Chapter 135: Vivienne... Day?
"Mr. Holding," Luca Hale interrupted calmly, his gaze steady. "Would David Day’s cousin happen to be Vivienne, the woman who runs that premium pharmaceutical company?"
Hank’s eyes widened ever so slightly.
"She is." He looked at Luca with surprise. "Do you know her, Mr. Hale?"
A faint smile spread across Luca’s face as he nodded.
Just as I thought.
He had never imagined that Vivienne was not only the formidable chairwoman of a major pharmaceutical company but also a member of one of New Orleans’ most influential families.
The moment her name was mentioned, a trace of warmth and unmistakable longing surfaced in his star-like eyes.
Hank quietly took notice.
He had seen that exact expression only moments earlier when Luca looked at Naomi Monroe.
A bold thought suddenly crossed his mind.
Could it be...?
Even Hank found the possibility difficult to believe.
A billionaire having more than one romantic relationship wasn’t particularly shocking. Among the highest levels of society, that wasn’t exactly unheard of.
What truly stunned him was the realization that Luca had actually won Vivienne’s heart.
As for the idea that Vivienne and Luca were already in a committed relationship...
That completely overturned everything Hank believed about the famously cold and untouchable eldest daughter of the Day family.
"Yes," Luca admitted without the slightest hesitation. "Vivienne is my lover."
"What?!"
The words landed like a thunderclap.
Almost everyone standing on the hotel steps, including Harvey Adams, stared at Luca with eyes wide in disbelief.
The eldest daughter of the Day family...
...was dating Luca Hale?
For a moment, nobody could process what they had just heard.
Surely they weren’t talking about the same Vivienne.
The legendary ice queen?
But Luca had declared it openly in front of the entire Twist board.
He clearly wasn’t worried about rumors or public scrutiny.
This wasn’t bragging.
It was simply the truth.
Standing nearby, Nora Rachel instinctively tightened her grip on Naomi’s hand. Anxiety flooded her eyes.
She had never met Vivienne herself, but she understood exactly what the Day family represented in New Orleans.
The thought that Naomi’s romantic rival was someone like Vivienne made her chest tighten.
Over the years, Nora had met countless wealthy businessmen who kept more than one woman.
But Naomi’s situation was different.
This wasn’t an ordinary rival.
This was the eldest daughter of the Day family.
Even if Naomi eventually became one of the biggest creators on Twist, she would still seem insignificant beside someone born into that level of influence.
Noticing Nora’s worried expression, Naomi simply smiled gently.
She understood exactly why Nora was anxious, and the concern warmed her heart.
The truth was...
She used to think exactly the same way.
When she first met Vivienne, she’d been overwhelmed by feelings of inferiority.
Yet Luca had never shown the slightest sign of preferring one over the other.
Instead, he had simply wrapped his arms around her waist, held her close, and quietly told her...
"You aren’t any less than anyone else."
From that moment onward, Naomi had never doubted him again.
She knew with absolute certainty that Luca would never abandon her.
Besides...
Vivienne had always treated her with incredible kindness.
There wasn’t even the slightest trace of hostility between them.
In fact, just the other night, Vivienne had hidden beneath the blanket while Luca was in the shower, planning to surprise both of them.
The memory instantly resurfaced.
A rosy blush spread across Naomi’s cheeks, making her already beautiful face appear even more radiant beneath the afternoon sun.
Watching her serene smile, Nora finally realized she’d been worrying for nothing.
Naomi looked genuinely happy.
"Mr. Hale," Hank said after a long pause, "you’re truly a man who speaks little... but accomplishes astonishing things."
There was genuine admiration in his voice.
Unlike Harvey Adams and the others, Hank knew much more about Vivienne’s past.
He honestly couldn’t imagine how Luca had managed to melt the heart of a woman who had rejected countless exceptional men over the years.
What amazed him even more was Naomi’s reaction.
Luca had openly declared his relationship with Vivienne right in front of her, yet Naomi hadn’t shown even the slightest hint of jealousy.
Looking into Luca’s calm, unwavering eyes, Hank felt as though they contained a confidence capable of drawing people in effortlessly.
’Is this... the highest level of relationship management?’
If they hadn’t been standing outside a luxury hotel in broad daylight, several younger executives might have already surrounded Luca, begging him for advice.
