Chapter 330: She’s My Wife

Luca arranged for Vivienne and the others to wait at the milk tea shop where they’d been resting earlier.

"Trish, keep an eye on your sister-in-law and Daisy for me. Whatever happens, don’t act impulsively. Call me first, understand?"

He wasn’t entirely comfortable leaving the three of them alone after the incident at the mall. However, the injured woman needed medical attention, and he couldn’t simply walk away after offering to help her.

"I understand." Trish nodded obediently.

Before Luca could leave, Daisy hurried over and wrapped both arms around his leg. She tilted her little face up toward him, her eyes full of reluctance.

"Daddy! You have to come back and find me and Mommy Vivienne soon!"

Her clinginess brought a warm smile to his face. Luca crouched down and gently stroked her hair.

"Don’t worry, sweetheart. Daddy will be back soon."

Only after reassuring her did he stand up and look at Vivienne.

Their eyes met, and a small smile passed between them. Neither needed to say anything. They understood each other well enough that a single glance was often all it took.

With everything settled, Luca borrowed a wheelchair from the mall staff and helped the middle-aged woman into it. Once she was comfortable, he began pushing her toward the hospital.

They had been on their way for a few minutes when the woman suddenly broke the silence.

"Young man, is your name Luca Hale?"

"Yes, it is."

Luca assumed she’d heard his name during the confrontation earlier, so he didn’t think much of her question.

"Is that adorable little girl your daughter?"

"Yes, she is."

He couldn’t help smiling when he heard her praise Daisy.

’Why does it make me so happy whenever someone compliments her? It’s not as though we’re related by blood.’

The thought amused him, but he didn’t explain Daisy’s circumstances.

For one thing, he and the woman were strangers. Once he’d helped her get medical attention, they would probably go their separate ways and never see each other again.

More importantly, Luca had long since accepted Daisy as his own daughter. Their lack of a biological connection meant nothing to him. He loved her just as deeply as he would any child born to him, and he intended to protect and cherish her for the rest of his life.

As he pushed the wheelchair along the pavement, he failed to notice the brief flash of displeasure that crossed the woman’s face after hearing his answer.

"So, the red-haired young woman is your wife?" she asked casually, trying to make the question sound like an afterthought.

"Yes, she’s my wife."

Luca answered without the slightest hesitation. His voice was steady, and there was no uncertainty in his expression.

He spoke as though he and Vivienne were already legally married.

In truth, that was how he regarded their relationship. Whether they’d completed the formalities or not, he genuinely considered Vivienne his wife.

The same applied to Sophie, Rachel, Arabella, Amelia, Naomi, and Cecelia. They were all women he cared deeply about and regarded as his own.

Besides, telling the woman that he and Vivienne were merely boyfriend and girlfriend would only invite more questions. She might start wondering why a man who wasn’t married had a four-year-old daughter.

Explaining Daisy’s background to a complete stranger seemed like an unnecessary hassle.

It was much simpler to leave things as they were.

Luca had expected the woman to continue asking questions, but she merely nodded and fell silent.

He didn’t mind. After the commotion at the mall, a little peace and quiet was more than welcome.

Fortunately, the hospital wasn’t far away. They arrived before long, and the woman was taken in for an examination. The doctor confirmed that she’d sprained her ankle and suffered a minor abrasion on her elbow. Thankfully, neither injury appeared to be serious.

Luca stayed nearby while the necessary treatment was arranged, making sure she had everything she needed.

Not long afterward, hurried footsteps echoed through the hospital corridor.

A middle-aged man of average height and a slender build appeared around the corner. The moment he spotted his wife sitting in the wheelchair, his face filled with alarm.

He hurried over, crouched beside her, and reached for her bandaged foot, examining it with such anxious attention that he nearly forgot to be gentle.

"Honey, are you all right?"

"I’m fine for now. But if you keep handling my foot so roughly, I might not be for much longer."

"Uh..."

The man froze, realizing what he was doing. He immediately loosened his grip and carefully lowered her foot back onto the wheelchair’s support.

Only then did he seem to remember that they weren’t alone.

He straightened up and turned toward Luca, who had been standing quietly to one side.

"Thank you, young man. If you hadn’t been there to help my wife, I don’t know how much she’d have suffered today."

His gratitude was sincere.

He’d already received a phone call explaining the general outline of what had happened at the mall. From what he’d heard, his wife had been fortunate to encounter someone willing to stand up for her.

Their family was reasonably comfortable, but they were nowhere near wealthy enough to compete with San Fierro’s rich young heirs.

People like Josh came from families with money, connections, and influence. When they decided to throw their weight around, ordinary people often had little choice but to swallow their anger and endure the humiliation.

Even when they were clearly in the right, pursuing justice could be difficult if the other party had enough influence to make trouble for them.

Without Luca and the others stepping in, the man had little doubt that his wife might have been forced to accept the blame for the incident. She probably wouldn’t have received an apology, much less compensation for her injuries.

Thinking about it made him even more grateful.

"Fortunately, you were there to help her," he added, looking at Luca earnestly. "Otherwise, she might have suffered a lot more today."