Chapter 204
Allegra lowered her head, burying her face in his palm as her shoulders trembled slightly.
The moment she looked down, the smile at the corners of her mouth finally broke free.
She'd done it.
She'd finally made him stay.
Two hours later, in the living room of the Wipere Villa.
Gemma sat on the sofa flipping through a magazine when she heard the front door open. She looked up to see Allegra walk in.
Allegra's eyes were red-rimmed, but a smile played at her lips. "Mom."
Gemma froze for a moment, setting down the magazine and standing up. "What happened? Is something wrong?"
Allegra walked up to her and took a deep breath, her voice carrying a barely suppressed excitement. "Marshall said the engagement's still on. The party will go ahead as planned. Mom, I'm marrying into the Grayson family."
Gemma stared for two seconds, then her entire face lit up.
She shot to her feet and pulled Allegra into a tight hug.
"Really? That's wonderful! I knew you could do it! The Grayson family! The Grayson family! You've finally made me proud!"
She released Allegra and spun around in place, already counting on her fingers. "We need to redo the wedding plans. Can't be cheap about it. With a family like the Graysons, we need to hold our own. Your jewelry isn't enough—we'll need another set. And..."
Allegra stood in the center of the living room, listening to her mother's excited chatter as the smile on her face grew wider and wider.
She looked out at the brightening sky, her fingers slowly uncurling at her sides.
'Lucinda, what does it matter that you came in first? I'm about to become the wife of the Grayson heir. No matter how talented you are, you can't possibly be richer than the Grayson family, can you? Just wait and see. Everything you took from me, I'll take back. Every. Single. Thing.'
Meanwhile, at the water park.
Reginald carried the waterproof bag in one hand and gripped Lucinda's hand tightly with the other, walking ahead to shield her from the crowd.
He wore a black T-shirt today, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing his well-defined forearms. He looked completely different from his usual suited-up self, yet still commanded attention.
"What do you want to try first?" He glanced at her, eyes gleaming with barely contained eagerness.
Lucinda scanned the area and pointed to a rainbow-colored slide in the distance. "That one."
"Okay." He smiled and squeezed her hand tighter.
While they waited in line, he angled the umbrella more toward her, blocking the intensifying sun.
With his other hand, he pulled out a bottle of ice-cold water, twisted it open, and held it out to her.
Lucinda took it and drank, the coolness sliding down her throat.
She glanced at him. He hadn't drunk anything himself or applied sunscreen, and a thin sheen of sweat had already formed on his forehead.
"Aren't you hot?"
"I'm fine." He looked down at her, lips curving slightly. "Are you getting too much sun?"
Lucinda shook her head and took the sunscreen he offered. "Turn around."
Reginald blinked. "Turn around for what?"
"To put sunscreen on you." Her tone was matter-of-fact. "The back of your neck is already turning red. Don't come crying to me when you get burned."
He seemed stunned, taking several seconds before he turned.
Lucinda squeezed some sunscreen into her palm and applied it to his neck and shoulder blades.
His skin was warm from the sun. When her fingertips made contact, she felt the muscles in his back tense immediately.
"Why are you so tense?" she asked casually.
"I'm not tense." His voice sounded muffled.
"Your back's hard as a rock."
Reginald didn't respond, but his ears turned bright red.
She pulled her hand back and screwed the cap on. "Done."
Reginald turned around, trying to look composed, but his ears were practically glowing. He cleared his throat. "...Thanks."
"You're welcome."
When they plunged down the water slide, Lucinda screamed.
Wind whipped past her ears, water slammed into her face, and her whole body felt like it was thrown into the air before crashing into cool, refreshing water.
When she surfaced, she was smiling so hard her eyes crinkled shut.
Reginald came down right after her. Seeing her smile like that, he froze. "Fun?"
"So much fun!"
She wiped the water from her face. Watching her enjoy herself this much, Reginald felt a wave of tenderness wash over him.
They spent the entire afternoon playing, hitting every attraction in the water park.
The last one was a paddle boat.
Lucinda sat in front holding the oar. Reginald sat behind her and naturally reached around from her side. "Let me."
"You know how to row?"
"No, but you look tired."
His arms came around her waist as he took the paddle, his palm covering the back of her hand.
Lucinda glanced down at their intertwined hands. She didn't pull away. Instead, she leaned back against him.
"Your heart's racing." She suddenly spoke, her expression turning almost serious. "Are you sick? Should I check you out?"
Reginald choked on her words.
This oblivious woman—did she really not know why his heart was pounding?
He stayed silent for two seconds before speaking. "...You're sitting in my lap. Of course my heart's racing."
"You've never dated before?"
"No."
"Then why are you nervous?"
"That's exactly why I'm nervous."
Lucinda couldn't help but laugh.
He rested his chin on the top of her head, voice muffled. "Stop laughing or we'll tip over."
The little boat cut through the water, slowly drifting toward the center of the lake.
The voices from shore grew fainter. The water's surface quieted. Sunlight spread across the lake, dazzling and bright.
Lucinda squinted, drowsiness creeping over her.
Just then, she heard a faint ripple in the water below.
Her eyes snapped open.
The next second, two dark shadows burst from the water on either side.
Water exploded upward, splashing her face.
Two muscular men in park uniforms flipped onto the boat, each holding a knife.
"Reginald! Your life ends here!"
As the words fell, a blade drove straight toward his chest.
Reginald's reflexes were lightning-fast. In the same instant, he yanked her behind him, launched himself forward, and caught the man's wrist in a vise grip.
He twisted and shoved. The knife grazed past his ear.
The next second, he drove his knee hard into the man's stomach. The man grunted and toppled into the lake.
The second assassin circled to the other side of the boat, slashing at the back of Reginald's neck.
Without even turning, Reginald dodged to the side and drove his right elbow backward, slamming it precisely into the man's jaw.
The sound of bone cracking echoed dully, followed by a scream as the man splashed into the water.
A third man flipped onto the bow, swinging an iron chain down over Reginald's head.
Reginald grabbed the middle of the chain and yanked forward. The man's center of gravity pitched forward, and his face smashed hard against the edge of the boat.
Blood sprayed across half the water's surface.
Thirty seconds. Three men. All in the water.
Lucinda sat in the back of the boat, her position was almost exactly the same as when she'd been leaning against him moments ago. Even her expression remained calm, as if nothing had happened.
The first assassin surfaced, face full of terror. "You... how are you this good?"
Reginald leaned down, grabbed him by the collar, and hauled him out of the water. "Who sent you?"
The man trembled in pain and immediately gave up his employer without a second thought. "Xavier... it was Xavier! He had us stake you out here for three days! Said if we took you out, we'd each get three million dollars..."