Chapter 14

The silence that followed the sharp crack of the slap was absolute. Mrs. Carter’s hand trembled against her swelling cheek, her mouth agape as she stared in total shock at Mrs. Sinclair.

“Carol… you slapped me?” Mrs. Carter’s voice was barely a breath, choked with humiliation.

“I should do far worse than slap you,” Mrs. Sinclair said, her posture rigid, her tone carrying a terrifying, frozen fury. “You locked a six-year-old child in an unlit, abandoned building in the dark. For what? To frame Junia? To feed your pathetic, bitter vendetta?”

“I didn’t—the brat is lying! Junia must have told her to say that!” Mrs. Carter shrieked, backing away frantically.

“Enough!”

Lucas’s voice thundered through the grand hall, cutting through her frantic excuses like a gavel striking stone. He didn’t raise his hands, but his presence alone forced everyone in the room to take a step back. Standing right beside him, I could feel the intense heat radiating from his chest, his jaw set in a line of iron.

“Security,” Lucas commanded, not even deigning to look at Mrs. Carter.

Two large security officers immediately stepped forward from the entryway.

“Escort Mrs. Carter off the estate property immediately,” Lucas ordered, his dark eyes locking onto his aunt with lethal indifference. “She is stripped of all Sinclair guest privileges. Effective tonight, her access to every Sinclair family asset, corporate account, and estate branch is frozen pending a full board review.”

“Lucas, you can’t do this to me! I’m your aunt!” Mrs. Carter screamed as the guards grabbed her arms, dragging her toward the heavy double doors. “Damon! Damon, where are you?! Help me!”

Her desperate shrieks faded down the grand driveway as the heavy mahogany doors clicked shut, sealing the mansion in heavy tension.

I glanced toward the back of the room. Ann was attempting to shrink into the shadows, her hands trembling as she tried to slip toward the hallway. But she wasn't fast enough.

“And where do you think you’re going, Ann?” I asked softly.

The entire room turned its attention to her. Ann froze, her face draining of what little color it had left.

“I… I was just going to look for Damon,” Ann stammered, her eyes darting around the hostile room like a trapped animal. “I didn’t know Mrs. Carter was going to do that! I thought I saw Junia near the garden, I swear!”

Esther stood up slowly from where she was kneeling beside Leah and little Aria. Her eyes, red from crying moments ago, were now burning with pure rage as she walked toward Ann.

“You pointed your finger at the woman who actually saved my niece,” Esther said, her voice shaking with disgust. She turned to look at me, a profound look of guilt crossing her face. “Junia… I… I am so sorry. I let them manipulate me. I almost believed them.”

“It’s alright, Esther,” I said gently, keeping my tone composed. “You were scared for Aria. Anyone would have reacted under that pressure.”

Esther bit her lip, nodding in deep gratitude before swinging her icy gaze back to Ann. “Get out of this house before I have security throw you into the same car as that old hag.”

Ann didn't wait for a second warning. She turned and practically sprinted toward the exit, her heels clicking loudly against the marble floor as she fled into the night.

When the front doors closed again, the heavy atmosphere in the room finally began to settle. Leah squeezed my hand tightly, her eyes full of tears as she held Aria. “Thank you, Junia. If you hadn’t noticed the greenhouse… I don’t even want to think about what would have happened.”

“She’s safe now, that’s all that matters,” I replied, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Lucas reached out, his long fingers gently grasping my elbow and pulling me slightly closer to his side. The small gesture was subtle, but the protective warmth of his touch grounding me in the aftermath of the storm was undeniable.

“The evening is over,” Lucas announced to the remaining family members, his voice smooth and authoritative. “Everyone take Aria upstairs and rest.”

As the family began moving toward the upper suites, Mrs. Sinclair walked over to us. She looked at me, her usual warm expression replaced by profound respect and approval.

“Junia,” Mrs. Sinclair said, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. “You handled yourself with immense grace tonight. You are truly a Sinclair.”

