Sloane secretly admired Lucas ' determination , and her hands moved with even greater care . She began gently twisting the needle , adjusting its depth and angle while closely observing Lucas ' reactions to ensure each insertion had the best possible effect . Time ticked by , second after second , and the room was filled with a tense , heavy silence . At last , Sloane finished the first round of needling . She let out a long breath and slowly withdrew the needle , her movements , soft and deliberate , trying her best to minimize Lucas ' discomfort . " All right , that's it for today . Get some rest first , I'll write you a prescription for a bath to help with blood circulation and speed up detoxification , " Sloane said as she tidied up the needles . Lucas slowly sat up and stretched his stiff body . " Thank you , Ms. Rivers . I appreciate your hard work today . " Sloane gave a small shake of her head and turned to leave to write the prescription . Lucas noticed her steps were a little unsteady , and his brow furrowed slightly . Andrew walked over and lowered his voice . " Mr. Hawthorne , the men we sent to Willowstead are back . Sloane did live there before returning to the Rivers family . It matches the file . There's nothing unusual . " Lucas gave a slight nod , his eyes dark and thoughtful . " Where was she for the past five years ? " Andrew continued , " The Rivers family publicly claimed she was recovering her health under the care of an old traditional doctor . But in truth , she was locked in an asylum the entire time . I already had someone look into it . According to their treatment records , everything checks out . " " Oh ? Then it seems she's clean ... " Lucas ' fingers tapped lightly against the edge of the bed . Andrew lowered his head . Yes , everything looked normal on the surface , but Sloane's impressive medical skills and her personality were completely different from what the reports described . What exactly was she hiding ? After a moment , Lucas spoke slowly . " Send more people into the asylum undercover . I still feel there's something off about this . " " Yes , sir . " Just then , soft footsteps sounded outside the door . Both men immediately fell silent . Sloane walked in and handed Andrew a prescription along with a diagram . " One medicinal bath per day . After each bath , use the massage techniques shown here . I'll come back in seven days . If anything happens before then , contact me ." Andrew accepted it gratefully . " Thank you , Ms. Rivers ." Sloane gave a small nod , packed up her needles , and looked at Lucas . " If there's nothing else , I'll be heading back . " " All right . " Lucas gave a slight nod in return . Andrew personally escorted Sloane home . On the way , Sloane received a call from an unknown number . She glanced at it , then answered . " Hello ? " A few words came through the line . Hearing them , Sloane lifted her eyelids and glanced at Andrew's back . Her face remained calm as she responded with a few quiet " okay " and " got it's before hanging up . When they arrived at the door , Andrew said respectfully , " Ms. Rivers , I'll come Sloane gave a slight nod and turned to enter the Rivers Residence . pick you up in seven days . " The call she'd received moments earlier had come from the head of the asylum . He told her someone had recently started investigating her . Sloane thought for a moment and immediately figured it had to be Lucas . Given their current partnership , and knowing how cautious he was , he would never stop until he dug up something useful P P Just as she was still considering how to respond , she suddenly sensed something unusual ahead . Before she could react , the sound of vicious barking rang out , sharp and unsettling . Sloane jerked her head up and saw a large , aggressive shepherd striding toward her with menace in its eyes . Send Gifts Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!