Ch. 31..40

Chapter 31 "Hey?"

As Selena saw Aveline stagger to her feet and squint before walking towards the handsome gray-haired guy, a smile immediately appeared on her face.

"Not bad, not bad! Dump the jerk and start a new life!"

Russell Skyler, holding an earpiece to his ear with one hand and adjusting the music with the other, exuded a devilish charm. When he smiled, it was utterly captivating. Several girls were watching his actions a Aveline pushed through the crowd and went straight to him. "Hey, handsome, want a drink?"

Russell, still holding the earpiece, didn't hear Aveline clearly. He continued to manipulate the music slowly and casually, his eyes downcast.

"Why is he ignoring me?" Aveline's cheeks were flushed.

Suddenly, she reached out and snatched the earpiece from him, putting it aside. "Hey, I'm talking to you!"

The music was deafening, but the atmosphere around them instantly became deathly quiet. Everyone turned to look at Aveline, including Russell.

No one had ever dared to take something from his hand before. He looked at her displeased, "What did you say?"

Aveline made a drinking gesture. "Want a drink?"

Russell smiled, but his gaze grew colder. "Sure."

He agreed! The others who heard his response were wide-eyed in

 

shock.

Everyone in the business knew Russell's reputation; the wilder he smiled, the harder he played! Anyone who provoked him would have a terrible ending.

This woman, clueless and audacious, took his stuff and would probably be toyed with to death later!

But Aveline didn't sense the danger. She smiled at him. "Come over, I have drinks here..."

Not far away, Selena kept an eye on the commotion.

When Selena saw Russell follow Aveline down from the stage, her eyes widened. She quickly took out her phone, snapped a picture of them walking side by side, and posted it on her social media. Selena wrote, "There are plenty of other fish in the sea!"

The picture was of Russell and Aveline walking together.

Hmph. She was friends with Lucas on Facebook. He would definitely see it!

She wanted him to see that her dear Ave wasn't dependent on him!

Did he think being part of the Tudor family made him special? In reality, no one cared!

At the hospital, Lucas accompanied Sophia for a check-up. The result was that the pain was caused by an old injury. She needed to keep herself warm and avoid strenuous activities.

 

Sophia's face showed a bit of guilt. "I'm really sorry to trouble you over nothing. I just didn't expect my leg to hurt so much today."

Lucas asked, "Can you walk?"

Sophia nodded. "Yes, I can."

Her eyes held a bit of admiration as she looked at him. "Lucas, why don't you come to my place? I'll cook for you. My cooking is still as good as it used to be."

Upon hearing this, Lucas paused, remembering Aveline's call telling him to meet her at the lawyer's office.

For some inexplicable reason, an irritation welled up in his heart. "Lucas?" Sophia asked, puzzled when he didn't respond.

"Okay," Lucas agreed immediately and walked out of the hospital first.

Hearing this, Sophia's face lit up with joy. Ignoring the pain in her leg, she quickly followed him.

Once in the car, Lucas took out his phone to check messages. When the screen unlocked, it directly displayed the social media interface, and Selena's post immediately caught his eye. The photo was dimly lit, but he instantly recognized the woman in it as Aveline!

Ha! She went to a bar?

Did she go there because they were getting divorced and couldn't wait to start living freely?

Chapter 32

Sophia sat next to Lucas, holding her phone and looking at recipes. Seeing a dish she liked, she leaned close to him. "Lucas, how about I make this dish? But we need to go to the supermarket; I don't have end Lucas frowned slightly and suddenly said, "Stop the car."

The driver immediately pulled over.

Sophia looked at him in confusion. "Lucas, what's the meaning of this?"

Lucas addressed the driver, "Make sure Miss Winter gets home safely." He then turned to Sophia. "I have something to do, so I need to leave."

With that, he opened the car door and got out.

"Lucas..." Sophia called out to him, but he left without looking back.

Sophia clenched her phone, her expression quickly turning cold! She saw that Lucas had been looking at Facebook and he was looking at the post about Aveline. That was why he left

immediately!

He had promised to go to her house for dinner!

Could it be that Aveline really occupied his heart?

No! She absolutely would not allow that to happen!

Inside the bar, the lights flashed and swayed, creating a lively atmosphere.

Aveline dragged Russell back to the booth and patted Selena on the shoulder. "Look, I brought him back!"

