Chapter 17

Aided by his seatbelt, he asked, "Where are you going, Julie?"

Main was shocked. "This area is a bit out of the way. What are you doing here?"

Julie didn't mind his question and answered, "My father is in the sanatorium there. I want to visit him."

Since her falling out with Marsly, she'd had no time to visit her father at the Sanatechura. Now that she was up and about again, she wanted to see him.

Blaine nodded and hummed in agreement.

He was concerned. "That sanatorium is quite remote. How would your family place you in such a place?"

Julie lowered her head and stayed silent. Lucian stared at her for a second before saying with displeasure, "Focus on driving and stop asking so many questions."

Just then, a ringtone sounded in the car. Lucian glanced at the caller ID and answered the call.

"What do you want? I've told you not to worry. Okay, I'm driving. I'm hanging up now. Goodbye."

Whatever was on the call seemed to have irritated Lucian, as his face burned noticeably.

In the driver's seat, Blaine looked at Lucian through the rearview mirror. "Was it your mother?"

Blaine asked, "Why did your mother call you?"

Lucian retorted, "Never you mind."

Blaine sighed softly. "I don't need you to know. She's probably trying to check up on you."

Before he could finish the sentence, Lucian interrupted him. "Focus on driving! Why are you talking so much?"

Blaine had a look on his face that seemed to say, "I knew it." Glancing at Julie through the rearview mirror, he deliberately said pitifully, "Would you look at that, Julie? Look at the kind of life I live around the great Mr. Fuller. Not only does he mistreat me every day, but he doesn't let me speak!"

The corner of Julie's lips twitched, and she glanced sideways at Lucian. She murmured, "You're the one who talked too much."

Blaine was rendered speechless, complaining to himself that neither of them was any good, tired of how birds of a feather flocked together.

After ten minutes, they arrived at the entrance of the alley.

"It's under construction ahead, so I can't drive any farther. You have to walk," Blaine suddenly said.

Julie looked up. The main road was cordoned off with tape, and a sign beside it indicated she had to take the narrow path through.

Julie thanked Blaine, who was in the driver's seat.

He waved his hand, saying, "There's no need to thank me."

She responded and glanced at Lucian beside her. "Okay, I'm leaving now."

She opened the car door and exited. She walked toward the passenger seat and jokingly said goodbye to Blaine through the window. "Oh, this road is difficult to navigate."

Blaine widened his eyes. "Are you working for me, Julie?"

The corner of Julie's lips twitched. This man was out of his mind.

She ignored him and walked toward the sanatorium.

Lucian, in the back seat, silently watched her leave. Suddenly, Blaine's smug, teasing voice sounded. "There's actually a young lady who cares about me!"

Lucian looked up. Unmoved, he glanced at him and exited the car.

He stood at the door of the driver's seat. Without saying anything else, he opened the door. "Get out of the car," he said.

Blaine was dumbfounded. "Why, Lucian?"

"Get out of the goddamn car!" Lucian approached him, irritated.

Blaine was immediately displeased. "Mr. Fuller, you're the one who's driving. Now you're asking me to get out of the car? Is something wrong with you?"

Lucian let out a faint, mocking laugh. "Yeah, I'm asking you to leave the car now."

"It's cold today, and you're asking me to call a cab? How could you be so…"

Before Blaine could say anything, Lucian slammed the car door shut with a bang.

Blaine was dumbfounded. He muttered angrily, "Why are you throwing a tantrum?"

Lucian coldly retorted, "You can drive this car back on your own."

Blaine was rendered speechless. How could he have forgotten how petty Lucian was in the past? Look at him now, giving him the cold shoulder at the slightest comment. Blaine said, "Lucian, don't be angry. This is your car."

Lucian ignored him. He waved his hand at Blaine and walked toward the sanatorium.

As Julie exited the car, she looked at the map and tried to locate the precise location of the sanatorium. Julie continued her journey when she suddenly felt someone staring at her from behind. This area was a more permissive part of the city, surrounded by old, rundown residential buildings.

Julie instinctively quickened her pace, but she could clearly sense the person following her quickening their pace as well.

She stopped in her tracks and turned around. Lucian, who had been in the car, was standing by the side of the road, pretending to look at his phone with his head lowered.

Julie couldn't understand what Lucian was doing and was agitated. "A-are you following me?"

Lucian looked up. He walked toward her and said casually, "No."

She didn't believe him. "Then what are you doing here?"

He didn't think about it and replied, "I just returned to the country, so I thought of having a look around."

Julie hummed in assent. "Then knock yourself out."

After she said that, she ignored him and walked toward the sanatorium. She had barely gone far when Lucian caught up to her.

Julie stopped in her tracks. She raised her head and looked at him, shocked. "What are you trying to do?"

His gaze fell on her face. Julie had long and thick eyelashes. When she looked up at him, a snowflake fell on them. Perhaps it was extremely cold outside, so it didn't immediately melt. Lucian reached out and removed it with his index finger. "You have a snowflake on your eyelashes."

At this moment, the snowflakes in the sky grew heavier, mixed with ice pellets. Not long after, Julie's hair was damp, and her face turned rosy from the biting cold.

"Aren't you here to visit your father? You should go now," Lucian said.

Julie retracted her gaze and walked toward the sanatorium. Lucian followed behind her. He wasn't too fast or too slow, steadily maintaining two steps away from her. When they reached the sanatorium, Julie turned to look at Lucian. "Are you visiting my father too?"

Lucian was stunned. He never expected Julie to ask him so bluntly about it. Plus, he wasn't ready to meet her father. He came… to see her father.

As if guided by a sudden intuition, he blurted, "Isn't it too early to meet your parents? I came empty-handed with no gifts. It didn't seem appropriate to…"

Julie was stunned for a split second. Then, she suddenly burst into laughter. She looked up at him. "Then why are you following me?"

Lucian didn't give it a second thought and said, "My friend was street racing a while back and ended up paralyzed in a car accident. I came to visit him."

Julie's lips twitched. "Your friend is paralyzed and was admitted to this sanatorium, eh?"

This was the most ill-equipped sanatorium located in the most remote area in Harbor City. Lucian's friend, were either rich or born of nobility. Why would they be here? Who was he fooling?

Lucian noticed Julie's disbelief and continued, "My friend is bankrupt, so it makes sense that he's here."

Julie noticed his disjointed explanation but didn't call him out for it. She nodded gently. "Okay, go and see your friend, then."

She added, "Which ward is your friend in?"

Lucian retorted, "I will pass him. Why wouldn't I?"

Then, he walked in the opposite direction from Julie.

Julie watched Lucian leave and couldn't help but wonder if he really did have a paralyzed friend there.