Chapter 33 Brave Childhood Achievements
I admit I did it on purpose, wanting to make Amelia think Lucas and I were kissing.
She fell for it completely.
Lucas didn't notice my little trick. He irritably ran his hand through the strands of hair falling over his forehead, pushing them back. "Amelia, my grandfather is resting. Stop making such a racket!"
Amelia couldn't control her volume at all. "My mother was kicked out, and you're here flirting with her? You can't let her go at all, you big liar, you bastard!"
Lucas couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed Amelia with one arm and covered her mouth with his other hand, dragging her downstairs and out of the villa like a butcher hauling a pig to slaughter.
I gathered all the servants in the villa and told them the house had changed hands, letting them choose whether to stay or leave with Lucas. Almost everyone chose to stay.
I arranged for some careful people to pack Lucas's belongings. I knew better than he did what he had and where it was. By evening, neatly packed bundles were piled by the front door.
I had Adrian tell Lucas, "The study hasn't been cleared out. He should sort it out quickly and not delay our dinner."
Adrian was gone for over half an hour. When he came back, he told me, "Mr. Valeri took everything from the study. He didn't say anything, but he looked really angry. Ms. Sorelli, if there's a next time, can Cole and I take turns dealing with Mr. Valeri?"
His expression made me laugh. "Are you that scared of Lucas?"
Adrian admitted sheepishly: "Can't help it. Mr. Valeri is the Kingpin of the North. His presence is way more intense than normal people."
I nodded. "Alright, Cole can go next time."
Cole, standing nearby, glared at Adrian and ground his teeth in silence.
The next afternoon, we set off for the auction.
Silver Eagle Auctions periodically held "Shadow Auctions," auctioning rare items with big backgrounds and plenty of trouble attached.
Things like ancient treasures, classified documents from various countries, highly destructive weapons, mysterious drugs with unknown effects, and even live auction items like Roger.
Shadow Auctions weren't widely advertised. They'd only release information a few days in advance, and only people with special channels could receive it. Those who lived far away or heard about it late could only regret it.
This auction, featuring Roger, had announced the news four days in advance. The location was on an island in an archipelago at sea, in an abandoned winery.
To attend the auction, you needed an invitation. Each invitation allowed the holder to bring one companion at most.
Lucas gave Amelia an invitation. He brought his whole family, plus Alfred and several personal bodyguards. The invitations alone cost him a fortune.
At the airport, Lucas saw Jonathan standing beside me and blurted out, "Why is he here too?"
Jonathan flinched like a startled rabbit, barely resisting the urge to hide behind me.
"He's not here to see us off, of course. Jonathan is going to the auction too." I patted Jonathan's arm and pushed him toward Marcus, asking Marcus to help look after him.
Marcus was my companion. Unfortunately, Gale and Brian were too busy to come.
Karen was busy with the new house renovation and couldn't come either. Jonathan was coming for an antique camera at the auction.
Our group chartered a small plane. After takeoff, Ashley and Arthur curiously pestered Jonathan to tell them stories.
Jonathan had traveled to many places. He casually told them about his experiences in the rainforest, and Ashley and Arthur quickly became fascinated by him.
After hearing a story about discovering a giant python's remains and exploring its nest, I felt as excited as Ashley and Arthur, wanting more. "That's so interesting. I'd really like to go on an adventure myself sometime."
Jonathan: "You definitely can, Bella. Karen and I are ready anytime! With us as guides, we'll definitely give you an unforgettable journey."
I was about to respond when Lucas let out a heavy snort. "Snake nests are smelly and disgusting. Only someone with a screw loose would travel all the way to a tropical rainforest to look at dead snakes."
Jonathan fell silent.
I waved my hand in the air. "How strange, why are there flies on the plane? So annoying."
Lucas's face darkened. "Who are you calling a fly!"
Marcus stood up. "We're talking about you, you bastard!"
Lucas let out a frustrated breath, put on his sunglasses, crossed his arms over his chest, and sat there stiffly, leaning his head back against the seat with his eyes closed.
Marcus sounded a bit disappointed and whispered to me, "No fun. I thought we'd get to fight."
I shook my head helplessly. Marcus wasn't like this before. Now he'd become completely combative.
Harold was also interested in Jonathan's stories. Everyone chatted happily together, with only Lucas, Amelia, and Michelle excluded.
Lily suddenly asked curiously, "Jonathan, I heard you and Bella were childhood friends. How old were you when you met?"
I looked up, feeling Lucas's gaze on me even through his sunglasses.
Jonathan scratched his head. "Six years old, on the first day of elementary school."
"You remember so clearly!" Simon glanced at Lucas. "Can you tell us about it?"
Jonathan: "During lunch break that day, some bad kid caught a caterpillar and put it on Bella's desk. Bella was the prettiest girl in the whole grade, and he wanted to play a trick on her."
"And then? Did you save the day?" Lily pressed.
I remembered that day and smiled slightly, catching a glimpse of Lucas sitting up straight.
Jonathan shook his head embarrassedly. "Bella wasn't scared. She went to the garden, caught a bunch of caterpillars, and put them on that boy. The boy cried."
Simon looked at me in shock. "Bella, I didn't know you were so fierce!"
I smiled at him. "I'm not the type to just take it quietly."
Marcus said proudly, "When other people got bullied, they'd just cry and run home. Bella was different from the start. She wouldn't go home until she made the other person cry!"
Jonathan continued: "I was pretty unlucky. When that boy was crying and making a fuss, he knocked over my juice and got my uniform dirty. So Bella took me to find Marcus in the upper grades to borrow a jacket."
Marcus snapped his fingers. "That's right, I remember now."
"That guy avoided me after that. Seems like he developed a fear of caterpillars." I said.
Jonathan: "Not just him, lots of people avoided you."
I was a bit surprised. "Why didn't you avoid me?"
Jonathan laughed dryly: "I figured I couldn't beat you, so it was better to just listen to you."
We talked about childhood memories. Others couldn't join in, but they listened with interest.
Lucas continued to rest with his eyes closed, as if competing with me. The happier I was, the more intense his aura became.
After four hours in the air, we landed and chartered two boats at the dock, heading to our final destination—Elysara Isle.
As we got off the boat, I happened to hear Amelia complaining to Michelle: "Bella is so disgusting, deliberately talking about interesting things to get Lucas's attention! That Jonathan is disgusting, too. He's a grown man, but so timid."
"Shut up." Michelle gave her a warning look. "If your performance wasn't so terrible, how would Lucas be attracted to someone else? Don't cause trouble. This is the only chance to save Byron. We have to buy Roger."
"Haven't I been behaving well enough this whole trip?" Amelia pouted aggrievedly. "Byron, Byron, that's all you care about!"