The Evidence

Even catching them deleting the surveillance footage would not matter.  She would find a way to obtain evidence.  Suddenly, Lucille detected a faint scent of medicine and felt her heart calm down. When she turned to look, she saw Joseph staring at her with a shallow but intense gaze.  The medicine scent was coming from him.  Lucille furrowed her brows, puzzled by his sudden scrutiny. "Do we know each other?" she asked.   With a barely-there smile, Joseph introduced himself, "Joseph Collins."  Lucille was slightly taken aback. The introduction was unexpected. Well, since Joseph had introduced himself, it was only polite to return the gesture. Hence, Lucille followed suit, "Lucille Jules."  Joseph extended his hand. "Pleasure to meet you," he said, giving Lucille a polite smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes. Lucille's focus quickly shifted to his extended hand. It was firm and well-groomed, with fingers that were lean and masculine. She placed her own delicate hand in his, giving it a light squeeze before quickly retracting her hand.  Joseph, momentarily lost in thought, looked down at his palm where her touch still lingered. Although their interaction was brief, he couldn't shake off the unexpected warmth he felt from her touch. Her hand was cool to the touch, yet it sent a strange, inexplicable heat through him.  Joseph pulled his hand back and hesitated for a moment, his eyes flickering with a complex emotion. When they arrived at the hotel, Lucille thanked Joseph and got out of the car. It was early evening, and the sun had just set, leaving Lucille struggling to keep her eyes open. She was about to hurry inside when a shadow suddenly fell over her, bringing her some coolness. Looking up, she saw Joseph holding a black umbrella behind her.  He met her gaze with an unflustered expression and said, "I'm heading the same way. Let me walk you in." Lucille arched an eyebrow but didn't say anything. She huddled under the umbrella with him and walked into the hotel by his side.  It was only a few steps, but Lucille felt like she was burning up. As they stepped into the air-conditioned lobby, she finally started to feel relieved again.  They explained their purpose to the security guard, but as Lucille had expected, the guard immediately began to make excuses. "I'm sorry, Miss Lucille, the cameras suddenly malfunctioned this morning. When the repairman came to fix them, he accidentally formatted the U disk. I'm truly sorry." What a convenient excuse, and such a clumsy lie! Lucille sighed and feigned disappointment. "That's a shame." The security guard saw the disappointment on her face and felt a hint of disdain.  It was easy to deceive someone as naive as her. "Can I go to the surveillance room and take a look?" Lucille asked. The security guard immediately nodded. "Of course, feel free." Of course, he already knew the video had been deleted. Even if she combed through the computer, she would not find anything.   Smugly the security guard led the way, without being concerned at all.  To his surprise, as soon as Lucille sat down at the computer, her fingers flew over the keyboard with expert speed, leaving only a blur of movement in their wake. A minute later, she had a USB drive in hand. She tucked it away and turned to the guard. "I guess the video really is gone. Alas!" The security guard repeated his apology, unaware that Lucille had seen past his deception.  With a derisive glance, she turned to depart.  However, just as she turned the corner, she ran into a wall of flesh, causing her to stumble backward. "Ugh!" Lucille covered her nose, furrowing her brows in annoyance. The familiar scent of medicine hit her. Somehow, the scent eased her tension a bit.  She looked up and saw Joseph, his impossibly handsome face raising an eyebrow at her. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her own eyebrows knitting together. Joseph lowered his head and smiled charmingly, "Do you believe it's just a coincidence that we met here?" Lucille rolled her eyes. "I don't." In such a big hotel, how could he have bumped into her at the corner of the hallway by accident?  It was obvious that he had planned this. Lucille diverted her gaze, trying not to be charmed by Joseph's charisma and appeal. He was not just good-looking, but also had an irresistible charm that could easily capture a woman's heart. Yet, Lucille was no ordinary girl who would just fall head over heels for someone such as Joseph.  Lucille had seen too many playboys like him during her time in Dilsburg. Joseph was a man of deep thought, and it was difficult to read his true intentions. He was a mystery – deep and unfathomable. Although he had always shown a gentle and friendly side in front of her, his eyes never revealed his true feelings. Every time she looked closely, she could see the coldness in his eyes that made her wary.  Lucille knew that he was highly dangerous, and she should keep a safe distance from him. Joseph chuckled, "Since you've already figured out my intentions, why don't you just go with the flow and let me take you home?" Lucille remained silent. She thought he was a distant and unapproachable god-like man, but as it turned out, he had a thicker skin than she did.  Since he seemed sincere, and she happened to be penniless at the moment, she reluctantly agreed to his invitation. "Jules Villa, thank you," Lucille said.  Joseph raised an intrigued eyebrow. "What a coincidence! I happen to be heading that way." Lucille shrugged nonchalantly. "Let's go." Together they walked down to the lobby, where Culver was waiting.  He nearly dropped his jaw when he saw them walking together.  What the hell was going on?  Why did Mr. Joseph leave him waiting here to go look for Lucille instead? What made this hypocritic girl so special?  And why was Mr. Joseph being so attentive to her? "Culver," Joseph said, "Take Miss Jules to the Jules Villa before we head home." Johnson's eyes widened in shock. The Jules Villa and Collins mansion were completely opposite to each other. What kind of joke was this? It was all a ploy to impress a woman, Culver realized. Mr. Joseph was lying through his teeth! Half an hour later, the Maybach came to a stop outside the Jules Villa. It was a luxurious standalone mansion in an exclusive villa area. As Lucille stepped out of the car and thanked Joseph, she gave him a quick once-over and offered some advice.  "The herbs you're taking have a cooling nature that can be harmful in the long run. I suggest you switch to a milder formula that may not be as effective, but is gentler on your body and won't cause harm."