"Try it," Lucas suggested.Coco quietly ate her breakfast. Even though her head was lowered, she was aware of his gaze occasionally lingering on her."Do you have any place you'd like to go today?" Lucas suddenly asked. "If you have somewhere in mind, I can take you there...""But I can't go alone, can I?" she raised her head to ask.His expression turned a little gloomy. "You want to leave so badly?""If you were trapped in a cage, would you enjoy it and not want to leave?" she retorted.He stared at her intently, his lips pressed tightly together."Lucas, keeping me confined in this mansion won’t do anything," Coco stated. "We still don't know if I'm actually pregnant, but one thing is for sure: it's already past the time to take contraceptives, and I couldn't have secretly acquired them without you knowing anyway. If you're worried that I'll have a secret abortion if it turns out that I really am pregnant, then rest assured."She took a deep breath and continued, "I will kee
Coco hesitated at first, but ultimately decided to let him hold her hand. They entered the amusement park, and Lucas asked, "Aren't you curious why I took you here?""If you want to tell me, you will, and if you don't want to tell me, then there's no need for me to ask. Everyone has their own secrets," Coco replied."Have you been here before?" he asked."I came here many times when I was a kid," Coco replied. "There were a lot of places that offered hobby classes around here. My parents enrolled me in some of them, and on weekends, after the classes, they would take me here to enjoy a few rides before going home."A tinge of envy flickered in his eyes. "That must have been fun.""It was," she answered. The memories of those happy times spent with her parents were now moments she treasured dearly.They strolled through the amusement park and saw many parents that had come here with their children, mostly kindergarten and elementary-aged kids.The sight of the children followin
"I guess it's because it's not the kind of ice cream that I imagine rich people would eat," Coco mused.Lucas lightly rotated the ice cream cone in his hand. "Maybe my life isn't as grandiose as you imagine. If we strip away my family background and all my titles, I'm just an ordinary guy who enjoys ordinary things and indulges in ordinary treats."A tinge of loneliness flickered in his eyes as he spoke. "I still remember the first time I visited this amusement park. I sneaked out alone to come here. When I got here, I spotted a few of my classmates, but after they noticed me, they didn't play with me. They formed a group of their own, excluding me.""You weren't on good terms with your classmates?" she asked."Back then, only kids in my social circle like Caleb would talk to me. My other classmates were too intimidated to approach me. Once, while playing with a classmate, he accidentally bumped into me, scraping my arm. The next day, I found out that he had transferred to another
Looking into his deep, dark eyes, Coco absentmindedly replied, "Okay."After strolling through the amusement park, Lucas drove them back to the mansion. "Go pack your things. I'll arrange for someone to take you back to your apartment."Lucas didn't step out of the car. Once Coco exited, he drove away.He feared that if he lingered, he would change his mind and break his promise to let her go.Once his car disappeared from sight, Coco turned around, entered the house, and went to her room to pack up. One by one, she placed her items in her suitcase, gradually erasing her presence from the mansion.After she finished packing, someone approached her and said respectfully, "Miss Souza. Mr. Gomez asked me to take you home. Let me carry your luggage for you.""Thank you," Coco graciously accepted.Before she left, she couldn't help turning back to take one last look at the mansion. She would probably never set foot here again.When she stepped into her apartment, Coco felt as thou
"Of course I'll go," Coco answered with a chuckle, "It's the wrap party of my first comic adaptation. I wouldn't miss it for the world.""Alright, then I'll go with you," Minnie replied.After Minnie left, Coco's smile gradually faded. She slapped her cheeks, reminding herself to pick herself up and become the old Coco again.Her reliance on Lucas stopped here. She needed to become a strong and independent Coco who didn't have to depend on others.In the following days, Coco settled into a routine, shuttling between her apartment and the studio.Her two assistants were aware of the incident at the Comic Con. These days, they kept their heads down and focused on their work, refraining from saying anything about it.One day, while Coco was working on her sketches with her assistants, her aunt, Clementine, came to look for her at the studio.The moment she saw Coco, Clementine fell to her knees. "Coco, I know our family has wronged you, but we're relatives after all. Please show me
Clementine's face turned pale. She glared at Coco, her resentment evident. "This isn't over," she spat before storming off.Coco turned around and saw her two assistants looking over. "Alright, let's get back to work," she said.One of the assistants voiced concern, "Coco, your aunt doesn't seem like the type that would let the matter rest. Shouldn't you take precautions?"The other assistant chimed in, "Don't worry, Coco's boyfriend is Lucas Gomez. What can her aunt do?"Coco pursed her lips. "You guys should stop saying that Lucas is my boyfriend. We've broken up," she revealed.Shocked, the two assistants exclaimed, "What? No way!""It's true. Alright, let's get back to work. If we don't finish this, you two will have to stay and work overtime," Coco stated.The assistants exchanged glances and swiftly returned to their tasks.Coco settled back into her chair. She had no idea what her aunt would do next, but she would not compromise!After Clementine exited the building,
He made the difficult decision to let her go and had refrained from seeing her since then, but he couldn't suppress the growing thoughts of her. It had only been a few days, yet he missed her so much. Somehow, she had become incredibly important to him, to the point where he would spend sleepless nights gazing emptily at the bed she once occupied in the mansion."Why can't you give me a little more time? How can you be so certain that I'll never fall in love with you?" He whispered these words into the air, sounding incredibly lonely.Coco's assistants departed the studio for the day, but Coco remained. She hunched over the worktable, engrossed in her artwork.A slight pang in her stomach caused her a bit of discomfort. Coco got up, brewed a cup of hot tea, and resumed her work. Immersing herself in her work and the beauty of art was her only solace from the troubles of reality.She continued painting until hunger interrupted her focus. Glancing up to check the time, she saw
Lucas frowned, worried about Coco. Her face was pale, and her body was trembling slightly."Are you going to take the subway back by yourself? Even in this state?" A sour look covered his face as he bent forward and picked her up."Don't... " Coco exclaimed, but it was no use. Lucas carried her in his arms, heading toward the subway exit.Many people in the subway turned their eyes to them. If she struggled, they would only attract more attention. Unable to think, Coco buried her head in Lucas' arms, hiding from their sight. Lucas glanced down at the woman in his arms. She no longer resisted his touch, obedient and docile like before. If he could, he would love to keep holding her like this. Lucas quickened his steps at the thought of her pale face. He carried her to his car within minutes and carefully put her in the passenger seat.Coco's face was very pale, a layer of sweat forming on her forehead."I'll take you to the hospital. You look unwell," Lucas said. He whisked a t