After exchanging farewells with Harvey Adams and the other shareholders, Luca and Naomi finally returned to the Presidential Suite.
Luca was in an exceptionally good mood.
Declaring his relationship so openly in front of all those corporate heavyweights had been oddly satisfying.
"I’m exhausted."
Naomi kicked off her high heels the moment she entered the suite. They slid across the polished wooden floor before she collapsed onto the sofa, stretching out with a weary sigh.
Between Zenith Entertainment Group’s relentless harassment and everything that followed, she was drained physically and mentally.
Luca slipped into his indoor slippers before walking over.
"Would you like a massage?"
He gently lifted Naomi into his arms and settled her comfortably on his lap.
She leaned against his chest without hesitation.
"Mmh... yes, please."
Luca’s hands were surprisingly skilled.
Within moments of his fingers working over her shoulders, Naomi let out soft, comfortable sighs.
The tension gradually melted away.
Slowly...
The massage became something else entirely.
Naomi’s breathing grew noticeably faster.
A delicate blush spread across her neck before climbing all the way to her cheeks.
"Mm..."
She looked back at him with slightly misty eyes.
"Honey... where exactly are you massaging?"
Luca chuckled.
"If you don’t like it, I can stop."
The instant his hand started to move away, Naomi immediately caught it with both of hers and pressed it firmly back into place.
The warmth of her touch sent a pleasant jolt through Luca.
"We should..." Naomi mumbled shyly. "Take a shower first... and then..."
"And then?" Luca asked, unable to hide the grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Naomi rolled her eyes, though the smile threatening to escape betrayed her embarrassment.
"You already know."
After saying that, she opened her arms toward him.
"Carry me."
How could Luca possibly refuse?
He immediately scooped her into his arms.
Holding her securely against his chest, he carried her toward the master bathroom.
His footsteps echoed softly down the hallway.
By the time they crossed the bathroom doorway...
The trail of discarded clothes behind them had already begun.
...
Across another district of New Orleans, Hank Holding finally returned home.
The front door had barely closed behind him when a graceful woman wearing a flowing silk nightgown walked over to greet him.
"Why did you drink so much?" Tessa Rose asked with gentle concern.
She helped him remove his suit jacket before disappearing into the kitchen.
Moments later, she returned carrying a steaming cup of herbal tea.
Hank drank nearly half the cup in one long swallow before letting out a satisfied sigh.
Then he looked at his wife with an unusually mysterious smile.
"Tessa..."
"You’ll never guess who I met at today’s shareholders’ banquet."
She sat beside him and adjusted her nightgown.
"Weren’t you just attending another meeting with the Twist shareholders?"
"I was."
"But I met Luca Hale."
"The young man who recently spent hundreds of millions buying thirty percent of Twist."
Tessa blinked.
"Alright... and?"
"What makes that so special?"
Hank laughed quietly.
"Normally? Nothing."
"But for you..."
He deliberately paused.
"...it’s something you’ll find very interesting."
Seeing him drag things out, Tessa let out an impatient sigh.
"If you’re going to keep playing suspense games, I’m going upstairs."
She made a show of standing.
"Alright, alright!"
Hank quickly grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her back onto the sofa.
Then, lowering his voice, he delivered the bombshell.
"Luca Hale publicly admitted today..."
"...that Vivienne is his lover."
The instant the words left his mouth, Hank didn’t take his eyes off Tessa’s face for even a second.
He was afraid he’d miss the slightest reaction.
"What?"
Tessa shot to her feet.
Her eyes widened dramatically, and for several seconds she simply stared at Hank in stunned silence.
Finally, she stepped closer.
"Did you hear him correctly?"
"Are you absolutely certain he wasn’t talking about someone else?"
Hank nodded without hesitation.
"I couldn’t believe it myself at first."
"But there wasn’t the slightest room for misunderstanding."
"It was definitely her."
His certainty left no room for doubt.
As his wife, Tessa knew Hank wasn’t someone who exaggerated or joked about serious matters.
Because she trusted him completely...
The shock hit her even harder.
Vivienne...
No one understood Vivienne better than Tessa Rose.
After all...
She wasn’t just Vivienne’s closest lifelong friend.
She had also been...
Vivienne’s very first love.