Lucas looked at Yvonne coldly. "For example?"Yvonne felt a surge of irritation. Lucas had never shown her the respect she believed she was owed as his elder, but now, with the Tudor family in chaos, the future rested entirely in the hands of the young man standing before her.Suppressing her temper, she spoke calmly, "I am the lady of the Tudor family, and as such, I should maintain the dignity of that position. Nothing about my status should change.""Hah!" Lucas let out a mocking laugh. "You certainly have a vivid imagination."Yvonne frowned at him. "Lucas, what do you mean by that? I've never treated you poorly. Are you really going to repay my kindness with betrayal?"Lucas' expression turned icy. "Do you even believe the words coming out of your mouth?"Yvonne was momentarily at a loss for words but quickly recovered. "I can offer you some information in exchange.""Let's hear it."Yvonne revealed, "Leo is still alive. Your father has already tracked him down. If it weren't for
Selena and Aveline both breathed easier after hearing the news. As long as he wasn’t involved in anything shady, they could relax.The incident was quickly forgotten, and once Aveline recovered, she returned to work. She was currently handling just one project for Lucas, visiting the construction site daily to oversee the progress and making on-the-spot adjustments when necessary.One day, as she was leaving the site, she noticed a man sitting on a bench by the roadside. As she approached, the man suddenly slid off the bench and collapsed right in front of her.Startled, Aveline instinctively took a step back, glancing around to see if anyone else was nearby. The area was nearly deserted, with few people or cars in sight. Why was this man here? And why did he faint?Not daring to approach, she immediately called the ambulance. When the ambulance arrived, she was asked to accompany him to the hospital since payment was required.Reluctantly, Aveline sat beside the man in the ambulance,
Under Aveline’s expectant gaze, Lucas picked up the divorce agreement and tore it to shreds.Aveline’s disappointment was evident, and she added with a hint of regret, “You know, it costs a lot to make copies of these.”She gave him a disapproving look. “If you didn’t want to sign, you could’ve just handed it back to me.”Lucas was speechless.He stared at her blankly, only to watch as she pulled another divorce agreement out of her bag."Want to sign this one?"Her clear eyes met his, waiting for his response.Lucas' mouth twitched as he asked, "How many copies of this do you have?"Aveline replied, "Not too many, just about a hundred."Lucas was at a loss for words.Great. The whole situation felt eerily familiar as if it had happened before.Aveline sighed softly. "You know, it would be so much easier if you just signed. Then we wouldn’t have to keep dragging this out."Ignoring her, Lucas simply asked, "Where’s the food?"Aveline handed him the lunchbox.Lucas began eating without
Lucas's voice turned icy. "If you don’t fire him, you can kiss your studio goodbye."But Maria remained unfazed. "Go ahead, but if I lose my studio, Aveline loses her job. And once she discovers our connection, she’ll never forgive you."Lucas was momentarily speechless.His subordinates had become defiant.Maria, sensing her advantage, continued with a smug smile, "Boss, Sidney's actually quite decent. But don’t worry, nothing you’re concerned about will happen because I've got my eye on him."That seemed to put Lucas at ease.He ended the call without another word. Maria looked at her phone, unable to suppress a grin. She glanced up and saw Sidney diligently working on a drawing outside her office....Aveline drove back to Maple Garden, and sure enough, she spotted the man standing at the entrance of the complex.Selena was inside, arms crossed. When she saw Aveline’s car pull up, she quickly ran over.Aveline parked the car, got out, and asked, "When did you spot him?"Selena repli
But he wasn’t Lucas.She had no intention of repeating her past mistakes."I don’t know you. Either I help you report this to the police, or I’m going home," Aveline said coldly.The man continued to stare at her, his eyes resembling Lucas’. However, unlike Lucas' intense gaze, his eyes were filled with a pitiable innocence, as pure as a blank slate.Aveline turned to leave. "Let’s go home."Selena followed her, asking, "Are you really going to leave him there?"Aveline responded, "Why should I care?"Selena teased, "I thought you might take him in, maybe relive some old feelings. After all, situations like this don’t happen every day."Aveline sighed. "Do I look like I have that much free time?"Selena chuckled, glancing back to see the man still standing there, watching them, looking every bit like a lost puppy."He’s still looking at us," Selena noted.Aveline got into the car. "You go ahead. I’ll park the car.""Okay."Once Aveline returned to her apartment, she collapsed onto the
Lucas' expression froze, his sharp eyes fixed on her. "You're really not renewing the contract?"Aveline shook her head. "No, I don't need the money anymore."Lucas was momentarily speechless.If money wasn’t enough to sway her, what else could he offer to keep her?His health was gradually improving, and the court hearing was only a matter of time. He could choose to avoid it indefinitely, but that wasn’t a real solution.What he wanted was to grow closer to her, not to maintain this fragile façade of calm.Their relationship felt too delicate as if it could shatter with the slightest touch.Aveline packed up the lunchbox and left without giving him a second glance.There was no hesitation in her departure.Lucas leaned back against the headboard, tilting his head slightly and closing his eyes. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, and a heavy, oppressive atmosphere settled around him.Just then, his phone rang. He answered it. "Hello?"Desmond's voice came through, "Mr. Tudor, the
"Come in," Lucas said flatly, his voice devoid of emotion.The door opened, and Judy walked in. Seeing that his complexion had improved, she stood by the bed, her gaze filled with a mix of emotions."I never imagined you could be so calculating," Judy finally spoke, offering her assessment.Lucas looked at her coolly. "We both got what we needed. Isn’t it a bit late to be discussing this now?"During their collaboration with DK Group, the Thompson family had reaped numerous benefits, yet now she was here to accuse him of being manipulative.Judy clenched the bag in her hand. "Lucas, I genuinely wanted to get along with you, so why did you use me?"Lucas remained indifferent. "Is there anything else you need?"Judy, however, continued, "You used me to provoke Aveline, but what was the result? She doesn’t care about you at all. So, what if you’ve gained so much? Aveline still wants to divorce you!"She aimed for his most vulnerable spot with her words, knowing they would sting.She truly
Aveline fumed at the thought of Lucas brazenly living here, acting like he was a victim dragged into this mess by her. The nerve of that man! He would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. He was secretly plotting to seize control of the Tudor family’s company, yet he played the part of a pitiable figure cast out in front of her. "How despicable!"She slammed a pillow with such force that it became misshapen.“Hey, babe, what did that poor pillow ever do to you?” came Selena's hesitant voice.Aveline closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I’m just frustrated and needed to vent."Selena approached her. “Well, venting like that isn’t going to help much. How about I take you somewhere fun?”Aveline looked over at her. “What kind of place?”Selena grinned mischievously. “Come on, let's get dressed up first.”By the time they were ready, the sky had already darkened. Selena, gazing at the exquisite makeup on Aveline's face, couldn’t help but admire her. “Ave, you’re stunning even wit