melody set her cutlery down. Now that she had eaten her fill and picked her teeth, she glanced around before quietly making her way over to the master bedroom.

…

After entering the bedroom, Lucian sat in silence.

He'd heard all the commotion outside. When Heath tried to convince Giselle to talk to him, he genuinely thought that she would at least hang back and come into the room.

But instead, she insisted on accompanying Edward. Lucian's fists had tightened when he heard that, but they unfurled weakly after just a few seconds.

"I should've known," he mumbled to himself. "What was I even expecting…"

Lucian was an orphan who'd been raised in an orphanage. It was the orphanage director who gave him the name Lucian.

Ever since he was a child, he worked exceptionally hard. He'd managed to get into Southspire University after getting a near-perfect score on the SATs. It was at university that he met Giselle.

Not long after they met, they began dating. And after graduation, they both joined Heathleaf Corporation, the company built singlehandedly by Heath.

Lucian was a diligent and methodical employee who was brilliant at his job, which earned him Heath's approval and regard.

Recently, he'd even been promoted to the head of the sales department.

Due to his health issues, Heath had gradually begun handing the company's affairs over to his eldest daughter, Giselle. He figured that once Giselle and Lucian got married, everything would fall in place smoothly, and he could enjoy his retirement in peace.

This was what Lucian had thought as well. However, Edward was a thorn in his side that was impossible to get out.

When Giselle was 18 years old, a group of thugs set their sights on her. She'd fallen unconscious after consuming a spiked drink by accident. At that critical moment, Edward showed up and fought desperately to protect her from harm.

In the end, Giselle was able to escape unscathed, but Edward got his legs broken and was rendered paralyzed from the waist down. He was forced to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

That was why Giselle showered Edward with care and attention. Not only did she buy him a house, but she also looked out for him in both his professional and personal life.

Initially, Lucian could understand her actions. Since Edward had basically saved her life, her behavior seemed like a reasonable way to repay the debt of gratitude she owed him. But slowly, the marked favoritism she showed Edward began to make Lucian uncomfortable.

He had voiced his concerns before, but Giselle would always brush him off with a smile, saying that she wouldn't be able to help Edward out much longer. Once they got married, Edward would naturally stop being a regular part of their lives.

Convinced by her reasoning, Lucian put up with it.

Now that Giselle had gotten pregnant, the couple registered their marriage and were set to have their wedding ceremony in a month's time. Everything seemed to be progressing smoothly, which was why today's incident completely caught Lucian off guard.

Today was the day of their engagement party, and the day they'd registered their marriage. Yet, Giselle had invited Edward over on this very day and blatantly declared that Edward would be their child's godfather.

Lucian couldn't take it anymore, and he let his displeasure be known, but it made no difference. Just as always, Giselle chose to side with her precious Edward.

Shaking his head, he felt so frustrated that he lit up a cigarette.

"Smoking in the bedroom isn't a good habit to have, Lucian," Melody remarked after coming into the bedroom.

Lucian simply glanced at her and ignored her words.

Ever since he'd known Melody, she behaved like a bratty child, constantly playing tricks on him and pulling all kinds of pranks. He was in no mood to engage in a verbal joust with her now.

Melody sat at the vanity table, resting her left hand on the table to prop up her chin. Her big eyes blinked as she quietly stared at Lucian.

Giselle was a very pretty woman. Back in university, she was the most beautiful student on campus. Melody had also inherited the same good looks, and the two sisters were undoubtedly gorgeous.

That being said, Giselle was already 26 years old and had a fuller, more developed figure. Melody, who'd only just graduated from high school, still looked a lot more like a teenage girl.

"Why are you staring at me?" Lucian questioned in annoyance, his brows creased.