Chapter 48 Sonia was so consumed by jealousy that her eyes were bloodshot . The blackout had lasted a full minute , after all . Who knew what might have happened between Lucius and Valerie this whole time ? Naomi exclaimed , " Your lip's bleeding , Mr. White ! " Lucius released Valerie and calmly wiped away the blood . His tone was laced with something suggestive as he said , " The room was too dark , so I must have bumped into something while peeling the grapes . Isn't that right , Ms. Collins ? " Valerie gave a short laugh . " Sure . Whatever you say . " She looked every bit like a spoiled girlfriend sulking with her boyfriend . They were all adults , and some things didn't need to be spelled out . No matter what had happened in that minute of darkness , no one would press if Lucius didn't want to explain . As the night wound down , people started leaving The Golden Chalice . Kieran had just stepped out of the room when his phone rang , so he excused himself and stepped away to take the call . Meanwhile , Dale - a lightweight - was thoroughly drunk after one bottle . As Noah and Naomi carried him out on either side , the former , complained , " If you can't handle your wine , don't drink so much . You're just embarrassing yourself . " Walk steadily on your feet . My arm's still injured , so I can't use much force . Luc , don't just stand there ! Give me a hand . " But Lucius instead summoned two attendants and instructed , " Get him a room . He's not going home tonight . " So , the attendants took over Dale from Noah and led him toward the guest rooms with Naomi in tow . Rubbing his sore arm , Noah muttered a curse under his breath , " Damn it . I strained it again . ' Valerie , who'd been texting on her phone , stopped beside him and asked , " Is it an old injury ? " Noah hadn't expected her sudden question . " Yeah . It's from an accident a while back . I thought it healed , but it flares up whenever I exert force . " She pressed her fingers into his arm and said , " The bone's out of place . It just needs to be set back . " Though her words sounded casual , the pressure of her grip was so brutal that Noah yelped in 1/2 152 Chapter 48 2/2 pain . He had no idea what had just happened , and all he knew was that the spot she'd pressed felt like it was on fire . " What are you- " " It's fixed , " she said , lightly cutting him off . Hearing that , Noah tried moving his arm before his eyes lit up in surprise . " What's going on ? The spot that was hurting is now completely gone . How did you do that , Ms. Collins ? " " I worked at a massage parlor for a bit and picked up some chiropractic techniques . " She shrugged , as if it was nothing . Noah was utterly speechless . Her skills felt far too practiced to be picked up from just a few days of work . Valerie then added a reminder . " Don't lift anything heavy for a week . " At the side , Lucius didn't like Valerie touching Noah so freely , even if it was just to help him realign a bone or a dislocated joint . Just as Noah was about to thank her , a group approached from the opposite direction . The leading tall , striking man had a presence that matched Lucius ' while a chic , young woman in her early 20s walked by his side . She had short hair , pretty facial features , and was stylishly dressed . Recognizing the man, Lucius slowed slightly , while the man did the same . For several seconds , the atmosphere was tense . Noah was the first to break the silence by saying , " What a coincidence . We didn't expect to see you here , Mr. Foster . " Guests at The Golden Chalice were all elites . Darrell Foster - as the heir of one of Windmere's Big Three families - had once held a reputation that surpassed Lucius ' . He politely nodded at them and said , " Mr. White and Mr. Jensen . What a coincidence . " With Darrell making the first move , Lucius replied with equal courtesy , " Indeed . Are you here to enjoy yourself ? " Chapter 49 1/2 Chapter 49