I offered her a polite smile. “Thank you, Mrs. Sinclair.”

Once his mother walked away, Lucas turned his full attention down to me. The harsh, ruthless demeanor he wielded against his family completely melted away, leaving only quiet intensity in his dark eyes.

He reached out, his thumb lightly brushing a speck of garden dust off my cheek. The unexpected intimacy made my pulse stutter.

“You were brilliant out there,” he murmured, his deep voice carrying only for me. “Your instincts saved Aria tonight.”

“I just looked for what didn’t make sense,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady despite the sudden rise in my heart rate. “Though I noticed Damon was nowhere to be found through all of that.”

A cold, dark smile touched the corner of Lucas’s lips. “Damon was in the east wing trying to access the private estate financial ledgers while everyone was distracted by the search.”

My eyes widened slightly. “He used his own mother’s scheme as a distraction?”

“He tried to,” Lucas said, his thumb resting gently against the side of my jaw for a fraction of a second before he reluctantly lowered his hand. “He didn't realize I had already changed the security access codes to the archive room two days ago. He’s currently stuck in the eastern corridor, completely locked out.”

I couldn't help the light laugh that escaped my lips. “He really never changes, does he?”

“No, he doesn’t,” Lucas said, stepping closer, his tall frame casting a warm, protective shadow over me. “Which is why , when we return to Sinclair Enterprises, we stop playing defense. It’s time to take back everything he stole from you.”

I looked up into his eyes, feeling the absolute strength and certainty behind his words.

I let out a quiet sigh of relief as we got into the car and drove away from the Sinclair estate.

By the time we reached the mansion, the rain was pouring so heavily it was almost impossible to see through the windshield.

Lucas pulled out his phone and tried calling one of the maids, probably hoping someone would bring us umbrellas, but no one answered. He stared at the screen for a brief second before putting it away with a tired sigh. It had been a long night, and I could tell he was exhausted.

Without saying a word, he stepped out of the car, immediately getting soaked by the relentless rain. Then he walked around to my side, opened the door, and held out his hand.

“Come,” he said quietly.

I hesitated for a moment before placing my hand in his. The next second, he removed his suit coat and carefully draped it over my head and shoulders, shielding me completely from the rain. Not a single drop landed on me.

For a brief moment, I simply stared at him.

The memory of another rainy night suddenly resurfaced.

Back then, I had been leaving work with Damon. He had been holding the only umbrella, and I had genuinely thought we would share it together. Instead, he had covered only himself before casually telling me to use my handbag to shield my head from the rain. While he walked comfortably beneath the umbrella, I had stumbled behind him, drenched from head to toe, convincing myself it wasn’t a big deal because I loved him.

Looking back now…

How had I ever mistaken that for love?

“Let’s go,” Lucas said, pulling me back to reality.

We hurried inside together.

By the time we reached the entrance, Lucas was completely soaked. His white shirt clung to his broad frame, his dark hair plastered messily across his forehead as water dripped from the ends. I instinctively lifted my hand, wanting to brush the wet strands away from his face, but I caught myself halfway and slowly lowered it again.

Before either of us could say anything…

Someone cleared their throat.

“Ahem.”

Both of us turned at the same time.

Maya stood a few feet away, her handbag hanging from one shoulder, her expression impossible to read.

“Oh… you’re back,” she said, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’ve been waiting for you. I’m heading out with a friend.”

She didn’t even wait for either of us to respond. She turned around and started walking toward the front door.

By then, the rain outside had eased into a light drizzle.

“Maya.”

She stopped in her tracks.

Slowly, she turned back to look at me.

I met her gaze without looking away.

“Were you the one who told Damon’s mother that Lucas and I sleep in separate rooms?”

For a split second, surprise flashed across Maya’s face before she quickly composed herself, knitting her brows together in confusion.

“What?” she asked, sounding genuinely stunned. “Junia… why would you even ask me something like that?”