Chapter 98: Cliché Romantic Plot
The smile on Jonas's face had already faded. "No."
Ashley and Arthur raised their hands high and cheered, "Great! Let's play together!"
Lucas looked at me, then shifted his gaze away before I looked up at him. He said to Jonas, "I'll give you an extra five percent of the profits from Regal Court Mall this quarter."
Jonas sneered, "Even though I love money, I don't take just any money."
I was busy dealing with the enthusiastic Ashley and Arthur and didn't have time to voice my opinion.
"Bella, we missed you so much!"
"We're going back soon, we really don't want to leave you."
"We loved the New Year's gifts you sent! Grandpa's health is much better, and he misses you, too."
Although I kept in touch with Ashley and Arthur by phone regularly, I really hadn't seen them for several days. Running into them at the ocean park was rare, and I wanted to hang out with them.
Unfortunately, today was my date with Jonas, and I couldn't make decisions on my own.
Seeing the hint of expectation in my eyes, Jonas said helplessly, "Alright, let's go together."
I felt a bit embarrassed. "Thank you, Jonas."
Jonas showed me a bright smile. Lucas suddenly said, "Then the dividend I give you this quarter stays the same."
Jonas glared at him. Lucas shrugged. "You just said you didn't want it."
Ashley and Arthur happily pulled me to watch the dolphin show. Lucas and Jonas walked side by side behind us, the atmosphere somewhat awkward.
Beside me were two chattering children, behind me were two silent men - the joy and tension formed a stark contrast.
Two-thirds of the way through the tunnel, I heard Jonas say to Lucas with a hint of provocation, "The Valeri family has become Dawnharbor's laughingstock. Everyone's talking about you, saying you betrayed the family, that you're an ungrateful bastard who let down the family that raised you, and yet you still have the mood to take kids out to play."
I frowned slightly. The rumors only mentioned Lucas's betrayal, but few people knew about his inheritance being stripped away. Obviously, the Valeri family was deliberately guiding public opinion!
Did Holden hate Lucas that much?
Lucas answered calmly, "Just some gossip that doesn't hurt when it lands on me, not worth affecting my mood. But you - I heard a business manager got scammed? Need me to send people to help you?"
Jonas snorted, "Some small-time operation that came out of nowhere. I can easily crush them. You worry about your own business."
"I'm just a bit worried your subordinates are too stupid."
Through the reflection on the glass, I saw Lucas point at his own head.
Jonas shot back, "They're way smarter than you, at least none of them had their wife run away!"
Lucas's face instantly darkened.
Seeing the tension between them growing, I quickly raised my voice to interrupt their argument. "The dolphin show area is here!"
The dolphin performance was wonderful. Ashley, Arthur, and I even got the chance to go on stage and interact with the dolphins.
Except for Jonas and Lucas, who were uninterested and kept exchanging hostile glances, Ashley, Arthur, and I were still wanted more when the show ended.
"Bella, if you like it, we can come again next time, just the two of us." Jonas tried to please me. "I'll have the park manager clear the place so you can play to your heart's content."
Ashley and Arthur squeezed in front of Jonas. "We want that too!"
Jonas rolled his eyes. "Want what? Why isn't school starting yet? Go back to school!"
Ashley replied, "We can take time off even after school starts."
Arthur wasn't backing down either. "Life's too short to spend it all in classrooms!"
Jonas said, "I actually agree with you guys. But you can't interrupt my date!"
Ashley and Arthur said in unison, "We can help create opportunities for you."
Jonas asked with interest, "What opportunities?"
Ashley and Arthur, like little devils who could bewitch people, pulled Jonas aside and whispered to him. Gradually, it became Lucas and me walking side by side.
The salty, damp scent unique to seawater lingered faintly around my nose. Above and around us was the vast, deep blue. Light penetrated the seawater, casting dappled, shifting patterns of light and shadow on the ground, like shattered starlight.
A massive stingray spread its flat body and glided slowly past, its belly patterns flickering in the light and shadow, like a giant kite floating through the air. A school of silver sardines swarmed past, forming a flowing silver ribbon that disappeared in an instant.
I was captivated by the scene before me when Lucas suddenly spoke. "You like the ocean park?"
After a while, I answered him coldly, "It's interesting. Don't you think so?"
"This is my first time at a place like this." Lucas looked around and said somewhat ambiguously, "This seems like a good place for couples to date."
I didn't answer him, and he didn't speak again.
Until the crowd of tourists suddenly increased, Jonas, Ashley, and Arthur got into the observation elevator, but Lucas and I couldn't squeeze on.
"There are too many people, be careful." Lucas grabbed my arm, alertly turning sideways to protect me.
Suddenly, someone passing by bumped into me. Their backpack looked bulky, but they didn't notice they'd hit me and kept walking quickly forward.
I stumbled and fell forward. I instinctively reached out to brace myself against the ground, but the expected pain didn't come.
A strong arm caught me around the waist in time, steadying me. The familiar scent of cedar washed over me.
"Careful." His voice sounded by my ear, carrying a hint of barely noticeable tension.
I fell into Lucas's arms, just like a clichéd scene from a TV drama, but the atmosphere wasn't romantic at all.
Someone let out a scream, "Human trafficker! My child is missing!"
I froze. Lucas held me tighter, moving us to the wall. For a moment, I forgot to struggle and turned to look at the person who had bumped into me.
That heavy backpack probably had a child in it.
The child's parents were still crying out. Hearing them cry over their missing one-and-a-half-year-old child was heartbreaking.
Fortunately, the underwater tunnel was sealed off in time. In less than half an hour, the child was found.
I breathed a sincere sigh of relief.
Lucas and I were also trapped in the underwater tunnel for over twenty minutes. Jonas, Ashley, and Arthur had apparently entered a one-way underwater maze and were also trapped inside. We agreed to meet at the maze exit in an hour.
"Thank you," I said quietly, patting Lucas's hand that was still around my waist. "Let go."
"There are too many people here. When they all rush out at once, accidents can happen." Not only did Lucas not let go, he held me even more firmly in his arms. "We'll wait until we get out."
I was about to argue when I felt someone step on my foot.
"What's wrong?" Lucas had been watching my expression and asked with a frown. "Did someone step on you?"
I nodded. Lucas crouched down slightly, and with both hands, he lifted me up completely!
I was startled. "Don't!"
"Don't struggle, or you'll fall." Lucas's tone was calm, but a hint of mischief flashed in his eyes. "We'll stay here and wait until most people have left before we go."
I felt like everyone around us was looking at us, teasing us with their eyes. A young girl was even flirting with her boyfriend, saying she wanted the same treatment.
"Put me down now!" I grabbed the clothes on Lucas's shoulder, my mind in chaos.
Lucas pressed his face against my neck and said in a muffled voice, "No."