Chapter 305: Last Night In Capital City

With Maison Premier’s collapse now irreversible and the new university term approaching, Luca was finally preparing to leave Capital City and return to San Fierro.

The previous evening, he had received a call from Amelia.

She had revealed that she was already more than a month pregnant.

The reason she hadn’t told him sooner was simple. She hadn’t been sure whether she was ready.

Her career at the news agency had been progressing smoothly, and she’d already climbed to a fairly high position despite her young age. When she’d first discovered the pregnancy, she’d thought she could handle it. But the more she thought about it, the more complicated everything became.

Having a child could mean giving up her position at the news agency.

Then there was Luca himself.

He already had other women in his life, and Amelia couldn’t help wondering how much attention he would really be able to give her and their child.

But their dinner and the night they spent together afterward had helped her make up her mind.

She could have told him earlier, but she knew how busy Luca had been in Capital City. Working at the news agency also meant that she was well aware of what had been happening around him, from New Orleans to Capital City.

When the news finally broke that Maison Premier had been completely defeated, Amelia knew the timing was right.

So she told him.

Luca’s reaction had been even more enthusiastic than she’d expected.

He had spent most of the night smiling and had practically bounced out of bed the next morning.

He had already decided to arrange a proper dinner when they returned to San Fierro, giving Amelia a chance to meet the other women in his life.

It was only a matter of time before she became part of that circle.

At the Franco De Santa Estate, Sir Alfred supervised the servants as they loaded the last of the luggage into the cars.

“Sir, your luggage and the ladies’ belongings have all been loaded. Everything is ready whenever you are.”

Luca looked up from the document in front of him and nodded.

“Alright.”

He glanced toward the doorway.

“Where are the two little girls?”

“I’m here!”

Trish’s cheerful voice came from the hallway.

She stepped into the study wearing a new white dress, clearly pleased with herself.

Luca had arranged a dinner tonight, the day before their departure, with Arabella, Victoria, Michael, and his parents.

Arabella was his girlfriend, so there was no way he could leave Capital City without properly saying goodbye to Victoria.

Besides, as Arabella’s boyfriend, Luca felt he should have invited her mother to dinner much earlier.

Unfortunately, the Maison Premier mess had kept him occupied for far too long.

Tonight was the first real opportunity he’d had.

“Luca, how do I look? Pretty?”

Trish spun around once, proudly showing off her dress.

It was a simple white dress that ended about ten centimeters above her knees. Combined with her height and long legs, it suited her surprisingly well.

Luca looked her over and nodded.

“Looks great.”

‘My lil sister really has changed.’

Before the college entrance exam, Trish had barely paid attention to how she dressed.

Now she was slowly learning how to make the most of her appearance.

Of course, it helped that she’d always been naturally attractive. With her figure and lively personality, she didn’t need much effort to stand out.

Then Luca’s attention shifted to Rachel.

She was wearing a light-yellow dress that gave her a softer, sweeter appearance. Her makeup was light, just enough to bring out her already delicate features.

Luca’s eyes immediately lit up.

‘She’s ridiculously cute.’

Before he knew it, he’d reached out and gently pinched her cheek.

Then he did it again. And again. Rachel’s cheeks were unbelievably soft.

Luca barely dared to use any force, as though he might actually leave a mark if he wasn’t careful.

Rachel’s face gradually turned pink.

The color spread from her cheeks toward her ears and down to her neck.

Even Trish couldn’t take it anymore.

She reached over and slapped Luca lightly on the arm.

“Bro! If you’re trying to show off your affection in front of me, do you really have to keep going this long?”

“Uh… cough.”

Luca finally realized he’d been caught.

He reluctantly released Rachel’s cheek and cleared his throat.

“Sorry, Rachel. I just… got a little carried away.”

Rachel’s face became even redder.

She quickly shook her head.

“It’s okay.”

Her voice was so soft that Luca almost had to lean closer to hear it.

In truth, she didn’t really mind.

If anything, she’d grown strangely fond of the warmth of Luca’s hands.

Had Trish not interrupted them, Rachel wasn’t sure how long she would have allowed him to continue.

‘Maybe… he could touch somewhere else too.’

The thought made her face burn.

Fortunately, she kept it to herself.

“Sir, it’s getting late. We should probably leave soon.”

Sir Alfred, who had been standing quietly nearby, finally reminded them of the time.

His expression hadn’t changed even once.

It was almost as if he hadn’t noticed Luca pinching Rachel’s cheek at all.

The butler had long since realized that his master and the Windsor family’s daughter were in a relationship.

