The Billionaire's Temptation: Love, Family and Revenge-Chapter 53: Caught in the Act

Lily exhaled sharply. "Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me. She’s mentally unstable when it comes to him. But would she really go this far?"

Kelvin frowned. "If it’s her, then Ford needs to know. Because if she’s capable of this, she won’t stop."

A heavy silence fell between them. They both knew one thing for sure—whoever had done this was in for more harm. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Lily sighed, shaking her head. "Baby, I don’t know. But I doubt it was Sia. She doesn’t play dangerous, messy games like this. Whoever did this wasn’t just trying to scare Elena—they wanted to hurt her. And in a hospital, of all places? That’s too risky, even for Sia. Anyone could have walked in and caught them." Her voice trembled with anger as she spoke.

Kelvin nodded, considering her words. "You’re right. But still, I know Ford won’t let this go. He’s going to get to the bottom of it—no matter what it takes." His voice was firm, filled with certainty.

Lily exhaled sharply. "And he should. Whoever did this needs to pay. I can’t wait to see who’s responsible."

Kelvin gave a weak smile before nodding. "Come on, let’s go."

With that, they exited the room together, their thoughts still clouded by the mystery surrounding Elena’s attack.

Meanwhile, Mr. Lugard made his way down the grand staircase, his footsteps slow and deliberate. It hadn’t been long since he had returned home, and after a quick shower and a short nap, he had planned to unwind by watching the evening news.

But before he could even reach the living room, loud laughter echoed through the halls. The boisterous, almost hysterical sound made him stop in his tracks.

He didn’t need to guess who it was. No one in this house would dare be that loud—except Vivian.

With an irritated sigh, he continued down the stairs and entered the sitting room, where he found her lounging on the couch, laughing uncontrollably at the television screen.

Frowning, he snapped, "Can you at least be considerate of other people? What on earth are you watching that’s turning you into a madwoman all of a sudden?"

Vivian barely spared him a glance, still caught up in her amusement. "Oh, Mr. Lugard, your son never fails to amaze me," she said between chuckles. "Here you are, working tirelessly to keep his face out of scandals, and yet, here he is—right back in the spotlight with something even more exciting!"

She burst into laughter again, clearly enjoying whatever she had seen.

Mr. Lugard’s eyes narrowed as he stepped closer. "What are you talking about?" he demanded.

Vivian smirked, pointing at the television. "See for yourself."

His stomach twisted with unease as he turned his attention to the screen. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good.

Mr. Lugard’s eyes remained glued to the television, his brows furrowed in deep concentration. He turned sharply toward Vivian, his curiosity laced with frustration. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice firm.

Still staring at the screen, he examined the image more closely. The news broadcast displayed a chaotic hospital scene, and in the center of it all was Ford, carrying a woman in his arms. Her face was partially obscured, but there was something familiar about her.

Squinting, he leaned in slightly. Then it hit him.

"What the hell is happening?" he roared, his fists clenching at his sides. "It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours since I cleaned up the last scandal, and now this?" His voice was filled with anger, his patience quickly wearing thin.

Vivian, on the other hand, found the entire situation amusing. She let out another loud laugh, shaking her head in disbelief. "And to think I actually believed he was sick," she chuckled. "Yet here he is, full of energy, carrying a woman in his arms. What an interesting recovery!"

Her laughter only fueled Mr. Lugard’s irritation. He turned to her sharply, his tone filled with frustration. "For heaven’s sake, will you be quiet, woman? Let me think!"

Vivian pouted, crossing her arms in annoyance, but she obeyed. Still, her eyes remained fixed on the television screen. There was no way she was going to miss a second of this drama.

A moment of silence followed as the news anchor continued speaking. Then, from across the room, a familiar voice broke through the tension.

"Wait... isn’t that Elena? One of Mr. Johnson’s daughters?"

Mr. Lugard turned swiftly in the direction of the voice, To see Fredrick smiling. "Looks like this your son never seizes to amaze us" he spoke with a smirk on his face.

Turning away from Fredrick, looking at him was even fueling his anger and worry. His mind raced with possibilities, and none of them pleased him.

If the media had already identified her, it wouldn’t take long before the story spiraled into something even bigger. This was exactly the kind of mess he had been working so hard to avoid.

