جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 170

Kenneth suddenly seemed to think of something.“Wait. Ivy isn’t here waiting for one of those dates, is she?”Lucas nodded.“Yeah.”Kenneth clicked his tongue.“Then she’s going to be waiting all night. The rumors about her are everywhere right now. Who would dare go on a date with her?”Lucas felt uncomfortable hearing that.He turned and looked toward Ivy, who was sitting by the window not far away.She seemed to have finished eating. Her chin rested in one hand as she stared blankly out at the city lights, her profile soft and beautiful.It should have been a lovely sight.But for some reason, she looked lonely.Kenneth’s voice suddenly drifted into his ear.“Lucas, you’re done for. The moment a man starts feeling sorry for a woman, that’s when his downfall begins.”Lucas jumped.He quickly shoved Kenneth away and shot him an annoyed look.“What are you talking about?”Kenneth raised one finger and wagged it like he knew everything.“Lucas, I saw the way you were lo

Outside the window, a few young women were gathered around a man dressed in black, chattering excitedly.The man had his head lowered, so Serena couldn’t see his face clearly.But from the outline of his features, he looked strangely like her older brother, Ethan.Serena almost laughed at herself.How could that be?Ethan was still overseas on assignment.She only glanced over casually and didn’t think much of it.Then she followed Miles out of the boutique.*“Sorry, I have to go. The person I was waiting for is here.”When Lucas saw Ivy coming out of the store across from them, he politely cut the young women off.The young women followed his gaze and immediately looked disappointed.So he already had a girlfriend.“Hey, if you and your girlfriend ever break up, keep me in mind.”“And me too.”Lucas was speechless.The young women winked at him, then tactfully walked away.The store manager personally escorted Ivy out with a respectful smile.Ivy had seen Lucas surr

Nina and Miles had grown up in the same small town. They had known each other since they were very young.Back then, Miles was still Miles Chase. He and Nina were neighbors, and neither of them had a happy home.Miles’s father was a gambler and a violent drunk.His mother couldn’t take the abuse anymore, so when Miles was only one year old, she ran away from home.When Miles was four, his father borrowed money from loan sharks and failed to pay it back. A local gang broke one of his legs.The wound wasn’t treated in time, and it became badly infected. Not long after that, he died.Just like that, Miles became an orphan.The only reason he survived was because Nina, the little girl next door, would save scraps from her own meals and secretly give them to him.Nina had been bought by the Smith family to be their son’s future wife.Their son was intellectually disabled, and his parents were afraid he would never be able to find a wife. So they paid six hundred dollars to buy Nina

Nina looked at Fiona standing outside the door, panic flickering through her.When she heard the knock, she had thought Lucas had forgotten his keys, so she had rushed out of the bathroom to open the door.She hadn’t expected it to be Fiona.Hadn’t Fiona and Lucas already fallen out?Why was she here?In the space of a few seconds, Nina came up with a plan.She widened her eyes slightly and gave Fiona a bright, sweet smile.“You must be Ms. Shaw, right? Lucas mentions you a lot. What can I help you with? Why are you looking for my boyfriend?”Boyfriend?Fiona felt as if something had struck her hard.Lucas already had a new girlfriend?So soon?They had only been apart for a few months.Fiona’s face went ice-cold.“You can call yourself whatever you want. Where’s Lucas? Tell him to come out and see me.”Nina blinked, her wide eyes looking pure and innocent.“I’m sorry, Ms. Shaw. Today is my birthday, so Lucas went out to buy me flowers and a cake.”“I don’t believe you

Lucas asked Nina, “Have you already settled on a job? What company is it with? I’ve been in Jasper City for a long time, so I can help you look into it.”Nina’s eyes flickered slightly. Then she smiled and said, “I don’t have much of an education, so it’s just a small company. Don’t worry, Lucas. I already checked it out. The company is legitimate. The pay is a little low, but it seems reliable.”Hearing that, Lucas felt relieved.Just then, Nina took out an envelope and handed it to him.“Lucas, this is for the rent while I stayed here. It’s not much, but once my job is more stable, I’ll pay you the rest.”Lucas didn’t take it. He pushed the envelope back toward her.“Keep it. It’s not easy for a young woman to make it in a city like Jasper. You’ll need money for a lot of things. You can pay me back later, once you’re settled.”“Lucas…”Nina’s feelings were complicated, but she made herself look deeply moved. Her eyes even filled with tears.Lucas never knew what to do when w