Chapter 440
Reluctant Good Deed
Lucas stared at her. “You can’t call a car?”
The way she was looking at him, you’d think he was some kind of monster.
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She shook her head. “My bag’s in my dad’s car. I don’t have my phone, my wallet–nothing. I can’t even call home, let alone get a ride.” She glanced up at him hopefully. “You seem like a decent person. You’ll help me, right?”
Lucas exhaled slowly. “Flag down a taxi. Tell them you’ll pay when you get home.”
Her eyes widened. “But I don’t know the driver. That’s scary.”
Lucas almost laughed. “You don’t know me either. How’s that different?”
She blinked at him like it was obvious. “But Mr. Stewart knows you!”
Lucas‘ patience snapped. “Don’t mention him to me.”
She flinched, her face going pale. “I–I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything bad.”
Lucas ran a hand through his hair. “Can you not tell that Matthew and I aren’t exactly buddies? You’re not worried I might take that out on you?”
She shook her head firmly. “No. You’re not like that. You’re a good person.”
Lucas squinted at her. “So Matthew’s the bad guy?”
She hesitated. “Well… no. Not really.”
“He left you here. Alone. And you’re not even mad?” Lucas‘ eyebrows shot up. This girl was something else.
She bit her lip. “It was my dad’s fault. He lied to Mr. Stewart. Mr. Stewart has every right to be upset.”
Lucas stared at her. “You’re really going to bat for him? Even throw your own dad under the bus?”
She frowned. “My dad lied to me too. He told me we were going out for lunch, then just… left me with Mr. Stewart. That’s why I’m stuck here.”
Lucas processed that for a second. “So your dad tried to pimp you out for connections?”
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Chapter 440 Reluctant Good Deed
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Her face flushed. “Don’t say that about my dad. He was trying to help me. He just… didn’t listen to what I wanted.”
She could be upset with him herself, but she wasn’t about to let some stranger trash–talk her father.
Lucas studied her for a long moment. Then he sighed. “Get in.”
Her face lit up. “Really? You’ll take me?”
“I don’t want to deal with the guilt if something happens to you,” he muttered under his breath. “Someone like you probably wouldn’t even realize they were being trafficked until it was too late.”
She scowled. “If you’re going to be rude about it, I don’t want your help.”
Lucas raised an eyebrow. “I thought that might go over your head.”
“Excuse me?”
He opened his car door. “Suit yourself. Stay here.”
She let out a huff and turned her head away, refusing to so much as look at him.
With a faint smile, Lucas Jia opened the car door. “I’m leaving, then.”
ched him get in. Heard the engine start. Panic flickered across her face.
so mean!” She yanked open the passenger door and climbed in, slamming it behind
crossed her arms, staring straight ahead. “I’m not thanking you.”
by me. We can just act like we don’t know each other from now on. Preferably, I’d prefer we never meet again.”
“As if I’d want to see you,” she muttered. He was utterly insufferable. Why did someone who looked so put–together have to be this unpleasant?
Lucas didn’t react. “Address?”
She gave him her address, then turned to look out the window. Her expression shifted- complicated, unreadable.
Lucas figured she was still mad. Fine by him. The sooner he dropped her off, the better.
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Chapter 440 Reluctant Good Deed
He pulled up in front of her building. “We’re here.”
She blinked, as if coming out of a daze. Looked around. Nodded. Opened the door.
“Thank you,” she said quietly. Polite. Genuine.
Lucas glanced at her, then hit the gas and drove off without a word.
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She stood there for a second, watching his taillights disappear. Then she pressed her lips together. “Yeah. Definitely has a temper.”
Inside the restaurant, the silence between Matthew and Arabella was thick enough to cut.
A waiter approached cautiously. “Are you ready to order?”
Arabella didn’t look at the menu. “One set lunch.”
Matthew’s voice came right after. “Two.”
The waiter nodded. “Right away.”
Matthew’s eyes stayed on Arabella. “Bummed you didn’t get to have lunch with him?”
She hadn’t said a word the whole drive. Was she really that annoyed?
Arabella met his gaze evenly. “Not bummed. Just confused.”
Matthew’s expression didn’t change. “About what?”
She took a breath, keeping her voice level. “Why didn’t you just have lunch with your friend? You left her there and dragged me off instead.”
‘s not my friend.” His voice was flat. “Her dad brought her. Said he had something to le and would be right back. I told her to go home. She wouldn’t. Kept following me.”
Arabella’s eyebrow lifted. “So it was a setup. A blind date.”
Something flickered in Matthew’s eyes. “You think this is funny?”
“No.” She shook her head, but the corner of her mouth twitched. Barely.