"A warrant?" Lucien sneered, "Do you really think you matter that much?"
He said nothing, yet two bodyguards immediately stepped out from the hallway with guns raised, their dark barrels aimed straight at Julian's forehead.
"Right now, I could kill you with a single shot," Lucien said as he stepped closer, his eyes cold, "and no one would come after me. This is Silvera, not a Northhaven police station."
Julian didn't move, he simply shifted to shield Mira completely behind him. "As long as I die here today, Interpol will freeze all your global assets tomorrow. Can you afford to take that risk?"
The air froze.
Lucien stared at the way Julian shielded Mira, a storm of fury surging in his chest.
"Fine." He suddenly smiled and ordered the guards behind him, "Don't hurt Mira, as for this man, shoot him…"
Before he finished speaking, Mira stepped forward and spread her arms to shield Julian, "No, Lucien, don't hurt him!"
Julian pulled her back behind him and said firmly, "Mira, stay behind me."
Their bodies pressed close together, as if bound by life and death.
The last trace of reason in Lucien's eyes snapped.
She was protecting him.
Using her life to protect another man.
"Pull her away!" he roared.
The bodyguards stepped forward and dragged Mira away.
She struggled desperately and cried out, "Julian, go, don't worry about me!"
Julian didn't move at all and met Lucien's gaze, "You can't cage her heart, she hates you."
Lucien burst into laughter, almost unhinged, "Then let her hate me. As long as she's alive under my watch, hatred is fine."
Lucien snatched the gun from a guard and aimed it directly at Julian's heart.
Mira suddenly broke free from the guards with unexpected strength and lunged at Lucien, her beautiful face streaked with tears.
"Lucien… I won't run anymore… I'll never run again, don't kill him, please don't kill him…"
Lucien's heart exploded with sharp pain the moment he heard her broken words.
He looked at Mira as she clung tightly to the arm holding the gun, as if terrified that Julian might be harmed in any way.
He remembered so many things.
He remembered Mira's bright smile from before.
He remembered the times he nearly died in gang conflicts, and how Mira had stood in front of him without regard for her own life.
He remembered their countless intimate moments, her shining eyes, and the words, "I want to marry you."
All of it was a lie.
Every bit of it.
Lucien suddenly seemed to lose all strength, his heart convulsing with pain as the urge to kill Mira consumed his thoughts.
But he couldn't bring himself to do it.
Lucien stared at Mira's tear-streaked face and said word by word, "If I see you have any contact with him again, I'll have him sunk into the sea."
The moment Mira heard the words "sunk into the sea," her blood seemed to freeze.
The world in front of her twisted instantly.
Dark seawater, a cold iron anchor, Selena's mocking smile…
She curled on the ground, trembling violently as tears streamed uncontrollably, "No… don't…"
A sharp pain struck Lucien's chest as he almost bent down to help her.
But the next second, he saw her tear-filled eyes turn toward Julian, as if seeking protection.
She was crying for him.
Hatred overwhelmed the fleeting concern.
Lucien ordered coldly, "Throw Julian out."
The guards dragged Julian away as he struggled and shouted back, "Mira, wait for me, I'll come back for you!"
Mira tried to speak, but Lucien hoisted her over his shoulder.
Lucien strode to the bedroom and threw her heavily onto the bed. He leaned over her, bracing his hands beside her head, his eyes bloodshot like a beast as he said, "Listen carefully, if I ever see you have any contact with him again, I'll throw him into the sea and feed him to the sharks."
Tears slid silently down Mira's face as she said, "Lucien… I hate you…"
There were countless cruel words in the world, yet none hurt as much as those three words, "I hate you," leaving Lucien on the verge of tears.
He suddenly stood up and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
In the hallway, he leaned against the wall and punched it hard, his knuckles beginning to bleed.
Outside, Selena stood in the darkness, almost consumed by jealousy, watching Lucien compromise for Mira again and again felt worse than death to her.
She had already turned Mira into a "traitor," yet Lucien still couldn't bring himself to kill her.
Selena let out a vicious smile and dialed the core members of the council, saying, "Mira must die."
