Chapter 344 Did You Change Cars Again?

After saying goodbye to Stephanie, Luca soon received a reply from Lisa.

He returned to the inpatient ward where he’d last seen her and spotted her walking toward the staff lounge, chatting and laughing with the female intern who had been accompanying her earlier.

“Lisa,” he called out gently.

Hearing her cousin’s voice, Lisa turned around. The moment she saw him, her face lit up with an even brighter smile.

“Cuz! Have you been waiting long?”

“No.” Luca shook his head. “I ran into an acquaintance and spent a little time chatting with her.”

He glanced at the corridor behind her before asking, “Are you finished here? Ready to head home?”

“Mhm!”

Lisa nodded enthusiastically, looking like a little hamster agreeing to a treat.

“Just give me a moment to change!”

She was about to continue toward the lounge when she suddenly remembered something. Turning around, she found her friend staring at her with an unmistakably resentful expression.

Lisa scratched the back of her head awkwardly before introducing them.

“Luca, this is Zoey, my good friend and college roommate. You can just call her Zoe.”

Before her internship had started, Lisa had mentioned wanting to bring a friend along, but Luca hadn’t asked for any details.

It wasn’t that he didn’t care about his cousin. Quite the opposite. He simply believed she deserved to have a social life of her own, and being her older cousin didn’t give him the right to interfere in every little thing.

Besides, most of the hospital staff had no idea Lisa was related to him. Only Director Williams and a few department heads knew the truth, so Luca had little reason to worry about her being mistreated.

After exchanging greetings with Zoe, he followed Lisa’s directions to the staff lounge and settled down to wait.

The lounge itself was surprisingly spacious, although its furnishings were relatively simple. Four desks stood inside, each with its own chair and a few personal belongings scattered across the surface. It had been specially arranged for Lisa and the three other young interns.

Of course, such an arrangement was hardly something every intern at San Fierro Hospital could expect.

Without Lisa’s connection, getting an internship at the hospital would have been difficult enough. Having a private lounge for four interns would have been almost unthinkable.

Luca didn’t particularly mind. As long as the girls were learning something useful and getting along with their colleagues, he was satisfied.

Not long after Lisa and Zoe left to change, two young women in white coats entered the lounge.

At first, neither noticed Luca. He was sitting in Lisa’s usual seat, his attention focused on the phone in his hands as he played a game.

It wasn’t until the slightly slimmer of the two approached a desk to refill an empty cup that she realized someone else was in the room.

She paused, looking at him with mild surprise.

“Excuse me, are you here to visit a patient? This is the staff lounge. There’s a separate waiting area for patients’ families. Would you like me to show you where it is?”

Her tone was polite, and she even offered him a helpful smile.

Meanwhile, her companion, who had been preparing to tidy up her desk, finally noticed Luca as well.

The instant she looked at him, her heart nearly leaped out of her chest.

‘Oh my goodness!’

A handsome man!

No, not just handsome. He was ridiculously good-looking!

She stared for another moment, trying to figure out why his face seemed so familiar.

‘Wait, haven’t I seen him somewhere before?’

Luca put down his phone and raised his head to look at the two young women. A faint smile touched his lips.

“Are you both friends of Lisa?”

The question immediately made the two interns realize who they were looking at.

This was Luca, Lisa’s cousin, the very man she occasionally talked about with her friends.

They had seen his photographs before.

However, the most widely circulated pictures were the ones featuring him and Arabella, San Fierro University’s famously beautiful and notoriously reserved campus belle.

When those photographs had first appeared online, the two girls had discussed them at length with their friends.

One picture, in particular, had attracted an enormous amount of attention. It showed Luca holding hands with Arabella as they walked across the university’s grounds, looking every bit like a couple straight out of a romance novel.

The comment section had been filled with enthusiastic praise. Countless people had declared them a perfect match, a couple seemingly made for each other.

Back then, the girls had already agreed that Luca was exceptionally handsome.

But seeing him in person was an entirely different experience.

The photographs hadn’t done him justice at all.

His features were more defined in real life, and there was a natural charm about him that no camera could quite capture.

“I’m Jessica!” the slimmer girl introduced herself.

“And I’m Maya,” her companion added quickly. “We’re both Lisa’s friends and roommates.”

Luca greeted them warmly, then chatted with them for a while.

