Chapter 262: Trish’s Sleepless Night

Luca did not mind. He simply got up, picked Arabella up in his arms, and carried her toward the bathroom.

While the two of them showered, Trish and Rachel were in another room of the villa.

"Rachel, could you please stop turning over? I was just about to fall asleep, and you woke me up again."

Trish rubbed her eyes and yawned helplessly.

After attending Arabella’s birthday party, she was already exhausted. She had been so sleepy that she could barely keep her eyes open.

Rachel, however, was still wide awake. No matter how much she tossed and turned, sleep refused to come.

"Trish, I can’t sleep." Rachel held her hand and pleaded, "I’m sorry."

She did not want to keep her awake either. Although she was a little tired, she was nowhere near sleepy.

"I don’t think you’re having trouble sleeping," Trish muttered, still keeping her eyes closed. "I think something is on your mind."

She paused before adding, "Or, like I said earlier, we can go knock on my brother’s door. If necessary, we can all sleep together."

As the saying went, it was difficult for a man to pursue a woman, but much easier for a woman to pursue a man.

And Rachel was undeniably attractive.

Trish refused to believe her brother would reject her.

Whenever she thought about it, however, she felt both disappointed and frustrated. How was Rachel supposed to find out what Luca truly felt if she never took the initiative?

What was the point of lying awake and worrying all night?

Unfortunately, Trish had no idea that her best friend was not losing sleep because of worry.

Rachel only had to close her eyes for the events of that morning to replay in her mind like a movie.

The tingling in her toes, the strange sensation in her chest, and the lingering warmth on her lips all stirred her nerves.

’What would it feel like to become even closer to Luca?’

’Since Luca is interested in me, does that mean he likes sisters who look alike?’

’If he were with Sophie and me...’

"Hehehe..."

Rachel immediately covered her mouth.

’No, I can’t think about that!’

"Rachel, why don’t you go sleep in another room?" Trish groaned. "I really can’t take this anymore!"

Just as she was about to drift off again, Rachel began sucking in her saliva and giggling foolishly.

’She’s hopeless.’

"Um... I’m sorry, Trish. It won’t happen again. I promise. Please trust me one more time."

"Hehehe..."

Trish let out a long, suffering sigh.

The next morning, birds chirped outside while cicadas sang from the trees.

Luca was having breakfast with Arabella in the dining area when he heard footsteps approaching.

He turned around and immediately saw Trish’s dark circles.

Rachel, who followed behind him, looked just as exhausted. Neither of them appeared to have slept properly.

"Did you two go out and rob a gas station last night?" Luca asked, barely suppressing his laughter.

He and Arabella had stayed up far later than they should have, yet neither of them looked as worn out as Trish and Rachel.

Arabella was moving a little more slowly than usual, but her complexion was noticeably better.

Since she was still inexperienced, Luca had deliberately refrained from pushing her any further after their first intimate night together.

Neither Luca nor Arabella looked particularly tired.

Trish, on the other hand, became irritated the moment Luca mentioned the previous night.

’Does he really think I wanted to stay awake?’

It was all because of Rachel, who had plenty of bold thoughts but no courage to act on them.

’Fine. If Rachel refuses to take the initiative, then I’ll have to help my brother make the first move.’

Trish had already decided to find an opportunity to tell Luca directly that Rachel liked him.

Before doing that, however, she needed to sound out Sophie’s opinion.

If Sophie objected, Trish would keep quiet and wait to see how things developed.

"Where’s Fionna?" she asked, sitting down and grabbing a piece of bread. "Isn’t she awake yet?"

Arabella spread jam over a slice of toast and handed it to Luca before picking up another piece.

"She never wakes up before eleven whenever she’s on vacation," she said. "Just leave her alone."

She had tried several times to change Fionna’s sleeping habits.

Each attempt had lasted no more than two days before Fionna returned to her old routine.

Eventually, Arabella had given up.

After breakfast, the maid began clearing the dishes and carrying them to the kitchen.

Not long afterward, Victoria returned to the villa in a tracksuit.

"You’re all up?" she asked, glancing at the people gathered in the living room.

Her gaze lingered briefly on Arabella and Luca.

"Good morning," Luca greeted her.

"Mommy," Arabella added.

"Luca, come to the study with me. We need to talk."

"Okay."

Luca nodded and rose from his seat.

He could roughly guess what Victoria wanted to discuss.

It was almost certainly related to the land Northstar Real Estate Company had acquired.

In fact, she did not even need to ask. Luca had already intended to bring up the matter himself.

’She’s my future mother-in-law.’

If he had the ability to help ease the Windsor family’s current predicament, there was no reason for him to refuse.

He knew the Windsor family could resolve the issue on its own, but the land in his possession offered the most effective solution.

Victoria had originally wanted Plot No. 1. Unfortunately, after Northstar won the bid, the Windsor family had been forced to settle for Plot No. 2.

The two entered the study one after the other.

The room looked more like a private office than a traditional study. The furniture and layout were almost identical to Luca’s own office.

That was hardly surprising.

As the head of the Windsor family, Victoria had to deal with unexpected business problems constantly. Working from home until late at night was a normal part of her life.

Not everyone was like Luca.

Even when he went to the office, he often found ways to slack off.

Or, more accurately, he was busy accumulating wealth in his own way.

"Luca, I’m sure you’ve already guessed why I called you here, right?" Victoria asked, turning toward him.

Luca nodded. "You want to develop Plot No. 1 together with Northstar?"

"Exactly."

The Windsor family was powerful and possessed a considerable amount of land. Even within Capital City, they owned several undeveloped plots.

However, in the newly planned commercial district, Plot No. 1 was undoubtedly the most valuable.

That was why Victoria had been so furious when Northstar Real Estate Company disrupted her plans.

The Windsor family had no choice but to bid for Plot No. 2 instead.

Then, as if things could not get any worse, a historic underground facility was discovered beneath the second plot. The authorities immediately placed the land under protection, halting all development.

Victoria had originally planned to give up on the project and simply choose the best alternative available to her.

She never expected to discover that Luca was the owner of Northstar Real Estate Company.

"Alright. I’ll contact them shortly and have someone sent to your company."

He paused before continuing, "As for the profit distribution, you can decide. I don’t have any demands."

Luca did not care how much money the project earned.

After all, the more money he spent, the more money he received.

Compared with taking Naomi out and spending money with his lucky charm, earning profits through an engineering project was hardly impressive.

"Huh? It’s that simple?" Victoria asked, clearly surprised.

She had been prepared to make several concessions.

Even close relatives kept their finances separate, let alone Luca and her daughter, who were still only dating.

She had not expected him to hand the decision-making power over to her so readily.

Someone capable of managing both Northstar Real Estate Company and Hale-Viv Conglomerate was truly exceptional.

And now, he was willing to give up the more valuable plot without hesitation.