Chapter Eleven

Lucy“They found blood.” The words hit me like a physical blow.For a moment, the room disappeared. The conference table. The city lights. The people around me. Everything faded into the background. All I could hear was my heartbeat. Fast, loud, and terrified. My father’s blood. No. No. No.My knees nearly gave out. A strong hand closed around my arm before I could stumble. Albert. Steadying me and grounding me.Normally, I would have pulled away. Tonight, I couldn’t. Because the panic was too overwhelming and too consuming. “Lucy.” His voice sounded distant. Muted. Like he was speaking underwater.I forced myself to focus. To breathe. To stay present. “How much blood?” The question scraped painfully from my throat.Liam hesitated. Not a good sign. Not a good sign at all. “We don’t know if it belongs to him.” Hope flared briefly. Tiny, fragile and dangerous. “What?”“The samples are being tested.” My heart latched onto those words immediately. Being tested. Meaning they weren’t sure. M

Chapter Twelve

Lucy“The witness also said your father looked terrified.” The words hung in the air. Heavy, impossible, and terrifying.I stared at Liam, waiting for him to say something else. To correct himself, to explain, and to tell me there had been a misunderstanding.Instead, he remained silent. And somehow that was worse. Much worse. Because silence meant he believed it. My father had willingly gotten into a vehicle. Not because he wanted to. Because he was afraid.A thousand possibilities raced through my head. None of them good. “What kind of vehicle?” I asked. My voice sounded strange, thin and fragile.Liam glanced down at the report in his hand.!“A black sedan.” My stomach dropped. Black. Of course it was black.Every mysterious person in this nightmare seemed obsessed with black vehicles. “Did the witness see who was driving?” Liam shook his head. “No.”The hope I’d been clinging to weakened further. Another dead end. Another missing piece. Another unanswered question. I was beginning

Chapter Thirteen

Lucy“THE DEBT ISN’T PAID.”I stared at the words until they blurred. My father’s face filled the photograph. He was alive.That should have been the only thing that mattered, but the message behind him made my stomach twist. The debt isn’t paid. What debt?And why was the message meant for Albert? I slowly turned toward him. He hadn’t moved. His eyes remained fixed on the photograph.For the first time since I’d met him, Albert Craig looked completely shaken. Not angry. Not annoyed. Afraid. That frightened me more than the photograph itself.“What debt?” I whispered. He didn’t answer. “Albert.” His jaw tightened. “Where did you get this?”I held up the photograph. “It was sent to me.” “Who gave it to you?” “I don’t know.” He stepped closer and took the photograph from my hand. His eyes scanned every detail. The chair. The wall. My father’s clothes. The lighting. Everything.“What is it?” I demanded. Albert finally looked at me. “It’s a warning.” “To you?” His silence answered. I swal

Chapter Fourteen

Lucy“The phone was turned on five minutes ago.” I stared at Liam. For several seconds, I couldn’t process his words. My father’s phone was in my mother’s car and turned on, five minutes ago. That couldn’t be possible. “You’re sure?” I asked. Liam nodded. “We tracked the signal.” “Could someone have found it?” “Possibly.” “Then why would they turn it on?” Liam didn’t answer. Albert did. “Because they want us to find it.” My stomach tightened. Another trap.Everything seemed to be a trap. I looked at Albert. “Then why are we standing here?” “We aren’t.” He reached for his jacket. “We’re going.” I blinked. “You just said it was a trap.” “It is.” “Then why go?” His gaze settled on me. “Because your father’s phone might contain something we need.” “And if someone is waiting for us?”Albert’s expression hardened. “Then they’ll have to deal with me.” There was something in his voice that made me believe him. Not arrogance. Not confidence. Something colder. Determination. I hated how reass

All Chapters of Love, Luxury and Lies: Chapter 11 - Chapter 14

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen