Chapter 264: A Surprise Breakfast

"Boss, the people from Maison Premier are here again."

Early that morning, Luca received a call from Craig.

"Keep stalling them. Ignore them for now."

After giving Craig a brief explanation, Luca ended the call.

He scratched his head in frustration, then gently stroked Arabella’s shoulder before letting out a quiet sigh.

’What is Vincent thinking, coming to work so early?’

His peaceful sleep had been disturbed for no reason.

"Hmm... what’s wrong?"

Arabella stretched and looked at him with a faint smile.

Ever since Luca had finally gotten her to ease off her restrictions, the two had become almost inseparable. Their relationship had grown increasingly intimate, and recently, she had been spending nearly all her time at his house.

In the span of a single day, the once-reserved young woman had experienced an entirely new side of herself.

Luca gently tapped the tip of her nose. "Sorry. Did I wake you?"

Arabella shook her head. "I was almost awake anyway."

As she spoke, she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest.

"You really like touching my abs that much?"

Luca had recently discovered one of Arabella’s little habits.

Whenever she woke up beside him, she always liked to run her hands over his abdominal muscles. Occasionally, she even gave them a playful pinch.

It was completely different from the reserved way she behaved around outsiders.

"Where are you putting your hands?"

Arabella felt Luca’s hand move, and warmth quickly spread through her lower abdomen.

She stared at him without answering.

After a long moment, she leaned forward and kissed his lips.

...

After resting for a while, Arabella went to take another shower and left for the company.

She was personally handling many of the negotiations with Northstar Real Estate Company and had barely taken a break in days.

When she emerged from the shower, her complexion was radiant, and she looked as fresh as a lotus rising from clear water.

...

After washing up, Luca stepped outside and stretched in the sunlight.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."

"Hm? What’s that expression for?"

His younger sister, Trish, stood nearby with her hands spread and her head shaking in disapproval.

"Bro, you really need to take better care of yourself!"

Seeing him supporting his lower back so early in the morning had sent her imagination running wild.

’My brother is still so young. Could he already be suffering from kidney deficiency?’

He had so many women around him. What would happen if he exhausted himself too soon?

Luca was speechless.

"Are you making up stories about your own brother?"

He only had some fatigue in his lower back and abdomen. It was nowhere near as serious as Trish imagined.

After completing a simple set of morning exercises, Luca headed to the dining room for breakfast.

The moment he saw the dishes on the table, he fell silent.

There were eggs, whole-grain toast with avocado, oatmeal topped with bananas and walnuts, fresh fruit, and several other supposedly nourishing foods.

"Bro, you’re still pretending nothing happened?" Trish asked. "Look at all this food!"

"I didn’t ask the kitchen to prepare any of this!"

Luca immediately defended himself.

If he did not explain things now, the situation might become even more embarrassing.

This concerned a man’s dignity. He absolutely could not allow anyone to misunderstand him.

He did not want to encounter someone on the street someday and hear them say:

’Look at that handsome guy. He’s rich and successful, but his health is terrible despite being so young.’

If that happened, he would never be able to clear his name.

Who would he even complain to?

"Who else could have ordered it?" Trish asked. "It couldn’t possibly have been Rachel, could it?"

"If you did it, why are you trying to hide it?" she added. "You’re so obsessed with saving face."

"It was me."

Rachel’s voice was quiet, but both Luca and Trish heard her clearly.

She had been up that night and happened to pass by Luca’s bedroom.

Soft sounds had drifted through the closed door.

Of course, she had recognized the voices immediately.

Rachel had stared at the door in disbelief, covering her mouth with both hands.

She had never expected even the usually composed Arabella to be so expressive.

’If it were me, what would happen?’

"Hehehe..."

’No, no. I can’t think about that.’

Rachel had therefore instructed the kitchen to prepare the nourishing breakfast in advance.

For her own happiness, she wanted to help Luca replenish his energy.

Trish was biting into a pancake when Rachel raised her hand.

The moment she heard her confession, Trish froze, forgetting to chew.

She had never expected her best friend to become so thoughtful.

"Bro, look how much Rachel cares about you!"

Luca glanced at Rachel with a strange expression.

’Does this girl really think I’m that weak?’

’It looks like I’ll have to find an opportunity to show her just how terrifying I can be.’

After breakfast, the two girls returned to their room.

Trish closed the door, took Rachel by the hand, and pulled her down onto the edge of the bed.

"Rachel, you’ve finally figured it out!" she exclaimed. "You actually know how to take the initiative now."

For some reason, Trish felt an inexplicable urge to cry.

It was almost like watching a daughter finally grow up after years of guidance.

No matter how much she tried to help, none of it would matter if Rachel refused to take the first step herself.

"I only asked the kitchen to prepare some nourishing food," Rachel explained calmly. "Why are you making such a big deal about being proactive?"

"Hmm?"

Trish frowned.

After studying Rachel for a long moment, she suddenly declared, "Rachel, something is definitely wrong with you!"

Thinking back, she realized Rachel had not been nearly as shy around Luca over the past few days.

And today, she seemed completely unbothered.

"You haven’t already told Sophie that you like my brother, have you?" Trish asked suspiciously.

If that was the case, Rachel’s behavior suddenly made sense.

"Uh... not yet."

Rachel’s expression dimmed slightly.

Ever since that morning, she had been deliberately pushing aside the fact that Sophie was Luca’s girlfriend and her own sister.

The truth was that she was terrified.

She knew she would have to face Sophie sooner or later, but she wanted to delay that moment for as long as possible.

Rachel knew she liked Luca.

When he had responded to her feelings that day, she had been overwhelmed by happiness.

At the same time, however, she had realized that she might have betrayed her sister’s trust.

’If Sophie finds out that I was the one who seduced Luca, will she be disappointed in me?’

Rachel’s expression grew increasingly gloomy, and Trish felt frustrated.

’Why did i have to bring up Sophie now?’

"Rachel." Trish held her hand and spoke earnestly. "You don’t need to worry so much. Sophie is a wonderful sister."

She gave Rachel’s hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I bet that if you truly love my brother, she’ll eventually understand."