Lucas kept quiet and frowned. Realizing that Barbara couldn't see the photo on the phone clearly, he decided to call Aveline directly."Hello?"The call was quickly answered, and a soft, gentle voice came through."I’m sending someone to bring you to the nursing home," Lucas said. "Grandma isn't in a good state."Aveline was taken aback and asked, "What happened?""You'll know when you get here," Lucas replied curtly before hanging up.Barbara was still anxiously asking for her granddaughter-in-law. Lucas reassured her, "I've sent someone to bring her over. She'll be here soon. Why don't you rest for a bit?"But Barbara looked like she was about to cry, seemingly blaming Lucas for losing such a big granddaughter-in-law.Lucas was speechless.Forty minutes later, there was a knock on the door."Come in," Lucas called out, and Aveline pushed the door open, her expression filled with worry. Her hair was slightly disheveled, showing her concern."What's wrong with Grandma?" she asked urge
The nurse had already brought over the ice pack. Lucas grabbed Aveline's hand and led her out to the sitting area. He sat her down on the sofa and pressed the ice pack directly against her cheek."Ouch..." The coldness made Aveline take a sharp breath. She reached out her hand and said, "I can do it myself.""No, you can't control the pressure properly," Lucas replied, refusing to give her the ice pack. He stayed right next to her, holding it against her cheek himself.Aveline wanted to roll her eyes.This was her own face—how could she not control the pressure?Aveline, eager to maintain her distance, reached for the ice pack. But in her haste, her hand missed its mark and instead landed squarely on his.Lucas chuckled softly. "If you wanted to hold my hand, you could've just said so. No need to beat around the bush. Here, I'll let you."With that, he took her hand in his other hand, holding it firmly."Are you crazy?" Aveline snapped. When did she ever want to hold his hand? She j
Without even opening his eyes, Lucas replied coolly, "I have so many cars. I'll sit in whichever one I want."Aveline was speechless.Fair enough. She decided not to say anything more. Closing the car door, the vehicle started and drove away from the nursing home.At that moment, Lucas's phone rang. He pulled it out to see that it was a call from Aaron."What is it?" he answered, his tone indifferent.Aaron snickered. "What's going on? You're so grumpy just because I didn’t go with you?""Shut up." Lucas' tone turned even colder, and he was about to hang up."Wait!" Aaron quickly interjected. "I went to check on that Juliet's identity. Guess who she is?"Lucas, clearly uninterested, remained silent. If Aaron were there in person, he would see Lucas' expression looking particularly unpleasant.Aaron, sensing Lucas's mood, stopped teasing and went straight to the point. "She's the heiress of the Cooper family in Larbor City, Gernard's sister. From what I've heard, she's spoiled and arro
Aveline felt a bit surprised. Ever since she had last seen him at the breakfast shop, he hadn't shown up again. His sudden appearance today was indeed unexpected. After all, she had made things quite clear before.She smiled slightly and nodded. "Sure, we're almost home anyway. By the way, have you had dinner?"Russell nodded. "Yeah, I have."Aveline smiled again. "Then I don't need to cook."Russell's lips curved into a smile. His delicate, handsome face took on a more mischievous look, his beautiful eyes holding an unreadable emotion as he gazed at her. Aveline tried not to think too much about it.The elevator doors opened, and they both entered the apartment.Selena wasn't home, which puzzled Aveline, but she didn't ask about it."What would you like to drink?" she asked, glancing at Russell.But Russell kept his gaze fixed on her and said, "Aveline, stop fussing around. Just sit down."Aveline paused, then grabbed two glasses of juice and sat down on the living room sofa.As twil
Aveline found herself at a loss for words, left only with silence in response.Russell smiled faintly and stood up, saying, "I'll be going now. Get some rest. If you ever run into any problems, just give me a call."He rose from his seat, and Aveline followed suit, watching as he left. When the door closed, she couldn't help but sigh.How did things end up going in this direction?She sat back down on the sofa, taking small sips of juice, her thoughts drifting back to everything that had happened since she met Russell. It all gave her a bit of a headache.She owed him a lot. But she didn't know how to repay it.Aveline sighed again and stood up, heading to the study....In a beautifully set restaurant, Selena held up her phone, taking photos. Her makeup was flawlessly done, her face bright and lovely, and her eyes sparkled with light as she looked into the camera.Aaron sat across from her, lounging casually in his chair, a diamond necklace around his neck reflecting a dazzling light
"Ha!" Selena looked at him, utterly incredulous. "Aaron, if that's how you feel, then what's the point of us talking? Why don't you just drag me back, chain me up with a couple of locks, and be done with it? After all, I have no right to negotiate with you."She was genuinely angry now!What was wrong with this man? Could he not have a proper conversation? What did he mean by saying she had no right?It was he who insisted on pursuing her and wanting to be with her. How did she suddenly have no say in the matter?Selena stood up, ready to leave."Stop," Aaron's tone grew colder, his brows furrowing as his expression darkened. "Sit down!"Selena looked at him. "Can we talk properly?"Aaron was silent for a moment before saying, "But what kind of condition is that?"Selena smirked slightly. "Why wouldn't it be a condition? Aaron, I don't really want to get too involved with you, but I also don't mind being with you. However, there should be a time frame, right? Given your status, you'll
“You really are pushing your luck,” Aaron muttered against her lips, his hand gripping her waist as if he wanted to pin her down on the dining table right then and there.Selena's breath was uneven, and it took a moment after he released her for her to catch her breath. "So, does that mean you agree?" she asked, still a bit breathless.Aaron lazily curled his lips into a smile. "Alright, girlfriend."Selena smiled back, getting up from his lap and settling back into the seat across from him. She pushed her plate of steak towards him and said, "Cut this for me."Her spoiled demeanor made Aaron's heart itch. His Adam's apple bobbed again.He had almost no experience with relationships, while she acted like a seasoned expert. It only made him feel more frustrated. If he didn’t know that her first time had been with him, he might have felt even more conflicted right now.Selena watched him cut the steak, amusement dancing in her eyes. The recent kiss had smudged her lipstick a little, mak
Aveline replied, "Couldn't sleep, so I just kept watching movies."Selena moved closer, sat beside her, hugged her arm, and rested her head on her shoulder. "Ave, I'm dating Aaron now," she announced."What?" Aveline looked at her in shock.Selena then recounted what had happened, finishing with a light laugh, "I didn't expect him to agree so readily."Aveline frowned. "Have you really thought this through?"Selena shrugged. "What choice do I have if I haven’t? I can't really afford to piss him off; if I do, I’ll be the one facing the consequences. If I can enjoy myself instead, why should I suffer?"Aveline pondered for a moment and nodded. "You have a point."Selena noticed Aveline’s serious expression and chuckled, "Oh, come on, don't worry about me. I know what I'm doing. Who knows, maybe in three months, we’ll actually develop feelings for each other. If Aaron ends up insisting on marrying me, wouldn’t I be the winner then?"Aveline was silent for a moment before saying, "I hope