"Okay," Aveline murmured softly, her gaze lowered.Only after Lucas turned and left the room did she slip on the robe and head to the bathroom to freshen up.When she emerged, she found Lucas setting breakfast on the dining table.She looked at him, puzzled. "Is this place one of your properties too?"Lucas nodded. "Just one of them. It's close to the Tudor Group, so I come here occasionally when it's too late to go home."The apartment was a spacious 300-square-meter flat with a minimalist design. There were no plants or decorations, and the overall atmosphere felt quite cold and empty.Aveline sat down at the table and took a sip of the corn soup. Lucas asked, "Do you like it here?""It's fine," she replied.He continued, "I'll have it transferred into your name later. You can stay here whenever you like."Aveline glanced at him but said nothing.Lucas' lips curved into a faint smile. "What's wrong? Are you so moved you don't know what to say?"Aveline rolled her eyes internally. “T
The girl looked aggrieved, her expression defiant.Aveline watched her calmly. Seeing that the girl had spent an entire night detained yet remained so composed, without a hint of guilt, Aveline turned her gaze to Russell.“Bring it over,” Russell instructed his men.One of his subordinates approached with a laptop, the screen displaying a surveillance video.He hit play, and the footage showed the girl entering the banquet hall, her eyes immediately fixating on Aveline. Wherever Aveline went, the girl followed at a discreet distance, as if waiting for something.Finally, the footage showed Aveline drinking a glass of juice. About five minutes later, the girl casually walked past Aveline, feigning concern and asking a few questions.The surveillance camera’s audio quality was surprisingly good; other background noises were filtered out, leaving the girl’s voice clear as she suggested Aveline go upstairs to rest.As soon as Aveline left, the girl took out her phone and sent a message.Th
Right now, the most critical link was this girl; she might be the only one who knew who was behind all of this. But without concrete evidence, there wasn't much they could do to her.The banquet hall manager, trembling with fear, was sweating profusely. "Mr. Skyler, Mr. Tudor, I swear I know nothing about this! With such an important event, how could I possibly be reckless enough to allow something like this to happen?"Selena let out a cold laugh. "And yet it did happen. Saying that, doesn't it make you feel the least bit ashamed?"The manager nodded repeatedly. "It's my fault, my incompetence. I'm willing to take responsibility, but I genuinely have no idea what happened. I'm innocent!"Selena crossed her arms, glancing between the girl and the manager. "You both claim you have nothing to do with it. Then how did it happen? Did it just come out of thin air?"The girl gave a sidelong look at Russell and said, "Maybe Mrs. Tudor and Mr. Skyler had something going on. Last night, with
Linda Slater’s eyes widened in disbelief. "How… how do you know all this?"Lucas looked at her as if she were a fool. "Was your identity that hard to uncover?"Linda's face instantly drained of color, and her body seemed to lose all strength. She stared blankly ahead.It's over… everything is over.She had thought that if she just denied everything, she would be fine, and her family would be safe. But Lucas was far more terrifying than she had imagined!Her family, who could be used as leverage by the man behind all this, could just as easily become pawns in Lucas' hands!Lucas watched her expression and said calmly, "It looks like you've finally figured it out."Linda closed her eyes, and after a long pause, she spoke, "I'll talk. You can punish me however you want, but please, spare my family. They are innocent."Lucas replied, "Start talking."Tears streamed down Linda's face as she pleaded, "Mr. Tudor, I beg you, please let them go."Lucas’ sharp and handsome face held a hint of m
Linda's eyes widened. "You…"This man—was he the devil himself? How had he even found this out?What made it even more terrifying was that he had just stood there, watching her lie, likely filled with disdain and mockery. It was like a slap across her face, draining her of all strength."I thought you might have something useful to say," Lucas remarked, tucking his phone back into his pocket. "Looks like I was expecting too much."He turned to Aveline. "Ready to go?"Aveline, still processing everything, nodded. "Yes."She looked over at Russell. "Russ, thank you for all your help. I’ll get to the bottom of this. In the meantime, you should let everyone go."Russell’s gaze was conflicted as he glanced from Aveline to Lucas. “Just how much have you found out?”Lucas shot him a brief look. “Enough to know who’s behind it.”Russell was speechless.The comment was cutting, filled with irony.Selena’s eyes widened with curiosity. She quickly leaned forward, asking, “Who is it?”Lucas glance
Aveline paused, pulling her hand away. "Lucas, I expect you to keep your promise."A flicker of disappointment crossed Lucas' eyes, and his lips pressed into a thin line. He looked at her calm yet distant face, unable to understand how, after the passion they shared last night, she could now be so cold.It was just like they said—once the deed was done, she acted like he was a stranger.The atmosphere in the car grew tense and heavy, neither of them saying a word.Aveline hadn’t slept well the previous night. When she got back to Maple Garden, she called Maria to take the day off and lay down to rest. But with so much on her mind, she couldn't find peace, tossing and turning in bed.After half an hour of restless sleep, she finally gave up and got up.When she arrived at the studio, the first thing she noticed was Sidney coming out of the office, looking rather troubled.“What’s going on?” she asked casually, sensing something was off.Sidney’s eyes flickered when he saw her. After a
Aveline could hear the teasing in his tone and tried to stay calm, her voice turning even colder. "If you don’t want to come, then forget it."“I’m coming, absolutely," Lucas replied immediately, his tone overly enthusiastic. "Even if I were on a plane right now, I’d tell the pilot to turn around so I could have dinner with you."Aveline felt a shiver run down her spine, rolling her eyes. "Cut the crap. Keep talking like that, and you’re bound to get struck by lightning."With that, she hung up the phone without waiting for a reply.Lucas chuckled softly at the dial tone, glancing over at the cabin door that was just about to close. “Cancel the flight,” he ordered.The flight attendant blinked, confused.Desmond, sitting in the front row, immediately turned around. “Mr. Tudor, this trip to the States is to discuss a strategic partnership. If we back out now, the other side will definitely be upset. It might be tough to negotiate a deal later.”Lucas replied coolly, “Then find another
Aveline sat cross-legged in the living room, hugging a pillow as she watched TV. The warm, soft light illuminated her, casting a gentle glow over her, making her look like a serene figure in a painting.Lucas entered that painting. He had shed his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, meticulously cleaning the dining area and kitchen before joining her. Sitting beside her, his gaze shifted to the television. It was a historical fantasy drama with impressive costumes and solid acting. She seemed thoroughly engrossed.Lucas, however, was far less interested in the show. His eyes drifted back to her face. He thought, rather than watching TV, there were much more enjoyable things they could be doing."Have you thought about it?" he asked, his deep voice cutting through the dialogue between the male and female leads on the screen.Aveline's eyelashes fluttered slightly. "After I finish this episode."Lucas chuckled softly, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She tensed