Chapter 263

Lucien Dubois rushed to the nearest hospital to treat his injuries. He was making a scene, howling in pain as the nurses tended to him. By the time Vanessa Blake arrived, his dislocated arm had been reset, and the doctor had fitted him with a cast for his fractured wrist, which gave him an almost comical appearance. His face was already a mess from the fight with Dominic Reeves, and now his arms were out of commission too. He sat there, seething in silence.

"Are you okay?" Vanessa asked, though she already knew the answer.

Since he had demanded she come immediately, she figured she might as well play the concerned friend. She offered to cover his medical expenses and helped him out of the hospital, which seemed to improve his mood slightly.

"How did you even end up like this? You looked like you were holding your own against Dominic earlier," she remarked as she guided him into the car.

Once settled, he jerked his chin toward the seatbelt, silently commanding her to buckle him in. Vanessa sighed but obliged.

When she finished, she asked, "Back to the hotel?"

"Should I just follow you home instead?" he snapped irritably.

Vanessa didn’t respond and started the car. She knew better than to engage with him when he was in this state. But Lucien wasn’t one to stay quiet for long. He clumsily opened a pack of cigarettes with his teeth, pulled one out, and lit it with his good hand. After a few deep drags, he finally relaxed.

"You went to the hospital?" Lucien asked suddenly.

Vanessa kept her eyes on the road. "Obviously. How else would I have picked you up?"

"You know that’s not what I meant," he muttered, exhaling smoke. "He’s not dead, is he?"

Vanessa pressed her lips together before answering. "No. A few broken ribs, but he’ll live. Just needs time to recover."

"Then he’s fine," Lucien said with a dismissive shrug. "Who the hell does he think he is, hitting me like that?"

"You hit him back just as hard," Vanessa pointed out. "And from what I saw, you had the advantage." She hesitated before adding, "I’m still his fiancée, you know."

Lucien narrowed his eyes in disgust. "So what? I never had any intention of stealing his precious fiancée. I’m not looking to marry you or start a family. What’s wrong with keeping things casual?"

Vanessa had no response. Lucien was unpredictable, his actions often defying logic. She sighed. "You and him… and Genevieve Sinclair are still on decent terms, right? She’s the one who asked you for a favor, and now you’ve gone and done this to her son—"

"He started it!" Lucien whined, unrepentant. "Besides, Genevieve and I aren’t friends. We’re business partners. I owed her a favor, and I repaid it. That’s it."

By the time he finished speaking, his cigarette was half gone. Vanessa finally understood the nature of their relationship. He wasn’t Genevieve’s ally—just someone she had sent to assist Dominic. Lucien had been the perfect choice because he owed her and had no conflicting interests with Dominic.