Lucas said, moving towards her, "Bella, what are you doing here?"
"My daughter, Rachel is admitted here," Bella replied.
Bella had expected him to question her about Rachel, but she was confused when he didn't show any surprise at all. 'Did he really not care that he spent a night with the mother of a child? Is he not even curious why I was still a virgin if I already have a child?'
"Oh… so that's why you came to ask for money. It was for her treatment, right?" Lucas said, already feeling guilty that he had judged her without knowing her reason. But inside his mind, he was happy that she was not like those other women—she was different.
"I'm sorry I misunderstood you and said so many wrong things about you."
Lucas rarely said sorry to anyone and almost never to his bedmates, but with her, he didn't feel ashamed to admit his mistakes.
"It's fine," Bella said. "Anyway, you've helped me twice when I was in need, so I don't mind that. Well… how come you are here?"
"Oh, my assistant—whom you've met before, Mark—is admitted here," Lucas answered.
"Oh? What happened to Mr. Mark?"
"He met with an accident."
Bella's voice shifted to a worried tone. "Oh… how is he now?"
"He's undergone surgery and is fine now." Lucas frowned inwardly. He wanted to ask her, Why are you so worried about another man? But he pushed that thought aside. 'Wait… why am I getting so worked up? It's not like she's my woman, right? But why am I getting possessive? Maybe because she spent a night with me… yeah, that's the reason. It's because of the physical connection. But… I've never felt this before.'
"Are you hearing me?" Bella snapped her fingers in front of his face, pulling him out of his thoughts. He cleared his throat and asked about Rachel's condition.
"Her condition is stable," Bella said. "She's having surgery today… Oh, I forgot, I need to leave. I need to get breakfast for us."
"Are you going to the canteen too?"
"Yeah."
"Then let's go together. I'm also hungry."
Truth be told, he wasn't hungry. He didn't even know why he wanted to accompany her. He looked around and noticed girls staring at him in admiration, like always, but as soon as they saw Bella, they turned their gazes away.
Are they thinking I'm taken? He smiled at the thought, but quickly, before anyone could notice, replaced it with a neutral expression. His gaze darkened when he noticed a man looking at Bella like a pervert. He quickly grabbed her hand and whispered, "I'm sorry, but that man is looking at you inappropriately. Let's go together."
Of course, Lucas was a man who respected women's feelings, so he found it right to clarify things before she misunderstood him.
Bella glanced in the man's direction and indeed found him staring at her. It made her feel uncomfortable, so she clutched his hand. "Thank you. Let's leave soon."
"Mhm…"
They walked to the canteen like that, looking so good holding hands together that the lady at the counter mistook them for a couple.
"What do you want, beautiful?" the lady asked.
"I want vegetable porridge and chicken noodle soup. Please pack one serving each," Bella said.
"Sure."
They had already unclasped their hands, and Lucas placed his own order. Soon the packets were ready, and suddenly, a hand came from behind Bella.
"It's for both of us," Lucas said.
"You don't have to pay for me, Lucas." She tried to stop him, but he paid the bill, while the lady at the counter muttered, "Young people these days are so cute. Let your husband pamper you, young lady."
"See, I need to pay… you're the lady here. This is what a man should do." He reasoned out and turned around to walk back to the room without minding the words of the lady at the counter.
"But you are not my husband, and I can't take your help every time." She followed behind him, her little steps matching his long strides.
"Husband or not, I can't let you pay. Come on, Bella, it's just a small sum of money. Are we going to argue over this?" He rolled his eyes but continued to walk forward. 'Seriously, what is this girl? Does she not know me and think that after paying for her, my company will go bankrupt and I will die of lack of money?'
"I'm not arguing with you… it's just—" She stopped in her tracks. He stopped too, but a bit ahead of her.
"Okay, if you say so, then you can pay me back by inviting me to dinner. An eye for an eye, right? So we can have food for food."
'Inviting me to dinner? What the hell, Lucas? Since when were you this free to get invited over for dinner? Yes… it's just that she wanted to repay me, and I suggested a way for that. It's not like I'm eager or excited to have dinner with her… right?'
"Okay, then after Rachel is discharged, I'll invite you for dinner," Bella said.
"That's fine with me. By the way, can I meet Rachel? I want to wish her luck."
"Alright."
They both returned to Rachel's ward. She was already awake by then. She sat up at the sound of her mother's voice, her eyes widening in confusion when she saw Lucas.
"Baby, he is Mr. Lucas Costanzo," Bella introduced.
"Hey, Rachel," Lucas greeted.
He extended his hand for a handshake, but Rachel crossed her arms over her chest.
"Baby, don't do this," Bella chided. "He's a friend of mine… he's a good uncle."
"Really?" Rachel asked, looking at Lucas.
He nodded, and she grabbed his hand with a smile. "Hello, Mr. Handsome."
"That's not his name," Bella said. "You can just call him uncle."
"Mumma, he'll look old if I call him uncle, and he's so handsome. So I'll call him Mr. Handsome only."
"It's fine," Lucas said with a chuckle. "You can call me whatever you want."
"Okay, enough talking," Bella said. "Let's eat first. You were hungry, right?"
They ate together, and afterward, Lucas left for his office. He really liked Rachel—she was a good kid: obedient and cute. She talked to him a lot about herself, and he listened patiently.
Lucas headed home after breakfast, but he had already instructed one of his guards to inform him when Rachel was taken for surgery. He didn't know why he was associating himself, but he just wanted to do that.
Bella grew more nervous with each passing hour, though she tried to stay strong for Rachel. She smiled, not wanting her daughter to be afraid.
Finally, it was Rachel's turn for surgery. The guard informed Lucas, who was already on his way to the hospital after hearing this. He arrived quickly and made his way to the ward—only to find Bella crying, clutching Rachel's hand tightly and encouraging her. He stopped at the entrance, not feeling okay to step into their moment.
"Mumma, stop crying," Rachel said. "I will win this, and then the little devil will leave."
"Yes, baby," Bella said, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You have to win. You need to come back to me, okay?"
"Where would I go without you?" Her innocence, her voice—that was what broke Bella into tears again.
"Listen to what the doctors are saying, okay?"
Lucas stood there, silently watching this emotional conversation between mother and daughter. Such a strong girl. Not afraid of surgery. He was proud of Rachel.