Chapter 317: Officially a Father!

Vivienne watched Rachel’s face, then glanced at Luca.

She wasn’t surprised by the situation at all. In fact, she had known about Rachel’s feelings for him for quite some time.

Before Luca left for Capital City, Vivienne had noticed Rachel stealing glances at him during their meals together. It had happened more than once, and although Rachel had tried to be discreet, her feelings hadn’t escaped Vivienne’s notice.

Arabella had also brought it up during a phone call some time ago. Afterward, Vivienne had even messaged Luca to confirm her suspicions.

As far as Vivienne was concerned, having Rachel join their family wasn’t a bad thing.

She liked the girl. Rachel was quiet, sweet, and never went out of her way to compete with the other women. There was something endearing about the way she kept her feelings to herself, even when they were written all over her face.

Besides, she and Trish were close enough in age to make the arrangement feel natural.

Most importantly, it seemed to suit Luca’s preferences rather well.

What man wouldn’t be pleased to have two adorable sisters who looked so alike?

Vivienne was also convinced that Luca had developed an interest in Rachel from the moment they first met. She knew her man well enough to recognize the signs, even when he hadn’t openly acknowledged them himself.

For now, though, there was no need to rush anything.

The group stepped out of the elevator and made their way down the corridor. When they reached the private dining room, Luca pushed open the door.

The conversation inside came to an abrupt pause.

Everyone turned toward the entrance, and several faces immediately brightened at the sight of the newcomers.

“Dad! Mom!”

Luca’s greeting had barely left his mouth when Trish, her eyes already turning red, hurried forward and threw herself into Mrs. Hale’s arms.

“Mom! Dad! I missed you so much!”

It was the first time Trish had been away from her parents for such a long stretch. Even during high school, when she received regular breaks, she could only return home once a month.

Her parents had always tried to make up for the distance. Every two weeks, Mrs. Hale and Mr. Hale would visit her at school, bringing fruit, milk, and whatever else they thought she might need.

Still, visits weren’t the same as being home.

Mrs. Hale hugged her daughter tightly and gently patted her back.

“All right, all right. Mom and Dad missed you, too. There’s no need to cry.”

She wiped at the corners of Trish’s eyes with an affectionate smile.

“Besides, you have so many sisters-in-law here. Don’t let them tease you for being such a crybaby.”

Trish only buried her face deeper into her mother’s shoulder.

Watching the reunion, Luca exchanged an amused smile with Vivienne.

It was a sweet sight. No matter how much Trish enjoyed teasing others, she was still her parents’ little girl.

Once the mother and daughter had settled down, everyone gathered around the table and found their seats.

Luca soon turned his attention to Cecelia.

“Celia, how’s the baby?”

Vivienne had told him earlier that Cecelia had gone to the hospital for a checkup that day. Remembering this, he moved closer and gently rested a hand against her slightly rounded belly.

“The doctor said the baby is perfectly healthy, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

Cecelia covered his hand with hers, her face lighting up with happiness.

These days, nothing mattered more to her than the child growing inside her. Whenever she thought about the fact that she and Luca would soon have a baby of their own, she could barely contain her excitement.

Luca smiled and gave her belly another gentle pat before settling back into his seat.

Beside them, Naomi craned her neck to look toward the door.

After a moment, she turned back to Luca with a puzzled expression.

“Didn’t Arabella come back to San Fierro with you?”

Arabella had mentioned in the group chat that she intended to return before the summer holidays ended. Naomi had naturally assumed she would be arriving with Luca, but there had been no sign of her.

“She’ll be back in a few days,” Luca explained. “She still has quite a bit to take care of at her family’s company, so she couldn’t leave just yet.”

Hearing this, Mrs. Hale and Mr. Hale exchanged relieved smiles.

They assumed they already met all of Luca’s girlfriends except Arabella. She was the only one they had ever spoken to through a screen.

From the pictures and videos they had seen, she was an exceptionally beautiful young woman, almost like someone who had stepped out of a painting.

Naturally, they were eager to meet her in person.

It was a shame she hadn’t been able to come this time, but at least they wouldn’t have to wait much longer.

The two had even prepared red envelopes for her arrival.

While they were discussing Arabella, a little girl in a pretty princess dress came running toward Luca. Her hair was tied into two adorable pigtails that bounced with every step.

Daisy stopped in front of him and stretched out both arms.

“Daddy, hug me!”

“Of course!”

Luca scooped her up without hesitation and settled her comfortably on his lap.

Then he froze.

‘Wait a minute. Daddy?’

He looked down at the little girl in his arms, his expression slowly turning bewildered.

Hadn’t she always called him Big Brother Luca?

When had he suddenly been promoted to father?

And how had it happened without anyone telling him?

He looked across the table at his father.

“Dad, what’s going on?”

Mr. Hale took a sip of his tea before answering in his usual unhurried manner.

“Your mother and I are getting older. We’ve reached the age where we could easily be Daisy’s grandparents.”

He glanced at the little girl sitting happily on Luca’s lap.

“Besides, she’s still young. She needs parents who can be there for her as she grows up. We asked Daisy what she thought about it, and she was more than happy with the arrangement.”

Despite her young age, Daisy had been forced to mature faster than most children because of everything she had experienced in the past. Even so, she was still a little girl who needed love, care, and a place where she could feel safe.

Since Luca had taken her in, it made sense for him to assume the responsibilities of her father.

“There’s also the matter of school,” Vivienne added from beside him. “Daisy will need to be registered locally, and having you listed as her father will make the household registration process much easier.”

Luca nodded slowly, beginning to understand.

Before he could respond, Daisy tilted her head back to look at him.

“Daddy, don’t you want to be my daddy?”

Her big, watery eyes were fixed on his face, and there was such innocent hope in them that Luca felt as though someone had struck him with a devastating blow.

How could anyone refuse a child who looked at them like that?

Besides, he was going to have more children in the future. Having an older sister who could look after the younger ones sounded rather nice.

The thought settled the matter for him.

Luca tightened his embrace slightly and looked into Daisy’s eyes.

“Daisy, from today onward, you’re my daughter. You’re Luca Hale’s daughter, and I’m your daddy.”

The little girl stared at him for a moment, as though making sure she had heard him correctly.

Then her face broke into the brightest smile he had ever seen.

“Daddy!”

She threw her arms around his neck and buried her little head against his chest, repeating the word several times as though she never wanted to stop saying it.

Luca held her close, a warm smile spreading across his face.

The others couldn’t help laughing at the heartwarming sight.

From that moment on, Daisy was no longer simply the little girl Luca had taken into his care. She was his daughter, and he intended to make sure she never had to doubt how much she was loved.

Just then, the door opened again.

Seven or eight waitresses filed into the room, carrying trays of freshly prepared dishes. One after another, they placed the food on the table, filling the room with the appetizing aromas of the meal.