Chapter 17 I'll Handle Her Myself Lucien stared at the top of her head for a moment . " Let me see if there are any blisters . I'm sorry for being so harsh . Your neck is all red . If there are blisters , you've got to go to the hospital ! " Instead of a response , he heard soft , broken sobs , like the pained meows of a kitten . Is she crying ? Lucien's heart ached . " Stop crying , Kaia . I'm sorry . I shouldn't have raised my voice at you . " Lucien took out a clean handkerchief from his pocket and tenderly wiped away her tears . Lucien gently tilted her face up . As he saw her tear - stained cheeks , his heart constricted painfully . God , I'm such an idiot ! " It's not because of you , Uncle Lucien , " Kaia said hoarsely . Her tears kept falling in silence , yet she forced a smile . " I just … suddenly felt the wound hurting again . " Lucien's gaze lingered on the redness at the corners of her eyes . His Adam's apple shifted . 1/7 17:01 Chapter 17 I'll Handle Her Myself 17 min left " Kaia . " His voice was low , each word like a blunt knife slowly cutting through the composure she was barely holding together . " With me , you never have to endure . " Kaia froze . Never have to endure- Those three words felt like a key , prying open a long - rusted lock deep inside her heart . All her life , she had only ever heard : " Just endure it , it'll pass . " " Don't be so petty . " " What's it going to cost you to give a little ground ? " Even Alden , after Luna's endless provocations and slander , would order her : " Kaia , apologize to Luna ! " Everyone had told her to step back , to be understanding , to swallow her grievances … But no one had ever told her- 2/7 17:01 Chapter 17 I'll Handle Her Myself You don't have to endure . 17 min left " If you want , " Lucien said , his thumb brushing away the wetness under her eyes , his voice soft as a sigh , " just give me a name. I'll take care of the person who hurt you . " He spoke as casually as if they were discussing the weather , yet every word carried an unmistakable sincerity . For a moment , Kaia almost believed he really would walk through fire for her . But how could that be possible ? Kaia let out a faint , relieved smile . " It's okay , Mr. Graves . I already got my revenge . " Worried he wouldn't believe her , she repeated , " I really did get my revenge . " Seeing she wouldn't tell him , Lucien looked at her deeply but said nothing more . After taking her to the hospital and making sure she was fine , Lucien drove her home . Lucien's car sat parked downstairs as he watched her figure gradually disappear into the building . Only then did he pull out a cigarette from his pack , and soon a crimson glow sparked between his fingers . 3/7 17:02 Chapter 17 I'll Handle Her Myself 17 min left In the front seat , Lucien's driver , Chris Walker , gripped the steering wheel with both hands , holding his breath , not daring to move . Chris had been Lucien's driver since Lucien was a teenager , and now Lucien was in his thirties . In all those years , Chris had never seen Lucien this anxious about anyone . What terrified him even more was that the woman in the car , Kaia , seemed to be Alden's fiancée . Something big was about to happen . **** The next morning , Kaia checked herself in the mirror . The angry red marks on her neck had faded significantly . She styled her hair up in a bun and chose an off - shoulder knit sweater paired with loose - fitting apricot - colored pants . Doc's orders were clear : let those burns breathe . No tight bandages . Or , it'd just make things worse . As soon as Kaia arrived at the law firm , Jude called her into his 4/7 17:02 Chapter 17 I'll Handle Her Myself 17 min left office . " Jude , you wanted to see me ? " Kaia said as she settled into the chair across from his desk . Jude studied the faint red marks still visible on her neck , his brow furrowing with concern . " How on earth did you manage to burn your neck ? " Kaia maintained her composure with a casual smile . " My dog knocked over my coffee cup , and it splashed on me . " Jude shook his head helplessly . " You know , you're sharp as a tack at work , but in your personal life ? You're a complete mess . " Kaia smiled silently , " Jude , you can't force these things . I'll do my best . " " Right . " Jude tossed a stack of documents her way . " Ever heard of the Graves family ? Does Lucien Graves sound familiar to you ? " Kaia's heart skipped a beat . She kept her expression neutral as she took the files and opened them to the first page . A man's striking , cold features stared 5/7 17:02 Chapter 17 I'll Handle Her Myself 17 min left back at her . " Lucien Graves , thirty - three years old . Despite his youth , he holds significant power within the Graves Group . He's been expanding their overseas operations for years and just got back to the States a few days ago . Word is he's planning to focus on the domestic market now . " " What are you thinking , Jude ? " Jude drummed his fingers on the desk . Jude grinned mysteriously . " I heard that the first thing Lucien did when he got back was decide to switch law firms ! " He added , " Kaia , if we land this Graves Group contract , your promotion to equity partner next year is guaranteed ! " Kaia's heart pounded with anticipation . Although she would not receive profit - sharing as an equity partner, her income would straight up double at least . That meant she wouldn't have to worry about paying for Claire's nursing home anymore ! Jude said , " I've got a dinner meeting with some people from Graves Group tomorrow . You're coming with me . " Kaia couldn't hide her excitement . 6/7 17:02 Chapter 17 I'll Handle Her Myself 17 min left " Absolutely . I'll start researching all of Graves Group's projects right now . Jude , I should get going then . " Jude watched his protégé leave , allowing himself a quiet smile . He'd taken Kaia under his wing precisely because she had that fighting spirit that set her apart from others her age . ***** The moment Kaia got back to her desk , Alden called . The first time , she hung up immediately . The second time , he called the front desk directly . Kaia had no choice but to swallow her anger and take his call . " Hello , Mr. Graves . What can I do for you ? " X Coin Package : Earn up to 1200 bonus for free . get it 7/7