Chapter 322: Meeting The Ice Queen!

Amelia’s face lit up the moment she saw Luca.

For a brief second, she almost forgot where she was and what had happened to her. All she could see was the man who had come to save her. She rushed toward him like a child who had finally found her parents after getting lost in a crowd.

“Luca!”

His name came out in a broken cry, her voice cracking as tears welled up in her eyes.

“I was so scared…”

Luca opened his arms and pulled her into a warm embrace. The moment she felt his familiar presence, all the fear she’d been holding back came pouring out. She buried her face against his chest, her hands clutching his clothes as though she were afraid he might disappear if she let go.

He gently rubbed her back, allowing her to cry for as long as she needed.

“It’s okay now. You’re safe.”

His voice was softer than usual, carrying none of the coldness he’d shown the men responsible for her abduction.

Amelia nodded against his chest. Gradually, her sobs subsided, and the tension in her shoulders began to ease. When she finally lifted her head, tears still clung to her lashes, but a faint smile had returned to her face.

Then her gaze shifted toward the other woman sitting beside Luca.

Amelia froze.

She knew that face. Anyone who had spent enough time in San Fierro’s social circles would recognize it.

Vivienne.

The woman was practically a celebrity in the city, known for her beauty, accomplishments, and famously icy personality. People rarely dared to approach her casually, much less imagine getting close enough to see her smile.

Yet there she was, sitting beside Luca with a gentle expression on her face.

‘Wait… Could she be one of his women?’

The realization slowly sank in.

Luca had somehow managed to win over the Ice Queen of San Fierro.

Amelia couldn’t help staring. Just how had he managed to melt that woman’s famously cold heart?

Vivienne noticed her gaze. Amused by it, she offered Amelia a faint smile.

“Amelia, dear, are you all right?”

Her voice was unexpectedly sweet, almost as though she were speaking to a younger sister.

“E-um, yes. I think so.” Amelia blinked, still struggling to process everything. “Thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me.”

Vivienne’s smile remained as she turned toward Luca.

“Why don’t I take Amelia back with me? My medical team can examine her properly, and she can stay at my apartment until she’s recovered.”

Luca immediately understood what Vivienne was doing.

Amelia had just been through a frightening ordeal, and Vivienne wanted to make sure she received proper care in a comfortable, secure environment. There was also no need to bring her into the middle of the crowded family gathering while she was still shaken.

He saw no reason to refuse.

“All right. I’ll leave her in your hands.”

Vivienne nodded, apparently satisfied with his answer. Then, as though remembering something else, she began twirling a strand of hair around her finger.

“Oh, and Luca…”

“Hmm?”

“Would you like to come home with me the day after tomorrow?”

Her tone remained casual, but Luca immediately understood what she meant.

She wasn’t talking about the apartment where she usually stayed while working. She meant her family home, where her stepmother, Valerie, lived.

Thinking about it, he realized it had been quite a while since he’d last visited.

So much had happened recently that he’d barely had time to attend to his personal affairs. Vivienne had been caught up in the same whirlwind, and now that she was pregnant, she had even fewer opportunities to visit her family.

A faint sense of guilt settled over him.

He’d been so focused on dealing with one problem after another that he’d neglected this part of Vivienne’s life. She had never complained, but that didn’t mean he should keep putting it off.

Besides, Valerie was someone important to her. There was no reason to delay the visit any longer.

“Of course,” Luca agreed without hesitation. “Let’s go.”

A small, satisfied smile appeared on Vivienne’s face.

Meanwhile, Amelia had already started climbing into the SUV when something suddenly occurred to her.

“Luca, wait!”

She turned back toward him.

“Brobbery said he was going to escape through an underground pipeline!”

Luca wasn’t the least bit surprised.

“Don’t worry. Rico’s team has already taken care of that. We’ve stationed men at every exit, and one of the drones followed him into the pipeline. Once he’s captured, Rico will take him in and deal with the situation.”

His expression remained calm, as though capturing a man who had kidnapped his pregnant girlfriend were nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

“Brobbery won’t be a problem for us anymore.”

He finished with a reassuring smile, and Amelia finally let out a breath she’d been holding.

With Luca handling things, she didn’t have to worry about Brobbery coming after her again.

At least, not anymore.

…

The SUV carrying Amelia and Vivienne soon drove away from the warehouse.

Luca remained behind to oversee the final arrangements, and another vehicle arrived a few minutes later to take him back to the hotel.

He’d left the family dinner so abruptly that he hadn’t had the opportunity to explain much to anyone. Considering how worried everyone had been before he left, he could only imagine the questions waiting for him.

‘They’re probably worried sick by now.’

He glanced out the window as the SUV pulled up outside the San Fierro Grand Hotel.

The moment he entered the private dining room, he was greeted by a collection of anxious faces.

His parents were the first to approach him, their concern obvious. Trish and the others were just as eager to know what had happened, while Naomi wore an especially nervous expression.

It didn’t take Luca long to figure out why.

Apparently, Naomi hadn’t managed to keep the situation under control as she’d hoped. She had tried to reassure everyone that there was nothing to worry about, but Trish’s curiosity had gotten the better of her.

Once Trish started asking questions, it had only been a matter of time before she discovered something was wrong. And after that, keeping the others in the dark had become practically impossible.

Naomi caught Luca’s gaze and offered him an awkward smile, nervously fiddling with her fingers.

“Hehe…”

Luca could only sigh quietly.

‘So much for keeping everyone calm.’

Before he could say anything, his parents began firing questions at him.

Where had he gone? What had happened? Was everyone all right? How was Amelia?

He barely had time to answer one question before another followed.

For the next ten minutes, Luca found himself explaining the situation in as much detail as necessary, reassuring his parents that Amelia was safe and that the people responsible were being dealt with.

Only after he’d answered their questions and convinced them there was no immediate danger did the atmosphere finally settle down.

With the worst of their worries put to rest, everyone returned to the dinner they’d interrupted earlier.

…

By the time the meal ended, the tension surrounding the table had finally faded. Everyone began gathering their belongings and preparing to leave the private dining room.

Luca’s family of four left together in one car, accompanied by Cecelia and little Daisy.

Meanwhile, Sophie and Rachel returned to Golden Water Bay in Naomi Monroe’s car.

The group had barely begun their journey when Luca’s phone rang.

It was Captain Rico.

“We’ve successfully captured Brobbery, sir,” Rico reported.

Luca leaned back in his seat, a cold smile forming on his lips.

“Good. You have my permission to proceed with the consequences.”