CHAPTER 449: IT WAS YOU, LUCIUS

Despite Zade’s insistence to stay away, Lucius made his wat to the hospital, where the postmortem was still underway.

On a wooden chair just beyond the examination wing sat George, his stepfather. His shoulders were slumped with grief.

Roderick, walking beside Lucius, slowed his pace and allowed his uncle to approach first.

George lifted his head at the sound of footsteps. His tired eyes locked onto the figure across from him. For a moment, silence stretched between them, before Lucius gave a slight nod of greeting. George rose without a word and pulled him into a firm, grieving embrace.

"Is it still going on?" Lucius asked gently once they pulled apart.

"Yes," George said with a faint sigh. "Your mother had registered as an organ donor long ago. Her organs will be donated." His gaze shifted briefly toward Roderick, who lingered nearby.

"That’s my nephew, Roderick," George introduced.

He turned back to Lucius, his voice heavy with both relief and sorrow. "I never expected you to come. It means a lot... This whole thing was an unfortunate incident. Sometimes I wonder if it was my enemy’s doing. But the investigation is still ongoing."

Lucius pressed his lips together, silent. His chest tightened with the truth he couldn’t bring himself to speak, that it wasn’t some nameless enemy, but Tsar who had orchestrated it.

George sank back into his chair, motioning for them to sit as well.

Roderick’s gaze lingered on his uncle, taking in the exhaustion etched into Lucius’s features.

"Stay here. I need to make a call," Lucius told Roderick before excusing himself.

He walked until he found a quiet, isolated corner of the same floor. Pulling out his phone, he dialed Layla. The line barely rang once before she answered, as if she had been waiting for him.

"Lucius, how are things there?" Layla asked immediately, her voice brimming with concern.

"Not good," Lucius admitted. "My mother had registered for organ donation. The procedure is still ongoing."

He leaned against the cold wall. He felt hollow and numb. The tears he expected, simply refused to come. He wanted to grieve, to collapse under the weight of loss.

"I thought everything was finally settling, Layla," he murmured, his voice trembling. "I thought I could live in peace at last. But now, another death, and somehow, it’s tied to me again. How am I ever supposed to heal from this?"

His heart throbbed painfully, the ache almost unbearable. If Layla had been there, he knew he would have pulled her into his arms, clung to her, and poured out everything he couldn’t say to anyone else.

"Lucius, it wasn’t you," Layla said softly, though her own heart clenched at the thought of his loss. "Tsar only wanted to... Weaken you. Don’t burden yourself with that guilt."

"I don’t even know what to feel anymore," Lucius whispered. "It wasn’t easy to recover from Antoine’s and Matteo’s sudden deaths. And now this..." He dragged in a shaky breath. "Even though I cut all ties with her, deep inside, she was still my mother. She could have abandoned me to Vladimir’s cruelty, but she didn’t. She gave me to my father, Alekis."

His voice broke as regret surged in his chest. "I wished I could have told her that. I wished I had swallowed my pride, bowed before her just once. But my ego never let me. And now she’s gone. And all I can feel is everything a child should feel for their mother... when it’s already too late."

On the other side of the line, Layla sat in silence, tears brimming in her eyes. She knew there were no perfect words for grief, yet she couldn’t let him sink into it.

"Lucius," she said gently. "Stay strong. You can’t fall now, not until Tsar is brought down. That’s what your mother would want for you. I’ve always admired your strength, from the very beginning. No matter how dark things got, you always stood tall. I know this is the hardest storm yet, but you have to keep your mind clear. Don’t let him win by breaking you."

Lucius hummed softly. "I’m sorry, Layla, for making your life hard too. By being with me, you’re suffering as well."

"Hey," Layla cut in quickly, brushing away the tears that escaped her eyes. "Don’t you dare speak like that. Have you forgotten the memories we’ve made together? Maybe we were meant to face these trials. Life isn’t easy for anyone, Lucius. But we’re not alone anymore, we have a baby on the way. You need to stop talking as if everything is only darkness. That doesn’t suit you."

A faint, weary smile tugged at his lips. "Yeah... I know. I’m sorry," he murmured.

"Is Roderick nearby?" Layla asked gently.

"No. He’s with George, my stepfather," Lucius replied.

"Then ask him to call me when he can," she said softly.

"Alright. And... thank you, Layla, for listening."

"Always."

He ended the call and slid the phone into his pocket. For a long moment, he stood there in the quiet hallway, his chest heavy with grief but he hardened his resolve.

"I can’t fall weak," he whispered to himself. "Not until I reach my goal. Not until Tsar pays."

He went back inside and walked to Roderick. "Layla wants to talk to you. You should call her," he whispered.

Roderick hummed and left silently.

Lucius gazed at George, who was looking at the ring on his finger. "Did Eve ever tell you how we fell in love?"

Lucius shook his head. "I never asked her about you or the others."

"Hmm. Eve used to tell me that you were upset with her."

"I was a bad son to her," Lucius said, taking a deep breath.

"No. She was proud of you for handling everything well in Italy," George replied. "The only thought that troubled her was that she couldn’t become a mother to you. If I have to say who Eve loved the most in this world, then it was you, Lucius."