Coco looked stunning after Lucas helped her put on the earrings. From Lucas’s point of view, she looked plain when they first met, but he found her more attractive as he got to know her."Is the makeup and styling all done?" he asked."Ms. Souza hasn't put on her shoes yet," the makeup artist reminded. Her assistant quickly brought out the shoes they had prepared for Coco."I'll do it." Lucas took the shoes from the assistant and crouched down in front of Coco."I... I can put them on myself," Coco hurriedly said.He looked up at her slightly and said, "It's easier if I help you."At that moment, Coco felt like she was Cinderella having her glass slipper put on by her Prince Charming. That was what it looked like to outsiders too. Once both shoes were on, Lucas instructed her, "Take a few steps and see if they fit well."After taking a few steps, Coco said, "They're fine, but the heels are a little high. I'm afraid I might trip.""Hold onto my arm all the time later, and you won't f
Lucas was only being kind when he said that. "Thank you," Coco said as she slowly withdrew her hand from his.Lucas felt a strange emptiness as he looked at his now-empty palm.Soon, they arrived at the entrance of the charity gala. Cameras flashed from every direction immediately when they got out of their car, and Coco instinctively wanted to avoid the lights."Don't be afraid," Lucas comforted her. "They’re only doing their job, but don't worry. Your photos won't appear online."Coco felt reassured. Lucas could certainly do that with his connections. "Don't look at the cameras. If you really don't know where to look, just look at me," he continued.Coco calmed down upon hearing his words. “Yeah, got it,” Coco responded and fixed her gaze on Lucas.They linked arms and entered the Starlight Charity Gala venue. There were only a few reporters and cameras inside. And, as Lucas had mentioned, none of the reporters approached them for an interview.It was a star-studded night, Coco
“No way…” "Why not? Plenty of people want to curry favor with Lucas, so naturally, they'll want to get close to you too," Caleb explained while patting Lucas on the shoulder. He then teased Coco, "By the way, my friend here is really serious about you. He's attending an event he wouldn't normally want to attend just for you. So, how do you plan to return the favor?"Facing Caleb's teasing gaze, Coco found herself at a loss for words.Lucas stepped in to ease her awkwardness. "Hey, hey, that’s enough. By the way, why are you here?""To see if there are any suitable ladies around! After all, I'm still single and available," Caleb laughed. "Okay, I’m not going to be the third wheel anymore.”With that, Caleb headed off toward another group of acquaintances. Coco turned to Lucas, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you originally didn't plan to attend this event.""It’s because it’s quite boring to attend these alone, but it’s fun with you here,” Lucas replied. "There will be an auction later, an
"Clara and Wilson?" Lucas followed Coco's gaze and then asked, "Do you want to go say hello?""Yes," Coco replied, "but let's wait until the reporters leave."Soon, they walked over when the reporters left. "Hello, Clare," Coco greeted.Clara was surprised to see Coco. "Coco, you're here too?""Yes," Coco replied.Clara then greeted Lucas and introduced, "This is my husband, Wilson." She turned to Wilson and said, "Wilson, this is Mr. Gomez's girlfriend, Coco.""Nice to meet you," Coco said and extended her hand."Nice to meet you too," Wilson replied politely, shaking her hand while glancing between Lucas and Coco.After exchanging a few pleasantries, Coco turned to Clara and said, "Clare, let’s catch up over there. It's been a while.""Sure," Clara smiled.Coco then looked at Lucas."Go ahead. Mr. Birch and I will come over later," Lucas said.Coco and Clara walked toward another seating area.Watching the two women leave, Wilson suddenly commented, "I didn't expect you to have a gi
Lucas smiled bitterly. He agreed with Wilson. In this world, no matter how powerful or wealthy one might be, there would always be things that were beyond their control.Meanwhile, Coco and Clara had moved to the lounge area. Coco asked, "How is Serenity doing lately? Is she okay?""She's fine, but she needs to stay in bed all the time. If all goes well, she should be able to carry the baby until 37 weeks before giving birth," Clara replied."That’s good news." Coco sighed in relief.Clara took a moment to observe Coco's outfit. She looked elegant and sophisticated. She knew that Lucas must have prepared it for her, it wasn’t just any ordinary designer piece."By the way, you look stunning today. I almost didn't recognize you," Clara said. "It seems that things between you and Mr. Gomez are going well.""Yeah," Coco replied. "Lucas is a wonderful person."Coco had always wanted to treat him better because of that."Yes. He’s a nice man, and he takes relationships seriously. Even Sere
Coco found herself in a dilemma. She was wearing pieces of jewelry, but they were all Lucas', so she couldn't donate them. She also didn't bring anything else with her, so she was at a loss for what to do.The host, noticing her silence, jokingly remarked, "You must be having a hard time deciding what to donate. Any small item will do..."Coco remained silent. After a while, whispers could be heard from around her."She’s unwilling to donate?""Some people dress so luxuriously but are so stingy.""Why is she even attending a charity event if she's so stingy?"Aubrey Stewart, who was nearby, scoffed as she observed Coco's awkward predicament. When she found out that the charity event had a segment like this, she bribed the person in charge of the spotlight to shine it on Coco during the segment.She wanted Coco to realize how ridiculous it was for an "ugly duckling" like her to try to fit in among the "swans"!Clara wanted to help Coco, but before she could, Coco spoke up, "I wa
"Don't worry, I'm here for you. Just draw like you usually do," he whispered softly, ensuring that only the two of them could hear. His words of assurance instantly calmed her nervous heart.Taking a deep breath, Coco placed the paper on the coffee table in front of her and started sketching with the pen in her hand. She forgot about her surroundings; her complete focus was on Lucas. Her eyes remained fixed on him as her hand skillfully captured his likeness on the paper. The concentration she exhibited gradually silenced the previously noisy venue.All eyes were glued to Coco and Lucas, illuminated by the spotlight. To many observers, they appeared to be a perfectly matched couple.After some time, Coco finally completed the sketch. She let out a long breath and said, "It's done."The nearby staff approached to collect the drawing and pen from her.The host on stage said, "Thank you, Mr. Gomez and his lovely girlfriend. I'm looking forward to obtaining a good price for the ar
Even though they currently lived together and displayed affection in public, she knew it's all fake. Their marriage would eventually end in divorce."One day, you'll also find a new love. You'll meet a woman who loves you, and you'll love her too," Clara stated, mustering a forced smile.Unbeknownst to her, her smile stung his eyes. "You really want me to find a new love?" he questioned."Yes, I do," Clara answered.Wilson's expression darkened. "You're that eager to dump me?"Clara's smile turned stiff. "Neither of us is dumping the other. What we had was perhaps just missed opportunities. You've missed out on me, and I've missed out on you too."Those missed opportunities had now transformed into an unbearably bitter pill that she had no choice but to swallow.The highly anticipated charity auction began at the banquet, featuring a diverse array of valuable items.Bidding for the auction items in this kind of charity event had become a symbol of social status. Some individ