Chapter 119: Teacher Kennedy!
Trish Hale hadn’t been home for more than a month while preparing for her final examinations, making this only her second visit to Stillwater Bay.
The first time she came, the villa had still been in the middle of furnishing. Many of the luxury decorations hadn’t arrived yet, and several rooms were still empty.
Now, however, everything had been completed. Every corner of the house looked elegant, warm, and perfectly coordinated.
The moment she stepped inside, Trish’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
She hurried from room to room, darting up and down the grand staircase while exploring every inch of the villa. When she finally discovered the spacious bedroom that had been specially prepared for her, she let out a delighted squeal and threw herself backward onto the enormous bed.
She refused to get up.
Wrapping a brand-new pillow tightly in her arms, she buried her face in it and breathed in its clean, comforting scent.
"Do you like it?" Luca Hale asked with a smile as he sat casually on the edge of the bed. Reaching out, he gently ruffled his sister’s hair.
"Mmm!"
Trish lifted herself slightly and rested her cheek against Luca’s open palm. Closing her eyes, she leaned into his touch like a contented kitten.
"You know..." she murmured, "I used to secretly laugh at those rich kids in my class who were always showing off how much money their families had."
She slowly opened her eyes and looked around the luxurious bedroom.
"But standing here now... I finally understand how wonderful it feels to be rich."
Their family had never been poor, but they certainly hadn’t been wealthy either. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have given up her competitive dance lessons years ago just to reduce the financial burden at home and focus entirely on school.
She had witnessed the family’s transformation firsthand, watching them go from an ordinary household to one that now lived in one of the most luxurious neighborhoods in the city.
Even the house was cleaned by professional staff every week.
That was something Trish had never even dared imagine.
All she could say was that her brother was incredible.
In such a short time, he had accumulated more wealth than countless ordinary families could hope to earn over generations.
If Luca could somehow hear what she was thinking, he would have laughed.
’Girl... you’re still underestimating me. My current wealth isn’t something most families could earn in a hundred lifetimes.’
...
The following day, shortly after lunch, Trish escorted their mother to a nearby driving academy to register for lessons.
The decision completely ruined Mother Hale’s original plan of gathering a few friends for an afternoon of cards at the old neighborhood square.
As she walked toward the academy, she couldn’t stop muttering playful complaints under her breath, making both Luca and Trish chuckle.
Around four in the afternoon, with the villa suddenly quiet, Luca decided it was time to pick Sophie Kennedy up from work.
The private learning academy where she taught wasn’t very far away. After taking public transportation, he arrived in the central commercial district in less than thirty minutes.
The trip itself, however, wasn’t nearly as peaceful.
On the train, two elegantly dressed women covered in expensive jewelry had persistently tried to strike up conversations with him, repeatedly asking for his phone number.
It took considerable effort to politely decline both of them.
After stepping off the train, Luca let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Remembering the almost predatory way the two women had looked at him, he suddenly thought of Sophie.
She usually rode public transportation alone.
That realization made him frown.
’I really overlooked this.’
It was probably time to buy her a car.
Even if she planned to move to San Fierro in two months, there was no reason she couldn’t have a comfortable luxury vehicle to use in the meantime.
...
Since it was a weekend, the academy wasn’t particularly busy.
Most of its students attended intensive weekday classes, so only a handful were present that afternoon.
As soon as Luca stepped out of the elevator and entered the reception lobby, the young receptionist behind the front desk looked up.
A flash of surprise crossed her eyes.
The first thing she noticed was Luca himself.
Tall, handsome, and carrying himself with effortless confidence, he looked like someone who had stepped straight out of a fashion magazine.
Then her gaze drifted to his clothes.
At first glance, his outfit appeared simple and understated.
Looking closer, however, she recognized the subtle Armani logo embroidered into his tailored shirt. His loafers were unmistakably Versace, and resting on his wrist was an exquisite Patek Philippe watch whose value she couldn’t even begin to estimate.
There was no way someone dressed like that came from an ordinary background.
"Good afternoon, sir," she greeted professionally, naturally assuming he had come to inquire about tutoring services.
"May I ask how old your child is? We offer programs ranging from elementary enrichment classes all the way to advanced high school preparation."
Luca smiled politely.
"Thank you, but I’m actually here to see someone."
"I’m looking for Teacher Sophie Kennedy. Is she available?"
The moment he referred to her as "Teacher Kennedy," an amusing thought surfaced in his mind.
’Teacher Sophie...’
’If she ever wore one of those strict professional teacher outfits at home...’
’Cough...’
He immediately stopped himself.
’Seriously... when did my self-control become this weak?’
Then again, whenever the matter involved Sophie or any of the girls, his restraint had never exactly been remarkable.
"Oh... you’re looking for Teacher Kennedy?"
The receptionist’s expression changed almost imperceptibly.
The warmth she’d shown moments earlier faded slightly.
She gestured toward a leather sofa in the corner of the lobby.
"Please have a seat over there. Her class won’t finish for another half hour."
The shift in attitude was subtle, but impossible to miss.
Luca noticed it immediately.
As he walked toward the sofa, he saw the receptionist lean toward another employee behind the counter. The two exchanged several whispered remarks before glancing toward him again.
Luca frowned slightly.
Opening a magazine, he flipped through it absentmindedly without reading a single page.
His thoughts were elsewhere.
’Could Sophie be unpopular here?’
That didn’t seem possible.
With her gentle personality, it was difficult to imagine her ever making enemies.
Just as he was trying to figure out what was going on, the second receptionist approached with a cup of freshly brewed tea.
"Sir, would you like some tea while you wait?"
Luca immediately stood and accepted it with both hands.
"Thank you."
As she turned to leave, he spoke again in a polite, quiet voice.
"Excuse me... would you mind if I borrowed two minutes of your time?"
Anything involving Sophie’s workplace mattered to him.
The receptionist hesitated briefly and instinctively glanced toward her colleague.
After meeting Luca’s sincere gaze, however, she nodded.
"Of course."
"Thank you."
Luca got straight to the point.
"I wanted to ask about Teacher Kennedy."
"How has she been doing here? Is everything alright at work?"