The car was already waiting outside.Once inside the car, Aveline hesitated. "We're just leaving like this?"Lucas replied, "What, should we stay for breakfast tomorrow?"Aveline kept quiet.It was pointless trying to talk to him properly!There was a brief silence in the car.Back at the hotel, Aveline went into the room first to change clothes and take a shower.When she came out wrapped in a bathrobe, she saw Lucas on the phone, his expression gentle, and she could vaguely hear him calling someone "Sophia."Aveline turned around and went back to her room.What bad luck.Lying on the bed with her phone, she couldn't sleep no matter how much she tossed and turned.Her mind kept replaying the scene of Lucas standing in front of her, dealing with the Thompson’s family butler.So handsome!So charming.But soon, her thoughts shifted to him talking to Sophia.Such a jerk.She felt like stabbing him.Frustrated, Aveline covered her head with a pillow, her whole body filled with conflicting
Lucas said, "If you don't want to go out, then just stay home."After saying this, he stood up and walked towards the room."Bang!"Aveline slammed her fork on the table with force. She was so angry that she lost her appetite! Why couldn't he talk about this matter properly? It really infuriated her!At that moment, her phone rang. After calming down, she picked it up to see it was a call from Selena."Ave, where are you?" Selena's lazy voice came through.Aveline replied, "Larbor City."Selena said, "Larbor City is nice. The churches there are said to be quite effective. Do you want to go ask for some blessings? And while you're at it, pray for me too, hehe."Aveline's eyes brightened, "Sure, I'll stay an extra day."Selena said, "I just miss you. Hurry back.""Okay," Aveline responded.The call ended quickly.Lucas soon came out. Aveline stood up and said, "I'm going to the church."Lucas looked at her, his eyes unreadable. "Shall I accompany you?""Sure." Aveline nodded.Lucas respo
Lucas' expression was icy, his gaze fixed ahead. "The brakes have failed."Aveline's eyes widened in shock. She quickly grabbed the handle, "What... what do we do now?"Lucas replied, "We might actually die together."Aveline's heart nearly leaped out of her chest. She suddenly said, "If that's the case, won't Miss Winter be really sad?"Lucas glanced at her. "Why are you thinking about someone else at a time like this?""Watch the road!" Aveline struggled to stay calm, trying not to distract Lucas."What else? You keep thinking about being responsible for her. She really is quite pitiful, losing her leg to save you and waiting for you all this time, only for you to die with me."Aveline couldn't help but imagine the scene, feeling that Sophia would be devastated."And what about you?" Lucas asked in a deep voice.Her? What about her? She hadn't lost a limb, only a deeply heartfelt love.Aveline suddenly felt like laughing, "I don't want to be like those TV drama female leads who end u
The ambulance took a while to get there, and Aveline didn't dare move Lucas, afraid she might hurt him more. As his face grew paler from the blood loss, she felt more panicked than ever before.Fear completely enveloped her as she tightly held his uninjured hand. "Lu, you have to hang in there, you absolutely can't be..."She choked up, her vision blurring with tears. "If something really happens to you, I will definitely hate you, I promise I will!"She leaned down, pressing her face against his hand, feeling his warmth. "Lucas... you have to hang in there. You can't break my heart and then leave me like this. You just can't..."The ambulance finally arrived, and Aveline followed it to the hospital.At the entrance of the emergency room, she stood in a daze until the doors opened and a nurse came out."How... how is he?" Aveline asked anxiously.The nurse replied, "Who are you? Are you a relative?"Aveline responded, "I-I'm the family member of the injured person who was just brought
Lucas said, "If you don't get up soon, you might make my injury worse."Aveline hurriedly stood up and finally noticed his left arm was bandaged and in a sling, with gauze wrapped around his forehead. He looked rather amusing, and it seemed like he only had superficial injuries.Aveline let out a sigh of relief and then looked at him. "If you're okay, why didn't you say so earlier?"Lucas blinked innocently. "I woke up because of your crying."He had been unconscious, but his awareness gradually returned, and he heard her sobbing uncontrollably. At that moment, his heart ached deeply.He didn't disturb her, quietly watching her cry over a stranger's body as if she were pouring out her soul. Afraid she might hurt herself, he forced himself to get up and managed to catch her just as she was about to fall.Aveline was speechless.She quickly looked away and wiped her face.At that moment, a nurse walked in, seeing them standing face to face, and asked in confusion, "What are you two doing
