The Blood Contract
Chapter 49: Deleted

Chapter 49: Deleted

Two hours later, the sound of his phone buzzing woke Lucian up from the deep slumber he had fallen into after drinking up the antidote, the noise jarring in the quiet room.

He picked up the call and transferred the phone to his ear while his half opened eyes looked around for someone, the space feeling emptier than before. Only after a while did he remember that he had asked her to leave, and she actually left before he fell asleep, the realization forced a sigh out of him.

Why was he even expecting her to be there?

"Alright, I’ll be there," he responded to the person on the other end of the call, then killed the line and pushed himself up from the floor, moving once again to the bathroom. He already felt better than when he woke up the first time that morning, the effect of the poison reducing drastically, but the weakness didn’t disappear completely, and the strange pounding in his heart was still there, a persistent trouble he didn’t know how to deal with and wasn’t ready to confront at that moment.

After he freshened up and got ready, he headed out, looking way better than he did hours ago, his posture straighter, his expression more composed.

"Adrian," he called out before he could fully descend the entire flight of stairs, his voice carrying through the house.

"Sir!" Adrian shot to his feet when he heard his name and let out a breath of relief seeing Lucian looking like his normal self, the tension in his frame easing. "Are you feeling alright now, sir?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

"I’m good," Lucian answered, his tone clipped. "Any reports?" he asked, his mind already shifting to business.

"Yes, sir. The 28th batch of disruptions are ready. Inner circle is fully ready. Documents are ready. Doctor Vishan says he will see you in person in two days—he won’t accept any deal unless he sees you in person. You have no commitments and no meetings tomorrow," Adrian reported, his words precise, and Lucian started for the door after giving a short nod. Adrian followed without being told, his steps measured. "Are we going somewhere, sir?"

"Yes. I have an urgent meeting with Castro," Lucian responded, his voice firm.

While he was still walking, his phone buzzed, and he brought it out to check, only to realize he had been sent a video message, the notification blinking ominously.

Being who he was, his steps slowed down, eventually coming to a halt, and his brows knitted together even though he didn’t know the content of the message yet or the sender, his instincts prickling.

"Sir, is something wrong?" Adrian asked, seeing how he had stopped walking, his voice cautious.

"I’m not sure yet, but I’m about to find out," Lucian answered, finally opening the message.

The video started with Carter’s smiling face displayed in the background, and Lucian just knew what was about to happen. His grip tightened on the phone.

"Hey, it’s Carter saying hello to the latest couple of the Council of Vitae," Carter’s voice echoed, the cheerfulness in it grating. "I’m sure you two are taking your time to get to know each other very well, and I hate to be the one to spoil that, but I have to remind you that we don’t have time on our hands, so you need to get down to the business of baby-making as quickly as possible. Else..."

The scene switched into one where Elias, Serena’s brother, was strapped to a chair while a tube was being inserted into his gut through his mouth, the image stark and horrifying.

Lucian clenched his jaw, knowing what was coming for the guy. He had firsthand experience with the Council’s torture methods and wouldn’t wish it on anyone, especially not someone as gentle and innocent as Elias. The sight twisted something inside him and he wished he could deal a punch to Carter’s face.

But he knew better than to act rashly. The message for sent for a reason—to instill fear in them.

"Serena darling," Carter called out, and Lucian’s stomach twisted at the sound, the false sweetness in it nauseating. "I hope you haven’t forgotten that your precious brother is still in our custody. Don’t try to play smart. If you do, we’ll be the first to show you that we have different methods to achieve our goals..."

"Where is Serena?" Lucian asked Adrian, pausing the video halfway, his voice tight.

"She’s with Marlowe in the lab," Adrian answered in an annoyed tone after listening to the voice from the video.

Lucian moved instantly towards the lab, his strides long, hoping that Serena had not opened the video, believing it was also sent to her and not just him.

When he got there, the two women had their noses buried in her father’s journal, their focus absolute, and he let out an internal sigh, knowing she had not seen the message, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly.

"Where is your phone, Serena?" Lucian asked once they lifted their heads to look at the person who had just entered the lab, his voice calm but firm.

"Why are you asking about my phone?" Serena asked, confused, her brow furrowing.

"I got an intel that you received a very dangerous message just now, formulated to cause you brain damage if you open it," Lucian explained, all the while looking around to spot her phone, his gaze sharp. When he did, his eyes darted to Marlowe. "Get her phone and delete the message."

Marlowe, though confused, moved to take Serena’s phone from the table, her movements quick. She checked and indeed, there was a message notification, the sight making her turn suspicious.

Throwing Lucian one more look, she quickly forwarded the message to her own phone before deleting the one in Serena’s phone, her fingers flying over the screen.

"Deleted," she said, her voice steady, and without a word, Lucian nodded before heading out of the lab.

When he left, Marlowe and Serena exchanged a look that was filled with questions they didn’t even know how to start asking each other. How does a message cause one brain damage?