The Day I Walked Away My Empire Began novel Chapter 216

Steven stared at his phone, torn between laughing and shaking his head in disbelief. She used to be so shy—painfully so. Even after four years of marriage, she’d still blush whenever she caught him shirtless. And now…

He bit back a grin and sent her a voice message.

“You’re getting bold, aren’t you, troublemaker?”

Almost instantly, her reply chimed in: “I just want a peek, that’s all…”

Her teasing had his heart racing.

“Be good,” he replied, voice low. “Wait until I get to Westbrook. I’ll show you in person.”

With that, Steven leaned back in his leather chair, looking out the massive window at the glittering city. His thoughts wandered, heavy and conflicted.

Bria and Lucie… Was it really possible for them to get along?

New Amberton might not be the biggest city, but it had more rich people than anywhere else. Here, everyone was chasing after pleasure and luxury. Men—ordinary or not—often had more than one family. He’d seen it a hundred times.

He knew he couldn’t let go of either of them. If Lucie stayed in Westbrook, that would be perfect. He could visit her whenever he wanted. But he couldn’t rush things. He needed to slowly help Bria accept Lucie, one step at a time.

He promised himself: he’d be fair. He’d love them both equally. And aside from them, he’d never be with anyone else.

—

Meanwhile, over in Westbrook…

Lucie woke up feeling groggy, her body aching all over. Last night had been a mess, and now she was pretty sure she had a fever.

“Achoo! Achoo…” She sneezed again, feeling exhausted.

Click. Click.

June was busy snapping secret photos of her, quickly touching them up before sending them off to Steven—pretending to be Lucie.

Lucie frowned as she caught June aiming her phone at her. “June, what are you doing? Are you taking pictures of me?”

June and Elio were childhood friends from rich families, and Lucie had always let her guard down with them. She never expected anything weird.

June quickly hid her phone and gave her an innocent look. “No, of course not! Are you okay? You look like you’ve caught a cold.”

Lucie nodded weakly. “Yeah, I think I did.”

Elio, overhearing, hurried over and pressed his hand to her forehead. “Lucie, are you alright? Should I take you to the hospital?”

She shook her head. “No, it’s fine. I’ll take some cold medicine and rest. I should be okay.”

“Are you sure?”

About twenty minutes later, as Lucie was drifting off to sleep, someone knocked softly on her door.

“Lucie, I’ve got the medicine.”

“Come in, it’s open,” she called out.

Elio came in quietly, juggling a bag stuffed with cold remedies and a mug of warm water. “Sit up, take these.”

Lucie blinked at the pile of medicine. “Why’d you buy so much?”

“I asked the pharmacist. He said these are the best.” Elio carefully opened the boxes and handed her the pills.

She took them with the water, then managed a weak smile. “Thanks.”

He looked at her with concern. “You need to rest. Take the medicine, get under the covers, and sleep.”

“Yeah… Sorry I can’t be a better host. You and June just do whatever.”

“Don’t worry about us. You just get better.” He tucked her blanket around her and quietly left.

Warmth spread through Lucie’s chest. He still had that playful side, but he’d definitely grown up a lot since four years ago.