Chapter 312: A Hopeless Bot

The Next Morning

A cool breeze swept through the garden, rustling the leaves and carrying the faint fragrance of flowers across the estate.

Luca stepped outside and took a moment to appreciate the lush greenery and colorful blooms surrounding the house. The morning air was refreshing, and the quiet atmosphere put him in an excellent mood.

Before leaving, he glanced back at the bedroom.

Rachel was still curled up beneath the covers, sleeping soundly. Her breathing was steady, and she looked so comfortable that he couldn’t bring himself to wake her.

‘Let her sleep a little longer.’

They had spent much of the previous night playing Call Of Duty battle royale mode after taking their shower separately. Unfortunately, Luca’s gaming skills left a lot to be desired. No matter how carefully he tried to move, the enemy always seemed to find him first.

Headshot. Downed.

Headshot again.

Thankfully, he had Rachel on his team.

She was practically a one-woman army, carrying their duo matches while repeatedly reviving her helpless partner. Whenever Luca got knocked down, she would rush over to rescue him, even when doing so put her own life in the game at risk.

A helping hand was friendship. Repeatedly risking your life to save someone was practically a declaration of love.

At least, that was how Luca saw it.

Rachel’s affection for him had always shown itself in little ways, and her behavior while playing together had been no exception.

Despite having to carry a complete beginner, she had managed to win several matches.

The problem was that Rachel had become so absorbed in the game that she had stayed up far too late. By the time they finally stopped playing, she was barely keeping her eyes open.

Now, she was paying the price.

Luca smiled to himself and headed to wash up.

After changing into lightweight sportswear, he went outside for his morning run, leaving the bedroom quiet behind him.

He never noticed the figure that slipped into his room a few minutes later.

“Hey!”

Trish crept over to the bed and gave Rachel’s shoulder a firm pat.

“Wake up! You might be able to fool my brother, but you can’t fool me!”

Rachel didn’t respond immediately.

Trish folded her arms and studied her best friend with a knowing expression.

They had shared a bed for so many days that Trish knew Rachel’s habits almost as well as she knew her own. And as an avid gamer, Rachel was perfectly capable of staying up all night playing without looking particularly exhausted the following morning.

Yet here she was, pretending to be fast asleep.

There was something suspicious about that.

More importantly, Rachel’s expression didn’t look quite right. Trish knew what her best friend looked like when she was genuinely asleep, and this wasn’t it.

“What’s your problem?”

Realizing that pretending wouldn’t work, Rachel finally opened her eyes and gave Trish an annoyed look.

Trish immediately leaned closer.

“Tell me the truth. Did you and my brother do anything last night?”

Her eyes practically sparkled with curiosity.

As far as she was concerned, her best friend and her brother had finally been given a chance to spend the night alone together. Surely something must have happened.

One was her brother, and the other was her closest friend. How could she possibly resist keeping tabs on their relationship?

Rachel sighed and shook her head.

“No.”

Trish stared at her.

“No?”

“No.”

Rachel repeated the answer, looking rather disappointed herself.

She had certainly hoped things would progress further between them, but Luca hadn’t taken that final step.

Still, the night hadn’t been entirely unproductive.

Remembering their kiss and her hands wandering down him brought a faint blush to her cheeks.

Trish, meanwhile, looked even more disappointed than Rachel.

“What were you doing all night, then?”

She had deliberately given the two of them some privacy. She had even refrained from disturbing them, thinking they might finally make some progress.

And this was the result?

‘Is my brother seriously having trouble making a move?’

That couldn’t be right.

If Luca really had a problem, what would happen to all the women around him?

Rachel tightened her grip on the blanket, her cheeks growing warmer as she remembered their night together.

“We played games for a long time,” she admitted. “My hands are sore now.”

Trish stared at her for several seconds before slapping a hand against her forehead.

“You’re hopeless!”

She pointed accusingly at Rachel.

“You had the perfect opportunity, and you dragged my brother into playing video games instead!”

Rachel lowered her head, unable to argue.

Trish shook her head helplessly.

“Forget it. What’s done is done. You’ll just have to try again when we get back.”

With that, she turned and left the room, still muttering under her breath about wasted opportunities.

Rachel pulled the blanket over herself again.

She had a feeling Trish wasn’t going to let her forget this anytime soon.

…

After Alani arrived at Franco De Santa, everyone gathered for breakfast before preparing for the journey.

By the time the group reached the airport around noon, the sun was high overhead.

Luca had barely stepped out of the car when a white Porsche pulled up beside them.

The rear door opened, revealing Arabella in a simple white dress.

Luca’s expression softened the moment he saw her.

She looked beautiful as always, but something about her tired eyes immediately caught his attention.

‘Why didn’t you get some more sleep?’

A pang of concern tightened his chest.

He stepped forward, gently tucked a strand of windblown hair behind her ear, and drew her into his arms.

Arabella leaned against him without hesitation.

“I missed you,” she murmured. “I wanted to see you off.”

Her cheek rested against his chest, where she could hear the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. His familiar scent surrounded her, easing the exhaustion that had settled into her body.

She had barely slept three hours the previous night.

The moment her alarm rang that morning, she had gotten ready and rushed to the airport.

All because she wanted to see Luca before he boarded his plane.

She knew he wouldn’t be gone forever. Even so, the thought of watching him leave without saying goodbye properly had bothered her.

Now that she was in his arms, the exhaustion seemed a little easier to bear.

For the moment, nothing else mattered.

Luca held her a little tighter.

He wanted to tell her to take better care of herself, but looking at the way she clung to him, he couldn’t bring himself to spoil the moment.

Instead, he lowered his head and kissed her forehead.

They remained like that for a while before finally separating.

Arabella watched as Luca boarded the plane. She didn’t return to the Porsche until the aircraft had lifted into the sky and passed overhead.

Only then did she settle into the back seat, leaning against the upholstery as she closed her eyes.

“let’s go back.”

The longtime family driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror.

“Of course, Miss.”

The car pulled away from the airport.

After driving for a while, the driver looked at Arabella again through the mirror.

He had worked for Victoria for nearly twenty years and had watched Arabella grow up. He knew better than most how she behaved around other people.

For as long as he could remember, she had always been somewhat detached. She wasn’t unfriendly, but she rarely showed much enthusiasm for anything, and there were very few people who could persuade her to spend more time talking than necessary.

Yet everything seemed to have changed this year.

Arabella had fallen in love.

Not only that, she had begun staying overnight at her boyfriend’s house with a frequency that would have surprised anyone who knew her old habits.

And now, despite having barely slept, she had rushed to the airport just to see him off.

The driver couldn’t help smiling.

‘That young man must mean a great deal to her.’

He had never imagined that the young lady he had watched grow up would one day become so attached to someone.

But it was a welcome change.

At least now, he could rest a little easier knowing she wouldn’t have to face the future alone.