Selena gave her a thumbs up. "Impressive!"

Aveline poured Russell a drink and handed it to him. "Hey, handsome, have a drink..."

But Russell didn't take it. His roguishly handsome face showed a playful smile. "Just drinking like this? That's too boring." Aveline blinked. "How do you want to drink, then?"

Russell stared at her, lined up about seven or eight glasses on the table, then picked up a bottle and filled them all. "Drinking with me comes with conditions. If you drink all of these, I'll drink with you. How about that?"

Aveline looked at the row of glasses, a bit dazed. "You're pretty high maintenance."

Russell's eyes turned cold. "Are you going to drink them or not?"

Aveline put the glass down. "No, you're really boring!"

"Hah!" Russell let out a cold laugh. "You dare to snatch my things away from me? Woman, you will drink all of these today, whether you want to or not!"

With a wave of his hand, several bodyguards suddenly appeared from nowhere, surrounding their booth. The music in the bar had somehow lowered, and everyone turned their attention to

them.

Aveline was stunned. She had never seen such a grand displa before.

 

"In this world, you can't force someone to do something they don't want to. Handsome, if you don't want to drink, then please leave."

Aveline sobered up a bit, realizing she had provoked someone extraordinary. Just from his demeanor, she knew he was not ordinary. She couldn't help but sigh inwardly, wondering why she acted so recklessly Russell replied, "Do you think you can just ask me to leave? Either you drink, or..."

“Fine, I'll drink! Isn't that enough? A big man like you being so petty." Aveline pressed her temples in frustration and picked up a glass, drinking it in one go.

"Ave..." Selena was slightly taken aback by the scene.

But Aveline continued to drink one glass after another. If one looked closely, they could see tears welling up in her eyes. Her mind wasn't focused on the current predicament but on Lucas' cold and handsome fa It still hurt. Just thinking about him made her heart ache. Why was it so hard to forget someone?

She wondered if drinking these would help her forget all the bad memories.

She drank fiercely, and even Russell, who had a nonchalant smile on his face, was stunned.

Chapter 33

"Ave, stop drinking," Selena began, initially frightened, but now even more scared seeing Aveline in this state.

Aveline pushed her away. "If I don't finish these, what if he doesn't let us go?" She said, downing another glass.

Russell's nonchalant smile gradually faded, his gaze growing colder with a hint of interest. Hah! This woman had the audacity to snatch something from his hand earlier, and now she was utterly terrified. But fro "Enough!" Russell said impatiently.

But Aveline didn't stop. Out of eight glasses, she had already drunk five.

"I haven't finished yet. No way." Aveline shook her head, her vision now extremely blurry, yet she accurately picked up another glass and drank.

"I said, enough!" Russell suddenly stood up, grabbed her wrist, and snatched the glass from her hand, hurling it to the floor. The glass shattered into pieces instantly.

Aveline swayed on her feet. Selena quickly held her up. "Ave, you don't need to drink anymore. It's okay. We can leave now."

Aveline blinked, her eyes stinging with tears, her mind repeatedly flashing images of Lucas holding Sophia.

"How can it be okay? I haven't finished yet..." she muttered, still reaching for more drinks.

Russell was both angry and amused. Was this woman crazy?

Coming to his place and getting drunk?

He firmly gripped her wrist. "Do you have a death wish?"

Aveline's fingers trembled, and a tear fell, landing directly on Russell's hand.

"How can it be over? We haven't gotten a divorce yet. As long as we're still married, you can't do anything to betray me," she murmured, her tears falling more intensely with each word. Russell was taken aback and abruptly let go, staring at the tears. on his hand, utterly baffled.

He looked at Selena. "Get her out of here! Who comes to my place to cry?"

Selena, frightened by Aveline's state, urged, "Ave, don't do this. Let's get out of here."

But Aveline pushed her away. "We're not divorced yet! How can you be with another woman? We're not divorced yet! How can you do this?"

Selena realized that Lucas had broken Aveline's heart. She cursed Lucas a thousand times in her mind and went to support Aveline again. "Ave, we don't need him. It's not worth being sad over a jerk like him. L Aveline's face was now covered in tears. "How can you treat me like this? What did I do wrong? I just saved you! You want to repay her kindness, but what about mine? Why won't you repay me?"

