Judy's voice was gentle and apologetic. "Sorry, he's in the shower. I'll let him know you called when he's done."

Aveline raised an eyebrow. "Where exactly is he showering?"

Judy was taken aback. Despite the suggestive context, Aveline kept probing.

Still, she replied, "At a hotel,"

Aveline pressed on, "What's he doing at a hotel?"

Judy was speechless.

She glanced at the phone, doubting whether it was really Aveline on the other end. Any other woman would have hung up by now, right?

Judy held her composure and said, "Miss Young, I'll let Lucas explain when he gets out."

Aveline replied, "You can use his phone, but you can't tell me what you're doing

at a hotel?"

Judy fell silent.

Selena stood nearby, covering her mouth to stifle her laughter, tears almost escaping from her eyes.

Aveline shot her a glance and then told Judy, "You don't need to hang up. Just give him the phone when he's out. Meanwhile, we can chat."

Judy was speechless once again, thinking, "Are you crazy? Who wants to chat with you?"

Judy's tone turned cold. "That's not convenient."

With that, she hung up.

Aveline scoffed.

Selena burst into laughter. "I never thought I'd see this side of you. My dear Aveline, have you come back stronger than ever?"

Aveline looked at Selena's red face from laughing so hard and said calmly, "I

figured since I had time, we might as well chat."

Selena laughed until her stomach hurt. After a moment, she managed to catch her breath and asked, "Who answered the phone? Was it Sophia?" Aveline shook her head. "No."

Selena's eyes widened in surprise. "Who was it then? Does Lucas just let anyone use his phone?"

Aveline looked at her intently for a moment and said, "I'll remember that. I'll ask him about it later."

Selena was speechless.

Seeing Aveline's face remain unchanged, Selena found herself momentarily unsure of what Aveline was thinking.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

"Aveline."

"Yes?" Aveline looked at her, puzzled.

Selena rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "It seems like your attitude towards Lucas has changed."

Aveline blinked, confused. "How so?"

Selena explained, "You used to be very cold and annoyed with him, but now you seem indifferent."

Aveline lowered her gaze slightly. "Resisting him is futile. My emotions mean nothing to him. What can I do?" "What do you mean by 'resisting him is futile'?" Selena picked up on the key

point.

Aveline replied, "Exactly what it sounds like."

Selena's expression stiffened. "So, even though you're divorced, he has no intention of leaving you alone?" Aveline stayed silent, sipping her water.

Selena shook her head. "That's terrifying. Being targeted by someone like him must be incredibly unlucky."

Aveline smiled slightly. "It doesn't matter anymore."

What else could she do? She had said and done everything she could. Lucas' stance was firm, and she couldn't change it.

So be it.

She decided to ignore his presence as much as possible and focus on living her own life.