No Escape from Love novel Chapter 127

Was someone trying to kidnap me again? Alarm bells went off in my head. Just as I was about to bolt, the person in the front passenger seat stepped out.

"Ms. Ashford, Mr. Schneider requests your presence."

The rear window rolled down, revealing Lucas.

I let out a breath of relief. "Luke? You scared me half to death."

Lucas wore a pair of black sunglasses that covered half his face. He merely glanced at me and nodded, signaling me to get in.

"Luke, what are you doing here?" Seeing an old friend, I couldn't help but feel a bit happy.

"I just happened to be passing by," he replied nonchalantly.

I glanced at the two security guards in the front seats and immediately understood.

Lucas was no longer the pitiful child he once was. Now that he had to compete for the Schneider family's inheritance, he needed to build a specific image, and creating an image naturally required some acting.

Since he wasn't speaking much, I didn't disrupt his persona.

The car pulled up to a restaurant. Once we entered a private dining room, he instantly dropped the act. "Serena, it's been so long! How have you been? Ugh... I had to keep quiet in front of them. I nearly died holding it in the whole way here."

I blinked at Lucas playfully. "I know. That's why I didn't call you out on it."

"Serena, you're the best." He grinned and pulled me into a big hug.

I quickly pushed him away. "Why are you here?"

"You just need to come with me when I meet him tomorrow," Lucas said with a smile. "Serena, you know what? You're like a source of courage for me."

"Oh, get lost." I waved him off. "But last time, you and Alex didn't reach an agreement. Do you have a new bargaining chip this time?"

Lucas nodded. "Of course. If I didn't, I wouldn't have dared to come find you."

…

I had agreed to go with Lucas to meet Alex but hadn't expected to run into the last people I wanted to see in the elevator of Hastings Group.

"What a small world," Henry sneered like a small dog emboldened by its owner. His eyes gleamed with anticipation as he looked between me and Lucas. "Didn't think I'd run into you two here."

Xena stood with her arms crossed, silent. Clearly, she had no intention of getting involved.