Hearing this, Lucas closed his laptop, a slight smile playing at the corners of his lips as he looked at her. "Are you askingfor advice?" Aveline nodded. "Yes, after all, your family is far more complicated than mine." Lucas felt a slight sting at that remark, but he pushed it aside.
After a brief pause, he said, "If it were me, I'd first find out who set the fire. If it was Juliet, I'd present the evidence and the paternity test to the Cooper family without hesitation. If it was the Cooper family, I'd find a way to destroy them." Aveline was taken aback.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtHer own thoughts had only gone as far as not acknowledging the Cooper family if they were behind the fire, pretending she knew nothing about it.
But Lucas's approach was far more ruthless.
Seeing her reaction, Lucas seemed to read her mind.
"Aveline, speople already know about you. You may want to ignore it all, but keeping quiet can be dangerous. They might try to eliminate you to protect themselves. After all, if you're gone, there's no one left to threaten them." Aveline nodded slowly. "You're right." Lucas took her hand in his, his grip firm but gentle. "Aveline, I really like this feeling." She frowned and tried to pull her hand away, but he held on tighter, making it impossible for her to break free. "Let go of me!" she demanded.
"I don't want to," he said, his gaze locked on hers. "I want to hold on to you like this forever." Aveline felt a wave of helplessness wash over her. She looked at him and asked, "Lucas, after everything we've been through, do you even know what you really feel for me? If it's just obsessive possessiveness, then-" "I love you." Lucas cut her off before she could finish, his eyes filled with sincerity and warmth as he gazed at her.
"Aveline, I know I was too extrin the past. I even thought, for a fleeting moment, that I should erase you from my life. You sawduring my darkest year, my lowest point, and I wanted to eliminate anyone who had witnessed that weakness. But thankfully, that thought was fleeting. I crushed it the moment it appeared." Aveline looked into his eyes, taken aback by the raw honesty and depth of his confession.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"Without you, I wouldn't be who I am today. I've cto terms with my own feelings, Aveline. I love you." Her heart felt as if a strong hand had gripped it tightly, and for a moment, all Aveline felt was a rush of bittersweet emotion, an inexplicable urge to cry. If only he had said these words to her sooner.
"But Lucas," she heard herself say, her voice catching, "I don't love you anymore." Lucas kissed her fingers softly and replied, "That's alright. I'll becthe Lu you once loved. I'll make you fall in love withagain." Aveline turned her gaze away.
His hand still held hers, but she didn't have the energy to care anymore. His words were like a heavy blow to her heart, causing cracks in the walls she had so carefully built around herself. Could she handle the consequences of letting him in again? Could she endure another heartbreak? Aveline sniffed, then asked, "Are you trying to winback?" "You could say that," Lucas replied.
In
She looked back at him, her expression clear and earnest. "Alright then, let's get divorced first you can ve epurt mellike any other couple, bit by bit, winningover. If, in the end, I truly fall for you again, we can remarry."
Lucas was silent for a moment, his gaze deep and searching. Aveline's eyes were clear cere; she was genuinely offering him a chance. "Alright," he finally agreed.