Chapter 4

For once, Luke had a weekend off, but he still had plenty to keep him busy. He spent the morning sorting through his belongings, gathering up a whole pile of things to throw away.

He was carrying a box out the door when he happened to run into Melissa returning home.

Noticing the unreadable look she gave him, he set the box down and offered a brief explanation.

“Ms. Dawn, I’m planning to move out after I get married. Thank you for taking care of me all these years.”

A flicker of impatience crossed Melissa’s face, and her tone turned sharp. “You keep bringing up your marriage every chance you get. What? Are you afraid I’ll forget? This is the Dawn family’s residence, anyway. Whether you move out or not is up to you.”

Luke could tell she was in a bad mood from her tone. He dared not to say anything more and simply lowered his head, waiting for her instructions.

“I’m taking next week off to go on vacation in Switzerland with Reuben. I want you to put together a detailed itinerary and make all the arrangements.

"Reuben is extremely particular about cleanliness, so have everything in the hotel replaced with brand-new items and thoroughly disinfected.

"Don’t schedule any activities before three in the afternoon, either. He’s still adjusting to the time difference. And personally vet everyone joining us on the trip. He doesn’t like people who talk too much…”

From the hotel arrangements to the people accompanying them, from the weather to Reuben’s personal preferences, Melissa went on and on for more than half an hour, covering every last detail.

In ten years of knowing her, Luke had never seen her put so much thought into taking care of someone.

As he looked at the recording on his phone, which had gone on for more than forty minutes, he took a deep breath and could not help recalling the past.

Switzerland was renowned for its breathtaking scenery. He heard plenty about its beauty long before now.

Before Reuben returned to the country, Luke brought up the idea of visiting Switzerland to Melissa several times. He even made it his birthday wish one year.

However, no matter how many times he asked, she had never agreed.

She always said she was too busy with work and had no time to indulge in his childish whims. Back then, her repeated refusals had left him disheartened for a long time.

Who could have imagined that Melissa, a woman so devoted to her work, would go to such lengths to plan a trip just to make Reuben happy?

It was funny how nothing could compare to the comfort of an old flame.

Luke was not heartbroken anymore. He simply could not help reflecting on the irony of it all.

He nodded and accepted the assignment. After throwing away the boxes, he immediately got to work on the arrangements.

For the next seven days, with no more relentless barrage of phone calls, he could finally get some much-needed rest.

Meanwhile, Reuben posted vacation photos every day, sharing everything from scenic views and delicious food to selfies and pictures of the two of them together.

Whenever Luke came across one of his posts, he would open it and take a look. It was not that he was trying to pry into their lives. He simply treated it as a chance to do a little armchair traveling.

…

Then, one day, Giselle’s secretary suddenly messaged him, saying she wanted to take him to look at their future home.

With nothing else planned, Luke agreed and followed her to a villa community near Crane Mountain.

They only looked at two villas when an urgent matter came up at the company, forcing the secretary to leave early.

Luke wandered around on his own for a while, but soon lost interest and decided to head home.

Just as he reached the entrance, two familiar voices drifted over from outside the villa.

“Melissa, what made you suddenly decide to buy me a house?”

“Don’t you love painting? These villas are right by the mountains. Whenever you want to come here for inspiration, you’ll have a place to stay and relax.”

Seeing how thoughtfully she had considered everything, Reuben did not insist on refusing.

“You’re always so thoughtful, Melissa. You take such good care of me, just like a little sister should.”

A flicker of sadness crossed Melissa’s eyes when she heard that. Reuben turned his head, hiding his dejected expression, and managed a faint smile.

“Since you know how good I am to you, then promise me you won’t let yourself get hurt over a woman who isn’t worth it again, okay?”

Melissa was halfway through her sentence when she spotted Luke emerging from the neighboring villa. Her tone changed instantly.

“What are you doing here? Are you following me again?”

Luke did not expect to run into her here, either, and quickly explained himself, “No, Ms. Dawn. I’m here to look at houses.”

“Looking at houses? Here? Mr. Taylor, do you have any idea how much property costs in this neighborhood?”

Reuben stared at him in disbelief. Melissa found the whole thing just as ridiculous. Her thin lips curled into a faint, mocking smile.

“Looking at houses? What kind of house? Don’t tell me you’re going to claim it’s your future home.”

Under the scrutiny of both their gazes, Luke was at a loss for words for a moment.

Still, he really had come to look at a house. After a brief hesitation, he nodded.

Reuben glanced at the neighboring villas, then at the wedding ring on Luke’s finger. The surprise in his eyes only deepened.

“May I know who your wife is?”

Luke had no desire to drag Giselle into the tangled mess between him and Melissa. After a moment’s silence, he chose not to answer.

When he failed to offer an explanation, the chill in Melissa’s eyes eased for some inexplicable reason. Still, she could not stand watching him carry on this marriage charade as though he were addicted to the act.

Her voice lowered, turning cold and firm. “Since Mr. Taylor is here to buy a house, I assume you’ve already found something you like. Call your wife now and have her finalize the purchase. Otherwise, I’ll take it for myself.”

She fixed him with an unwavering stare, putting unmistakable emphasis on the word wife.

The villa was indeed a good fit. The secretary mentioned that it was exactly the kind of place Giselle liked, and Luke had no intention of wasting time looking elsewhere. He had already planned to make an offer.

He also knew Melissa well enough to know that when she made a threat, she meant it. After a brief hesitation, he took out his phone and tapped the screen.

He dialed the number saved under one simple contact name: ‘Honey.’