By evening, the business partners in Larbor City had heard about Lucas' accident and came to visit him. Aveline observed quietly from the side, not saying a word.After everyone left, she closed the door and asked, "Earlier, you mentioned the brakes failed. Do you think it was intentional?"Lucas replied, "It's possible."Aveline frowned. "Who would do such a thing? What would they gain from it?"Lucas explained, "There are many benefits. It could be someone from Cloudflare City extending their reach here. If I were to die, there would be no one to inherit the Tudor family."Currently, Lucas was the sole heir to the Tudor family. If he died, there would be no one to carry on the family line, and others would likely tear the family apart to take their share. The vast wealth and resources of the Tudor family would be a significant gain for anyone involved.Aveline's expression grew more serious. After thinking for a moment, she walked to the bedside and said firmly, "So, once we get back
Lucas' mouth twitched slightly as he said calmly, "Brian, stop glaring at her. She's easily scared."Brian did not utter a reply and Aveline remained quiet.A faint sense of awkwardness filled the car.They soon arrived at their destination, an abandoned warehouse. Aveline got out of the car and squinted at the building. "Why are we here?"Lucas said, "The person is inside."Aveline looked at the tightly closed doors of the warehouse, her lips pressed together.Brian walked over, and the two bodyguards standing at the door greeted him with a nod, "Mr. Cooper."Brian waved his hand, and the bodyguards opened the door.Brian turned to Lucas. "Mr. Tudor, the person is inside."Lucas asked, "Did he confess?"Brian replied, "He said he'll talk when he sees you."A cold, faint smile appeared on Lucas' handsome and sharp face as he walked straight into the warehouse.Aveline hesitated but followed. She had witnessed the incident, so she needed to know who was behind it to be mentally prepare
The man widened his eyes in shock. "I... I already told you everything. Why do you still want to cut off my hand?"Brian replied coldly, "I said we'd let you go, but I didn't say we'd let you leave intact. Do it!"In the car, Aveline anxiously looked around. She only relaxed when she saw Lucas' tall, imposing figure emerging from the abandoned warehouse.As Lucas got into the car, she immediately asked, "Did you find out anything?"Lucas responded, "Yes."Aveline leaned in closer. "Who tampered with your car?"There had been some distance between them, but as she moved closer, the space vanished, and the faint scent of her perfume filled the air. Lucas lowered his gaze, his eyes falling on her face, remembering how she had cried until she choked, her eyes extremely red, looking utterly heartbroken."Not scared anymore?" he asked.Aveline replied, "Of course I'm scared, but I want to know who is behind this. That way, I can be mentally prepared."Lucas asked, "Mentally prepared for what
Jolie stirred, her eyes fluttering open in the dimly lit cabin. The sharp, handsome features of the man before her were so close that she could feel the warmth of his breath. His lips, carrying his familiar scent, gently traced hers, as if torn between waking her and letting her sleep. Her breath hitched, a brief moment of confusion washing over her. Gavin noticed and, in response, pressed a firm kiss to her lips. "Did I wake you?" "You did that on purpose," Jolie replied, her voice soft and husky from sleep. "Mm." Gavin didn’t deny it, his tone unapologetic as he leaned down to kiss her again. Still groggy, Jolie found herself caught off guard, his lips capturing hers with a growing intensity. By the time she realized what was happening, he had deepened the kiss, his tongue teasing and tangling with hers in an intoxicating rhythm. Her breath quickened, and she instinctively pushed against him. Gavin pulled back, only to trail kisses along her cheek and down her neck, his
The night air was cool, a gentle breeze slipping through the car window and lifting the strands of hair framing her face. They fluttered across her vision, briefly distracting her, yet she could still clearly see his eyes. At that moment, the unease and uncertainty stirring in her chest melted away, replaced by an inexplicable sense of calm. It felt as though there was nothing he couldn’t handle. As long as he wanted to. Jolie smiled softly and said, "Alright." When they arrived at the private airstrip, the captain came forward to exchange a few words with Gavin. Standing nearby, Jolie watched and couldn’t resist asking, "How long will you be staying?" Gavin glanced at her. "How long do you want me to stay?" The overly intimate tone of his words, spoken with such casual ease, caught her off guard. Her cheeks flushed immediately—especially since there were others around to hear it. Lowering her gaze shyly, she murmured, "You can stay as long as you want." She turned he
Gavin looked at her, his gaze steady, and replied in a calm voice, "You’ve got the leverage to do it." Oh... Jolie’s heart skipped a beat, her pulse momentarily thrown off rhythm. What was this feeling? It was as if someone was spoiling her, cherishing her unconditionally. Even though it was just a simple conversation, it carried a warmth she couldn’t ignore. For a moment, she realized that what she once thought was affection and care had been nothing but an illusion. A smile unconsciously curved on her lips as her eyes lit up. "Does this mean I can walk around Larbor City like I own the place?" Gavin raised an eyebrow. "Are you a crab?" Jolie burst into laughter, her mood instantly lifted by his quick-witted remark. Her earlier irritation dissipated, replaced by lightheartedness. Whether or not he meant it, the fact that he sided with her made her happy. "I’m full. Should we head out?" she asked, her appetite long gone after everything that had happened earlier.
