As soon as the words left her mouth, the atmosphere in the car turned icy, a chilling pressure enveloping Aveline. Her eyelashes fluttered subtly, reflecting her inner turmoil.

Lucas remained silent but he drove faster.

Aveline clutched her seatbelt, her brow furrowing. "Lucas, slow down."Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

It was rush hour.

Driving this fast was dangerous, and she certainly didn't want to die.

"Shut up!" Lucas snapped. He didn't want to hear her voice at all, and her words only made him want to strangle her.

Aveline flinched at his outburst, casting him a bewildered glance. Why are you so angry?"

Lucas' face grew even darker, and the car sped up even more.

Aveline didn't dare speak again, afraid that his frustration might cause him to crash the car, putting their lives at risk.

Finally, after a nerve-wracking drive, Lucas stopped the car in front of the Tudor family estate. The gatekeeper opened the gate, and Lucas drove in.

Aveline closed her eyes briefly, then said, "Lucas, as a man, I hope you'll keep your word."

She reached for the door handle to get out, but the door was still locked.

She looked at him in confusion.

Weren't they here to visit Barbara? Why weren't they getting out?

Lucas' eyes were filled with darkness as he stared at her. His voice was low and magnetic, "Aveline, how can you be so heartless?"

Aveline looked at him, puzzled. "How am I heartless?"

Hadn't he always been the cruel one?

The car fell into an uneasy silence.

Lucas continued to stare at her, and after a long pause, he finally said, "When we go inside, don't mention what you said earlier to Grandma. You know her health isn't good, and she can't handle any stress."

Aveline nodded. "I know."

She wasn't foolish enough to cause unnecessary trouble.

This time, Lucas unlocked the car door and got out first. Aveline watched his back for a moment, feeling a pang of bitterness before she composed herself and followed him out.

They entered the villa's living room one after the other. Barbara was sitting in a wheelchair, accompanied by a maid. Her eyes kept drifting to the door, clearly waiting for them.

Seeing them enter, she immediately broke into a smile. "My dear grandson, you're finally here!"

Lucas was speechless.

Every time he heard Barbara addressing him this way, he couldn't help but twitch.

He walked over and asked, "Grandma, how have you been feeling lately?"

Barbara smiled warmly and turned her attention to Aveline. "Come here, my dear. Let me have a look at you. Have you lost weight?" Lucas felt ignored.

It was clear to him that whenever Aveline was around, he was invisible. Barbara's true affections were always for Aveline.

Aveline smiled and said, "Grandma, I'm fine. I've just been dieting to keep in shape."

Barbara shook her head in disapproval. "You're already very beautiful. You don't need to lose more weight. If you get too thin, it will be hard to get pregnant. I still hope to hold a great-grandchild one day. When will you fulfill this wish for me?"

Her wrinkled face was full of hope as she looked at Aveline and Lucas, her eyes shining brightly like a child's.

D