Chapter 125: Never Stood A Chance!
"No need," Luca said with a polite smile. "My girlfriend will be out in a minute."
As he declined her invitation, Luca casually lifted the designer handbag he was holding and gave it a small wave, making it perfectly clear that his heart already belonged to someone else.
Even without the gesture, Lisandra Bonnet had noticed the handbag from the moment she approached him.
She simply didn’t care.
She had always believed in aiming for the biggest fish in the pond.
Quite a few of the successful men saved in her contacts were already married. In her mind, there was nothing wrong with enjoying life while she was young.
One day, when she finally grew tired of excitement, she would settle down with a decent man from a wealthy family and spend the rest of her life as a comfortable, pampered wife.
To her, that sounded like the perfect ending.
"It’s okay, handsome." Lisandra smiled as though it were the most natural thing in the world. "I don’t mind. As long as you don’t tell and I don’t tell, your girlfriend will never know."
Unfortunately for her, that attitude happened to be one of the things Luca disliked most.
’She probably does this every day.’
’Collecting men’s contact information... treating people like fish swimming into her little pond.’
’And now she’s trying to hook me too.’
"But I mind."
His reply was calm, yet completely final.
Without giving her another glance, Luca turned and headed toward the restroom corridor.
The wall-length mirror reflected a familiar figure standing quietly near the sinks.
Sophie Kennedy happened to look up at the same moment.
The instant their eyes met through the mirror, a bright smile spread across her face. Her eyes curved gently, filled with warmth that words couldn’t quite express.
Then something caught her attention.
Her smile paused.
"Luca... who’s that behind you?"
Only after Sophie mentioned it did Luca realize Lisandra had followed him all the way to the restroom entrance.
He frowned.
"Is there something else you need?"
His voice had noticeably cooled.
This woman’s refusal to take the hint was rapidly wearing away what little patience he had left.
"N... no. I’m sorry."
Lisandra hurriedly apologized before turning around and practically fleeing down the hallway.
His icy tone had genuinely startled her.
But that wasn’t the biggest reason she backed off.
The real reason...
...was Sophie.
The moment Lisandra saw her face clearly, every bit of confidence she had built over the years quietly crumbled.
Sophie’s beauty wasn’t flashy.
It was effortless.
Clean, graceful, and almost unreal.
For only the second time in her life, Lisandra found herself completely overshadowed by another woman.
The first time had been back in university.
A freshman with an impossibly pure and delicate face had stolen the title of campus beauty almost the moment she arrived.
Now, years later, she’d met someone every bit as stunning.
Thinking she’d had a chance to steal Luca away from a woman like this...
She couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at herself.
She had truly overestimated her own charm.
---
Once they stepped into the elevator, Luca briefly explained what had happened.
Sophie listened quietly before smiling.
"I understand."
With Luca’s appearance, it would have been stranger if beautiful women didn’t approach him.
If she became jealous every time it happened, she’d have exhausted herself long ago.
She trusted him.
That was enough.
---
By the time they left the cinema, it was nearly midnight.
The sky was clear, with only a handful of stars scattered beneath a bright summer moon. A cool breeze drifted through the quiet streets, carrying away the last traces of the day’s warmth.
This time, Luca slipped into the driver’s seat of the BMW M2 while Sophie settled beside him.
The sports car glided smoothly through the city before reaching the entrance to Stillwater Bay.
Instead of turning in, Luca drove straight past it.
The city lights gradually disappeared behind them.
"Luca..." Sophie looked over curiously. "Where are we going?"
Soon, they found themselves on narrow country roads with no streetlights.
Dark trees lined both sides of the road, their branches swaying gently in the night breeze. Far away, only a few scattered lights from distant homes flickered against the darkness.
Crickets chirped endlessly while the occasional bird called from somewhere deep within the woods, creating a peaceful silence unique to the countryside.
Ordinarily, Sophie would never have dared come somewhere this secluded alone at night.
But with Luca beside her...
She didn’t feel frightened in the slightest.
Instead, quiet excitement sparkled in her eyes.
The BMW crossed an old stone bridge before climbing a winding mountain road.
About thirty minutes later, they reached the summit.
Luca parked in a spacious clearing overlooking the valley below.
Although it was already mid-June, the mountain air still carried a refreshing chill.
A cool gust swept across the overlook.
Without thinking, Sophie leaned a little closer.
Luca smiled faintly and slipped an arm around her slender waist, drawing her gently into his embrace.
She rested comfortably against his chest as they stood together, watching the countless lights glittering far below like scattered stars across the earth.
His warm breath brushed softly against the edge of her ear, sending a pleasant shiver through her body.
A rosy blush gradually spread across her cheeks.
Hidden beneath the cover of night, it glowed like the last traces of a summer sunset.
"Luca... wait... ah..."
His fingers traced lightly along her waist before brushing against her side.
Sophie closed her eyes instinctively.
A soft breath escaped her lips as her delicate brows trembled ever so slightly.
The sensation left her body tingling.
Her legs weakened until she was almost entirely leaning against him for support.
"Carry me back..." she whispered softly.
Luca looked down at her with an amused smile.
"Back where?"
She opened her eyes, tilting her head with an adorable little pout.
"You said we were going back..."
Before she could finish speaking, her words disappeared beneath a gentle kiss.
A moment later, Sophie felt herself lifted effortlessly into his arms.
She instinctively wrapped both arms around his neck, hiding her burning face against his chest.
As Luca carried her toward the reclined passenger seat, the soft glow from the dashboard painted her crimson cheeks with warm amber light.
Neither of them said another word.
They already knew exactly what was about to happen next.