Chapter 152: Lawn Party
I asked him, "Are you here to see me?"
"Of course." Lucas looked over my simple and elegant makeup and outfit today and asked, "Where are you going?"
"Haven't decided yet." I shook my head and said, "Just planning to walk around."
Lucas visibly brightened up and pulled me by the wrist toward his car without giving me a chance to refuse. "Then come with me."
"Wait." I couldn't help but look back.
Before I left, Gale had just reminded me that Lucas wasn't a good person. He said Lucas had been pretending to be well-behaved lately to win me over, but sooner or later his true colors would show.
Although Gale didn't say it directly, he wanted me to keep my distance from Lucas.
But Lucas's strength wasn't something I could break free from. I only hesitated for a few seconds before being dragged into the car.
"Mrs. Valeri, good morning." Alfred in the driver's seat greeted me cheerfully.
"Good morning." Whatever, since I was already in the car, getting out would just be a waste of effort.
I turned to look at Lucas. "Did you send David and Grace back?"
Just like I had prepared Clarence as a gift, Lucas had also brought those two annoying people back.
Lucas's fingertips drummed casually on his knee. "Not yet. You need to pick the right moment to give a gift."
I was somewhat interested. "So when are you planning to send them?"
"No rush." Lucas took my hand and played with my fingers, saying, "Don't worry, I'll definitely bring you along to watch the show when the time comes."
After the car had been driving for a while, I asked, "Where are we going?"
Lucas hadn't really decided either. "There's a lawn party. Want to go check it out?"
I agreed without much thought.
After the car left the city, the road gradually opened up, finally stopping outside a private horse ranch surrounded by greenery.
I loved horseback riding and couldn't help getting excited.
But thinking about what happened last time at the ranch, I irritably shook off Lucas's hand.
Lucas obviously remembered too. His lips pressed tightly together, and he caught up again, firmly holding my hand.
As we walked in, the noisy music and laughter became clearer and clearer.
The grass was lush and green, the color fresh and tender—spring had arrived at this vast field.
In the distance, several horses strolled leisurely. Near the fence, a few snow-white lambs hopped around, while a sheepdog sat nearby, looking gentle with its ears alertly perked up.
In one corner of the lawn stood dozens of white parasols. Long tables were covered with champagne and delicate refreshments. Well-dressed men and women gathered in small groups, laughing, dancing, and chatting loudly over the music.
The scene was very lively, but remembering Gale's words, I scanned the crowd and could easily see what was really going on—some people deliberately stayed close to certain individuals with flattering smiles; some stood at the center of circles, surrounded by crowds; others seemed to chat casually while their eyes discreetly sized up other people.
Between closeness and distance lay calculations of interest; beneath the lively surface, desire was the soil for ambition.
"Isabella!" Someone pointed at me and shouted my name in alarm.
I raised an eyebrow. To be this afraid of me, they were probably from the Gambino family.
I wasn't wrong. Next to the person who recognized me stood Thomas, the son of the Gambino family's current Don, Colin.
He was the Gambino family's heir.
On New Year's night, I had seen Thomas once. At the time, I only remembered that his mother valued him greatly, protecting him like a taut bowstring.
Two people away from Thomas stood Michelle's son, Byron.
He stood alone, looking gloomy. Because his penis had been cut off, he had become a joke to many people. And because of rumors that he had contracted an STD, no one wanted to get close to him.
Thomas, on the other hand, was surrounded by many people trying to please him—a complete contrast to Byron.
But I had always harbored doubts.
According to the intelligence I had gathered, Michelle loved Thomas very much, and this love was different from her affection for Byron.
Byron wasn't Michelle's biological son. She constantly spoiled him, using this method to raise Byron into a useless person. But what she gave Thomas were real benefits and resources.
Michelle seemed intent on grooming Thomas to become the Gambino family's next Don, but what good did this do her?
I had actually suspected that Byron and Thomas's identities had been switched, that Thomas was Michelle's son, but Thomas was older than Byron. If the two children had been switched, it would have been obvious.
So this idea was probably just my wild imagination.
"Who are you looking at?" Lucas followed my gaze. "Byron?"
Byron twisted his lips into a smile. "Who's this? Isn't this Lucas, who's head over heels for my sister Amelia?"
If this were before, Byron wouldn't have dared speak to Lucas in such a tone.
But he had already been abandoned by everyone. Living was only slightly better than being dead, so he didn't care about consequences and said whatever he wanted.
But Lucas wasn't someone with a good temper either.
He didn't waste words with Byron and directly had someone lift Byron up and throw him into a large trash can in the corner.
The other Gambino family members didn't stop them.
Lucas asked me, "Shall we go?"
I nodded.
Thomas stepped forward, seeming to want to stop me. The young man beside him hugged his arm tightly, shaking his head hard. "Let's go! Don't provoke them!"
Thomas ultimately withdrew his step, but even after I had walked more than ten yards away, I could still feel his gaze.
Lucas held my hand and led me through the crowd, stopping in front of a group of well-dressed men and women.
"Lucas!"
"You came too! We were just talking about you!"
"What were you saying about me?" Lucas asked casually, raising the hand that was intertwined with mine. "Let me introduce you—Isabella."
His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly cut through the surrounding noise.
"Bella," he looked at me, his tone softening, "these are my friends—Richard, Lionel, Sophie, Fiona, and Loris."
He only introduced five people, so I only smiled slightly at these five and nodded in acknowledgment.
Lucas's friends fell quiet for a few seconds, then broke into loud teasing.
Richard whistled. "Lucas, so the rumors are true? After your divorce, you fell in love with your ex-wife!"
"Do you really not like Amelia anymore?"
"Sophie is the woman most suited for you."
"You used to seem like a hero in other people's eyes. Look at what you're doing now—chasing after a woman every day regardless of your status. It's so embarrassing."
I dropped the smile from my face.
The first person to speak had some probing hidden in their joke, but the later ones didn't hide their dislike and contempt for me at all.
Lucas's face hardened as he looked at them coldly until they shut their mouths.
"I'm serious about Bella. You don't have to approve, but you shouldn't disrespect her in front of me."
After saying this, Lucas lost all interest in having fun and turned to leave, pulling me with him.
"Bella, let's go back."