Chapter 113: Why Is There Another Girl in Lucas’s Car?
Chapter 113: Why Is There Another Girl in Lucas’s Car?
Lucas was genuinely surprised.
He hadn’t expected Naomi to recognize him.
To him, what happened with Jerry had been nothing more than a small lesson for an arrogant idiot. He never imagined the story had spread far enough for complete strangers to know about it.
For a moment, Lucas didn’t know what to say.
The last thing he wanted was for people to start seeing him as some violent guy who solved every problem with his fists.
Fortunately, Naomi didn’t continue asking questions.
The atmosphere became slightly awkward after that.
After leaving the police station, Lucas offered to drive Naomi back to her dormitory.
Naomi agreed.
The two got into the Bugatti and headed toward Ashford University.
The city streets were unusually quiet at this hour.
Most students were already asleep, and even the traffic had become sparse.
The car glided through the empty roads effortlessly.
Several minutes later, they arrived at the female dormitory building.
Unfortunately, the gates were already locked.
Naomi looked at the time on her phone.
Almost one in the morning.
Her expression immediately became helpless.
The dorm supervisors were notoriously strict.
Once the gates were locked, nobody was getting in.
Lucas frowned slightly.
He couldn’t exactly leave her standing outside all night.
After a brief moment of thought, he spoke.
"If you don’t mind, you can stay at my place tonight."
"I’ve got plenty of empty rooms."
Naomi froze.
Stay at his place?
Honestly, she hesitated.
Not because she didn’t trust Lucas.
But because she had seen what Lucas was capable of.
If this had been any ordinary college guy, she probably wouldn’t have thought twice.
After all, Naomi was the president of the Combat Club.
Most male students weren’t a threat to her.
But Lucas?
That was a different story entirely.
The image of him effortlessly dismantling seven grown men replayed in her mind.
If Lucas really wanted to do something, she doubted she could stop him.
Fortunately, everything she had seen tonight suggested he wasn’t that type of person.
He had risked himself to save her.
He had stayed with her through the police report.
And not once had he tried to take advantage of the situation.
After a few seconds of consideration, Naomi nodded.
"Alright."
Lucas simply smiled.
"Good."
As he started the car again, he suddenly remembered something.
His refrigerator was practically empty.
Ever since moving into the villa, he’d mostly been eating whatever food happened to already be there.
He hadn’t actually gone grocery shopping himself.
So instead of heading home immediately, Lucas pulled into a nearby convenience store.
Naomi watched curiously as he disappeared inside.
Several minutes later, he returned carrying multiple bags.
Instant noodles.
Snacks.
Frozen dumplings.
Drinks.
Sandwiches.
And enough random food to survive a small apocalypse.
Naomi couldn’t help laughing.
For some reason, seeing Lucas carry bags from a convenience store felt strangely normal compared to everything else she had seen tonight.
Soon they were back on the road.
The city was almost empty now.
Without traffic, Lucas finally let the Bugatti stretch its legs.
The powerful engine roared to life.
The acceleration pushed both of them gently into their seats.
Naomi’s eyes widened.
Even though she didn’t know much about luxury cars, she could still feel the terrifying performance.
The scenery outside blurred past.
Streetlights streaked by one after another.
The car moved so smoothly that it almost didn’t feel real.
Meanwhile, Naomi gradually noticed something strange.
The area they were entering didn’t look like any normal residential district.
The roads became wider.
The landscaping became more extravagant.
Security patrol vehicles occasionally passed by.
Every building looked expensive.
Very expensive.
Eventually, the Bugatti slowed before a massive gated estate.
The gates opened automatically.
Security guards immediately saluted as the car entered.
Naomi stared through the window.
Her confusion deepened.
A few minutes later, Lucas stopped the car in front of a luxurious villa.
The mansion stood proudly beneath the moonlight.
Three floors.
Massive glass windows.
Private garden.
Large garage.
Everything about it screamed wealth.
Naomi’s eyes widened.
"Wait..."
"You live here?"
Lucas unbuckled his seatbelt.
"Yeah."
His answer was so casual that it almost made Naomi doubt her hearing.
He stepped out of the car as if he had merely parked in front of an ordinary apartment.
Leaving Naomi sitting there completely stunned.
The more she learned about Lucas, the harder he became to understand.
The guy fought like a monster.
Drove a Bugatti.
And apparently owned a mansion.
Meanwhile, Lucas had already walked toward the front door.
Naomi hurriedly followed.
Inside, the villa was even more ridiculous.
The marble floors reflected the ceiling lights.
The furniture looked like it belonged in a luxury magazine.
Every room seemed larger than her entire apartment back home.
For the first time in a long while, Naomi felt genuinely out of place.
Lucas, however, didn’t seem affected by any of it.
He tossed the grocery bags onto the kitchen counter and immediately headed for the refrigerator.
"I’m starving."
Naomi stood awkwardly in the living room for several seconds before eventually following him.
When she entered the kitchen, she found Lucas already preparing ingredients.
The sight surprised her.
A rich guy cooking for himself?
That wasn’t what she expected.
"You cook?"
Naomi asked.
Lucas shrugged.
"Someone has to."
Without thinking, Naomi rolled up her sleeves.
"I’ll help."
The two worked together surprisingly well.
Lucas handled most of the cooking while Naomi helped prepare ingredients.
