Chapter 206: Fiona’s Brother
Arabella had an exam that afternoon, so after lunch, Luca drove her back to campus.
The moment she stepped into her dorm, Fiona grabbed her wrist, worry written all over her face.
“Arabella, my brother told me Luca already has a girlfriend. Was he lying to you?”
“Ayden Young?”
Arabella immediately knew who she meant.
She’d visited Fiona’s home before, so she knew her younger brother well.
According to Fiona, Ayden had started fooling around with women before he’d even finished junior college. Their family certainly had the money to let him live however he wanted, but Fiona took her role as his older sister seriously and kept a close eye on him.
If he hadn’t been so stubborn about staying in the country, their parents would’ve shipped him overseas years ago.
“Yes,” Fiona replied. “He met Luca at a bar. But Luca already had a girlfriend back then, and Ayden met her too.”
Since Ayden knew what Arabella looked like, the woman he’d seen couldn’t have been her.
“So… Luca’s girlfriend was someone else.”
Arabella simply nodded.
Seeing how calm she was only made Fiona more anxious.
“How are you acting like this is nothing?” she blurted. “Luca’s a complete womanizer!”
She’d rushed back the moment she heard the news, determined to warn her best friend.
Instead of anger or heartbreak, all she got was complete indifference.
Something clicked.
“…Wait.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Arabella… did you already know?”
It was the only explanation.
Otherwise, there was no way she’d be this composed.
“I did.”
Arabella answered matter-of-factly.
“I even had dinner with his girlfriend today.”
“What!?”
Fiona’s jaw nearly hit the floor.
She immediately grabbed Arabella’s arms and looked her over.
“You two didn’t fight, did you? Are you hurt?”
She knew exactly how fragile her best friend looked.
Arabella wasn’t short, but she was incredibly slender. Aside from a few soft curves, she was almost delicate enough to snap in half.
Her waist was so slim it could nearly fit inside two hands.
She spent most of her time either painting in the studio or binge-watching dramas in the dorm. Exercise was practically nonexistent.
If she’d gotten into a fight, she’d definitely be the one losing.
“Relax.”
Arabella gently shook her head before raising her phone.
“We didn’t argue.”
“We even exchanged contact information.”
Then she added calmly,
“You know her too.”
“…Who?”
Fiona frowned.
“Who could possibly steal your man?”
That was the part she couldn’t understand.
Arabella was beautiful, elegant, and practically untouchable.
How could someone like Luca already have another girlfriend?
“Vivienne.”
“The chairwoman of Octaveo Pharmaceutical.”
“…What?”
Fiona felt like her brain had stopped working.
If the situation had seemed unbelievable before, now it had become completely absurd.
Just what kind of charm did Luca possess?
Not only had he won Arabella over, he’d also captured the heart of one of San Fierro’s most accomplished women.
Vivienne was practically a legend among the city’s younger elite.
Even Fiona’s father couldn’t hide his admiration whenever her name came up.
Someone who could force Benjamin Caldwell into a corner at such a young age wasn’t an ordinary woman.
She was beautiful, capable, decisive, and respected by everyone.
And yet…
She’d fallen for Luca too.
Fiona looked up at the ceiling.
’Is there no justice left in this world?’
“Arabella…”
Her voice softened.
“Are you really going to stay with him?”
She genuinely felt sorry for her friend.
There was no denying Luca was an incredible man.
He was handsome, wealthy, generous, and dependable.
But Arabella herself was one of the Capital’s most admired young heiresses, a woman many described as breathtakingly beautiful.
Why choose someone who couldn’t stay loyal to just one woman?
“Yes.”
There wasn’t the slightest hesitation in Arabella’s answer.
“I love him.”
“No one else can replace what I feel for him.”
On her birthday…
She would ask Luca to give her an official place in his life.
Fiona knew her too well.
Once Arabella made up her mind, nothing could change it.
Not advice.
Not pressure.
Not even the combined strength of eight silverback gorillas could drag her back.
She could only sigh in frustration.
“To have both you and Vivienne fall for him…”
“Luca must be feeling pretty proud of himself.”
Arabella thought about it for a second before replying honestly.
“…He’s probably even happier than you imagine.”
“…Huh?”
Fiona stared blankly at her, completely speechless.
