Annie asked, “Won’t that cause trouble for you?”Aveline shook her head. “No, it won’t.”Lucas spoke up, “In all of Cloudflare City, the hospital with the best privacy and security is the one owned by the Tudor family. Why not consider moving her there?”Aveline glanced at him, meeting his dark, inscrutable eyes. She knew he wouldn’t offer anything without expecting something in return.But on second thought, he did have a point. If Annie were transferred to a hospital under the Tudors, her parents wouldn’t be able to find her, and she could recover in peace.Aveline pressed her lips together and nodded. “Alright.”Lucas raised an eyebrow. “‘Alright,’ is it?”The implication was clear.Aveline’s tone grew firmer. “Yes, alright!”“Good, I’ll make the arrangements.” A faint smile tugged at Lucas’ lips as he pulled out his phone and began making a call.Annie looked at Lucas nervously and whispered, “Aveline, who is he?”Aveline replied coolly, “Just a stranger.”Annie blinked but said
Aveline’s brow furrowed slightly as she glanced at Annie, who gave her a playful wink."You two talk; I'll step out for a bit.”Seeing they needed privacy, Lucas turned and left the room.Once he was gone, Aveline said, "He's not my boyfriend."Annie burst into a smile, her cheeks dimpling with two small, charming dimples. "I know. You’re upset with him right now. I've seen lots of couples act like that when they’re fighting. I won’t say it again."Aveline sighed. There was no explaining this away. Besides, there was no need to burden Annie with the details of her pending divorce from Lucas. It would be over soon enough, so there wasn't much to discuss.Changing the subject, Aveline said, "While you’re staying here, you can go for a walk when you’re feeling up to it. The environment here is quite nice. If you need anything, just ask the nurse, and if you feel unwell, call me right away."Annie nodded, her eyes filled with gratitude. "I will, Aveline. Thank you so much."Aveline smil
Aveline let out a soft sigh, her breath forming a white mist that quickly disappeared into the cold air. Was she getting entangled with him again?She had wanted to keep her distance, but somehow, the ties between them kept growing, getting more and more complicated… It frustrated her to no end.All she hoped for now was that after the divorce, there would be no more drama. She just wanted a quiet, simple life.Aveline got into the car, and Lucas immediately followed, sliding into the passenger seat. She didn't say a word, simply started the engine, and drove towards Maple Gardens.By the time they got back, it was already nine o'clock at night. Aveline had been running around all day and felt exhausted. She yawned, glancing at him with tired eyes. "Can we do this another day? I'm really tired tonight."Lucas' voice was low as he replied, "You don't have to do anything. I'll handle it myself."Aveline was silent, her expression unreadable, as she opened the door.Lucas’ tall frame
Aveline's brows furrowed as she asked, "How did he get hurt?"Desmond's tone was heavy with concern. "This morning, out of nowhere, a group of people surrounded Mr. Tudor's car. He wasn’t prepared and got hit in the head. He's already been taken to the hospital, and those who caused the trouble have been arrested. “But after looking into it, I found that they were just ordinary folks who admitted to what they did, so they wouldn't face any serious consequences. Mr. Tudor had to get stitches on his head, yet he insisted on coming to work. I'm worried his condition might worsen. Mrs. Tudor, please come over. He’ll listen to you."A group of people suddenly attacking Lucas? Aveline knew his skills well—who could manage to hurt him unless he hadn't been on guard?“Alright, I’ll come over right away,” she replied, pushing aside the strange feeling gnawing at her heart.She couldn't help but think, at a critical time like this, the last thing they needed was for something to happen to Luca
Aveline walked over and set the overturned chair upright. The noise made Lucas frown.Without turning around, he snapped, "Get out!""Oh," Aveline replied, calmly setting the chair in place and turning to leave.The sound of her voice made Lucas whip around. Seeing her about to walk out, he quickly strode over and grabbed her wrist."I didn’t know it was you. I'm sorry," he said.When he saw her, the sharp lines of his face softened with surprise, and the frost in his dark eyes melted away inch by inch. Now, his gaze was filled with a nervous concern, as if he feared she might be upset.Aveline glanced at him and asked, “Is your injury serious?”Lucas’ eyes brightened a little, and a small smile tugged at his lips. “Are you worried about me?”Aveline replied in a neutral tone, “I’m just concerned that if you’re seriously hurt, it could delay…”But before she could finish, Lucas suddenly pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly.“I knew it—you care about me,” he murmured in a dee
Lucas said, “I know you still need to review the blueprints. I have a computer here; you can continue with your work.”Aveline's brow furrowed with resistance.But Lucas, watching her closely, added, “Aveline, stay with me. We’re about to get divorced. After that, you’d never agree to a request like this. Consider it… fulfilling our last obligations as a married couple?”His voice was low and gentle, softening his tone to its most persuasive. His dark eyes were earnest, filled with an intensity that revealed his longing for her to stay.Something in her heart stirred again.Almost against her better judgment, she agreed. “Alright.”Lucas’ eyes brightened instantly. He walked over and opened the door, calling Desmond in.“Mr. Tudor, any instructions?” Desmond asked, noticing the softened expression on Lucas’ face and feeling he had made the right decision by calling Aveline in.Lucas pulled out his phone. “I need you to go somewhere and follow these instructions for some purchases.”D
As Aveline continued to adjust the blueprints and snack on the treats, the afternoon slipped away unnoticed. The sky outside had grown dark, and the office lights were now aglow, snapping her back to reality. She realized she had been there much longer than intended.Logging out of her account, she shut down the laptop and stood up, glancing over at Lucas.He was still engrossed in his work, his fingers holding a pen as he reviewed each page with a cold, focused expression. Occasionally, he made notes in the margins.Not wanting to disturb him, Aveline stretched her arms after sitting for so long, then quietly walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window to admire the night view outside.The Tudor Group’s location was undoubtedly the best, perched high enough to overlook most of the city. Below, a sea of twinkling lights gathered like a river of stars—a breathtaking view. And now, snowflakes were drifting down, creating a dreamlike scene.Aveline's eyes softened, her mood feeling su
The next day, a video quietly began circulating across major online platforms, and within just three hours, it had skyrocketed to the top of the trending list.Early that morning, Desmond contacted Lucas, his tone grave. “Mr. Tudor, there’s trouble. A video of you hitting someone at the hospital has been uploaded online, and it’s already gaining a lot of attention.”As he spoke, he sent Lucas the trending search term.Lucas had just finished his morning workout and was wiping sweat from his forehead and neck with a towel. He opened his messaging app and saw the trending topic Desmond had sent.“Tudor Group Chairman Assaults Someone in Hospital.”He clicked on the link and was immediately met with countless videos, all showing the same scene from the hospital corridor's surveillance footage: a few seconds of him kicking a middle-aged woman to the ground. No context, no follow-up—just that brief, explosive moment.But he wasn’t just anyone; he was the newly appointed Chairman of Tudor Gr