Russell initially wanted to leave, but seeing Aveline like this made him feel irritated. Suddenly, he stepped forward, grabbed her hand, and started walking in a direction.

 

"Hey, what are you doing?" Selena hurried after him.

Russell's tongue pressed against his cheek as he spoke, "If she keeps causing a scene here and affects my business, are you

going to pay for it?"

Selena was stunned and fell silent but continued to follow, remaining vigilant.

Suddenly, someone swiftly moved past Selena and, in the blink of an eye, grabbed Aveline away from Russell!

Selena was surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Russell's hand was left empty all of a sudden. He turned to face a pair of cold, murderous eyes.

Chapter 34

Lucas held Aveline, looking at her flushed, drunken face with a deep frown. "Ave, I'm taking you home."

"Who are you?" Aveline's vision was blurry, and feeling someone holding her, she immediately started to struggle. Lucas patiently said, "It's me, Lu."

Hearing his voice, Aveline paused for a moment, then struggled even harder. "Get off me, you bastard! Don't touch me!" Lucas' face darkened.

Russell's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Buddy, didn't you hear her? She doesn't want you touching her."

Lucas shot him a cold look. "This is between me and my wife. It's none of your business."

Russell's smile faltered.

Wife?

Watching Aveline struggle, an inexplicable anger flared up inside him. "It doesn't look like it. How about you show me your marriage certificate to prove you're her husband? Otherwise, I can't just hand her over. Lucas' handsome face grew even colder, his expression

darkened. He pulled the marriage certificate out of his pocket. Is this clear enough for you?"

Russell stared at it for a moment, reaching out to take it.

But Lucas quickly put the certificate away. "Since when did the rebellious heir from the Skyler family like playing a hero? Does

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your family know about your sudden change of heart?"

Russell narrowed his eyes. "You know me? Who are you?"

Ignoring him, Lucas turned away, carrying Aveline out of the bar. "Hey, where are you taking Ave?" Selena hurried after them.

Outside the bar, Lucas's cold gaze fell on Selena. "Did you bring her to a place like this?"

Selena felt a chill down her spine under his stare, but she still said, "Where Ave and I go is none of your business! Let her go!" She stepped forward to try to take Aveline back.

Lucas coldly watched her actions. "Looks like you don't want to stay in Cloudflare City anymore."

Selena froze. "Lucas, you're despicable!"

Lucas ignored her and got into the car with Aveline. The car quickly disappeared into the night.

Selena stomped her foot in frustration. "How infuriating!"

Aveline was restless, occasionally reaching out to grab

something or kicking her legs. Lucas had to hold her to keep her from hurting herself. Watching her in this drunken state, his frown deepened.

She drank so much-did she have a death wish?

The car stopped at the Tudor residence, and the security guards. opened the gate. Lucas carried Aveline out of the car and quickly strode into the villa. Alfred Tucker, the butler, saw them and hurriedly asked,

"Mr.

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Lucas, what happened?"

Lucas replied, "Tell the kitchen to prepare some ginger tea."

"Yes, sir." Alfred quickly went to give the instructions.

Lucas placed Aveline on the bed in the bedroom. When he stood up, his clothes were in complete disarray, with one of his shirt buttons missing because Aveline had grabbed it. "Ugh... Where is this? I want to go home, go home..." Aveline tried to get up, looking around the room in a daze, finding it completely unfamiliar.

Lucas pressed her shoulders down. "Aveline, look at me."

Her face was very red, and she tried to open her eyes wide, but everything still seemed blurry. She slapped him on the head.

"What? Stop shaking me! You're making me dizzy!"

Lucas closed his eyes tightly, the veins on his temple throbbing. He realized she was deliberately trying to get back at him!

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"Mr. Lucas, the ginger tea is ready," the servant's voice came through.

"Bring it in," Lucas commanded in a deep voice.

The servant placed the ginger tea on the nightstand, bowed slightly, and left the room, closing the door behind them.

Lucas held Aveline down. "Ave, drink the ginger tea. It'll make you feel better."

Aveline continued to struggle. "No, no, get away from me. I want to go home."

Lucas said, "Drink it, and I'll take you home."

Aveline turned her head and flopped onto the soft bed. "I don't want to go home. I want to live in a big apartment, like one of those 300-square-meter ones!" Lucas pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "This is it. You can stay here from now on."

"Who are you?" Aveline asked.

