Chapter 17

Vespera opened the message. Raymond had replied, "On Friday, I'll be accompanying Mr. Reid to a meeting at the Amara Hotel. Ms. Gildon, perhaps you could deliver the suit there." Vespera blinked. "What does that even mean?" A flood of questions filled her mind. Dominic asked to meet her again, and it was at a hotel—not just any hotel, but a secluded one—so isolated that if someone screamed or even committed a crime, no one would hear a thing. She thought, "What… exactly does Mr. Reid want?" She refused to overthink it. It wasn't about being scared or turning down an opportunity handed to her. She simply couldn't read this man. She had no interest in getting caught up in anything beyond her career. After a long moment of consideration, she decided to handle it the same way he did—by ignoring it for now. … In the parking garage, Raymond sighed and slipped his phone back into his pocket. He knew there was no need to force things, but he had a feeling that wasn't what Dominic truly wanted. Besides, he had heard from Gerard that Vespera had actively applied to be Dominic's secretary. There had to be some misunderstanding between them. So, he had taken the liberty of arranging this. They could only clear things up face-to-face. But Vespera was just as stubborn. The Bentley pulled out of the community, passing by a Ferrari parked on the side of the road. Inside the Ferrari, Luke sat motionless. His calls had gone unanswered. His messages were ignored. His patience was on the verge of snapping. Moments later, the resident list for Lanton Residences, the one he had someone look into, came through on his phone. But what shocked him first wasn't seeing Vespera's name—it was the name listed for the penthouse—Dominic, the heir of the Reid family. Luke had already heard whispers of Dominic's return. The Reid family had always ruled over Halewick from the shadows, keeping an air of mystery. Their family members rarely appeared in public, and while Luke wasn't in the same circle as Dominic, they had crossed paths before. At 15 or 16, he had seen him at an event—aloof, distant, and untouchable, like a statue of polished marble. And now, Vespera had secretly bought a place right under his penthouse. He wondered if there was a connection between them or if it was merely a coincidence. Luke's mind drifted back to that moment on the golf course. … Two hours later, Vespera finally drove out of the Lanton Residences. The moment she spotted that familiar Ferrari on the side of the road, she slammed on the brakes. Luke sat inside, smoking, white tendrils curling against his sharp features. His expression was terrifying. Vespera's mind raced. By the time she pulled up next to him, she had already thought of a plan. She stepped out of her car, opened his passenger door, and slid in. Taking the initiative, she spoke first, her voice cold and direct. "What are you doing here? Are you following me?" Luke took the cigarette from his lips, picked up his phone from the dashboard, and tossed it onto her lap. "Explain this." Vespera picked it up and saw the resident list from Lanton Residences on the glowing screen. Without hesitation, she handed the phone back. "I've worked for years. What's wrong with buying myself a place? I paid the down payment with my own money. Not a single cent of yours." Luke's gaze darkened, unfazed by her attempt to shift the conversation. "Vespera, don't play games with me. Is this about money? Why did you buy that apartment, and why did you keep it from me?" She replied, "I didn't think it was necessary to tell you. I wanted a home that truly belonged to me, with my name on the deed. Is that so unreasonable?" Back then, the Munoz family accused her of being after their wealth and forced her to sign a prenuptial agreement. Luke stilled for a moment, then let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "Have I ever been stingy with you? The jewelry and gifts I've given you over the years—don't they add up to more than an apartment?" She said nothing. Luke pulled out his wallet and grabbed a handful of black and gold cards, tossing them onto her lap. "You want to buy property? Go ahead. Buy as many as you want. Put your name on every single one until you're satisfied." Vespera let out a faint smile. "How generous of you, Mr. Munoz." Maybe she should just focus on the money, turn a blind eye to his betrayals, and be the unfeeling woman who does nothing but take his money. It wouldn't be the worst option. But deep down, she knew she could never accept a life that felt like a dead end. She picked up the wallet that had fallen beside her and carefully placed each card back inside. "I'm not in the mood to buy anything right now. When I am, I'll ask you for the money." She placed the wallet back on his lap. Just as she was about to pull her hand away, Luke caught her wrist and turned to look at her. "Do you not trust me anymore?" Vespera thought to herself, "You're just realizing that now?" Vespera found him both infuriating and ridiculous. She smiled, bright and carefree. "Trust? What does that matter? As long as you're happy, right?" She withdrew her hand. Just then, her phone rang. Her fingers stiffened slightly. She wondered if Raymond was calling because she hadn't responded to his message. Luke noticed the slight tension in her posture, his gaze sharpening. "You ignore my calls, and now you're hesitating to answer someone else's?" Left with no choice, she pulled out her phone. The screen lit up with a name—"Mrs. Munoz", Luke's mother. Luke's expression eased slightly when he saw the caller ID. "Go ahead and answer it." Vespera could already guess why she was calling. The deadline was approaching, and Felicia was likely checking in to make sure she wouldn't back out. She picked up. "I'm with your son right now. Do you want to say hello?" On the other end of the line, Felicia paused before swallowing whatever she had been about to say. "No need. I was just calling to ask if you still want that bag you were looking at last time." "Of course. I sent most of my bags for cleaning, so I'm actually in need of one." "Alright. Come pick it up." "Thank you." The call ended after just a few words. Luke gave her a skeptical look. "Since when did you and my mother get along so well?" Vespera smiled. "Isn't that a good thing? Or would you rather I be at war with your mother?" Vespera had a way of deflecting, twisting words to sidestep the real issue. Luke's anger had eased considerably. When he had shown her the resident list, he had paid close attention to her reaction. She hadn't even glanced at Dominic's name, nor had she shown any concern about him. Every bit of her response revolved around him discovering her secret purchase. That meant her living in the same building as Dominic was likely just a coincidence. She was just throwing a tantrum, trying to slip out of his control in small, defiant ways. She thought buying herself an apartment with her own money made her independent. That was just a small act of defiance. "I'll drive you home," he said, starting the car. "What about my car?" "I'll have someone bring it back for you." Luke didn't give her a chance to argue. He locked the doors and drove off. … For the next few days, Vespera remained cautious, barely stepping outside. At the same time, she was mentally preparing herself for Luke's reaction when he found out about the divorce. At first, he would explode with rage. That was inevitable. So she had no intention of facing his fury head-on. She had already decided—she would go on a trip and give him time to calm down. After that, if things went as expected, he would eventually go along with it. After all, his sugar baby would be pushing for a proper title as well. If she leaves quietly, without making a scene, he should be relieved. Rebecca reminded her over the phone. "There's one more thing. You better be careful with your mother-in-law. She's been making moves lately. I wouldn't put it past her to cause trouble." "Don't worry. Until the divorce is officially finalized, she'll be too afraid of me backing out to make any reckless moves," Vespera said confidently. All Felicia did was spread the news that Vespera and Luke had broken up and that he was engaged to Tina from the Sowle family. If she wanted to talk, she could talk all she wanted. On Friday afternoon, Vespera booked a flight to Eldoria. Then, Felicia called again. Three days had passed since their last conversation. She knew Felicia had something to say, but she didn't bother reaching out first. She answered, "Hello, Mrs. Munoz." "We need to meet and update the agreement," Felicia said. "Your lawyer can handle it with mine." "Vespera, you raised your price from ten million to fifteen million. Now, I'm asking you to come in person, and you're acting difficult? You need to come in person. I'm at the Amara Hotel. It's quiet here—no risk of running into anyone." Vespera immediately thought of Raymond's message. "Amara Hotel?" Dominic was meeting someone there today. She wondered why everyone seemed to be gathering in the same place.