PHB 50
Lucas had just finished his meeting today. While waiting for his father, who was still engaged in discussions with his business partners, Lucas took the opportunity to contact Deasy, who was probably also taking a break from work.
Lucas was curious, trying to guess what Deasy might be doing at the moment. Had she had lunch yet, or was she still busy with her work?
That’s why Lucas decided to send a short message, hoping for a quick response from Deasy.
Lucas: Rolling dice, drinking herbal medicine. I miss you; luckily, we’ll meet tomorrow.
Deasy: There’s a tortoise on the boat. Just kidding, I’m not missing you.
While sitting in the restaurant, Lucas pursed his lips. He immediately searched for Deasy’s contact and called her right away. Since he was currently disguised as Lucas Morales, he chose a regular phone call instead of a video call like the previous night.
“Are you serious about not missing me?” Lucas asked over the phone.
“No, just kidding,” Deasy replied casually.
“Well then, I’ll extend my business trip until next week.”
“No, don’t!” Deasy responded immediately, her tone suddenly panicked. Perhaps she was afraid that Lucas was serious about his statement. “There’s a virus, there’s a vaccine. Meeting you is a must because I’ve missed you a thousand times.”
“Come on,” Lucas teased. “You said you weren’t missing me.”
“Just kidding, my dear.”
Lucas was taken aback. So this was what it felt like to be called “dear” in a soft, gentle tone by the opposite sex? No wonder Deasy’s response was so unexpected. It made him feel light-headed.
“W-what? What did you just call me?”
“I’m too lazy; there’s no replay.”
“Ah, you’re so stubborn,” Lucas protested. Why were these women so proud? They should reconsider, it’s not that hard.
“Darling… Lucas, darling,” Deasy finally said, and of course, it made Lucas feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
“That’s more like it. You should call me that more often.”
“No, I don’t want to. I might get bored.”
“No, really. I never get bored with you.”
“Oh, you’re such a flatterer.”
“What are you up to, my dear?” Lucas asked.
“I just finished work. I’m getting ready for lunch. Have you finished your work?”
“Yes,” Lucas replied with a nod. Although, even if he tripped and fell, there was no way Deasy could see it. “I just finished a meeting. Now I’m relaxing and getting ready for lunch too.”
“So, what’s next after lunch?” Deasy asked curiously. Who knows, maybe everything was done, and Lucas was getting ready to go home.
“Back to work, of course. It’s scheduled for the whole day.”
“Oh, I see,” Deasy said, and her tone seemed to carry a hint of disappointment. Lucas noticed it very clearly. Besides, according to Felix, when women answered in short sentences, it meant only two things. Either they were sulking or they were very angry.
“Why, dear? Are you angry?”
“No, it’s okay, just normal.”
Deasy’s response sent a shiver down Lucas’s spine. He knew that when a woman replied with “it’s okay,” it meant there was definitely something wrong.
“Are you sure? If I did something wrong, I apologize. If you want something, just tell me.”
“No, seriously, I’m fine,” Deasy reassured him.
“Later, when I finish work, I’ll go out for a bit to buy souvenirs. Are you sure you don’t want anything? Gifts, food, or any souvenirs?”
“No, Luc,” Deasy declined. She had already said yesterday that she wasn’t interested in souvenirs, and yet Lucas kept offering them. Didn’t he understand that she wanted Lucas himself, not gifts and such? Wasn’t Lucas sensitive enough?
“Or do you want me to buy some skincare products? They have a variety of brands here.”
A small sigh could be heard from the other end of the line. Deasy seemed tired of dealing with Lucas’s questions that didn’t match her expectations. She would have preferred it if Lucas had just told her he would be coming home earlier instead of offering all these different things.
“Luc, I don’t need skincare products. What I need is just you caring about me.”
Lucas couldn’t help but laugh. Was Deasy sulking or just joking? He had been serious about buying her things. Maybe if he bought her various gifts, her mood would improve, and she wouldn’t sulk anymore.This is property © NôvelDrama.Org.
“Yes, dear, yes. Don’t sulk. I’ve taken two days off from work. I promise, we’ll meet again tomorrow.”
“I know,” Deasy replied briefly. “Relax, I’m not upset. Go ahead and have your lunch. I’m going to have lunch too.”
“Alright, I’ll end the call now. But promise me you won’t get mad. You might lose your beauty.”
“And if I’m not beautiful, you won’t like me anymore?”