"Look at me and see who I am," Lucas said, grabbing her chin gently.

Aveline stopped struggling and stared at him for a moment before saying, "Oh, you look familiar, like my scumbag ex-husband."

Lucas's frown deepened. "We haven't divorced yet."

"It's happening soon, very soon." Aveline raised her hand. "After the divorce, I'll have a cute guy on my left and a hand.

on my right. It'll be great!"

Lucas's expression darkened. "We haven't divorced yet, and you're already planning for the future?"

Aveline tilted her head. "Why not? We haven't divorced, but you can still hug other women. Why can't I think about handsome guys? Hey, don't be so unreasonable." Hugging other women? What was she talking about?

Lucas' eyes showed a mix of emotions. He knew she was drunk and couldn't let her go on like this. Without the ginger tea, she would feel terrible.

Lucas picked up the cup and brought it to her lips. "Drink."

Aveline shook her head. "No."

Losing patience, Lucas stared at her intensely, then drank a large mouthful of the tea himself. He held her chin and kissed her, forcing the tea into her mouth.

"Mmm!"

Caught off guard, Aveline was fed a mouthful of ginger tea, causing her to cough violently.

But as soon as she finished coughing, her lips were blocked again. This repeated a few more times until the teacup was empty.

Lucas let Aveline lie down and then went to the bathroom. When he came back, she was already asleep.

Once she quieted down, she seemed much more peaceful. Her cheeks were flushed, her long eyelashes curled, and her features were delicately elegant.

 

He reached out and touched her face. It was warm, likely from the alcohol. The room was quiet, with only the sound of their breathing, sometimes overlapping, so times in sync.

The next morning, Aveline opened her eyes, feeling confused. The sensation under her hand was warm and resilient. She instinctively touched it a few times. Hmm... why did it feel segmented?

The next second, her hand was grabbed.

"Have you touched enough?"

Above her, a man's hoarse voice came through, tinged with drowsiness.

Aveline looked up to see Lucas with half-closed eyes, his dark gaze fixed on her.

Why were they in the same bed? And where was this place?

Aveline remembered going to the bar with Selena last night and dragging a handsome guy to drink. After that... her memory went blank.

"Where is this?" Aveline asked.

"My place," Lucas replied.

"Hah!" Aveline let out a cold laugh. "We aren't even divorced yet, and you've already got a place you call your own."

Lucas's eyes darkened instantly. For some inexplicable reason, hearing her mention divorce made him feel irritable. Yet, it was he who had brought up the idea of divorce in the first place.

Chapter 36

Aveline tried to get up, but he pulled her back down.

"What are you-mmph..."

Before she could finish, his fierce kiss silenced her. Aveline tried to push him away, but he grabbed her hands and pinned them. above her head.

The kiss grew more intense, spreading to her neck, her collarbone...

Their breathing became erratic.

Staring at the intricate ceiling, Aveline's eyes filled with tears. Lucas, I'm not your tool for venting your emotions. If you still appreciate that I saved you once, please let me go."

Please stop this. It was really painful for her. He was supposed to take responsibility for another woman, yet he kept entangling with her over and over. What was the point? Wasn't he the one who wanted a div

Couldn't he be decisive about it?

Lucas' breath on her collarbone grew heavier, but finally, he let her go and got out of bed, heading to the bathroom.

Aveline slowly lowered her hands, closed her eyes, and exhaled a deep breath, feeling a wave of disappointment wash over her. She wished he would say they wouldn't get divorced and that they could continu

Ha! How foolish.

When Lucas came out, Aveline had already composed herself.

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"Let's go to the lawyer's office now," she said.

Lucas's expression turned colder. "Let's eat first."

Aveline started to protest, "No," but her stomach betrayed her with a loud growl.

Her eyes

flickered with embarrassment. "Fine," she mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper.

For some inexplicable reason, the frustration in Lucas' heart eased a bit. He left the bedroom without a word.

Aveline sighed in resignation and followed him. When she opened the door, a servant stood nearby, handing her a bag. Hello, these are the toiletries Mr. Lucas prepared for you."

"Oh, thank you." Aveline took the bag and went back inside to freshen up.

When she emerged from the bedroom, she realized she was in a villa. The bedroom was on

the second floor, with a view of the living room from the railing. The whole villa had a cold, monochromatic color scheme of black, white, and gray.