The girl stared in disbelief, her hands clutching her face. "You hit me?" Jolie blinked innocently at her. "Weren’t you the one insisting I hit you earlier? I just gave you another slap to match your story. You should be used to it by now." "Jolie Quin!" Ian had reached his limit, his voice full of anger as he glared at her. "Apologize to her!" Jolie glanced at him, her expression calm but icy. "Get lost." She had thought he might be reasonable, but clearly, he was blinded by infatuation. She had no patience to deal with him any longer and turned to leave. Before she could take a step, Ian grabbed her arm roughly. "Jolie, you’re not leaving without apologizing! I don’t think I’ve ever wronged you, have I? We used to get along just fine, didn’t we?" "Let go," Jolie said, her brows knitting in disgust. She hated being touched, especially by someone she considered beneath her. Ian tightened his grip, his hand digging into her arm hard enough to cause pain. "Jolie, yo
Jolie was completely baffled, a string of question marks running through her mind. But when the girl suddenly dropped to her knees, it genuinely startled her.She quickly reached out to help her up. "Get up first. We can talk properly."Before Jolie could react, the girl grabbed her hand and slapped herself hard across the face with it.Smack!The crisp sound echoed in the quiet hallway, leaving Jolie frozen in shock."Why did you hit me?" The girl, who had just been crying like an innocent damsel in distress, now clutched her face and loudly accused her. "Ian and I are the real couple! You’re the one coming between us. How could you hit me?"Jolie blinked, completely dumbfounded, as the girl’s voice rang out.A few passersby paused, glancing over to witness the commotion.Meanwhile, Ian, who had been waiting and wondering why his girlfriend hadn’t returned, came looking for her. The scene he walked into—his girlfriend on the ground, crying and accusing Jolie—made him stride forward,
The person in the hallway glanced at her briefly but quickly looked away, as though she were a stranger. Jolie’s hand, lifted halfway to wave, stalled in mid-air.What... was that? Gavin noticed her reaction and asked in a low voice, "What’s wrong?" "Nothing," Jolie replied, shaking her head and brushing it off. The man outside was Ian. Pretending not to know her was probably his way of avoiding unnecessary trouble—after all, they had already "broken up." The door to their private room shut completely, and Gavin hadn’t seen Ian or his group. He turned back to her and asked, "Do you come here often?" "Yeah," Jolie nodded. "I come here a lot with friends." So, this was one of her favorite hidden gems. The fact that she was willing to share it with him felt significant somehow. Gavin caught himself lingering on that thought and was momentarily taken aback by his own reaction. He kept his expression neutral, not letting on what had crossed his mind. The food arrived qui
The reason it wasn’t the same was simple—her plan would fall apart if she got caught.Of course, that wasn’t something she could admit.Jolie simply said, "I just don’t want any unnecessary complications. Since you’ve already arranged the flight, let’s just leave directly."Gavin’s dark eyes fixed on her for a moment, but he didn’t press the issue.It was clear she didn’t want to talk about it any further, so he let it drop.When the elevator doors opened, the two of them walked out together. A car was already waiting at the entrance. Gavin, ever the gentleman, opened the door for her.The car pulled away from Cooper Enterprises, and Gavin asked, "What do you want to eat?"Jolie, busy typing on her phone, replied, "I know a good restaurant."It was a cozy place she loved, one she often visited with her friends."Alright," Gavin replied, pulling out his phone to respond to some emails. With his work condensed into such a tight schedule, he seized every spare moment to handle it.Jolie p
Gavin suddenly recalled Wilfried's words, "That girl doesn’t even like you."Lowering his gaze slightly, Gavin pushed the thought aside without explanation, his expression remaining cool and indifferent as he watched her. After Jolie finished looking through the photos, she turned to him and asked, "Why do you have pictures of all these women?" "My father brought them over," Gavin replied. "Oh." Jolie nodded knowingly and didn’t press further. It was easy enough to figure out—the Cooper family obviously wanted him to consider an arranged marriage, so they sent over these photos for him to choose from. She could understand that. In fact, she even helped him look through them, just in case one of these women turned out to be a good match for him. After all, their relationship wasn’t meant to last forever. When he grew tired of her and she had her fun, they’d part ways, and everything would return to normal. As she neatly organized the photos and placed them back on the ta
It was Jolie’s first time visiting Cooper Enterprises, and she couldn’t help but feel a sense of curiosity about the place.No, to be precise, it was her first time stepping into any corporate office. The Quin family also had company, but she had never visited, nor had Daisy or Terence ever asked her to.The private elevator for the CEO was stunningly opulent, its polished surface gleaming like a mirror, perfectly reflecting their images. Jolie’s heart began to race with an inexplicable excitement.The assistant glanced at her and said with a warm smile, "Miss Quin, there’s no need to be nervous. Mr. Cooper will definitely be delighted to see you."Jolie nodded and replied, "I’m not nervous."The elevator moved swiftly, and as they neared the executive office, Jolie adjusted her cap and mask, pulling them snugly to hide her face as much as possible.Meanwhile, near the adjacent employee elevator, Rosalie was holding a stack of files, ready to head downstairs.She froze the moment she s