Chapter 337: Where Did She Learn That From?

As it turned out, Vivienne’s prediction had been spot on.

By the time Luca realized what Rachel had planned, he was already caught up in the little troublemaker’s schemes.

An orange-yellow Maserati MC20 glided between the towering skyscrapers, its sleek body catching the afternoon sunlight.

Inside, Luca sat obediently in the passenger seat while Rachel drove, barely able to contain her excitement.

"Luca, hehe. It’s finally just the two of us!"

She kept her eyes on the road, but the broad smile on her face made her happiness impossible to hide. Her pearly white teeth showed as she grinned, giving her an almost childlike charm.

Earlier, she’d practically thrown everything she’d learned from Arabella into getting Luca to come home with her. Hugs, kisses, and every other trick she could think of had all been brought into play.

And now, her plan was finally coming together.

’Once Mom falls asleep tonight...’

The thought made Rachel’s smile grow even brighter.

Luca caught her expression in the rearview mirror and immediately grew suspicious. He knew that look. Rachel was clearly plotting something, although he couldn’t imagine what she expected to accomplish with Sophie and Diana at home.

What could she possibly be so excited about?

Then, as the journey continued, something strange began to happen.

A wave of heat gradually spread through Luca’s body. At first, he assumed it was simply the weather, but the sensation quickly intensified, leaving him feeling as though a small flame were burning somewhere deep inside him.

Unbidden thoughts began drifting through his mind, each more distracting than the last. No matter how hard he tried to focus on something else, he couldn’t quite shake them off.

When he glanced towards Rachel, he found her smiling even more brightly than before.

’That little rascal...’

Luca finally began to put the pieces together.

He lowered his gaze to the drink Rachel had given him earlier, his expression changing as the realization sank in. His breathing had become noticeably heavier, and even his thoughts seemed increasingly muddled.

The situation was becoming difficult to ignore.

Rachel, meanwhile, had been watching him closely ever since he’d finished the drink. At first, she’d noticed nothing more than the occasional movement of his hand towards his neck. Gradually, however, his discomfort had become more apparent.

Her own breathing quickened as she realized the substance she’d secretly purchased was beginning to take effect.

At last, they arrived at Golden Water Bay.

Rachel pulled into the underground parking garage and brought the Maserati to a stop. She unfastened her seat belt, then turned towards Luca with a carefully arranged look of concern.

"Luca, what’s wrong? Why are you sweating so much?"

She reached out and touched his forehead.

The coolness of her fingers brought Luca a brief moment of relief. He narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath, struggling to steady himself.

"Rachel... you’ve been a very naughty girl."

Her expression stiffened.

"Huh? Um... Luca, you... you already knew?"

Rachel lowered her head, suddenly unable to meet his eyes. She’d been so confident that she’d covered her tracks perfectly. She hadn’t expected Luca to figure things out so quickly.

"Just help me upstairs," Luca said, fixing her with a heated stare.

He was still struggling to process the fact that this girl had actually dared to drug him. Judging by how strongly he was reacting, she certainly hadn’t been conservative with the dosage, either.

’What on earth was going through her head? Just how far was she planning to take this?’

"Okay! Come on, Luca. I’ll help you!"

Rachel hurried around to the passenger side, opened the door, and helped him undo his seat belt before offering him her support.

Luca accepted her assistance, though he couldn’t quite understand her enthusiasm.

Even if she managed to get him upstairs, what did she expect to happen? He’d assumed Sophie would be there to look after him. Rachel, on the other hand, might end up getting a serious scolding from her older sister.

And if Diana found out what she’d done, she certainly wouldn’t let the matter slide.

Yet Rachel seemed utterly unconcerned about any of those possibilities.

’What exactly is she so happy about?’

They made their way through the underground parking garage and into the elevator. Despite the growing heat coursing through his body, Luca managed to keep himself together throughout the journey.

When the elevator doors opened, he glanced around the familiar corridor. The decor matched what he remembered of Golden Water Bay, so he followed Rachel without giving it much thought.

It wasn’t until she placed her finger against the door’s fingerprint scanner and pushed it open that he began to sense something was off.

The moment they entered, Luca looked around the spacious living room.

Sophie and Diana were nowhere to be seen.

Even the bedrooms were completely dark, with not a single trace of light coming from beneath the doors.

He frowned.

"Sophie?"

No one answered.

Instead, he heard the quiet click of the front door closing behind him.

Before he could turn around, a soft touch landed against his back through the thin fabric of his T-shirt.

"Luca..." Rachel’s voice came from just behind him. "My older sister isn’t here."

She reached for the light switch, illuminating the entire living room.

Luca stared at the familiar furnishings, and his eyes gradually widened.

He knew this place. He’d visited before and had even sat on the white sofa in the middle of the room.

But there was one problem.

Sophie’s sofa was light green.

This wasn’t her home.

It was Arabella’s!

Luca turned towards Rachel, finally understanding the full extent of her little scheme.

Not only had she drugged him, but she’d also deliberately brought him somewhere they could be alone, making sure neither Sophie nor Diana would interrupt them.

"Rachel, you..."

A sharp gasp escaped him as she moved closer.

"Luca..."

Her small hands had already reached his belt, and her earlier shyness had given way to startling boldness.

"Darling..." she whispered, her voice soft and sweet. "It’s time for us to go to bed."

There was something different about her tone now, a faint hint of seduction beneath the sweetness. Every move she made seemed to reveal just how much courage she’d gathered to carry out this plan.

Luca stared at her, his remaining composure rapidly slipping away.

"Rachel..." His voice came out rougher than he’d intended. "You brought this on yourself!"

By then, the heat that had started as a faint discomfort had spread throughout his body. The burning sensation in his lower abdomen was particularly difficult to ignore.

He could no longer pretend that nothing was happening.

Luca turned, scooped Rachel into his arms, and carried her towards the guest room.