The servants moved about efficiently and silently.

Aveline descended the stairs and saw Lucas in the dining room. She walked over and sat down without a word, starting to eat.

A fork holding a piece of bacon strip appeared in front of her, placing it on her plate.

"You like bacon," Lucas said in a deep, magnetic voice.

Aveline stared at the bacon for a moment before returning it to his plate. "I don't like it anymore.

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Lucas frowned. "Why don't you like it anymore?"

Aveline replied, "I just don't. Do I need a reason? Do I have to wait until it says it wants to be with someone else before I stop liking it?"

Lucas was speechless.

Aveline drank her milk and ate her fried egg. She wiped her

mouth with a napkin and looked at him, about to say something when she noticed some items in a nearby cabinet.

Why did they look so familiar?

They seemed like things she had thrown away.

Aveline pointed at the items and asked, "Did you pick up the things I threw away?"

The air around them grew noticeably colder. Lucas' tone turned even icier. "Those are things I bought. What does it have to do with you? Do you really think I would pick up what you discarded and keep it?" Aveline blinked. Weren't those the things she threw away?

Why did they look so much like them?

Chapter 37

"Let's go," Lucas said as he stood up, blocking her view.

Aveline looked at him. "Huh?"

Lucas looked down at her. "Aren't we going to the lawyer's office?

Aveline lowered her eyes and didn't say anything. She got up and followed him out of the Tudor residence.

As she glanced back at the expansive and luxurious villa, she couldn't help but say, "What a shame, I won't be able to come here anymore."

She did like this place.

"You can still come," Lucas suddenly said.

Aveline looked at him, meeting his dark, intense eyes. She smiled and replied, "No thanks. It would be awkward if I ran into you and Miss Winter getting cozy.

Lucas's brow furrowed, and his demeanor grew colder.

He stopped looking at her and got into the car.

Aveline took the front passenger seat, but the driver didn't start the car.

She blinked in confusion. "What's the hold-up? Let's go."

The driver was sweating nervously. "Could you please sit in the back?"

Aveline turned to look at Lucas. Sure enough, he looked even more displeased than before. She found it amusing. "You told me

 

to sit in the front before, and now you don't want me to. Why are you so fickle after regaining your memory?"

Lucas just stared at her coldly.

Without his command, the driver didn't dare to start the car.

Aveline rolled her eyes and moved to the back seat. "You're really hard to please. Good thing we're getting divorced."

Otherwise, living with him would be such a headache.

Her words made the car's atmosphere even more tense. The driver glanced nervously in the rearview mirror before finally starting the car. Aveline took out her phone and noticed it was off. When she turned it on, countless messages flooded in, taking a while to stop.

Most of the messages were from Selena, so she called her right

away.

"Ave, where are you? Are you safe? If you've been kidnapped, just cough once, and I'll call the police!" Selena's anxious voice came through. Aveline couldn't help but laugh. "I'm not some important

person. Who would kidnap me? I'm fine. I called to let you know so you wouldn't worry."

Selena sighed in relief. "Thank goodness you're okay. I would've hated myself if anything happened to you."

Aveline asked, "Why do you say that?"

Selena replied, "I couldn't stop that jerk from taking you. If it

weren't for him, you'd be off having fun with some cute guy by

 

now!"

Hearing this, Aveline's eyelashes fluttered, and she glanced at the man beside her. Lucas had his eyes closed, his profile sharp and defined, exuding a tense aura Covering the phone with her hand, she whispered, "Yeah, he really messed things up."

As soon as she said that, a cold gaze fell on her.

Aveline cleared her throat. "Alright, there's nothing to worry about, I'll hang up now."

"Okay."

After ending the call, she turned to Lucas. "What are you staring at?"

Lucas's deep, dark eyes were unreadable, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

At that moment, Aveline's phone rang again. She picked it up and saw it was her department manager, William Foster, calling. Hello, Mr. Foster."

"Aveline, where are you? Get back here right away. There's a problem with the project you're in charge of!"

Aveline's expression immediately turned serious. "What happened?"

William replied, "I can't explain over the phone. You need to come back now."

Divorced 37

Chapter 38

Aveline hung up the phone and turned to Lucas. "I need to go. back to the office."

Lucas's expression was cold. "No, we'll file for divorce first."

