“Bro, what’s going on? How did you manage to know both of them?” Jacob asked in a hushed, curious tone, placing a hand on Luke’s shoulder. At the same time, he subtly observed Lance and Kina, who were seated together on a long sofa across from them, while Tiffany sat nearby on a single sofa, glancing at Luke every now and then.They were currently in the private courtyard. After learning of Lance’s arrival, Jacob’s mother had eagerly taken it upon herself to host them.“Yeah. Mind telling us what’s really going on with your life lately?” Tony added from the other side, his hand already resting on Luke’s other shoulder.He, too, was looking at Tiffany, visibly puzzled about how on earth Luke had managed to attract such a stunning woman. The way she kept looking at Luke made it painfully obvious that she liked him, and Tony simply couldn’t wrap his head around what kind of charm Luke possessed.First, Luke had somehow managed to make one of the most

“Mom, are we really going to start this again?” Jacob said irritably to Estella in a reproachful tone, but she remained stiff as though she hadn’t heard him at all.She simply continued staring at Luke, her eyes slightly widened, as if she was still trying to fully process the fact that Luke and the Mr. Cruise Lance had been referring to were actually the same person.Jacob could only shake his head helplessly in disappointment before ignoring her with a sigh. He sat back down beside Luke, concern clearly painted across his face.“Bro, it’s actually fine. You don’t have to debate with him over something like this,” he whispered quietly.Although he wasn’t completely certain, based on the exchanges between Luke and Lance from earlier until now, it genuinely seemed like there was some sort of hostility brewing between them.Jacob had known Luke for a long time. He could easily tell when Luke was upset. Right now, there was an unmistakable c

‘So that’s probably why they’re here,’ Luke added inwardly while quietly looking at Alona, subtly nodding to himself.Well, it honestly made sense.That was probably also the reason why Alona was skilled in martial arts.Alona casually walked forward in a rather lazy manner, both hands tucked inside her pockets, before giving Lance a slight bow.“Mr. Velasquez,” she greeted flatly, her expression completely lifeless, as though she had been dragged here against her will.Henry let out a faint laugh at his daughter’s behavior, almost as if he was the one embarrassed by her attitude. But Luke could tell there was also a trace of disappointment hidden behind Henry’s otherwise gentle expression.“Please forgive my daughter, Young Master Lance. She’s a bit timid and cold, but she’ll definitely be reliable enough to serve as Young Miss Kina’s bodyguard,” Henry said politely.That statement immediately caused several people to p

Although shocked, Estella was the first among them to recover enough to speak. Oddly enough, she seemed more surprised by Lance’s sudden joke than by the actual meaning behind his words.Because in her mind, there was simply no way what Lance said could possibly be true.“Mr. Velasquez, what a funny joke,” she said with a stiff laugh, forcing herself to laugh along with him. “But you should still be careful. Walls have ears. It might somehow reach Mr. Malcov and his real right-hand man,” she added in a cautionary tone, deliberately emphasizing the words ‘right-hand man’ while casting Luke a mocking glance.However, Lance merely raised a brow at her.“I’m not joking,” he replied casually. “The person you were scolding earlier is actually the new second-in-command of the Blazing Phoenix Gang. You can ask your son if you still don’t believe me.”He then lightly tapped Estella on the shoulder, his face even carrying an almost concerned expres

Luke tried to recall where he had first seen that kind of strange arrogance before. It did not take long before two people came to mind. They were none other than Ken Sy and the leader of the armed men who had tried to abduct him.He frowned slightly as his gaze lowered, completely ignoring Lance. It was as though he had become more interested in figuring out why Lance’s behavior reminded him so much of those people instead.Yes, there was something oddly similar about the way they carried themselves. Their behavior almost mirrored each other in a way that felt unsettling.He just could not pinpoint exactly what it was.“So what if you’re friends with Mr. Cruise?” Alona said in a slightly raised voice, drawing everyone’s attention back to her.She released a sharp breath through pressed lips before slowly stepping closer to Lance with a deadly glare.Sensing that something was about to go down, both Henry and Levi instinctively s