Ghost Exorciser: The Oust Fake Heiress Strikes-Chapter 282:

Lana hesitated, fingers brushing the brooch.

"For now, I won’t activate it," she said after a pause. "I want to be sure those three years of protection are truly worth it."

Mr. Crow nodded, agreeing with her caution.

Nearby, Lucy maintained a perfectly neutral expression, as if she hadn’t been the one who secretly arranged for the brooch to be placed ten kilometers away, nor the one who made sure Mr. Crow stayed busy for the entire night because of her master’s order.

.......

After breakfast, Lana and Lucian rode in the same car for the last time.

Lana stared out of the window, her reflection faint against the glass.

’I still haven’t given him the gift,’ she thought, a twinge of sadness tightening her chest.

She glanced at Lucian, who sat calmly beside her, composed as ever.

’Maybe it doesn’t matter,’ she told herself. ’Maybe I should just keep it.’

Just as she reached that conclusion, Lucian spoke casually, as if commenting on the weather.

"My birthday is coming up next month."

Lana turned to him in surprise.

Lucian continued without looking at her.

"So... you’re not planning to give me anything?"

She nearly choked. ’So he noticed after all.’ Outwardly, she remained indifferent.

"There is something," she said calmly.

This time Lucian was surprised. He had said those words in order to attract her attention. However he couldn’t deny the delight seeping in his heart.

Lana reached into her bag, pulled out a small package, and handed it to him with an unreadable expression.

Lucian was about to open it when Lana immediately stopped him.

"Don’t," she said quickly. "Not in front of me."

Lucian paused, then nodded obediently and set it aside.

Seeing that, Lana frowned inwardly. ’My white moonlight really is cold and distant,’ she wondered.

When the car stopped, she wanted to find an excuse to linger, but remembering her own resolve, she picked up her bag and opened the door.

Just before she stepped out, Lucian spoke again.

"I’ll wait to meet you again."

Lana paused, then turned back with a bright smile.

"I’ll wait too," she said lightly. "But next time, I’ll definitely have a boyfriend with me."

With that, she closed the door.

She knew her words were childish and that Lucian likely wouldn’t be affected at all.

After all, he had no feelings for her.

Still, she needed something... some illusion of balance, something to prove she wasn’t the only one losing composure.

Even if it meant nothing to him, it helped her feel as though she had taken a small step toward letting go of her first love.

........

Inside the car, the atmosphere abruptly turned icy.

Lucian’s aura cooled, spreading a suffocating chill.

The driver shivered uncontrollably.

’He’s changed,’ the driver thought in fear. ’Yesterday he was calm and gentle. Now... just hearing that Miss Lana might get a boyfriend...’

Before he could say anything, the car door opened again.

For a fleeting second, he almost thanked his lucky stars, thinking it was Lana.

Then he frowned.

Someone who looked strikingly similar to Lucian stepped inside... Quinn.

He didn’t waste a single moment. Turning directly toward Lucian, he spoke bluntly, his voice steady and fearless.

"I like Lana," he declared. "And I’ll pursue her over the next three years."

Lucian laughed, the sound light and amused, as if he had just heard a child crack an absurd joke.

"If that’s the case," he said lazily, "then go ahead and pursue her."

His eyes shifted slightly, cold beneath the smile.

"But why are you standing here," he continued, "declaring territory as if Lana were some object that could be claimed?"

Quinn didn’t rise to the provocation.

Instead, he laughed as well, relaxed and unbothered.

"I’m not here to compete with you," he replied. "I’m here to give you some advice."

Lucian didn’t respond.

Quinn continued, his tone calm but pointed.

"There are many outstanding people around Lana. Someone like you shouldn’t stay near her."

The temperature inside the car seemed to drop instantly, a sharp chill creeping through the air. Even Quinn felt it, though he didn’t let it show.

"I’m saying this for your own good," he added. "Who Lana is, and who you are... anyone with eyes can see the difference."

Lucian laughed again, softly this time.

"I never thought you had such audacity," he said.

"Looks like I should report this to your uncle. After all, his son isn’t attending the prestigious Shadowridge University to study... but to chase after a girl."

Quinn chuckled, though there was a sharp edge beneath it.

"You really know how to go low."

Lucian nodded slowly.

"I can go even lower," he replied calmly. "For example, I could tell your father about the little adventures you’ve been secretly going on."

For the first time, Quinn’s composure cracked. His smile vanished, and irritation flashed in his eyes.

"If you truly stoop to that level," he snapped, "then I will despise you."

A hint of panic flickered beneath his anger.

Lucian noticed it and chuckled.

"I don’t fear being despised," he said quietly.

"What I fear... is people trying to hold onto something that was never meant to belong to them."

His gaze sharpened, icy and possessive, and the car fell into a suffocating silence.

Quinn glared at Lucian, his eyes sharp and cold. "With that kind of obsession," he sneered, "you’ll never get Lana."

Lucian chuckled softly, unbothered. "Whether I get her or not," he replied calmly, "that’s for fate to decide."

His gaze hardened slightly. "But one thing is certain. You will never get her."

Those words made Quinn freeze for a brief second. Then he laughed, a low and humorless sound. "Does my father know you like Lana?"

Lucian fell silent.

After a moment, he spoke evenly, "If you want to bring trouble to Lana, go ahead and snitch to Uncle."

Quinn’s fist clenched so hard his knuckles turned white.

He hadn’t come here to assert dominance.

He was here to test something: how deep Lucian’s feelings for Lana truly went.

Maybe Lana herself didn’t know, but Quinn and Lucian were related by blood. To be precise, Quinn was his uncle’s illegitimate one.

They had been working toward an alliance for a long time.