Aveline felt a pang in her chest but responded, "I can divorce you anytime, but I can't lose my job. You know I rely on this job to make a living."

Lucas' dark eyes stared at her for a long moment before he finally said, "Go to the office."

The driver immediately changed direction.

As soon as they got out of the car, Aveline hurried towards the elevator. She got in just as it arrived and pressed the close button without waiting for Lucas. But just before the doors closed, a hand reached in, tr doors.

Aveline sighed. Couldn't he have taken the other elevator?

Lucas's tall figure entered, making the elevator feel even smaller. Aveline stood in the corner, opening the project files on her phone to review all the details and ensure she was prepared to discuss them with he When the elevator doors opened, Aveline walked out without looking back.

Lucas watched her slender figure disappear, some of the darkness in his eyes fading.

As soon as Aveline entered the office, she noticed the unusual atmosphere. Everyone looked serious, and William was pacing

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back and forth, looking extremely stressed.

"Mr. Foster, what's going on?" Aveline asked.

Seeing her, the manager immediately said, "The design plans for the Shenton project were leaked. Someone used them to negotiate with Brighton Enterprises first.

"Brighton Enterprises just called me to say they're reconsidering the collaboration. Miss Young, you were in charge of the Shenton project. During this time, did you ever take any materials out of the office?" Aveline's expression turned serious. "Mr. Foster, are you accusing me of leaking the plans?"

William replied, "I just checked with everyone else, and they have no suspicions. But you've been coming in early and leaving late,

and you've even missed a few days of work. Miss Young, I know you're capable, but it's hard not to suspect you."

Aveline responded, "I was in the hospital for a work injury. Are you counting that against me too?"

At that moment, a woman's voice interrupted, "Isn't it easy to do something like this while you're in the hospital?"

The woman was Zoe Fox, who had previously competed with Aveline for the Shenton project, which Aveline ultimately secured.

Aveline replied, "Did you see me leaking the plans?"

Zoe paused. "Of course not."

"Then why are you talking nonsense?" Aveline retorted.

Zoe's expression darkened.

 

William waved his hand. "Now is not the time for arguments. The most important thing right now is to salvage our collaboration with Brighton Enterprises. You all know what this deal means. If we succeed, it will He then turned to Aveline. "Miss Young, you are the main person responsible for this project. What do you think?"

Aveline lowered her gaze and, after a moment of contemplation, said, "I will work to recover the losses and get Brighton Enterprises to collaborate with us again."

Zoe scoffed. "You're so full of yourself."

Aveline looked at her, her clear eyes filled with coldness.

Zoe muttered a curse and walked away.

William said, "Alright, we're counting on you. Everyone else, stay focused and don't neglect your tasks."

Aveline returned to her desk, stared at her computer in deep thought for a while, then took out her phone to send a message to Selena.

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Aveline texted, "Selena, can you find out Brighton Enterprises' CEO's schedule?"

Selena replied, "I'll try!"

Aveline turned off her phone and waited quietly.

In the CEO's office, Desmond explained the situation to Lucas and then asked, "Mr. Tudor, should we arrange a meeting with Brighton Enterprises?"

Lucas replied, "No need."

Desmond was taken aback. "But if this isn't handled well, Miss Young might lose her job."

Since the incident happened under her watch, if she couldn't manage it and find the leaker, she would take the fall. Getting fired would be the least of her worries. If rumors spread that she leaked company secr Lucas looked at the documents on his desk, his expression calm and distant. "She can handle it."

His tone was confident as if he knew her very well.

And he did.

With her personality, she wouldn't take the blame quietly.

Desmond looked at him, feeling conflicted. They were about to divorce, yet Lucas still seemed so proud of her.

 

Around noon, Selena messaged Aveline.

Selena texted, "I found it! In two days, the Skyler family's precious princess is hosting a birthday party and has invited all the elites of Cloudflare City, including Brighton Enterprises' boss.

"I'll send you the time and place, but babe, I can't get you an invitation."

Aveline replied, "Knowing this is enough. I'll treat you to dinner another day!"

Selena texted back, "Great, I want spicy chicken!"

Aveline replied, "No problem!"

The Skyler family's heiress, Jennifer Skyler, was hosting her birthday party on a yacht. Aveline started monitoring the event early and found out they were hiring part-time servers. She signed up immediately.

After two days of training, the yacht party began that evening.

