Chapter 10
Jason didn’t bother hiding his warning tone–he’d already picked up on Lily’s ulterior motives from the way his mother questioned
him.
Soon, in the vast and opulent private dining room, only Lily remained–wearing a designer gown, yet with worn–out shoes.
Only now did she realize how out of place her sack of potatoes looked, sitting among dishes that cost more than her family’s yearly income.
She slowly crouched down, face buried in her hands, crying quietly.
Meanwhile, I helped Grandpa into the car when a motorcycle came speeding up and stopped right beside us.
“Lucas? You’re still here?”
He took off his helmet and gave Grandpa a polite nod. “Good evening, Mr. Abbott.”
A flicker of surprise crossed Grandpa’s face as his eyes darted between the two of us. “You two know each other?”
I was caught off guard too. “Wait–Grandpa, you know Lucas?”
Lucas glanced at us, calm and composed, then introduced himself in a way that definitely wasn’t standard.
“I’m Lucas Sterling. I live next door to Scarlett. We’re classmates. Also… I’m heir to the Sterling Group.”
Sterling Group?
The Sterling Group–the one with the largest joint venture with our company?
I stared at Lucas, stunned. It took a while before I could find my voice. “Let’s… let’s talk at home.”
Lucas didn’t move. So I climbed onto the back of his bike.
Grandpa looked even more shocked now, but in the end, he chuckled and nodded with approval.
Back home, when I told them I’d chosen to enroll at Seacrest College, both of them looked like I’d dropped a bomb.
“You mean… that text you sent me the other day, asking what college I picked–this was why?”
I blinked, confused by their over–the–top reactions.
“What? I’m not allowed to choose Seacrest?”
Grandpa blinked back at me, mimicking my expression… then burst out laughing. “Fine, fine. You’re both grown up now. Make your own decisions.”
Lucas scratched his head sheepishly, actually blushing a little.
I couldn’t help teasing him. “What’s with you? Regretting it already?”
“What? No way! I wanted to go where you went! But my scores weren’t high enough for Eastbridge. Seacrest was the closest option in the same city.”
He looked like a golden retriever pledging loyalty to its owner, and something in my chest warmed.
“Seriously? Your worked your ass off for six months and still made it into Seacrest? That school’s no joke–it’s just a step down from Eastbridge.”
His deep brown eyes locked onto mine, and it felt like he was bracing himself for something.
“I did it because of you. I just… wanted to be near you.”
“Ahem.”
Chapter 10
eRomance–Romance
90.91%
Grandpa let out an awkward cough and quickly made himself scarce. “Whew, old bones. I’m feeling sleepy. Gonna take a nap!”
As he disappeared around the corner, my heart was doing double time.
“You… what did you just say…?”
Lucas decided to go all in. He reached out and held my hand. “I said I like you. And the fact that you’re going to Seacrest? It means everything to me.”
“Seacrest, huh?”
A cold voice cut through the room. Jason stormed in and grabbed my wrist.
“Scarlett, what do you mean Seacrest? We agreed–you and I were going to Eastbridge together!”
“Let go of her.”
Lucas didn’t hesitate. He pulled me behind him protectively, his tall frame shielding me completely.
Looking at the strong line of his back, I felt something stir deep inside me.
“Scarlett can go wherever she wants. Where were you when she needed someone the most?”
The words hit Jason like a punch to the gut.
And speaking of punches–he threw one. The next moment, the two of them were already brawling.
