Chapter 199 The Reckless Girl

    As soon as Mason finished speaking, the boardroom once again fell into dead silence. The directors‘ eyes darted between Lucas and Mason, their faces etched with hesitation and helplessness. But with their families in Mason’s hands, they had no choice.

    Mason scanned the table, his lips curling into a smug smile. His voice rang cold and domineering as he said, “Let’s proceed. Anyone in favor of me taking over as president of the Hawthorne Group, raise your hand.”

    His tone left no room for argument, forcing each person to make their decision. One after another, the board members exchanged nces and slowly lifted their hands.

    Mason nodded in satisfaction, a glint of malice shing in his eyes. “Very good. Seems everyone made the smart choice.”

    But just as he was about to dere the results, Lucas let out a low chuckle. It wasn’t loud, but it was sharp enough to echo across the room.

    “Not so fast. The real show’s just getting started.” Lucas pulled out a chair and sat down with deliberate calm. His every move oozed control and confidence.

    Mason’s grin froze. He turned to Lucas, his eyes cold and threatening. “What other trick could you possibly have? You really think you alone can change anything?”

    Lucas motioned slightly with his fingers. Andrew stepped forward and pressed a button on the projector.

    Instantly, a video appeared on the screen. It showed police officers storming into several different locations, rescuing the families Mason had used to control the board members.

    The atmosphere in the room exploded. The directors gaped at the footage, their faces lighting up with disbelief and overwhelming relief. They jumped to their feet, turning toward Lucas, their eyes brimming with gratitude.

    Lucas’s voice was calm butmanding. “Your families are safe now.”

    The directors‘ gratitude quickly turned into fury.

    “Mason! You psycho! You used our families to ckmail us!”

    “You’re a monster! You’re not fit to run the Hawthorne Group!”

    “Mr. Hawthorne, we support you! We can’t let someone like this take over thepany!”

    Mason’s face turned ghostly pale. He stood up, eyes filled with rage and panic. “Why?! I was so close! I only needed one more step!”

    “Your game ends here, Mason.” Lucas’s voice cut through the air like a de. “You thought you had everything under control. But you never realized–you were just another piece on my board.”

    He waved his hand. The doors opened again, and uniformed police officers stepped inside, heading straight for Mason.

    Mason tried to resist, but he was quickly subdued. As they dragged him away, he thrashed and screamed, his voice filled with hatred. “Lucas! Don’t think you’ve won! This isn’t over! You’ll regret this!”

    Lucas didn’t even flinch. He simply watched with an icy gaze, his expression unreadable.

    Once Mason was taken away, silence fell over the room.

    Lucas slowly stood, sweeping his eyes across the room. His voice was steady and firm. “The future of the Hawthorne Group will take all of us. What happened today ends here.”

    The directors bowed their heads, faces full of shame. They knew their earlier choices had nearly dragged the entirepany into the abyss.

    Lucas paused at each person, then spoke again. “I know your decisions were made under duress. I won’t hold it against you.”

    A collective sigh of relief passed through the room.

    But then, Lucas’s tone turned sharp. “That said, I expect you all to remember- there won’t be a second time. If it happens again, I won’t be so forgiving.”

    The directors nodded quickly, fear flickering in their eyes. They understood. Lucas’s mercy had limits, and his methods made Mason look like a child.

    “Mr. Hawthorne, we understand.” One director stood, his voice earnest. “From this moment on, you have our full support.”

    The rest of the board echoed the sentiment, pledging their loyalty to Lucas.

    Once thest director left and the door closed with a soft click, Lucas’s body suddenly wavered. His face turned pale as he grabbed the table for support, cold sweat beading on his forehead. His breathing quickened.

    “Mr. Hawthorne!” Andrew rushed to his side, rmed. “Are you alright? I’ll take you back immediately!”

    “I’m fine,” Lucas said, waving him off. “Just tired.”

    Andrew frowned, his toneced with concern. “You just recovered from the poisoning. You’re not ready to push yourself this hard. Mason could’ve been handled by the authorities. You didn’t need to show up yourself.”

    Lucas gave a faint smile. “Those board members are too slick. If I hadn’t walked in alive and well, they wouldn’t have believed anything.”

    He coughed a few times, his body trembling slightly. Andrew quickly helped him sit and handed him a ss of warm water.

    Lucas took a sip and steadied his breath. “How’s Sloane?”

    Andrew lowered his head. “She’s still unconscious. Dr. Benjamin said her body’s severely exhausted.”

    Turns out, Sloane had vanished because she had gone into a remote forest herself to find Septoherb to cure Lucas’s poisoning. She returned covered in injuries, and after confirming Lucas had taken the herb, she copsed on the spot.

    Lucas’s eyes darkened with guilt. His voice trembled slightly. “She… she did all that for me…”

    “If she hadn’t returned in time with the herb,” Andrew said softly, “Dr. Benjamin said the poison might’ve-”

    “Take me to the hospital,” Lucas interrupted, struggling to his feet.

    Andrew hesitated, clearly wanting to object, but seeing the look in Lucas’s eyes, he gave in and helped him out.

    Lucas walked quickly, each step heavy with urgency. When they arrived at Sloane’s hospital room, he pushed the door open and saw her lying quietly in bed. Her face was deathly pale, an IV drip hanging from her arm. His chest tightened painfully.

    He walked to her bedside and sat down, gently taking her hand in his. Her skin was cold and lifeless.

    He remembered the first time they met–how she had held a weapon to his throat, straddled him, and calmly negotiated.

    Back then, he had thought she was nothing but a reckless little girl. But now… that same reckless girl had risked everything to save him, even trekking through a forest alone just to bring him the cure.

    “Sloane…” he murmured her name, his voice barely audible.

    His fingers brushed her cheek, feeling the faint warmth of her breath.

    He had never imagined that one day, he would care this deeply about someone.