Aveline nodded. "Okay."

She then turned to Selena. "Come with me."

"No way,"

"Absolutely not."

Two voices spoke at the same time. One was Selena's, who shot a look of disdain at Lucas. "There's no way I'm staying under the same roof as him. I'd be tempted to stab him in his sleep, and I don't want to go to jail."Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

Aveline was speechless.

Lucas' face hardened. "Just throw her in the basement and let her sleep with those guys for a night."

"You bastard..." Selena nearly exploded.

Aveline quickly intervened, "Let's take you home first."

At that moment, Aaron's voice chimed in, "I'll take her."

Selena looked at him suspiciously, "Is there any hidden motive behind your kind offer?"

Aaron laughed in exasperation. "I saved your life, didn't I? What do you think?"

Selena muttered something under her breath, but no one caught it.

Aveline thought for a moment and said, "I'll take her. I'll feel better knowing she got home safely."

Aaron replied, "I brought her back safely. What more reassurance do you need?"

Aveline pressed her lips together.

Lucas added, "You can trust Aaron to handle this."

Selena agreed, "After such a long day, you must be exhausted. Get some rest, and I'll see you tomorrow." "Alright."

Aveline nodded. She watched as Selena got into Aaron's car, then reluctantly turned to get into Lucas' car.

She couldn't help but worry, her eyes following Aaron's car as it drove away.

Lucas noticed and his expression grew colder. "Aaron won't do anything to Selena. He had better taste than that." Aveline's brows knitted together upon hearing this. She retorted bluntly, "Selena wouldn't bring home garbage either." "Hah!" Lucas let out a light snort and started the car.

The atmosphere between them remained tense throughout the drive.

The sky had completely darkened, and the surroundings were pitch black, barely visible.

When they arrived at the Tudor residence, as soon as Aveline got out of the car, her phone rang.

She looked at the screen and saw it was Aaron calling. Aaron never called her, so it had to be Selena.

"Hello?" Aveline answered.

Selena's voice came through. "Ave, I'm home. Don't worry about me."

Aveline finally relaxed. "Alright, take a good rest after a long day. Let me know if you feel unwell."

"Mm-hmm, don't worry," Selena replied before hanging up and handing the phone back to Aaron.

Aaron glanced around her small apartment, a flash of disdain in his eyes. With an unusual hint of kindness, he suggested, "Why don't you stay at my place? It's much safer." Selena responded, "No, thanks."

Aaron gritted his teeth. "Ungrateful!"

With that, he turned and left.

Selena closed the door without hesitation. She was utterly exhausted and went straight to bed after a quick shower. Her WhatsApp kept buzzing, but she didn't respond right away. Back at the Tudor residence.

Aveline had just finished her shower and walked out to see Lucas sitting on the sofa, wearing a silver-gray bathrobe. He looked elegant and aloof, focused on his tablet. She glanced at him briefly before climbing into bed.

Not long after, Lucas lifted the covers and climbed in beside her. With one swift motion, he pulled her into his arms.

Aveline's body tensed up.