جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 420

An hour later, Mr. Lucas Sr. and the rest of the family walked into the living room.Scarlett was the first to speak. “William, your father and both your brothers came to see you!”William was sitting on the couch, casually flipping through some documents with one hand. It wasn’t until he heard the commotion that he finally looked up. Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, his sharp eyes showed no emotion whatsoever.Mr. Lucas Sr. stepped closer and glanced at the papers in William’s hand. “You just got out of the hospital. Shouldn’t you be resting instead of working?”“There was some work piling up while I was admitted. I figured I’d try to clear as much of it as I can over the next few days.”William gestured for them to sit before setting the file aside.“You don’t have to push yourself so hard,” Mr. Lucas Sr. said as he sat across from him. “Your health should come first.”Zion and Lucien each took a seat on the nearby armchairs.Scarlett, seizing the moment, sat down next to Will

Ever since William moved back into the Lucas family estate, the atmosphere around the house had felt complicated.The only person who seemed genuinely happy about it was Scarlett. She was completely in her element, busy every day fussing over William, making soups and cooking up all kinds of dishes to help him recover.In front of her, William would play along and take a few polite sips. But the moment she left the room, the rest of the soup always ended up in Carter’s stomach.Carter groaned, practically on the verge of tears. “Uncle William, if I keep drinking like this, my manager’s seriously going to lose it. I’ve got a photoshoot next week for new promo pictures. There’s no way I can keep helping you with this.“Oh, speaking of the shoot,” Carter squinted at William, a little too knowingly, “I’m actually having Layla do it this time.”Then, as if remembering something important, Carter narrowed his eyes. “By the way, you didn’t tell her you moved back home, did you?”William

Not long after Gwen left the Lucas estate, Carter strolled right into William’s room.“Uncle William, what were you two talking about just now? Why did Gwen leave after barely twenty minutes?” Carter asked curiously.“Nothing at all,” William replied.Then, as if casually, he glanced over at Carter. “Did you send those photos to Layla?”Carter froze for half a second before immediately playing dumb. “Uh... what photos? What are you talking about?”William didn’t answer. He just looked at Carter, calm and steady, like he could see right through every bit of his terrible acting.Carter lasted all of three seconds before raising both hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, I admit it! I snuck some pictures. If you’re mad, go ahead — yell at me, ground me, take my phone.”“Let me see them.”“Huh?”When William extended his hand, Carter finally realized he wasn’t joking and reluctantly handed over his phone. “I sent them to her already but she didn’t reply.“That’s pretty normal for her.

Outside the studio, Carter climbed into the passenger seat of Layla’s car, only to realize there was already someone sitting in the back.He turned and immediately groaned. “Sis, why’d you bring her along?”Carly, sitting comfortably in the backseat, rolled her eyes at him. Without saying a word, she popped in her wireless earbuds and crossed her arms. She leaned back and promptly closed her eyes to nap.Seeing that only made Carter even more annoyed. “Hey, I’m still technically your older cousin, you know. Ever heard of basic manners?”“She’s been working all day. Let her rest for a bit,” Layla said casually as she started the car. “Besides, she’s coming with me to check out the photo display at the gala tonight. It’ll be a good learning experience for her.”Carter stared at the two of them, back and forth, looking deeply troubled. “Wait... you guys aren’t seriously planning to show up to the gala dressed like this, are you?”Layla didn’t answer. She just smiled faintly.Carter

Hearing that, both Mr. and Mrs. Xander's expressions turned a little stiff.Fortunately, the guest had only been making polite conversation and didn’t press further. Before long, he was pulled away by friends to talk about the auction items.Mrs. Xander stared at the photos still playing across the large screen, her voice low and thoughtful. “Honey, if Layla were still our daughter, don’t you think we’d be basking in her success tonight instead of standing here, hoping no one remembers we’re even related to her?”Now, here they were, standing awkwardly on the sidelines, doing everything they could to avoid attention. The last thing they wanted was for anyone to remember they were Layla’s family. Even worse was the fear that someone might recall just how foolishly they had cut ties with her in the first place.The more Mrs. Xander thought about it, the worse she felt. Eventually, all of that frustration and regret built up into a long, heavy sigh.Mr. Xander still had not said a wo