Lucas frowned and hung up the phone, then walked out.In the garden, Sophia had already approached Barbara. She held out a cotton candy shaped like a kitten. "Madam Barbara, look at this cute little kitten."Barbara's eyes lit up when she saw the cotton candy, but she didn't take it. Instead, she tugged on Aveline's hand."Granddaughter-in-law, you get me cotton candy. I don't like kittens; I like bunnies."From the moment Sophia appeared, Aveline had instinctively tensed up. But when she heard Barbara's voice, she suddenly relaxed. An indescribable feeling welled up inside her, making her feel a bit sad and close to tears."Okay, I'll get you one," Aveline said.Barbara smiled brightly. "My granddaughter-in-law is the best."Sophia, still holding the cotton candy, froze awkwardly. She slowly withdrew her hand and looked at Aveline. " Madam Barbara likes you very much."Aveline replied calmly, "She just happens to find me pleasing."Sophia smiled slightly, lowering her eyes with a hint
Aveline looked away and turned to leave the nursing home...."Lucas, thank you. I suddenly feel a lot of pain in my leg," Sophia said, leaning on Lucas's arm for support, frowning.Lucas stared at her prosthetic leg and asked in a deep voice, "Do you need a wheelchair?"Sophia shook her head with a smile. "No, this pain happens every day. I just have to endure it. It's a lingering issue from two years ago..."Realizing what she had said, she quickly added, "Lucas, don't misunderstand. I didn't mean anything by it, I just...""I'll have someone take you home," Lucas interrupted, guiding her outside.Sophia lowered her gaze slightly. She had seen Aveline and deliberately mentioned her leg pain to make Lucas support her. From Aveline's perspective, it would look like Lucas was hugging her. Though it was a misunderstanding, she felt she had to act. She needed Aveline to know she and Lucas were the true couple and that Aveline was just the third party.She savored Lucas' warmth and walked
"Darling Ave, want to come out and have some fun? I found a great new bar," Selena's excited voice came through.Aveline took a deep breath and said, "Sure, send me the location.""OK, see you soon."After hanging up, Aveline looked at the sunset once more, the pain in her chest still lingering. She scoffed at herself.He was already messing around with Sophia, so why should she care anymore?Once she got the divorce settlement, she'd be living the high life with young, handsome men on each arm, carefree and happy!Why not start enjoying that life a bit early?When Aveline arrived at Feline Bar, Selena was waiting at the entrance. She rushed up to her and gave her a big hug."Ave, how do you manage to look prettier every time I see you?"Aveline laughed. "You always know how to flatter me."Selena linked arms with her and led her inside. "I heard the DJ here is wild. You're going to love it!"Aveline teased, "Did you forget I'm a married woman?"Selena scoffed. "Why should that matter?
"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 and screaming.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
Sophia sat next to Lucas, holding her phone and looking at recipes. Seeing a dish she liked, she leaned closer to him. "Lucas, how about I make this dish? But we need to go to the supermarket; I don't have enough ingredients at home."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 happe
"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 from her demeanor, it seemed she was drinking to drown her sorrows."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'
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
"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,