She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 551

Lucian Shapiro stood rooted to the spot, silently absorbing the raw grief of the elderly woman before him.

"My dad is dead! Bring him back!" a young teenager sobbed hysterically.

A broad-shouldered man, Leo Hale—brother of the ship's first mate—stepped forward, eyes bloodshot. "We all saw your ships out there! Why did you turn around and leave? Why?!"

Lucian didn't offer any excuses or try to shift the blame. His voice was incredibly hoarse, ravaged by exhaustion and the lingering effects of the toxins in his system. "I failed to bring your families home. This is my responsibility, and I won't deny it."

His blunt admission temporarily stunned the furious crowd into a heavy silence.

But it was only the calm before an even more violent storm.

"What good is an apology?! Is it going to bring my son back to life?!"

"You have to take responsibility! You owe us!"

Suddenly, Leo's voice boomed over the crowd. "It was those bastards across the border who killed our people! General Shapiro, you have to avenge us! We need to go to war! Make them pay in blood!"

His battle cry acted as a spark, igniting the grief-stricken families.

"Yes! Go to war!"

"Fight back! Give us justice!"

"The military is supposed to protect us, not act like a bunch of cowards!"

The demands surged, wave after wave.

Lucian remained entirely silent. Standing a short distance away, Loyce locked her sharp gaze onto the man who had incited the mob. Discretely pulling out her phone, she snapped a clear photo of his face.

She then turned and walked away, heading straight for the docks.

When she had first come looking for Lucian, the ship had been half-submerged. Between the terrible weather and the chaos, she hadn't gotten a clear look. Now, with the wreckage fully pulled ashore, something about the vessel felt glaringly wrong.

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