After Prison I Rushed into Marriage with a Comatose Tycoon-Chapter 157: After a Long Dry Spell, Even a Sow Looks Like a Goddess

Chapter 157: Chapter 157: After a Long Dry Spell, Even a Sow Looks Like a Goddess

Eliza Sutton’s expression hardened. "Shane Lockwood, are you out of your mind?"

"Refusing to divorce you means I’m crazy?"

"Yes." Eliza’s tone was firm. "Have you forgotten, Shane Lockwood, who it was that forced me to get a divorce and told me to get lost the moment he opened his eyes?"

"Do you hear that sound?"

"Hm?"

"That’s the sound of me eating my words."

"..." Eliza took a deep breath, her brow furrowed. "Shane Lockwood, why on earth won’t you agree to a divorce? Don’t you dare say you’ve fallen in love with me. I won’t believe it."

"Why wouldn’t you believe it? Master Innis should have some confidence in her own charms. Of course, if you insist on a more concrete reason, I have one." Shane grabbed Eliza’s waist, lifted her onto the desk, stood up, and pressed himself between her legs.

"Do you understand now?"

Eliza froze for a moment, then her face flushed crimson. "You... you..."

Shane looked down at her.

Eliza’s eyes glistened, shimmering with moisture. She was breathtakingly beautiful.

Shane’s eyes darkened further, his voice raspy beyond belief. "Is this reason good enough for you?"

Eliza didn’t speak, her cheeks burning as if they were on fire.

"Shane Lockwood, don’t go too far!" Eliza tried to make her tone fierce, but it lacked any real force.

No woman, no matter who she was, could remain hard as steel in a situation like this.

"Too far? How have I gone too far?" Shane’s voice was soft and low, his husky tone like the seduction of a siren in the dead of night. "Master Innis, I just want to be a normal man. That’s not too much to ask, is it?"

Eliza was speechless.

She was furious.

’He’s provoking the Ghost Doctor!’ she thought. She had treated him herself. It was impossible for him to be "incapable"; he was definitely a very capable, normal man.

’If I weren’t so desperate to keep my cover, I’d teach him a thing or two about being so sex-starved that even a pig starts to look beautiful.’

Eliza took a deep breath and said, "If that’s the reason, then why don’t you try another woman, Mr. Lockwood? For instance, Manager Preston, who is so deeply in love with you? Or you could keep a starlet on the side. If not, go pick up a girl at Nocturne. I guarantee any of them will make you feel like a ’normal man.’ Hiss..."

Eliza sucked in a sharp breath of air in pain.

Her lip was broken from his bite, and she could taste blood in her mouth.

Eliza glared at Shane. "Mr. Lockwood, when did you develop this habit of biting people at random?"

"Does it hurt?" Shane touched Eliza’s blood-stained lips, a smear of crimson appearing on his rough fingertip.

Eliza slapped his hand away and said irritably, "Why don’t you bite yourself and see how it feels, Mr. Lockwood?"

"Looks like it does hurt. The claws are out." Shane chuckled. "It’s supposed to hurt. How else will you learn your lesson? Casually pushing your own man toward other women deserves punishment."

"It was just a suggestion," Eliza said with utmost sincerity. "Perhaps you’ll discover a whole new world, realize your current feelings are a delusion, and stop insisting on not divorcing me. It’s a win-win."

Shane stared at her.

Eliza felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. A bad feeling welled up inside her, and just as she was about to push him away, he made his move.

Then, Shane pressed Eliza down on the desk and kissed her wantonly.

The taste of blood stimulated his adrenaline, exciting him even more. The desire in the depths of his eyes was like that of a starving wolf, and she was his chosen prey, with no possibility of escape.

"Master Lockwood, Mistress!"

An urgent shout came from outside the door.

The voice was like a sharp knife, piercing through the heavy fog and snapping Eliza back to her senses.

She immediately pushed Shane away and straightened her clothes.

In that brief moment, he had nearly stripped her bare.

Looking at the red marks on her skin, Eliza said irritably, "Are you part dog now, Mr. Lockwood?"

Shane chuckled softly. "Next time, I’ll show you I’m not just part dog. I can be other animals, too."

Eliza asked subconsciously, "What other animals?"

"A honey badger."

’Honey badgers,’ she thought. ’Their reputation was "fight anything and everything, consequences be damned."’

"..."

’Eliza suspected Shane was making a dirty joke, and she had proof.’

"Master Lockwood, Mistress!"

Outside the door.

Mrs. Zimmerman was already frantic.

Eliza straightened her clothes and pulled open the door. "What’s wrong, Mrs. Zimmerman?"

Mrs. Zimmerman froze when she saw Eliza.

Anyone with a bit of life experience could tell what had just been happening.

She was extremely embarrassed, apologizing awkwardly. "Mistress, I’m so sorry, I..."

Eliza cut her off, asking directly, "What happened?"

Mrs. Zimmerman dropped all pleasantries and blurted out, "The second young master is missing!"

"Check the security footage."

Shane maneuvered his wheelchair out of the room.

The three of them hurried to the security room.

Shane quickly pulled up the footage.

On the monitor, they saw a small figure carrying a huge bundle on his back, sneaking away.