Aveline took her bag and went to the changing room to change. After most people had arrived, she went back to the changing room and took out the evening gown she had prepared earlier.

She was there just to find someone, so she kept it simple. With light makeup and a black evening gown that was understated yet elegant, she finished her look with a touch of lipstick and stepped out.

By this time, the yacht was sailing into the middle of the sea. The eight-deck yacht was brightly lit, and the deck was filled with elegantly dressed guests, mingling and enjoying the event.

 

Aveline took a glass of champagne from a waiter and began searching for Brighton Enterprises' CEO, Henry Brighton. However, the yacht was enormous, and she found herself wandering around the deck like She couldn't afford to miss this opportunity, but where was he?

As she looked around, she suddenly bumped into someone.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Aveline quickly apologized. When she turned to see who she had bumped into, the person looked somewhat familiar.

The man in front of her had neatly styled gray hair and a casual, roguish smile. His black suit was slightly unbuttoned at the collar, giving him a carefree, charming look.

Russell recognized Aveline and a look of surprise flashed in his eyes. Seeing the confusion in her eyes, he chuckled. "What? You don't remember me?"

Aveline hesitated. "Have we met?"

Russell replied, "That night, you took my earpiece and insisted we drink together..."

Aveline suddenly remembered, her face showing a bit of

embarrassment. "I'm really sorry about that. I drank too much and didn't mean to offend you.

Chapter 40

Russell looked at her in surprise, thinking she was completely different from how she acted at the bar that night, drinking like crazy and unstoppable.

"It's fine," Russell said, glancing at his clothes before adding, "Was-this also an accident?"

Aveline felt even more embarrassed. "This really was an

accident. How about you give me your jacket, and I'll clean it for you?"

Russell chuckled. "Here? Now?"

Aveline frowned. "I'm Aveline Young from DK Group's

Cloudflare City branch. You can send the jacket to my office, and I'll have it cleaned and returned to you."

Her sense of boundaries and distance was well executed.

"Aveline..." Russell silently repeated her name, then said, " Alright, I'll remember you."

With that, he turned and walked away.

Aveline sighed in relief. Thankfully, he didn't pursue the matter. She really didn't want any more trouble.

On the second floor, near the railing, Sophia watched below with a look of surprise.

Aveline was here too?

How did she get in?

Seeing that Aveline was alone and dressed plainly without any jewelry, Sophia narrowed her eyes.

BONUS

She guessed that Aveline probably didn't have an invitation.

At such an event, anyone caught sneaking in would be thrown into the sea. Ha!

Aveline resumed her search for Henry. Finally, on another deck, she spotted him chatting happily with a group of people.

Surrounded by many, she couldn't approach him directly. So, she stood at a distance, quietly waiting for an opportunity.

The night grew darker, the sea beyond the railing a pitch-

black expanse with the faint sound of waves gently brushing against the yacht. At that moment, Henry moved, walking with a few others towards the opposite side of the deck.

He was leaving!

Aveline's heart tightened, and she immediately followed him.

"Mr. Brighton, hello. I'm Aveline Young from DK Group's Cloudflare City branch and the lead on the Shenton project. I'd like to discuss the design concepts and ideas for the Shenton project with you. I believe n She blocked Henry's path, saying all this in one breath, then waited for his response.

The smile on Henry's face faded slightly. "But I've already received better design plans. I'm not interested in yours."

Aveline replied, "What you received is my design plan..."

Henry Brighton cut her off, "That's your issue. Please don't waste my time."

At the same time, two servers approached. "Do you have an invitation?"

Aveline's expression froze.

Henry walked away. Instinctively, she wanted to follow, but the servers blocked her. "Stop. Please show your invitation."

Their voices were loud, drawing the attention of those around them.

"I..." Aveline began to speak, but then she saw two people not far

away.

Lucas and Sophia.

They stood together like a perfect couple-Lucas tall and handsome, Sophia gentle and graceful.

Aveline suddenly felt deeply embarrassed, like a joke being scrutinized by everyone, and Lucas happened to see it.

Would he mock her for overestimating herself?

Aveline's fingers clenched tightly.

The server's tone grew more aggressive, "Please show your invitation. If you can't, we'll have to throw you into the sea as per the rules!"

Not far away, Lucas downed his champagne in one gulp and started walking towards Aveline.