Chapter 350: A Little Gift

The following morning, sunlight poured through the gaps in the curtains, illuminating the bedroom in a warm, golden glow.

It was already two hours past the time they would ordinarily have gotten up when Arabella finally emerged from the bathroom. Her hair was still damp, and a faint blush lingered on her cheeks as she approached Luca.

"Honey, I’m hungry."

Luca smiled and took the towel from her hands.

"I’ve already prepared breakfast. Sit down and let me dry your hair first. We can eat afterward."

"Okay."

Arabella obediently took a seat while Luca gently dried her hair.

Once they had finished breakfast, Luca cleared away the dishes while Arabella returned to the bedroom to change and apply a little makeup.

"Honey, shall we go?"

"All right."

Luca turned around, and the moment he saw her standing beside the coffee table, his eyes lit up with admiration.

Arabella was wearing a white dress with gold lining along the hem. The design was simple and elegant, perfectly complementing her serene beauty. Her stunning face and graceful figure made the otherwise understated outfit look exceptional.

Unlike her usual style, she had tied her hair into a ponytail, giving her a slightly more youthful appearance.

Luca approached her and gently gathered the ponytail in his hand.

"Why did you tie your hair up like this today?"

Arabella’s eyes sparkled at the question. She pouted slightly, looking up at him with a hint of playful dissatisfaction.

"Honey, don’t you like it?"

"Ahem!"

Luca coughed awkwardly.

Her question immediately reminded him of what had happened earlier that morning. After waking up, he had asked her to tie her hair into twin tails, and the memory was still fresh enough to make him feel a little embarrassed.

The sight of her delicate features and beautiful back had certainly made the request seem worthwhile at the time.

"Then why not wear twin tails instead?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

Arabella didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she turned around, stepped closer, and rose onto her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck.

Her voice was soft and sweet, carrying a mixture of affection and playful reproach.

"Tonight... tonight, you can do whatever you want. You can make me wear twin tails, cat ears, a cat tail, anything you like."

Before Luca could respond, she leaned forward and kissed him.

He smiled against her lips, clearly pleased with the answer.

...

By the time Luca drove Arabella to the Hale family villa, his parents were already waiting for them.

Knowing that they were about to meet their son’s girlfriend for the first time, the older couple had dressed in fresh, carefully chosen outfits. They had been looking forward to this visit for quite some time, and now that Arabella had finally arrived, neither could hide their excitement.

The moment Arabella stepped inside, Mrs. Hale’s face lit up.

"Oh my goodness! What a beautiful girl! Come, come, sit down."

She immediately took Arabella’s hand and led her toward the sofa, showering her with compliments along the way.

Luca smiled at the sight before remembering the gifts Arabella had brought.

"Mom, Dad, these are the gifts Arabella prepared for you."

The couple thanked her warmly, but Mrs. Hale was far too delighted by her future daughter-in-law to pay much attention to anything else. She continued holding Arabella’s hand, admiring her from every angle as though she couldn’t quite believe Luca had brought home such a beautiful young woman.

Just then, the elevator doors opened.

Trish stepped out with Daisy Kennedy, who followed closely beside her.

"Arabella, you’re finally here!" Trish exclaimed as she hurried over. "My parents have been talking about you for ages!"

She then crouched beside Daisy and gently pointed toward Arabella.

"Daisy, look. That’s Arabella, Luca’s girlfriend. Go on, say hello."

Daisy blinked in confusion.

She wasn’t entirely sure why she suddenly had another person she was supposed to call family, but that didn’t stop her from waddling toward Arabella with the determined little steps of a penguin.

"Mommy Arabella’s, I’m Daisy! I’m four years old. You’re so pretty!"

Her innocent introduction immediately brought smiles to everyone’s faces.

Arabella crouched slightly to meet the little girl’s gaze, her expression softening.

"Thank you, sweetheart. You’re adorable, too."

She reached into her bag and took out a pink princess dress, holding it up for Daisy to see.

"Look what Mommy brought for you. Do you like it?"

Daisy’s eyes widened as she examined the dress.