During their conversation, he learned that Jessica and Maya were scheduled for the night shift that day. Their shift had conveniently taken over some of the work Lisa and Zoe would otherwise have had to handle, allowing the two girls to finish their internship duties and prepare to leave.

After a little small talk, Luca gestured toward the empty chairs.

“Come on, sit down. You don’t have to stand around just because I’m here.”

His relaxed attitude helped put the two girls at ease. They exchanged a quick glance before sitting down, though they still seemed somewhat nervous.

It wasn’t their fault.

If Luca were merely Lisa’s cousin, they probably would have treated him like any other family member visiting the hospital.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t just that.

As the person who stood behind San Fierro Hospital, Luca held considerable influence over its operations. His authority even surpassed that of Director Williams in certain matters.

In other words, the man sitting casually in front of them was effectively one of the most powerful people in their workplace.

It was difficult not to feel nervous under those circumstances.

Still, Jessica managed to answer his question.

“Thank you for asking, Luca. The hospital’s management and the other staff have treated us very well. It’s been tiring at times, but we’ve learned a lot over the summer.”

Maya nodded in agreement.

Their experience had been far more valuable than simply reading textbooks or memorizing medical theories.

There was a saying that reading about something a hundred times couldn’t compare to experiencing it once. Their internship had made them appreciate just how true that was.

Working alongside experienced doctors had allowed them to absorb practical knowledge much faster than they could have in a classroom. They had also gained valuable experience observing real patients, following medical procedures, and learning how professionals responded to unexpected situations.

Of course, they still had plenty to learn, and neither girl was under the illusion that two months had made them experts.

Nevertheless, the experience had given them a considerable head start over many of their classmates.

Ordinarily, internships at hospitals of this caliber were reserved for students who had reached their senior year. Even then, San Fierro Medical University received only a limited number of placements at San Fierro Hospital each year.

Competition was fierce, and only the strongest students usually secured a position.

Yet thanks to Lisa’s connection, Jessica and Maya had been able to complete two months of training at the prestigious hospital before even entering their junior year.

The knowledge and experience they had gained were invaluable.

“That’s good to hear.” Luca nodded approvingly. “As long as you’re learning something and adapting to the environment, your time here hasn’t been wasted.”

He paused before adding, “If you want to come back during future holidays instead of going home, you’re welcome to continue your internship here. Just let Lisa know beforehand, and I’ll see what can be arranged.”

Jessica and Maya immediately brightened.

“Really? Thank you, Luca!”

They had already realized how valuable their time at the hospital was. The thought of returning for another internship was naturally exciting.

While they were still thanking him, the lounge door opened again.

Lisa and Zoe walked in side by side, having changed out of their work clothes.

After exchanging a few more words with Jessica and Maya, Lisa made a beeline for her brother. She slipped her arm through his and looked up at him with a cheerful smile.

“Luca, shall we go?”

Luca glanced toward Zoe, who was standing nearby.

“What about your friend? Do you need me to drop her off somewhere?”

Zoe quickly shook her head.

“It’s all right, Luca. I live very close to the hospital, so you don’t need to worry about me.”

Her answer reminded Luca of the time he’d picked Lisa up to take her home for dinner.

Back then, Zoe had mentioned the neighborhood where they were renting their accommodation. It was practically around the corner from the hospital, no more than a five-minute walk away.

‘So the four of them really did rent a place together.’

With that settled, Luca said goodbye to the girls before leaving with Lisa.

The two walked through the hospital parking lot until they reached the white Maserati MC20.

Lisa stopped in front of the car, looked it over, and then turned toward her cousin with a raised eyebrow.

“Cuz! Did you change cars again?”

She remembered the first time she’d ridden with Luca. Back then, he’d been driving a Koenigsegg One:1.

At the time, she hadn’t recognized the brand. It wasn’t until she’d returned to her dorm and looked it up online that she’d discovered just how absurdly expensive the car was.

She’d been stunned to learn that a single vehicle could cost more than an ordinary person might earn in several lifetimes.

Later, she’d also ridden in Luca’s Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

And now, here he was with another sports car.

Lisa examined the Maserati’s sleek bodywork and immaculate finish. It looked practically brand-new, as though he’d only recently bought it.

Although she couldn’t immediately identify the model, she was certain of one thing.

This car definitely wasn’t cheap.

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