CHAPTER 37: TIME OF DEATH

By the time the doctors and nurses heard and rushed over, the old man had already passed away.

Lucas stood by the bed, his figure contrasted with a sense of firmness and desolation.

The door of the ward was pushed open.

When Laura and his daughter hurriedly entered, grandpa’s body was already covered in a layer of white gauze by the medical staff.

Time of death: 12:30:48.

Laura Harper’s crying echoed in the hospital ward for a long time, and no one could persuade her to leave.

Lucas originally intended to bring his grandfather’s ashes to Miami, but was stopped by Beauty.

She did nothing but stubbornly raise her chin, her pair of inflamed eyes blinked, then she coldly spoke, "My grandfather had said before, he wished for his ashes to be spread over the moat in Chicago City.

He guarded the people in life, and wished to continue protecting the people of Chicago City in death."

"Did grandfather say this himself?"

Lucas lowered his head to look at her, his lips parting coldly in utterance.

"It was what grandpa told me personally!"

Beauty emphatically answered.

The rain in Chicago City had stopped.

According to grandpa’s wish, Lucas had led the team to scatter the old man’s ashes into the moat from a helicopter.

In accordance with the old man’s will, all funeral rituals were kept simple.

The next day, Auntie packed up Beauty’s belongings and handed them over to Lucas’s personal assistant.

Faced with the familiar land where she had lived for three years, Beauty leaned against the window, her eyes unwaveringly staring outside.

Only when the plane burst through the layers of clouds, no longer able to see the appearance of Chicago City, did she reluctantly turn her head.

Just as her eyes met with Lucas’s gaze, their stares locked in an unyielding confrontation.

"You seem to be a rather strong girl.

I could tell, from yesterday till now, you have been suffering greatly, yet not a single tear has fallen from your eyes."

"Aren’t you the same?

Your grandfather, my great-grandfather, just passed away.

His ashes have hardly cooled and you’re already discussing business."

Except for their encounter in the hospital room yesterday, every time Beauty had met him, he was always busy with his phone and laptop.

Always speaking of business matters she couldn’t understand, he did not wear an expression of sadness or grief, even though a family member had just passed away.

"How could you say that?!

Do you have any idea that our president hasn’t slept day or night because of Grandpa’s passing?

What would a fledgling like you understand anyway!

Unlike you child, do you think adults should wear emotions on their faces!"

The assistant standing aside became indignant at Beauty’s words, quickly coming to Lucas’s defense.

"I indeed do not understand the world of you adults, but I do know that family is more important than anything!

Don’t call me a fledgling, I’m now 18, not a 3-year old child!"

Beauty lifted her chin high, glaring at the assistant defending her every word.

Having been reproached by a girl more than a decade younger, the assistant’s face turned bright red in embarrassment.

He wore an expression of distaste as he looked at Beauty, but due to his boss’s presence, he refrained from saying more.

Lucas did not respond, he merely let his gaze rest upon her with a thoughtful frown and proceeded to sit down on the sofa, opening his laptop to resume his work.

Clearly, Beauty’s words had no effect on him.

Although he is usually a sly and arrogant boss, he didn’t have the mood to argue with a young girl now.

All the way until the helicopter landed on the corporation’s rooftop, Beauty didn’t speak another word, her face devoid of any expression.

Throughout these years, other than her grandfather, she has carried no hint of a smile towards anyone else.

Once Lucas returned to his company, he immediately went to the conference room.

Before starting his meeting, he arranged for his chauffeur to escort Beauty to the villa and had his housekeeper prepare a room for her.

Everything was perfectly arranged.

The first time Beauty arrived at Lucas’s villa, she was utterly stunned.

Even though her grandfather’s military residence was also massive, it just couldn’t compare to the villa.

As the car slowly drove in, the first sights that greeted her were the tree-lined paths on both sides and the central fountain.

The European-style villa stood like a castle on a vast piece of land, extending as far as the eye could see.

The butler, with an emotionless voice, led her into the villa.

The interior decor was as understated as the exterior, yet not lacking in opulence.

To her, this was like a kingdom from a dream.

"Miss Beauty, this is the room Mr. Marson has arranged for you.

Are you satisfied?"

The butler was a man in his 40s, tall and dark-skinned, who spoke without a hint of emotion.

Moreover, she noticed that everyone else in the villa had the same expressionless demeanor.

There was not a hint of a smile on their faces.

"Oh my god!

It’s terrifying!

Why does every person in this villa have such an eerie aura?!"

Even though it was June, Beauty felt an inexplicable chill.

Looking around the room, she could tell that the owner had put some thought into decorating her taste.

The household decor was simple, yet elegant.

Although the dominant colors were black and white, there were pink and blue touches.

This tiny detail made Beauty pause for a moment.

From childhood, she always lacked a sense of security and considered herself more like a boy.

However, deep down inside her, so deep that even though she wasn’t aware of it, lived a pink princess.

Beauty didn’t have much in the way of luggage.

Despite living comfortably with her grandfather, she was very frugal and made do with very ordinary things.

So she only had one or two sets of old clothes to change into.

When she opened the wardrobe, she was stunned.

It was filled with neatly hung clothes of various styles – stylish, androgynous shirts, dresses in shades of powder blue, and simple T-shirts in pink and white.

"Did he prepare all of these?

How did he know my size?"

Just as she was feeling puzzled, a maid suddenly appeared at the door, giving her a start.

"Miss, the master called earlier and said he’ll be home for dinner tonight.

He asked you to get ready," the maid said.

The maid was from Finland, and her broken English made it a bit exhausting to listen to.

"I understand.

How does he want me to prepare?"

Beauty answered politely.

The maid didn’t respond, but only showed a mysterious smile, which was creepy enough to make Beauty’s skin crawl.

She always felt that the servants in this mansion were rather strange!

After the maid walked away, she could feel her body a bit weak and tired, probably the result of a long journey.

She took a casual outfit from her suitcase and walked into the bathroom.

The bathtub was much longer than she was tall, probably large enough to accommodate two adults.

Lying there, her whole body relaxed.

Perhaps the water temperature was too comfortable, the scent of the shower gel was too strong, or the fragrance in the room made her a bit drowsy.

She actually fell asleep!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The door was pounded.

Beauty was jolted awake from her dream, immediately rinsed off her body, and nonchalantly grabbed a towel from the rack to wrap around her smooth body before answering the door.

Perhaps it was due to being immersed in the bath for too long, her face was flushed with a rosy complexion, her legs were a bit reddish, and her hair was disheveled and spilled over her ears.

"Uncle?"

She swings the door open, only to have Lucas’s stern face enlarged before her eyes.

Originally assuming it was just the household help, she never thought the individual would be the boss coming back home!

Suddenly in a fluster, she gapes at him, her towel slipping slowly, as though it was startled.

Finally, it lands at her feet.

"Ah!!"

A scream echoes through the sky.

Beneath Lucas’s stunned expression, Beauty throws a hand over herself, swiftly picking her towel from the floor.

While wrapping it around herself, she yells out, "You, you pervert!

What are you looking at!

Close your eyes!"

For the first time in eighteen years, she has been seen by a man!

Moreover, this look was from a man who was so attractive that it could bewitch everyone, leaving Beauty unsure how to react.

"I’ll go out first; you tidy up and come down for dinner."

Compared to Beauty’s quickened heartbeat, Lucas seemed particularly calm.

He casually threw out a sentence and went out the door closed behind him.

His unfathomable eyes scared her to the extent that her legs trembled.