Mrs. Zimmerman was in disbelief. "This... Why would the second young master leave in secret?"

Eliza couldn’t help but think of the large scar on Theo’s lower back. Her heart ached, and she sighed. "He doesn’t trust us."

Shane looked at her.

Eliza recounted what Theo had said when she was giving him a bath.

Mrs. Zimmerman burst into tears. "My poor second young master."

Shane’s expression was also grim. He ordered Erik Irvine to have his men search for Theo.

Eliza went as well.

Although it was the first time she had met this child, and under such circumstances, she was deeply worried about him.

’Seeing this child always made me wonder.’

’My own child, my Theo... what had he experienced after he went missing at two years old?’

’How much had he suffered at the hands of that Mr. Preston? How much pain did he endure? Did he have that many scars on his body, too?’

"That child came here, developed a high fever, and didn’t make it. He died." The neighbor lady’s words echoed in her ears again.

It felt as if an invisible hand was viciously squeezing Eliza’s heart.

Eliza and Shane searched for Theo with their people all night.

Shane also checked the surveillance footage along the roads, but there was no trace of Theo. It was as if the child had vanished into thin air.

’Where could a child like that have gone?’ Eliza felt a growing anxiety.

"Don’t worry." Shane squeezed Eliza’s hand. "A child who could grow up in such a harsh environment must have his own ways of surviving. The reason we can’t find him now is simply because he doesn’t want to be found. I’ll have Erik Irvine continue the search."

Shane’s voice was calm, carrying a power that soothed her nerves.

Eliza’s heart did indeed calm down a bit.

She knew Shane had a point.

The child grew up on the streets, experiencing the fickleness of human nature and the ways of the world from a young age. Despite his youth, he was more dangerous than many adults.

It was just like the old saying from the streets.

’There was an old saying: when you’re out in the world, there are two kinds of people you never provoke—women and children.’

Theo was that kind of child.

’But still, I’m worried. At the end of the day, he’s only a five-year-old boy.’

Shane looked at Eliza, a sudden smile playing on his lips. "It seems you have a special connection with both of these children. No wonder Theo hugged you and called you ’Mom’ the moment he saw you."

Hearing this, Eliza realized she had been acting a little too anxious.

She took a deep breath and said, "It’s just temporary. He might start calling someone else that at any moment."

Shane raised an eyebrow slightly. "Eliza, you’re making me think you’re jealous."

"..."

’Even if I lost my mind, I wouldn’t be jealous over Shane Lockwood.’

’It wasn’t that Shane is a bad person. And it wasn’t that the position of Madam Lockwood wasn’t appealing. It was that I know Shane and I have no future together.’

’He’s perfect.’

’His background, his looks, his abilities—every part of him was exactly what I find attractive.’

’But no matter how outstanding he is, he’s still a man. And a man would only slow down the speed at which I draw my sword.’

Eliza said sincerely, "Mr. Lockwood, rest assured, I will definitely have Saul Reynolds use all his connections to find Master Quillon Croft. He can treat you for your delusions. It’s a very serious illness and must be taken seriously."

Shane fell silent.

’Don’t think I don’t realize she’s calling me crazy.’

’This is the first time anyone has dared to insult me like that to my face.’

Just then, Shane’s phone rang.

It was a call from the estate.

"I know."

Shane hung up, his expression turning grim.

"Grandfather wants us to go back." He paused, then added, "Fabian Lockwood and Lord Lockwood are already there."

「The Lockwood Estate.」

Eliza and Shane went straight to the main house.

When she arrived, Master Lockwood was amusing himself, attended by Butler Lockwood.

His spirits were extremely high; his laughter could be heard from a distance.

When he saw Eliza, he immediately broke into a smile. "Our Master Innis has arrived."

Eliza stood before Master Lockwood, head bowed, and called out respectfully, "Grandfather."

"Good, very good." Master Lockwood looked at Eliza, who stood before Shane with a demeanor that was neither servile nor overbearing, his eyes full of gratification. "You are excellent. Truly worthy of being a daughter-in-law of the Lockwood family."

Lord Lockwood walked out carrying a cup of tea, placing it in Master Lockwood’s hand. His face bore a gentle smile as he said, "Dad, how could the granddaughter-in-law you chose yourself be anything but the best?"

After saying this, Lord Lockwood smiled at Shane in greeting. "Shane, you’re back. You’ve worked hard lately."

Lord Lockwood’s tone was mild, as if nothing had ever happened between them.

Fabian Lockwood also greeted him with a beaming smile. "Cousin, you’ve really been in the spotlight lately. No wonder Dad is always telling me to learn from you."

Eliza looked at Shane with a hint of worry.

’The last time the second branch of the Lockwood family staged their coup, it was a necessary evil, even though Shane had intentionally allowed it to happen.’

’It was true that Shane had fallen gravely ill and coughed up blood. It was also true that he almost didn’t make it, nearly losing his life.’

’I only stepped in because my heart ached for young Emmett and I couldn’t bear to see Shane die so young.’

’And now, the same branch of the family that had nearly killed him and tried to take Emmett’s life was back, acting as if they owned the place.’

’Forget Shane; even I, an outsider, couldn’t stand it.’