Lucas left the residential area and drove to Anna’s apartment.

I pursed my lips and watched him from the front passenger seat. His knuckles had turned white from his death grip on the steering wheel.

The neon lights lit up his face, but his eyes remained cold and dark.

“Lucas, you’re here!”

Anna opened the door and greeted Lucas with a plastic smile.

She wore loose-fitting clothing. Her hair was in a mess. She looked fragile and pitiful.

Lucas’ expression softened when he saw her.

He caressed her face and said gently, “Don’t worry, I’m already looking for Joan. She’ll definitely take the fall for you.”

Anna hugged him and pressed her face against his neck. She sounded upset when she asked, “But… what if she doesn’t agree to it?”

“She wouldn’t dare to do so!” Lucas confidently interrupted her. “I have my ways to make her cooperate. As long as I’m here, no one can hurt you!”

I floated by the side. My soul trembled after hearing his words.

As expected, I was only a scapegoat for Anna in his eyes.

I only existed to protect Anna.

Anna looked up with teary eyes. She was a great actress.

“Lucas, it’s my fault. If I hadn’t gone drinking that day…”

“It’s not your fault.” Lucas cupped her face in his hands. He coaxed her. “It’s Joan’s fault. She should’ve helped you, but she’s hiding now!

“I’m going to teach her a lesson once I find her!”

Lucas gently comforted the woman before him.

Once upon a time, I had received such gentle treatment. He had also cupped my face and told me I was the person who treated him the best in the whole world.

That time, his start-up company had just failed. The stress had given him insomnia.

I was the one who remained by his side and reminded him over and over again that I would be there for him.

When he finally succeeded, I no longer had a place in his heart.

When Anna returned to the country, he rescheduled all his meetings and rushed to the airport to meet her.

She lied to him that she had left years ago because of a terminal illness, and she did not want to burden him.

He believed her and felt extremely guilty.

Since then, he had been very patient, gentle, and loving toward her.

He was so lost in her wiles that when I got into a car accident while in labor, Anna had lied to him. She fed him lies, saying that my child belonged to another man, and that I had staged a car accident to cover up the months of pregnancy.

Lucas actually believed in such a weak fabrication.

Since then, I knew that our daughter, Gracie Anderson, and I were no longer important to him.

It was late at night. Anna wrapped her arms around his waist and whispered seductively, “Lucas, you’re so good to me.”

Lucas hugged her back and said softly, “I owe you this much.”

He allowed her hands to slowly slide beneath his clothes.

Rather than recoil, he reciprocated her actions

I turned to look the other way.

In the past, he had also hugged me like that while proclaiming that we would be together forever.

Things had changed drastically. He would not bat an eyelid to sacrifice me for Anna.

At that moment, I was suddenly very curious.

What if he learned the truth one day that Anna, whom he tried so hard to protect, was the very drunk driver who killed his own daughter…

What would his expression be like?

Anna’s case was somewhat urgent. Lucas was trying his best to help her.

However, no matter how hard he tried, he could not find me at all.

The secretary timidly updated him in his office.

“The victim’s family suddenly hired a new lawyer, and he’s really hard to deal with.

“They seemed to have some key evidence, so it’s not looking good for Ms. Miller…”

“Lawyer?” Lucas sneered. “What lawyer? I don’t believe we can’t buy him with money. Ask him to meet me. I’ll talk to him personally.”

He confidently walked into the cafe.

But when he saw the person sitting opposite him, his expression changed.

“Sawyer? It’s you?”

I was also a little surprised.

Sawyer White was my classmate from university. He had pursued me for a really long time.

However, I was in love with Lucas at that time, so I had rejected his multiple confessions.

Lucas also knew about these advances. Since then, he had been hostile toward Sawyer.

But it seemed like Sawyer was expecting to see him.

He slowly stirred his coffee. He slowly looked up with a sneer.

“Why are you surprised?”

Lucas’ expression turned cold immediately. “When did you return to the country?”

“Yesterday. I heard that you had something to do with this case, so I immediately booked an air ticket.”

Sawyer put down his teaspoon. His gaze turned sharp.

Lucas met his gaze without any fear. “What do you mean?”

Sawyer smiled. “Nothing, I just feel like I must win this case.”

“Sawyer! You’re still targeting me after so many years?”

“Targeting you?”

Sawyer calmly leaned his back against the chair and shook his head.