But from Sir Alfred’s perspective, who said Luca had to have only one woman?

Given his master’s status, influence, and wealth, having one thousand women like King Solomon might be excessive, but seventeen or eighteen certainly wouldn’t be unreasonable.

And if several of them gave birth to children, even better.

The more heirs the family had, the easier it would be to spread the family’s wealth and influence across the next generation.

As for Rachel?

Sir Alfred thought she was quite suitable.

She was gentle, obedient, and had a pleasant personality.

She might look younger than some of the other women around his master, but there was nothing wrong with that.

‘Not a bad choice.’

Of course, none of those thoughts appeared on the butler’s face.

Luca glanced at his watch.

“Alright, let’s go. Arabella and the others might already be there.”

The group soon left the estate.

When they arrived at the hotel, a hostess led them directly to the private room Luca had reserved.

He glanced inside and quietly relaxed when he saw that it was still empty.

‘Good. We didn’t keep them waiting.’

Less than ten minutes later, the private-room door opened again.

Arabella walked in arm in arm with Victoria.

Arabella was dressed in a white gown decorated with golden accessories, while Victoria wore an elegant blue-and-white dress.

Luca’s eyes immediately lingered on Arabella.

Even after spending so much time with her, he still found himself staring whenever she appeared dressed like this.

White suited her exceptionally well.

It emphasized the cool, refined beauty she naturally carried, making her seem almost untouchable.

Elegant. Pure. Noble. And just a little cold.

Victoria, meanwhile, carried herself with the same effortless elegance expected of the woman who had raised someone like Arabella.

‘She really does have an impressive presence.’

Luca quickly looked away.

‘Ahem.’

Behind them came Michael and his parents.

But Luca’s attention quickly shifted to the young woman walking beside Michael. She had a pretty, youthful face and an unmistakable baby-faced charm.

Luca’s expression froze for a moment. His gaze dropped to their hands. They had just separated them.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

‘Oh?’

‘When did these two get together?’

Michael still hadn’t officially retired from the Capital City Gaming Center, and apparently neither he nor his boss had bothered to tell Luca about this relationship.

Interesting.

“Oh? Elizabeth, you’re here too!”

Trish was the first to recognize her. She immediately became excited and pulled out a chair.

“Come sit here!”

Elizabeth smiled and thanked her before taking the seat.

Trish, however, seemed completely oblivious to the implications of her arrival. Rachel wasn’t nearly as clueless.

She sat quietly in her chair, occasionally glancing between Elizabeth and Michael. The more she looked, the more suspicious she became.

‘Something’s going on here.’

The dishes soon began arriving. There was lobster, abalone, shrimp, and other seafood, alongside several simple stir-fried dishes and fresh seasonal vegetables.

It wasn’t an extravagant banquet.

Luca had deliberately chosen something closer to a family dinner. There was little point filling the table with expensive delicacies simply for the sake of showing off.

People from wealthy families in Capital City could afford almost anything they wanted. Rare ingredients and expensive seafood were nothing particularly special to them.

It was often the ordinary dishes with unique flavors that attracted their attention more.

Once everyone had settled in, Victoria picked up a bowl of soup and placed it in front of Luca.

“Luca, your flight is tomorrow morning?”

“Yes.”

Luca accepted the bowl with both hands.

“Thank you.”

Victoria nodded.

“I heard you were heading back to San Fierro.”

“I’m going back tomorrow morning. I’ve been away for quite a while, so I need to check on things at home and at the company.”

He glanced toward Trish.

“And my sister is starting school soon.”

Victoria nodded thoughtfully.

Arabella had mentioned Luca’s return a couple of times while they were at the company, but she’d been so busy at the time that the information had slipped her mind.

Now that Luca had mentioned it himself, she finally remembered.

Since Luca was flying on his private jet, adjusting the departure time wasn’t particularly difficult.

A simple request was enough for Starline Airways’ staff to coordinate everything.

Of course, even a private jet couldn’t simply take off whenever its owner felt like it.

Air traffic still had to be coordinated. Flight paths, departure slots, and cruising altitudes all needed to be arranged around other aircraft.

Unless there was a special reason, Luca generally preferred not to disrupt the schedule unnecessarily.

His explanation earned approving nods from Victoria and Michael’s parents.

At their age, what more could parents really ask for?

They wanted their children to be healthy, happy, and financially secure.

That was precisely why they had spent their lives building businesses and fortunes that could be passed down to the next generation.

Money was important.

But seeing their children live well was what made all those years of work worthwhile.