She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 554

Loyce nodded, tapping a few key points on the prints. "Look at the direction of the deformation on these steel bulkheads, and the curled edges of the ruptured pipes. They blew outward. What does that tell you?"

Lucian smiled faintly, a cold, predatory gleam in his eyes. "It tells me The Providence exploded from the inside before the torpedo ever hit."

She looked up, her gaze meeting his, bright with realization. "Which perfectly explains why the ship's signal became so erratic before completely blacking out. It wasn't just the storm—the internal blast crippled their generators and comms. And why would the rival nation's submarine just 'happen' to lock onto it and classify it as a spy vessel?"

Lucian didn't miss a beat. They were completely in sync.

"Because right before it sank, The Providence was a dead ship with no power, drifting erratically in highly contested waters. On a sonar screen, a vessel behaving that suspiciously perfectly matches the profile of an espionage op or an armed provocation. It gave them full legal justification to fire."

If Lucian were in their shoes, he would have authorized the strike too.

Loyce's lips curved into a genuine smile; there was something deeply satisfying about working with a man who could match her intellect step for step.

"So, someone planted a bomb on a fishing boat. Who?" Leaning back against the sofa, Lucian tapped his fingers against his thigh, his dark eyes miles away.

Loyce mirrored his thoughtful posture. After a moment, their eyes met again. She spoke first. "During the press conference with the families, who was screaming the loudest?"

"Leo Hale, the first mate's brother," Lucian replied instantly. "He's from a coastal village. His mother is in late-stage renal failure, but two days ago, a charitable foundation magically approved her for an all-expenses-paid experimental treatment abroad."

Loyce arched an eyebrow. "What a convenient coincidence."

"I looked into the charity," Lucian continued. "It's registered to Corinne Pierce. She's the daughter of the Bureau Chief, Coleman Pierce, and the niece of Yale Nash, the Secretary of Defense."

"The national animal rights ambassador? Ms. Pierce certainly has a lot of high-level connections."

"I'll have to thank Ms. Lonsdale for taking me in, then."

She let him hold her, feeling the tight coil of tension radiating from his body. Between the lingering neurotoxins and the political warfare, he probably hadn't slept in days.

Reaching up, her fingers found a specific pressure point at the base of his neck, massaging it with practiced, soothing precision. "Let them make the next move. You've always said there's a rat in the military brass. Now we have the perfect bait to flush them out."

"My thoughts exactly," he murmured, letting out a quiet sigh as he closed his eyes.

The burning pain in his nerves and the crushing weight of the past few days seemed to melt away under her touch.

In the quiet intimacy of the shielded room, he finally allowed himself to drop his guard, simply existing as a man seeking comfort in the woman he loved.