…
Meanwhile…
Vivienne still had work waiting for her, so Luca dropped her off at Octaveo Pharmaceutical before driving Trish Hale home.
“By the way,” he said casually, glancing at his sister, who was busy taking selfies in the passenger seat, “I’ve got a wedding to attend the day after tomorrow. Want to come?”
“A wedding?”
“Yeah. One of my college roommates is getting married.”
Their trip to New Orleans had lasted longer than expected, and before he knew it, Julian Cruz’s wedding was only a couple of days away.
If he hadn’t checked his reminders recently, he probably would’ve forgotten.
Come to think of it…
Julian was probably still sitting in his blacklist.
“So…” Trish tilted her head.
“Why would I go to your college roommate’s wedding?”
“What else are you planning to do?”
“I could start driving lessons.”
“Or maybe hang out with my future sisters.”
She grinned mischievously.
“Either sounds fun.”
Luca thought for a moment.
“Actually…”
“Hold off on the driving lessons.”
“I’ll arrange for someone to drive you there and back every day.”
Her eyes immediately lit up.
“Bro…”
“Are you worried about me?”
He gave her a look as though she’d asked the world’s dumbest question.
“Obviously.”
“You’re my only sister.”
“If I don’t worry about you, who am I supposed to worry about?”
She puffed out her cheeks.
’Hmph.’
’As if he hadn’t been spoiling me my whole life.’
In the Hale family, Trish had always been everyone’s little treasure.
Well…
Except in front of Mother Hale.
When Mother Hale was in a good mood, Trish was the family’s princess.
When she wasn’t…
Forget princesses.
Even the King himself would be in trouble if he got on her bad side.
…
When they arrived back at the Elvis Muskov Villa Complex, Trish once again found herself amazed by how lavish her brother’s lifestyle had become.
She hadn’t really explored the villa that morning when she’d dropped off her luggage.
Now that she had the chance, she finally took it all in.
A private swimming pool.
A home theater.
Those were just the basics.
Compared to the Hale family’s villa back in Ashford, this place was on an entirely different level.
It wasn’t just bigger.
Every detail, from the architecture to the interior design, screamed luxury.
“Bro!”
Standing in the third-floor hallway, she leaned over the railing and looked downstairs.
“There are a bunch of boxes on your bed. What are they?”
“Boxes?”
Luca frowned.
’There shouldn’t be anything there…’
Then it hit him.
The performance packs the system had supposedly delivered to Blue Aloevera Villa had somehow ended up here instead.
’System… What are they doing here?!’
His expression changed instantly.
“Wait!”
He shot to his feet.
“Don’t open them!”
“They’re confidential documents!”
He practically sprinted upstairs.
By the time he reached the master bedroom, he found Trish walking out with an armful of clothes.
She blinked at his panicked expression.
“Why are you in such a rush?”
She looked confused.
“I’m not going through your stuff.”
After saying that, she casually walked into the bedroom next to his.
Only then did Luca look inside his own room.
The boxes were still neatly stacked on the bed.
He let out a slow, shaky breath, the tension finally leaving his shoulders.
’That was way too close.’
He rubbed a hand over his face before looking up with an exasperated glare.
’System… lock the hell in.’
He had almost forgotten about the God-Tier Performance Packs the system had rewarded him with. The last thing he expected was for them to show up here of all places.
He stared at the packs in disbelief.
’Seriously? Was there nowhere else for them to spawn? Did the Blue Aloevera Villa Complex suddenly stop existing?’
If Trish had opened one…
That would’ve been an impossible conversation to explain.
What Luca didn’t know…
Was that the moment Trish entered her own room…
She quietly shut the door behind her and leaned against it.
Her cheeks were burning bright red.
Her breathing had become noticeably uneven.
“My brother…”
She covered her face.
“…is such a pervert.”
She’d accidentally caught a glimpse inside one of the slightly opened boxes.
There were outfits inside that made her too embarrassed to even think about.
And there wasn’t just one set.
There were seven.
“…Seven?”
Her eyes widened.
’Does… does my brother actually have seven girlfriends?’
Even as his little sister…
She couldn’t help shaking her head.
“My brother seriously has no resistance to beautiful women.”
She buried her face in her hands.
“…Please.”
“Don’t bring home another sister-in-law.”