She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 296

Resting against his heaving chest, Loyce felt the lingering heat on her forehead. The world outside faded away, replaced by the steady, powerful beat of his heart, the gentle crackle of the fireplace, and the warmth of his embrace. It was the only reality that mattered.

An overwhelming wave of exhaustion finally pulled her under, and she snuggled into the most comfortable position in Lucian's arms, letting herself sink into a dreamless dark.

Lucian held her, unmoving, a guardian statue protecting his most precious treasure, his gaze fixed on her peaceful face in the flickering firelight.

Outside, the wind and rain had long since subsided, leaving behind only a quiet tenderness.

...

The day after Sapphire reported a suitable ‘patient’ to Gavin, he caught wind through the grapevine that Lucian was hosting a celebratory banquet at a sky restaurant. The reason for the celebration was painfully obvious.

It wasn't that Gavin hadn't tried to make a move on Loyce. But she was a fortress, protected by Lucian's men in the shadows.

Plus, she had vanished for several days recently, completely off the grid. He couldn’t find a single opening to kill her.

Now, staring at Sapphire’s message about a new donor, Gavin’s usual calculated thinking evaporated. Drowning in the pressure of immense financial stakes and the imminent threat of his patent being superseded, he immediately called her back.

"I'll arrange everything," he said curtly. "Just get the patient ready for transport."

Sapphire had the phone on speaker. Loyce sat opposite her, her eyes on a tablet where a reply was already drafted.

"How am I supposed to do that?" Sapphire asked, playing her part. "I may be the hospital director, but I can't just disable the surveillance system."

"I'll have my people infiltrate the hospital and overwrite the security footage," Gavin replied. "A car will come for you. All you have to do is hand over the patient."

"This is an international deal. Are you planning to ship the person directly?"

"Smuggling them alive is too risky now," Gavin explained. "We'll harvest the organs on the ship and dispose of the body at sea. Much harder to trace when we get to shore."

"I understand. I'll cooperate," Sapphire said, then added, "But you have to promise to delete those photos and pay me what you owe me."

On the other end of the line, Gavin’s smile was pure mockery. "Don't worry. This time, I'll absolutely keep my word."

Loyce met his dark, anxious gaze with unwavering confidence. "I'm a better choice than anyone you could possibly find. Besides..."

She leaned forward too, her presence suddenly matching his in intensity. "Gavin stole something from me. I have to be the one to make him give it back."

She was a woman of secrets, so many he didn't understand. Lucian knew he couldn't stop her.

The pressure in the room was suffocating.

"I won't be able to help you in time. There are too many variables at sea."

"I have a contingency plan." Loyce pulled out her phone, found what she was looking for, and showed the screen to Lucian. "This is the social media account of a Somali pirate leader. We're on good terms. He's on call."

If anyone else had said this to him, Lucian would have assumed they were the victim of an online scam and possibly insane. But coming from Loyce, in that calm, self-assured tone, he knew it was true. It fit with all the other impossible things she'd done.

After a long silence, he finally asked, "They have social media accounts?"