Chapter 210: A Building At Golden Water Bay?

The banquet hall fell silent for a moment before Mr. Hayes spoke again.

"And why didn’t you mention that the man you tried to set my daughter up with already had an eight-year-old son?" he shot back. "Besides, who told you my son-in-law doesn’t own a house?"

He wasn’t speaking blindly.

He had personally checked the property certificate, and he and his wife had even visited the place themselves.

Golden Water Bay.

A single-level luxury apartment spanning well over four thousand square feet, worth at least tens of millions of dollars.

And they dared to call that "having no house"?

"I know exactly why you’re so upset," he continued coldly. "Your matchmaking fell through, so you didn’t get your commission."

He pointed toward the exit.

"But my daughter is already married. If you’re here to celebrate, then stay. If you’re here to stir up trouble, you can leave right now."

His voice echoed through the banquet hall.

On his daughter’s wedding day, these people hadn’t offered a single blessing. Instead, they had mocked and belittled the couple in front of everyone.

That was no different from slapping the Hayes family across the face.

There was no reason for him to tolerate it.

"Hmph! Fine! I’ll leave!" the middle-aged woman snapped, grabbing her handbag. "You’ll regret this sooner or later."

As curious guests gathered to watch, she marched toward the doors, her heels clicking sharply against the polished floor.

Just as she reached the entrance, Mr. Hayes deliberately raised his voice.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming to my daughter’s wedding today. Please enjoy the food and drinks."

Then, with obvious pride, he added,

"And tonight, everyone is welcome to visit my daughter and son-in-law’s new home."

"It’s at Golden Water Bay... Building Six."

The hall exploded into chatter.

"Golden Water Bay?"

"Did I hear that right?"

"The one near University Town?"

"Isn’t the cheapest apartment there close to ten million dollars?"

"I thought the groom’s family was from the countryside. How could they afford a place like that?"

The person hit hardest by the revelation was the woman who had been storming out only seconds earlier.

She froze in place, eyes wide, staring back at Mr. Hayes in disbelief.

Golden Water Bay...

Just the down payment alone would cost several million.

She had assumed the groom’s family was ordinary after seeing the way some of his relatives were dressed.

Who would have guessed they were hiding that kind of wealth?

Standing quietly to one side, Luca watched everything unfold without saying a word.

The commotion only settled after Julian and Evelyn hurried over, apologetically pulling Mr. Hayes away from the crowd.

As they passed, the newlyweds shot Luca an embarrassed look.

Mr. Hayes carried himself like a refined scholar, but beneath that appearance, he cared deeply about money.

At first, he had opposed the marriage.

The moment he learned his daughter would be living in Golden Water Bay, however, he became the one urging them to marry as soon as possible.

While he genuinely wanted his daughter to have a secure future, Evelyn still found his obsession with status and wealth embarrassing.

Luca simply smiled faintly and shook his head.

There was no need to dwell on it.

He returned to his seat and continued eating as if nothing had happened.

...

"Daniel, isn’t Golden Water Bay the neighborhood you work at?" one classmate asked.

Daniel nodded while picking up another bite of food.

"Yeah."

"I’ve heard only really wealthy people live there."

"Well..." Daniel shrugged. "Considering the housing prices, that’s about right."

He didn’t need to say anything else.

Everyone understood.

"Damn... looks like Julian really struck it rich."

The envy in the man’s voice was impossible to hide.

Daniel instinctively glanced at Luca.

Seeing him quietly eating without any intention of joining the conversation, he lowered his head and kept silent.

No one here knew the truth.

Julian certainly hadn’t become rich overnight.

The apartment had been a gift.

During all his years selling real estate, he had never seen anyone casually give away a property worth more than ten million dollars.

Not once.

Luca was the only exception.

He hadn’t hesitated for even a second.

Just signed the documents... and handed over the keys.

That was what real wealth looked like.

Of course, Daniel had no intention of telling anyone.

Putting friendship aside, Luca alone had earned him enough commissions over the past two months to make his entire year.

There was no chance he’d casually reveal someone else’s private business.

...

When Ivy first heard the apartment was in Golden Water Bay, something immediately felt off.

Objectively speaking, Julian simply wasn’t capable of buying a home there.

Evelyn’s family was better off financially, but even for them, coming up with several million dollars for a down payment would be difficult.

Then she noticed Daniel’s brief glance toward Luca.

Everything clicked.

’So... he was the one behind it.’

A storm quietly brewed inside her.

She already knew San Fierro Grand Hotel belonged to him.

Even so, casually giving away a home worth tens of millions...

That was beyond anything she could understand.

From her perspective, even giving a wedding gift worth tens of thousands was already generous.

And only if the recipient was someone who could return the favor in the future.

Otherwise, it was simply a poor investment.

Given Luca’s current status, what could Julian possibly offer him?

Probably nothing.

So why spend that kind of money on an ordinary friend?

That single question perfectly illustrated why she and Luca could never truly understand each other.

He lived by his feelings.

If something made him happy, he’d do it without hesitation.

Just like investing in Jonathan Chris and Lucy Smith’s game studio.

He hadn’t calculated the returns.

He simply thought they were good people and wanted to help.

Ivy was the complete opposite.

To her, every decision should be measured logically.

A good businessperson stayed rational.

Profit always came first.

It was that mindset that had made her distance herself from Luca back in university.

Ironically, it was also the same mindset that now convinced her he was the ideal man to marry.

Every choice she made was carefully calculated.

His never were.

...

As the banquet gradually came to an end, guests began standing and chatting in small groups.

Ivy gently swirled the last sip of wine in her glass before finishing it.

A faint blush spread across her cheeks as she turned toward Luca.

"I’ve had a little too much to drink," she said softly. "Would you mind giving me a ride later?"

The entire table fell silent.

Everyone looked toward Luca.

Even their old class teacher watched with an amused smile.

After all, Ivy had made her feelings painfully obvious throughout the afternoon.

They were all adults.

No one could mistake what she meant.

Everyone knew Luca already had a girlfriend.

But in today’s world, relationships came and went so quickly that few people thought much of it.

Luca was just about to refuse.

"I’ve been drinking too, so..."

His phone suddenly rang.

He glanced at the screen.

The moment he saw the caller ID, the calm expression on his face disappeared.

Warmth and concern instantly filled his eyes.

"Sophie?"

He answered immediately.

A broken sob came through the speaker.

"Lu... Luca..."

His heart skipped a beat.

"Sophie?" he asked anxiously, already standing up. "What’s wrong? Don’t cry. Take your time. I’m here."

"Luca..." she choked out between sobs. "Do... do you still remember Daisy Kennedy?"

He frowned for a second before remembering.

"Daisy? The little girl from the barbecue stand?"

"Yes..."

Her voice trembled.

"Something happened to her family..."

She broke down crying again.

"Luca... can you help her?"

Sophie almost never asked him for anything.

If she was calling like this, then things had to be serious.

And Luca still remembered that cheerful little girl.

Without the slightest hesitation, he answered,

"Okay."

"I’m coming back."

"I’ll catch the first flight."