"I like it! Thank you, Arabella’s mommy!"

Her delighted little voice filled the living room, making the atmosphere even warmer.

Watching the scene unfold, Luca felt a pleasant warmth spread through his chest. The happiness on everyone’s faces made the house feel especially welcoming.

He glanced around the room, however, and noticed someone was missing.

"Trish, where’s Cecelia?"

"She left early this morning. Vivienne sent someone to pick her up because there was apparently some work at the company that needed her help."

Luca’s gaze shifted slightly before he nodded.

He understood what was really going on.

Cecelia was certainly capable of helping with Octaveo Pharmaceutical’s affairs, but he suspected that wasn’t the main reason she had left so early.

She must have known Arabella was visiting his parents today. Rather than risk making things awkward, she had found a convenient excuse to give them some privacy.

Luca couldn’t help appreciating the thoughtfulness of his companions.

Each of them seemed to understand the situation better than outsiders might expect, and they were often willing to make small compromises to keep things peaceful.

...

After the meal, Mrs. Hale returned with a bracelet and carefully placed it in Arabella’s hand.

"Arabella, this is a little gift. It’s not worth much, so don’t feel pressured to accept it if you don’t like it."

"Thank you, but..."

Arabella hesitated as she examined the bracelet.

As Mrs. Hale had said, it wasn’t particularly expensive. Its value was only around three or four hundred dollars, an amount that would hardly register as significant to someone who had grown up in a wealthy family like hers.

Most of the jewelry Arabella had worn since childhood had been worth considerably more, often exceeding five thousand dollars.

Yet, for some reason, this modest bracelet made her feel more hesitant than many of the expensive gifts she had received.

She wasn’t sure whether she should accept it.

Luca noticed her uncertainty and gently patted her shoulder.

"Keep it, Bella."

He smiled at her before explaining.

"My mother prepared this bracelet for her future daughters-in-law. So naturally, you should have one, too."

The explanation made Arabella look down at the bracelet again.

The older couple hadn’t deliberately chosen inexpensive jewelry for the women in Luca’s life. They had enough savings to purchase several bracelets worth a few thousand dollars each without putting themselves in financial difficulty.

However, there was something Luca wanted Arabella to understand.

His parents hadn’t used any of his money to buy these gifts.

Instead, they had spent a substantial portion of the savings they had accumulated over the years to purchase the bracelets themselves.

Seeing how many beautiful, kind-hearted women had fallen for their son, the older couple felt both fortunate and indebted. They were happy that Luca had found people who cared for him, but they also understood that the situation wasn’t entirely fair to the women involved.

They couldn’t offer these girls everything they deserved, but they wanted each of them to feel welcomed and appreciated.

That was why they had been willing to spend their own hard-earned savings on the bracelets. The gifts might not have been particularly expensive, but every dollar had come from their own pockets, and every bracelet carried their sincere affection.

After hearing Luca’s explanation, Arabella carefully accepted the gift from Mrs. Hale.

"Thank you. I’ll treasure it."

Mrs. Hale’s face immediately brightened.

"That’s a good girl! And remember, if this boy ever does anything to upset you, tell your father-in-law and me. We’ll make sure he learns his lesson!"

As she spoke, she turned toward Luca and gave him a fierce glare, making it clear that she wasn’t joking.

Luca blinked.

’Hmm... Why does that sound so familiar?’

He was almost certain he had heard something very similar the previous night.

Only back then, the warning had been directed at Arabella.

Now, it was his turn to be on the receiving end.

’Well, what goes around comes around.’

...

After spending some more time with his parents, Luca eventually drove Arabella back to Golden Water Bay.

He hadn’t expected any surprises when they arrived, but the moment he opened the apartment door, he spotted a familiar petite figure sprawled across the sofa.

Rachel.

She appeared to have been resting comfortably, but the sound of the door immediately caught her attention. She rolled over, pushed herself onto her knees, and turned toward the entrance with a mischievous grin.

"Hehe! Luca, Arabella, how about we all sleep together tonight?"