Chapter 499

Lunch Invitation

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He could tell Edward must have treated Arabella well–otherwise, she wouldn’t care about him so deeply. So that explained everything.

“So you went into medicine because of him,” Ethan guessed.

Arabella gave a small nod. “Yeah. I couldn’t stand the thought of losing him.”

Ethan smiled softly. “Good thing it worked out.”

Otherwise, he didn’t even want to think about how devastated she would’ve been.

“He’s doing fine now,” she said.

Ethan let out a quiet sigh. “That guy really caught a break. You just happened to meet Aletta and ended up training under her. Without that, saving him probably wouldn’t have been possible.”

“Uh… right, yeah.” Arabella offered an awkward smile and glanced away.

Ethan didn’t catch her expression and didn’t dwell on what that fleeting look might mean.

“Ethan, I should get going. Need to head to work,” Arabella said.

He opened the car door for her. “Take your time.”

Once she was inside, he closed it gently and leaned slightly toward the window. “Drive safe, okay?”

“Will do. Thanks, Ethan–see you!” She started the engine.

Ethan stepped back, watching as her car passed through the gated entrance before getting into his own vehicle and leaving Cloudrise Manor.

Around noon.

After a hectic morning, Arabella was finally catching her breath when her phone buzzed.

She saw Lucas‘ name and picked up. “Hey.”

“I’m outside your office building. Free for lunch?” Lucas asked.

“Everything alright?”

“Yeah, just passing through and realized it was lunchtime. Thought I’d see if you’re up for it.”

“Sure, I could eat,” she replied.

“Cool. I’ll wait here.” He sounded genuinely pleased.

She hung up, grabbed her things, and headed out of her office.

“Ms. Hamilton, heading out?” Chloe called from her desk.

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9:54 am P P P P

Chapter 499 Lunch Invitation

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“Just meeting a friend for lunch.”

“Got it. I’ll skip ordering for you then.”

“You and the team go ahead and eat. Don’t wait on me.”

Arabella made her way to the elevator, rode it down to the lobby, and walked out into the midday light.

“Arabella!” Lucas waved from beside his car.

She walked over, and he grinned. “No classes today?”

“Nope, clear schedule.” He opened the passenger door for her. Once she was settled, he closed it and slipped into the driver’s seat

“How about foreign cuisine?” he suggested as he started the car.

“Sounds good.”

“I’ll take you to that place you like.” He pulled away from the pharmaceutical company’s curb.

“How’s everything at the academy lately? Keeping busy?” Arabella asked casually.

“Pretty packed. Ever since the new equipment came in, enrollment’s gone up. Class schedule hasn’t changed much though, sol still get some downtime here and there.”

“Makes sense.” Arabella tilted her head slightly.

So Matthew’s decision to invest in expanding the academy wasn’t just a spur–of–the–moment thing–he really believed in the visior

“Hey, aren’t you due for a session at the academy soon?” Lucas glanced over.

Arabella nodded. “The next couple of days are light. I can come in.”

“How about tomorrow?” Lucas perked up. The place felt dull when she wasn’t around.

She thought for a second. “Tomorrow afternoon works.”

“Whenever you’re free is fine by me.” He couldn’t hide his enthusiasm. As long as she showed up, he was happy.

They chatted a bit more until they reached the restaurant.

“Let’s grab that table over there-” Lucas turned toward Arabella just as someone walked right into him.

“Hey! Watch it!”

They both turned and locked eyes.

“Mr. Grumpy!”

“Ms. Demon!”

Lucas and Brielle glared at each other, equally annoyed.

“Should’ve known it was you. No sense of spatial awareness–figures,” Brielle shot back.

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Chapter 499 Lunch Invitation

“Look who’s talking. You’re the one who practically materialized out of nowhere.”

They were at each other’s throats the moment they met. Arabella almost laughed.

“Brielle, what are you doing here?” she asked.

Brielle’s eyes lit up when she noticed Arabella. “Oh my god, you’re here too!”

“Just having lunch with Lucas. Didn’t expect to run into you.”

“Well, I was about to eat alone. This is perfect–let’s all sit together!” Brielle beamed.

“Sure, I don’t mind.” Arabella smiled.

Brielle immediately linked arms with her. “Come on, let’s get that booth.”

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Watching them chat like old friends–completely ignoring him–Lucas looked baffled. “Since when did you two get so close?”

What in the world had he missed?

Brielle rolled her eyes. “Do I need your permission to make friends?”

“Not interested anyway,” Lucas muttered.

“Then stop asking questions you don’t really want answers to,” Brielle fired back, clearly irritated.

Lucas shot her a look before turning to Arabella. “Okay, seriously–what’s going on?”

“I said drop it,” Brielle cut in before Arabella could answer.

Cedella

Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.