chapter976

Lucinda's words hit Caspian hard, tightening something deep in his chest. "Lucinda,

I love you. It doesn't matter if you're really a Norwood or not. I love you, not your last name."

But Lucinda shook her head. "I'm just not good enough for you. I'm just the daughter of an ordinary family. The only reason I'm still with the Norwoods is because Mom, Dad, and Grandpa can't bear to let me go. But now that my sister's back... how could I possibly stay here?"

Hearing this, Caspian couldn't help but think it was Lydia pushing Lucinda out. Lydia had always seemed to have it out for her. She'd even driven Lucinda to suicide, made her feel so hopeless that she'd tried to end her own life. No wonder Lucinda had seemed so weighed down lately. Every time he tried to ask what was wrong, she would just brush him off. Now he finally understood she'd been carrying all this pain by herself.

Lucinda had lived with the Norwoods for eighteen years, only to suddenly be told she wasn't their biological daughter. Just the thought of it made Caspian's heart ache for her.

He looked at her, his gaze soft and earnest. "Lucinda, to your grandfather and your parents, you're still their daughter. It's not your fault there was a mix-up at birth. Being raised together for eighteen years, that means more than blood. This is your home. They'll keep loving you just like before."

Lucinda's voice trembled with tears. Just go. You don't have to worry about me. I just need some time to figure things out on my own."

Seeing her so lost and defeated made Caspian's heart sink even more. "Lucinda, if you really can't stay with the Norwoods, then marry me. The Hansen family will be your home from now on."

Honestly, Lucinda had said all this

just to see how Caspian would react now that at he knew she wasn't the

real Norwood heiress. So far, his response was alright. If she wanted to stay with the Norwoods, she needed Caspian to play along. Or Lydia would run to her parents again and say she was trying to steal Connor.

"Thank you, Caspian. But I want to stay here. This is where I grew up. It's my home.

As long as my sister doesn't mind having me around, I'll do whatever she wants.

You don't need to worry about me. Go home, please."

In Caspian's eyes, Lucinda had always seemed out of reach, almost like something out of a dream-pure, graceful, untouchable But now because of Lydia she seemed sous careful, so small. It was all Lydia's fault! She never should have come back.

Lucinda, let me stay with you, just for a little while. I'll leave after your IV is done. But I'm not giving up on you. For as long as I live, I'll only ever want you."

Hearing Caspian's promise, Lucinda couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips, hidden by the edge of her blanket. At least Caspian was good for something at a time like this.

Meanwhile, Lydia and Connor were already on a private jet. Aiden had found out that Luke might have been taken to a remote base, a place crawling with gangs and criminal groups. Worse still, the criminals there had protection from a local warlord. For most people, the place was a nightmare. For criminals, though, it was a haven. Life meant nothing there, especially for the kidnapped. They had no rights at all.

Lydia studied the map, her eyes growing colder with every second. It had only been three years, and the ones who slipped away back then had grown even stronger, spreading chaos everywhere.

"If the local government doesn't do something soon, these criminals will just get bolder."