“Who said that?” Lucas raised an eyebrow. He quickly denied Deasy’s accusation. “The sun may shine brightly, but you’re still the most attractive.”
“Aw, come on.”
“No, I’m serious.”
“Okay, believe it if you want… Well, well… I’m really going to have lunch now. Later, we can continue discussing work, okay?”
Lucas reflexively nodded. After all, it seemed that his father had finished talking to his business associates as well.
“Alright, you go ahead and have lunch. I’ll call you later. There’s a shark eating a duck. I love you, beautiful.”
Deasy laughed. Not one to be outdone, she replied, “There’s a shark eating a roof. Love you too, handsome.”
“Hahaha, you’re something else.”
“Mr. Lucas Morales, there’s someone who wants to meet you.”
Suddenly, someone behind him called out. Worried that Deasy might hear what the person had said, Lucas quickly ended the call.
“Sorry, darling, I have to go.”
“Oh, okay.”
Lucas got up from his seat and approached the colleague of his father who had just called out to him. He returned the man’s friendly smile.
“It’s nice to meet Mr. Lucas, the son of the famous Mr. Andreas,” one of the senior business associates, whom Lucas knew well, said.
“Thank you, Mr. Stenley. I’m honored to meet the owner of the Cosmix hotel network. I hope our company can grow as rapidly as Mr. Stenley’s.”
After a long conversation, Lucas returned to his father. He invited him to sit together to continue their lunch.
“Luc, how is the progress with Quantum Tech? Have you made any headway?”
Andreas Morales had barely taken two bites of his lunch when he brought up the topic of Lucas’s assignment. His father had a knack for not noticing when people were enjoying their meals.
“Just a little more, Pa. I still need to investigate Daniel.”
“In that case, do it soon, Luc. If you have solid evidence, go ahead and execute it. I’m getting tired of waiting for too long. If it takes any longer, your wedding might be postponed.”
Out of the blue, while discussing work, Lucas thought it might be a good time to bring up the subject of Deasy as well. After all, it was a rare opportunity to discuss things this seriously with his father. Anxious and hopeful, Lucas silently prayed that his father would listen and approve of his request to cancel the wedding with Devina.
“Pa, there’s something I want to talk to you about regarding my marriage with Devina.”
Andreas nodded as he continued to enjoy his lunch, inviting his son to share whatever was on his mind.
“What do you want to discuss? Are you thinking about moving the wedding date forward?”
“No,” Lucas quickly shook his head. “It’s not that.”
“Then what is it about?”
“From the beginning, Pa, you know that Lucas doesn’t love Devina, and it’s the same for her.”
“Wait…” Andreas interrupted. “Don’t tell me you want to cancel the wedding, Luc?”
Andreas’s guess hit the mark. It was as if he could read Lucas’s thoughts. He immediately shook his head vigorously.
“Don’t be like that, Son. Don’t embarrass our family by unilaterally canceling your wedding with Devina. Where will I hide my face if you suddenly cancel this plan?”
“Pa…” Lucas began softly and gently. “Please listen to me first. Lucas and Devina don’t love each other. Devina doesn’t agree with this wedding either. So, what’s the point of us getting married if both of us aren’t willing?”
“Do you think your mother and I got married because of love?” Andreas then shook his head while looking intently at his son. “Not at all, Luc. Your mother and I didn’t love each other. But what happened? We still managed to come together, have children, and, most importantly, live happily. So, what else needs to be considered?”
Lucas sighed deeply. When it came to this, it was undoubtedly a challenging issue.
“But, Pa, Lucas already has another potential partner. Lucas has a woman who-”
“Lucas, stop!” Andreas cut him off immediately. He didn’t want his son to continue talking. “Papa’s decision is final. Papa doesn’t want you to cancel your marriage with Devina. You should end your relationship with the woman who is currently close to you. Most likely, she’s approaching you because you’re wealthy, not because of love or anything else. That’s all nonsense, Luc!”
“Pa!”
“Lucas,” Andreas cut him off again, not giving his son a chance to speak at length. “I don’t like to be contradicted, and you know that. I hope you won’t waste your time discussing this matter again. Why? Because it’s pointless. Papa’s choice won’t change. No matter how long you argue, only Devina is worthy of becoming Papa’s daughter-in-law!”
Lucas fell silent. When he wanted to argue further, Andreas had already risen and left. He left Lucas alone with his thoughts, pondering what he should do to win his father’s approval for his relationship with Deasy.