“You’re overthinking this. I just want justice for them.”

Lucas was too agitated to notice Sawyer had used the word ‘them’ at all.

He sneered and gestured in rage.

“Stop pretending to be just. You’re just taking revenge on me!”

After he said that, he seemed to have an epiphany as he suddenly stared at Sawyer.

“You’re after me like a hound. Are you the father of that rascal?

“Are you planning to take me down, and then live your best life with Joan, right?”

Sawyer was stunned.

He stared at Lucas. His gaze turned from shock to sympathy. In the end, he looked baffled.

“Lucas… do you actually not know who’s the father of the child?”

Lucas frowned. “What are you talking about?”

Sawyer did not answer him. He stood up promptly and said before he left, “Joan must have been blinded by love to have married such a man like you.”

After he said that, he left without looking back.

Lucas stood in his place with a dark expression. He was still muttering angrily, “Get off your high horse! You’re just a bitter bachelor that no one wants…

“You’ve remained single for so many years because you’re lusting after someone else’s wife!”

I was floating beside him. I stared at Sawyer as he left, then looked at Lucas’ furious expression. I was truly once blinded by love.

There was once a time when I thought that he was the gentlest person on earth.

However, it turned out that he was a man who would abandon his morals for a dishonest woman.

After Lucas left the cafe, he seemed really furious.

Since he could not convince Sawyer to drop the case, he had to think of other solutions.

“Lucas, how did it go?”

Anna appeared behind him with a worried look on her face. However, a calculating glint flashed across her eyes.

Lucas was startled before he took a deep breath and shook his head.

“Sawyer’s a dead end. He’s planning to fight till the end.”

Anna’s face paled, and she immediately grabbed his hand. Her voice trembled, “Lucas, what am I going to do? I don’t want to go to jail…”

Lucas frowned and patted her hand to comfort her.

“Don’t worry, we can think of a solution.”

Anna’s eyes flickered and suddenly whispered, “Lucas, doesn’t Joan have a daughter? Gracie?”

Lucas’ expression froze. “What are you trying to say?”

“We can use her to threaten Joan. She’ll definitely appear!” Anna sounded certain. “She dotes on that illegitimate child! She won’t ignore her!”

I was right by Anna's side, and I couldn't resist the urge to slap her!

Seriously, Gracie was still so small—how could anyone use a kid's life to blackmail others?

Lucas sounded a little hesitant.

“But, she’s just a child…”

Anna immediately interrupted him and put on a fake brave face. She sobbed, “Lucas, do you also feel like I should be in prison? Do you really think Joan is better than me?

“I know, it’s my fault for leaving you back then. But I really have no other choice now…”

Anna had been putting up with this act many times.

As expected, Lucas’ expression immediately softened.

He caressed her face and said dotingly, “What nonsense are you talking about? How could I do that to you?”

Anna took the opportunity to grab his hand as she pleaded, “Lucas, I only have you…”

Lucas shut his eyes. When he reopened his eyes again, the hesitation was gone.

“Let’s go to school.”

However, it was not as smooth-sailing as they thought it would be.

In the office, the principal exchanged a glance with the teacher after hearing Lucas’ request.

“Gracie? She hasn’t been to class in a month.”

Lucas’ expression changed.

“What do you mean she hasn’t gone to class in a month?

“What are you doing as a school? Don’t you know if your student has gone missing?”

The principal was shocked by his sudden anger and immediately explained, “We contacted her guardian before, but no one answered.

“In her file, it indicated that her mother had already passed away, and there wasn’t a name on the father’s column…”

Lucas was shocked as he clenched his fist.

“What do you mean? Her mother… had passed away?”

The principal nodded. “That’s right. According to the file, she passed away five years ago.”

Lucas’ breathing hitched. His mind started to buzz.

It seemed like he was still in denial about my death.

In his eyes, I was a despicable person who was afraid of death. How would I die this early?

“Impossible, you’re lying!

“Joan can’t be dead! She must have made you say this!”

As expected, the next second, Lucas suddenly stood up and roared at the crowd.

The principal was shocked by his sudden anger and immediately denied, “We’re not lying to you. It’s written in the file…”

Lucas was not listening to him. He turned around and ran out.

Anna was shocked. “Lucas, where are you going?”

Lucas did not look back as he said furiously, “I want to look into this. I’ll see for myself if Joan’s truly dead!”