The Blood Contract
Chapter 97: There should be boundaries

Chapter 97: There should be boundaries

Lucian had just stepped out of the office, a single file in his hand, when he saw Serena approaching from the opposite end of the hallway. The document he held was forgotten almost immediately, his full attention shifting to the woman heading straight toward him.

There was a strange look on her face—something unreadable at first. Lucian’s gaze lingered on her, puzzled. At a distance, he almost mistook it for discomfort, but as she drew nearer, the look sharpened into something unmistakable—anger. A deep, burning anger.

She was frowning hard.

His brows knitted.

What was wrong?

"Did you fight with Vincent when he came here to see me?" she asked, her voice sharp and cutting. Her eyes held a fire so intense it looked like it could melt steel.

Her question instantly brought a small frown to Lucian’s face. He didn’t need to think too hard before recalling the incident—every heated second of it came flooding back. The thought of her giving him this accusing look because of Vincent made his chest tighten with irritation. A flare of anger simmered just beneath his calm exterior.

"Is that what you came to ask me looking like that?" he responded, his tone cool and unreadable, a stark contrast to the storm swirling within him.

"Yes." She took a firm step forward, planting herself in front of him, her hands trembling slightly at her sides. "Why would you beat up someone who came to look for me to the point of putting him in a coma? Couldn’t you just send him away? What if he dies? Why are you like this?"

Surprise flickered in Lucian’s eyes, brief and subtle, before it disappeared like a passing shadow. "Who told you he is in a coma?" he asked, more curious than concerned. He hadn’t heard that detail, not because anyone kept it away from him, but because he didn’t care what happened to Vincent.

Serena’s voice cracked with raw emotion. "It doesn’t matter. Why did you do that?"

Lucian let out a heavy sigh, already feeling the pressure building behind his eyes. This was not the conversation he wanted to have—especially not with her taking Vincent’s side. He hated Vincent. Always had. But more than that, he hated that Serena was so protective of him. It stirred something ugly in him, something restless.

"You should have found out why I did it before coming to ask me about it," he said, his voice tinged with annoyance.

Her expression twisted with disbelief, like she couldn’t believe the coldness of his answer. "Is that all you have to say?"

"What else do you want me to say?" he replied flatly, his eyes fixed on her, daring her to push further.

"Which hospital is he in? I want to go see him," she said, her tone dropping but gaining a firm resolve. Her eyes, however, were still alight with fire.

Lucian’s brow arched, his irritation rising sharply. "Go see him for what? To bring him out of the coma?"

"That does not concern you in any way," Serena snapped, not backing down in the slightest. "Tell me where he is."

Lucian stared at her for a few seconds, his jaw tightening. Then, without a word, he turned and walked away down the hallway, his expression unreadable but hard. The tension clung to the air like a suffocating blanket.

Serena turned to follow him, her heart pounding with rage and confusion.

"Serena, please calm down," Marlowe said gently, stepping forward from where she had been observing. Her voice was soft, laced with concern. She could feel the heat in the air and knew if she didn’t intervene, the situation would spiral out of control.

Serena’s response was instant and sharp. She turned on her heel to face Marlowe, her voice louder this time. "Don’t tell me to calm down, Marlowe. You all knew about this and kept it away from me. What is it with always keeping me in the dark as if I don’t matter? Am I that insignificant to y’all?"

Her words sliced through the space like a blade, and Marlowe winced. The accusation stung because, deep down, she knew Serena had a point. There had been too many secrets. Too many moments where Serena had been deliberately left out.

"You’re not insignificant," Marlowe said softly, trying to soothe her, to pull her away from the edge. "You’re only misunderstanding things right now."

"Oh, of course. I’m always the one who has no understanding. I’m always the one who needs to calm down because I’m being unreasonable," Serena shot back, her voice cracking slightly. Her eyes were glassy, shining with unshed tears. "He beats up my friend, puts him in a coma, everyone keeps it hidden from me, yet I’m the unreasonable one."

Marlowe sighed, her tone now more measured and grounded. "The fact that Mr. Morgan is your friend doesn’t mean he can do no wrong. He isn’t blameless. Mr. Morgan crossed the line."

Serena took a step back, her brows furrowed in disbelief. "What line did he cross that deserved the death sentence? Did he kill someone?"

"Let’s talk after breakfast. I promise I’ll tell you everything," Marlowe said, her eyes drifting toward the hallway like she was hoping to buy just a little more time.

"No." Serena’s voice cut through like ice. "I want to hear it now."

Before Marlowe could respond, Adrian, who had been standing quietly nearby, finally stepped forward. "I’ll explain."

Serena turned her full attention to him, her breathing uneven, her body taut with tension.

Adrian began, his voice calm and steady, yet laced with caution. He recounted every detail, every event that led to the confrontation—nothing was sugar-coated. From Vincent’s and the council’s arrival, to the confrontation, and everything they’d discovered after the dust had settled. His explanation was deliberate and thorough. He didn’t skip anything, no matter how hard it was to say.

"There was absolutely no way Boss would let him go unscathed after all that," Adrian concluded solemnly, his expression grim.

Serena stood frozen, the weight of his words pressing down on her chest. She soon realized the truth—Vincent had, in fact, crossed the line. If he had come unarmed, or hadn’t actually tried to use the gun, maybe, just maybe, she would’ve had some ground to defend him.

But now? Now, everything felt twisted.

He was still her friend, and in her eyes, he wouldn’t have even been in that situation if he wasn’t worried about her safety. It was a bitter pill to swallow.

"And as for no one telling you about it," Marlowe added, stepping beside Adrian, "you just woke up two days ago and are still recovering. How do you expect us to tell you stuff like that just yet?"

Serena’s voice was quieter now, the fire in her tone giving way to something more fragile. "Do you know what hospital he’s at?" She asked, realizing that the guy was fighting for his life all because of her.

"He was initially taken to Council Medical Center," Adrian answered. "But his father has moved him to an undisclosed facility. No one knows where he is except his family and probably a few people in their inner circle."

Marlowe exhaled, turning to Adrian and Darrell who stood behind. Her voice was low but firm. "Leave us, the two of you. I need to talk to her privately."

The men exchanged a silent glance, then nodded, quietly slipping away from the hallway. Their footsteps faded, leaving only the two women in the heavy silence that followed.

Marlowe turned to face Serena fully, her expression shifting into one of seriousness. "You need to stop this."

"Stop what?" Serena asked stiffly, folding her arms as if to brace herself.

"Taking Mr. Morgan’s side all the time." Marlowe’s voice was steady, but not unkind. "I know he’s your friend, but Lucian is technically your husband and partner right now and should come first. Asking for Vincent’s location and wanting to go see him is unnecessary. You don’t owe him anything."

Serena’s jaw clenched, her voice biting. "So because I now have a husband and a partner, I should abandon my friend who had been there for me when no one else was? And say nothing even if my husband goes ahead to kill him? I’m not that kind of a person."

"That’s not what I mean," Marlowe replied. "I’m saying there should be boundaries. You should draw the line. You’re not the same person you used to be. Your life is a lot more complicated now. Mr. Morgan should understand that and respect it."

Serena remained still, her mind clouded. The echoes of everyone’s words lingered in her head, twisting around her guilt, her anger, and her confusion. She didn’t know what was right anymore.

"When the day comes and you become free of this marriage, you can be with Mr Morgan. But for now, he needs to stay far away from you, and you need to ensure it," Marlowe added in a more serious tone, making Serena swallow.

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