He let out a slow, frustrated sigh, rubbing his temples. "Ford... what has happened this time?" he muttered under his breath.

As he turned around, he hesitated, contemplating whether he should go to the hospital. The urge to see Ford was strong, but doubt crept into his mind.

"Wait, are you seriously going to see him?" Vivian’s voice cut through his thoughts, laced with irritation. "Wasn’t he the same person who told us he didn’t need to see us? And here you are, running after him?"

He stopped in his tracks, her words hitting him like a slap. She was right. What proof did he have that Ford would even want to see him now? The last thing he wanted was to cause more chaos in an already tense situation. His presence there might only add to the commotion. With a deep sigh, he knew the best course of action—he had to stay back.

Reluctantly, he turned away from the door and made his way back to the sitting room. Lowering himself onto the couch, he buried his face in his hands, feeling the weight of his emotions. Sadness gnawed at him, and worry pressed against his chest. He longed to be by his son’s side, to offer support and comfort, but the circumstances made it impossible.

Despite his distress, there was a small sense of relief—Kelvin was there. That knowledge gave him a little peace. At least Ford wasn’t entirely alone.

Meanwhile, Jane had just arrived home. As she stepped through the front door, her mother’s curious gaze fell on her.

"Where are you coming from?" her mother asked, her voice tinged with both concern and suspicion. "We waited for a long while, but you never showed up, so we finally left. Where have you been?"

Jane’s pulse quickened, but she forced herself to appear calm. Without meeting her mother’s eyes, she responded hastily, "Nowhere, Mom. I just had a few drinks with a friend I met at the hospital."

She didn’t wait for a reply. Instead, she quickly walked past her mother and headed straight to her room. The moment she stepped inside, she closed the door behind her and exhaled deeply. A triumphant smile spread across her face as she threw herself onto the bed. She felt accomplished, as if she had just won a battle no one knew about.

Her moment of satisfaction was interrupted by the sharp ring of her phone. The sound made her sit up. She reached for the device and glanced at the screen. A knowing smirk formed on her lips as she answered the call.

"Finally," she murmured to herself. "At least this will put her in place."

Still smiling, she reached up and removed her wig, letting her natural hair breathe. With slow, deliberate movements, she walked over to the mirror, tilting her head as she studied her reflection. There was something victorious in her expression, something almost gleeful.

Whatever had just happened, it had gone exactly the way she had planned.

Jane stepped closer, her heart pounding as her eyes landed on the dark red stain smeared across the sleeve of her shirt. Blood. A cold shiver ran down her spine. Her breath quickened, and panic surged through her veins. How had she not noticed it before?

Without wasting a second, she frantically began pulling at her clothes, her fingers trembling as she struggled to remove the stained fabric. Each second felt like an eternity. She yanked off her shirt, followed by the rest of her clothing, tossing them carelessly onto the floor.

Once she was free from the tainted garments, she rushed toward the bathroom, her bare feet padding against the cold tiles. The moment she stepped inside, she turned on the faucet, letting the water run as she splashed her face and scrubbed at her arms. She scrubbed harder, as if trying to erase not just the stain but the memory of what had happened.

Minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a fresh towel. A deep breath filled her lungs, and she exhaled slowly. The fear from before had settled, replaced by a newfound sense of calm. As she stood before the mirror, she ran a hand through her damp hair and smiled. She felt refreshed. Satisfied.

Just as she was about to sit down and relax, her phone rang suddenly, breaking the silence. The sound made her jump slightly.

She reached for the phone and glanced at the screen. An unknown number.

Her fingers hovered over the decline button. Probably just a wrong number. She ignored the call and set the phone aside.

A few seconds passed. The phone rang again.

She frowned. The same unknown number.

With growing irritation, she ignored it once more.

The third time the phone rang, frustration flared inside her. With a huff, she snatched up the device and pressed it against her ear.

"Who is this, and why won’t you let me have some rest?!" she snapped, her voice laced with anger.

A deep chuckle echoed through the phone, sending a chill down her spine.

"Well, well, Miss Jane," the voice on the other end drawled, smug and amused. "I saw what you did. But don’t worry... your secret is safe with me."

Jane’s blood turned to ice.