Chapter 249: Michael’s Cousin

Luca had already reserved a private room at a well-known restaurant, and before long, everyone was seated around the large round table.

The atmosphere was lively from the very beginning.

As dishes arrived one after another, the conversation naturally drifted toward everything that had happened over the past few days.

Only Rachel remained unusually quiet.

She lowered her head, taking small bites from the bowl in front of her while listening to everyone else chat.

Not long after, a steaming bowl of miso ramen was placed on the table.

Her eyes immediately lit up.

’Ramen...’

It was one of her favorites.

Unfortunately, the dish had stopped on the opposite side of the table, completely out of reach.

She glanced at it every few seconds, secretly hoping someone would rotate the table.

Or perhaps...

It would somehow end up in front of her on its own.

Luca happened to notice those repeated little glances.

The corners of his mouth twitched upward before he let out a quiet chuckle.

"Bro?" Trish blinked curiously. "What are you laughing about?"

It wasn’t often she saw him laugh without warning.

Luca casually picked up his teacup.

"Nothing. I just remembered something amusing."

Without drawing attention to it, he reached out and slowly turned the turntable.

The dishes shifted one after another until the bowl of ramen came to a stop directly in front of Rachel.

Only then did he casually take a bite of his own food, acting as though nothing had happened.

Rachel stared at the bowl for a moment before she began eating.

Her cheeks puffed slightly as she chewed, and the satisfied expression on her face was impossible to hide.

It was delicious.

She had just been about to tell Trish how good it tasted when she instinctively looked up.

Her eyes met Luca’s.

His teasing smile told her everything.

Only then did she realize...

The bowl hadn’t magically appeared in front of her.

He had moved it there.

Embarrassment instantly flooded her face.

She quickly lowered her head again, pretending to focus entirely on the bowl of ramen.

Her ears gradually turned bright red.

"Eat slowly," Luca said with a smile. "Try not to choke on anything."

"Mmm..."

Rachel answered so softly it was almost inaudible.

Feeling his gaze linger on her for another moment only made her face grow hotter.

A faint blush spread from her cheeks down to her neck as she quietly continued eating.

Just then, Michael looked toward Manager Erikson.

"Manager, I’d like to take the day after tomorrow off."

"How long?"

"My cousin’s birthday is in two days. I need to attend."

Mr. Erikson nodded without hesitation.

"No problem."

He already knew Michael came from a wealthy family in the capital.

Unlike many professional players who relied on esports to make a living, Michael had entered the scene purely because he loved the game.

Even if he retired tomorrow, he could simply return home and inherit the family business.

"A birthday party?" Luca smiled. "That’s quite a coincidence. I’ll be attending one that day too."

Michael paused with his fork halfway to his mouth.

He had no idea about Luca’s exact background, but someone capable of owning an esports club clearly wasn’t ordinary.

Judging by his bearing alone, he looked every bit like the heir to a powerful family.

"Is the host... someone from the Windsor family?" Michael asked carefully.

"That’s right."

Luca nodded.

Michael wasn’t surprised by the answer.

Instead...

His curiosity only deepened.

His cousin had mentioned that her birthday banquet would mainly be for relatives and close friends.

As far as he knew, her social circle was incredibly small.

Apart from a few heirs from prominent Capital City families and her best friend from San Fierro...

There weren’t many others.

’Could Luca be a new friend she met in San Fierro?’

The thought felt strange.

His cousin had never been interested in making male friends.

Another absurd possibility suddenly flashed through his mind.

’Could... the two of them actually be together?’

The idea startled even him.

’No way.’

He quickly dismissed it.

After all, Arabella had always seemed completely indifferent to romance.

Even the eldest son of Maison Premier, one of the most influential families in the capital, had failed to win her heart.

Compared with that family, Luca’s background still seemed somewhat mysterious.

Still...

If Luca truly was Arabella’s first male friend...

That alone made him someone worth paying attention to.

The conversation soon shifted to other topics, and no one mentioned it again.

After lunch, Michael insisted on exchanging contact information with Luca before they left the gaming center.

From there, Luca spent the afternoon visiting several of his businesses in the capital, including his real estate company and Summit Capital.

One thing caught his attention.

His real estate company had surprisingly frequent dealings with the Windsor Group.

The two sides were both business partners and fierce competitors.

Only two weeks earlier, they had clashed during a major land auction.

In the end, Luca’s company narrowly secured Plot No. 1 with a slightly higher bid.

Rumor had it that Mrs. Windsor had been furious afterward.

Of course, Luca already knew why the head of the Windsor family was their mom.

Arabella’s father had passed away years ago, leaving only his wife and daughter.

With no sons to inherit the business, Mrs. Windsor had taken over the company herself.

Eventually...

Everything would be passed on to Arabella.

By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, Luca finally returned to the estate.

The moment he stepped through the front courtyard, the rich aroma of roasted meat drifted toward him.

"Bro!" Trish’s eyes sparkled. "That smells amazing!"

Rachel unconsciously swallowed.

She had been hungry for quite a while.

On the drive back, she’d even suggested stopping somewhere to grab a quick snack.

Luca had refused without explanation.

At the time, she’d secretly complained that he was deliberately making her starve.

Now...

She finally understood why.

A feast had been waiting for them all along.

The group followed the aroma into the courtyard.

The chef was carefully brushing seasoning over an entire roasted lamb while rotating it above glowing charcoal.

"How much longer?" Trish hurried over, practically drooling.

The chef laughed as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"About ten more minutes, Miss."

"I promise it’ll be worth the wait."

Sir Alfred stepped forward with his usual composed smile.

"If you’re hungry, Miss, please help yourselves to the appetizers first."

Following his gesture, both Trish and Rachel looked toward the long dining table.

Their eyes widened.

Rows of beautifully arranged cold dishes, braised meats, seafood platters, fresh fruit, and desserts filled the table.

"Bro!" Trish gasped.

"This is incredible!"

Without another word, she rolled up her sleeves and immediately started eating, completely abandoning any trace of elegance.

Luca could only laugh helplessly.

"Leave some for everyone else."

Today’s dinner had been specially arranged by the housekeeper.

Not only the family, but every member of the estate staff had been invited.

Although Sir Alfred had initially objected, insisting it wasn’t proper for servants to dine alongside the master, he eventually gave in after Luca repeatedly insisted.

One by one, the rest of the staff arrived.

The atmosphere grew livelier with every passing minute.

Then...

The chef finally wheeled out the perfectly roasted whole lamb.

Golden skin crackled beneath the lights, releasing an irresistible aroma that made everyone’s mouths water.

Just as Luca was about to invite everyone to begin...

His phone rang.

Glancing at the caller ID, he smiled.

"Arabella?"

"Where are you?" came her slightly helpless voice.

Luca blinked.

"What? You’re coming over now?"

"You arrived in Capital City and didn’t even bother visiting me," Arabella replied.

"So I’ll just come see you instead."

He couldn’t help laughing.

"Then come over."

"I’m staying at Franco de Santa."

There was a brief silence.

"...Franco de Santa?"

Arabella sounded genuinely stunned.

"...Ah?"