Billionaire's Hidden Desire**

Chapter 37: The Hunter and the Prey

Lucien sat in the dim light of the hospital room, his mind spinning like a roulette wheel set on the brink of chaos. Ivy lay still in her bed, her face pale, the once vibrant energy that defined her now subdued by whatever hidden enemy had struck. The beeping monitors were the only sound, but even they seemed unnervingly off-beat, as though something sinister lurked beneath their steady rhythm.

He stared at Ivy, his thoughts a tumult of fear and fury. Lucien couldn’t shake the gut-wrenching certainty that someone was behind this—someone with the cunning to make their moves just when his defenses were down. Every piece of the puzzle seemed deliberately placed: Alessandra’s calculated reappearance, the attempted takeover of Blackwood Enterprises, and now Ivy’s inexplicable illness. It was a game, and Lucien was starting to see the board.

He reached for his phone, the sense of urgency clawing at his insides. Marcus Wilder had already begun digging, but it wasn’t enough. Lucien needed answers, and he needed them now. He called Nathan again, his voice a low growl that conveyed the barely restrained rage simmering beneath his calm exterior.

“Nathan, I need you to double the security at the hospital. No one gets in or out without my permission. I don’t care who they are.”

Nathan’s response was immediate. “Already on it, Lucien. I’ve stationed guards at every entrance. No one’s going to get close to Ivy.”

Lucien exhaled, but it did little to calm the storm within him. He ended the call and stood by the window, the city sprawled out before him like a glittering labyrinth of secrets and lies. He couldn’t help but feel that the answers were out there, just beyond his grasp. And every second he spent here, watching over Ivy, was a second lost in tracking down whoever had turned their lives upside down.

A soft knock on the door broke his thoughts. Lucien turned to see Dr. Ramirez, Ivy’s lead physician, enter with a grim expression. “Mr. Blackwood, we’ve run additional tests, but nothing definitive has come up. It’s like her body is fighting something we can’t detect.”

Lucien’s jaw tightened. “You’re telling me you have no idea what’s wrong with her?”

Dr. Ramirez hesitated, clearly uncomfortable under Lucien’s piercing gaze. “We’re doing everything we can, but—”

“But it’s not enough,” Lucien snapped, his patience fraying. “I need you to do more. Run every test you have. I don’t care what it costs or who you need to call. Find out what’s happening to her.”

The doctor nodded, his eyes flickering with a mix of sympathy and professional detachment. “We’ll continue to monitor her closely, Mr. Blackwood. I’ll keep you updated.”

As the doctor left, Lucien’s phone buzzed again. This time, it was Marcus, the private investigator. Lucien answered immediately, his grip tightening on the phone as he braced for whatever news was coming.

“Lucien, I’ve found something,” Marcus said, his voice crackling with urgency. “Alessandra has been in contact with a man named Victor Renaud. He’s a corporate raider with a nasty reputation—someone who specializes in hostile takeovers, but he’s got a darker side. Rumor has it he doesn’t just play dirty—he plays dangerous.”

Lucien’s pulse quickened. He had heard of Renaud—a ruthless businessman who would do anything to win, including using underhanded tactics that skirted the edges of legality. If Alessandra was involved with him, then Lucien’s suspicions were more than justified.

“What’s their connection?” Lucien asked, already formulating a plan in his mind.

“Looks like they’ve been collaborating for months. Renaud’s been funneling resources Alessandra’s way, likely as a setup for this move against Blackwood Enterprises. And it’s not just business, Lucien. They’ve been seen together at private parties, off-the-grid meetings—this goes deep.”

Lucien’s mind raced. This wasn’t just about corporate rivalry; it was personal. Alessandra had always been ambitious, but this was a new level of betrayal. She had leveraged her proximity to Lucien, weaponizing it in the most insidious way possible. And now, Ivy was caught in the crossfire.

“Dig deeper,” Lucien ordered. “I want every detail on their operations. If they so much as looked at Blackwood Enterprises, I want to know.”

Marcus agreed, and Lucien ended the call, his gaze hardening as he turned back to Ivy. She was innocent in all of this, yet she was the one paying the price. He reached out, gently clasping her hand, a surge of determination flooding his veins. Whoever was behind this had made their first mistake by underestimating him.

Just then, Lucien’s phone buzzed with a text notification. He glanced down, expecting another update from Marcus or Nathan. Instead, it was a blocked number. The message was brief, chilling in its simplicity: **“Time’s running out, Blackwood. Make your move or lose everything.”**

Lucien’s blood ran cold. He looked around the room, the weight of unseen eyes pressing down on him. Was someone watching him right now, or was this just another mind game meant to rattle him? He couldn’t be sure, but one thing was clear: the stakes had just been raised. This wasn’t just about Ivy’s health or his company—this was a direct threat, one that promised devastation if he didn’t act quickly.

He was caught between the instinct to stay by Ivy’s side and the need to confront this head-on. But as much as it pained him, Lucien knew he couldn’t protect Ivy if he didn’t eliminate the source of the threat. He needed to draw out his enemies, force them into the open where he could control the narrative.

Lucien typed a response, his fingers flying over the screen: **“You’re not the only one playing this game. Let’s see who makes the first move.”**

As he sent the message, Lucien felt a shift within himself. The fear was still there, lurking at the edges of his resolve, but it was overshadowed by something stronger—a fierce, unrelenting drive to protect what was his. He would play their game, but he would do it on his terms. And when he found Alessandra and her shadowy partner, there would be no mercy. They had drawn first blood, but Lucien would make sure that he had the final say.

He leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to Ivy’s forehead, his voice low but filled with promise. “I’m going to fix this, Ivy. I swear it. Just hold on a little longer.”

Lucien stepped out of the room, his resolve hardening with every step he took. The corridors of the hospital stretched ahead, sterile and cold, but Lucien walked with purpose. He wasn’t just a businessman defending his empire; he was a man protecting the woman he loved, and that made him dangerous. He would unravel every thread of the conspiracy against him, expose every lie, and when he was done, his enemies would rue the day they ever crossed paths with Lucien Blackwood.

With a final glance back at Ivy’s door, Lucien set his jaw and headed out, ready to confront whatever shadows lurked in the corners of his life. Because this time, he wasn’t playing defense. He was on the hunt, and nothing would stand in his way.