The atmosphere felt relaxed.
Comfortable.
Far different from the life-or-death situation they had been in earlier.
About half an hour later, they sat at the dining table with several simple dishes.
Lucas took a bite before looking at her.
"So?"
"How is it?"
Naomi paused.
Honestly?
It was delicious.
Far better than anything she expected.
She looked around at the enormous dining room.
The luxurious furniture.
The expensive decorations.
Then back at the food.
Naomi almost laughed.
Could food cooked inside a mansion like this possibly taste bad?
This was probably the best meal she had eaten all month.
"It’s really good."
Lucas smiled.
"Good."
The two continued eating while chatting casually.
Eventually, fatigue began catching up to them.
It had been a long night.
After cleaning up, Lucas led Naomi upstairs.
He showed her one of the guest rooms.
The room alone was larger than many studio apartments.
Fresh sheets.
Private bathroom.
Large television.
Everything she could need.
"The room next to yours is mine."
"If you need anything, just knock."
Naomi nodded.
"Thank you."
Lucas waved dismissively.
"No problem."
Soon both of them retreated to their rooms.
The moment Naomi lay down on the soft mattress, exhaustion completely overwhelmed her.
Within minutes, she was asleep.
...
The next morning.
Lucas woke up early.
He had an unannounced quiz scheduled during his first class.
Unfortunately, Naomi seemed to be taking her sweet time.
Nearly forty minutes had passed.
No sign of her.
Lucas checked the time repeatedly.
Finally, he walked upstairs and knocked on the bathroom door.
"Naomi."
"We need to leave."
Inside the bathroom, Naomi looked around in embarrassment.
She had completely lost track of time.
The shower alone was larger than her dorm room.
The water pressure felt amazing.
The luxury bathroom products probably cost more than her monthly allowance.
For a moment, she had forgotten she was supposed to leave.
Hearing Lucas’s voice, she immediately snapped back to reality.
"Coming!"
Several minutes later, she emerged fully dressed.
"Sorry."
Lucas sighed dramatically.
"Girls really do take forever."
Naomi rolled her eyes.
"You’ll survive."
A few moments later, the two left the villa together and headed toward Ashford University.
He was already running late.
The impromptu quiz scheduled for this morning wasn’t something he wanted to miss.
Without wasting another second, he stepped on the accelerator.
The Bugatti shot forward like a black phantom, its engine roaring as it cut through the morning traffic.
Naomi sat quietly in the passenger seat, one hand gripping the seatbelt.
Even though this wasn’t her first time sitting inside the car, the acceleration still made her heart skip a beat.
The scenery outside blurred past the windows.
Lucas, meanwhile, looked completely relaxed.
As if driving a multi-million-dollar hypercar at insane speeds was the most normal thing in the world.
Twenty minutes later, the car rolled into Ashford University.
The moment the Bugatti appeared at the campus entrance, countless heads turned.
Students walking to class stopped instinctively.
Some immediately pulled out their phones.
Others pointed excitedly.
"That’s Lucas."
"The Bugatti guy again."
"Damn... that car is ridiculous."
"How rich is this guy?"
The attention followed the vehicle all the way through campus.
Lucas had already become one of the most recognizable students in the university.
And today~
Naomi was sitting in the passenger seat.
Lucas drove toward the girls’ dormitory area.
"I’ll drop you off here."
"You can change and grab your books."
Naomi nodded.
"Thanks."
The car slowly stopped outside the dormitory building.
And the moment she opened the passenger door—
Every girl nearby looked over.
For a second, the entire entrance became unusually quiet.
Then whispers exploded.
"Oh my god."
"Did she just get out of Lucas’s car?"
"That’s the Bugatti."
"Wait... isn’t that Naomi from the Combat Club?"
"How did she end up with Lucas?"
Naomi immediately felt dozens of eyes land on her.
Normally, she wouldn’t care.
But this was different.
The Bugatti alone attracted enough attention to make anyone the center of discussion.
Walking out of that passenger seat felt like stepping onto a stage.
For the first time in her life, Naomi experienced what it felt like to be the person everyone was staring at.
Some girls looked envious.
Some looked curious.
Others were already pulling out their phones to send messages.
Naomi suddenly understood why so many girls were obsessed with wealthy men.
The attention.
The status.
The feeling of standing above the crowd.
It was intoxicating.
And she wasn’t even the owner of the car.
She was just getting out of it.
If simply riding in Lucas’s car attracted this much attention...
Then what kind of life was Lucas actually living?
The thought made her feel complicated.
Lucas didn’t seem to notice any of it.
He was simply checking the time on his phone.
To him, this kind of attention had already become routine.
That realization somehow made Naomi feel even more inferior.
Just then~
A familiar figure walked out of the dormitory entrance.
Long hair.
Elegant figure.
Natural beauty.
It was Mia.
She had already changed into fresh clothes and was preparing to head to class.
The moment she stepped outside, her eyes landed on the Bugatti parked nearby.
Then she noticed Lucas sitting inside.
Her eyes brightened instantly.
But before she could walk over~
Another girl stepped out from the passenger seat.
Mia froze.
Her smile immediately stiffened.
"...Huh?"
She blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Making sure she wasn’t imagining things.
No.
There was definitely a girl getting out of Lucas’s car.
And judging from the way she had exited from the passenger seat...