Chapter 6

Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.

The moment I dragged my suitcase out of the airport, a priceless Bugatti Veyron was already waiting outside. As I approached, the man standing by the car door immediately and respectfully opened it for me.

"Miss Davenport, please get in."

The luggage was properly stowed. Sitting inside the car, I naturally began chatting with the man in the driver's seat. "Uncle Arthur, why did you come to pick me up personally? Where is the family chauffeur?"

Uncle Arthur had been the butler of the Davenport family for decades and had practically watched me grow up. To me, he was more like an elder, so there was never any distance in our interactions.

He didn't deny my teasing remark, simply nodding. "Naturally. The Duke and Duchess are in excellent health, eating well and sleeping soundly. Aside from missing you, Miss, everything is fine."

Along the way, I chatted with Uncle Arthur, and as the car drove into the Davenport estate, I caught up on the family's recent affairs.

After getting out of the car, I walked straight into the main manor house. Just as I pushed open the grand doors, two rows of uniformed servants were already standing at attention. Seeing me enter, their movements and voices were perfectly synchronized:

"Welcome home, Miss!"

I rubbed my forehead, finding it both funny and exasperating. Uncle Arthur wheeled my luggage in, and the servants immediately stepped forward to take it upstairs. Seeing my helpless expression, he smiled. "The Duke and Duchess value ceremony. The moment they heard you were coming back, they had people rehearse this welcome ritual overnight. Right now, they should all be waiting for you in the drawing room."

I nodded. Although the scene was slightly exaggerated, I couldn't bear to dampen their spirits, so I walked straight toward the drawing room.

The drawing room was indeed packed with people: Mom and Dad, as well as my uncles and aunts.

I greeted them one by one, then sat down next to my parents. Looking at their concerned eyes, the composure I had maintained for so long suddenly collapsed in that moment.

I leaned on my mother's shoulder, a massive wave of grievance instantly surging up in my heart.

I had grown up doted on by my elders, never suffering the slightest slight, until I hid my identity to gain experience in Berlin and met Lucas.

Five years of affection; I had given my true heart. Back then, I really thought about spending the rest of my life with him, and firmly believed we would eventually be each other's only one.

What a pity... I nearly became his shameful mistress without even knowing it, my sincere heart discarded like a worn-out shoe.

Sensing my low spirits, Mother gently patted my shoulder. "Let the past remain in the past. The one thing our family doesn't fear is making mistakes. Worst case scenario, you start over; we have plenty of capital for trial and error."

Listening to Mother's comfort, my mood finally brightened a little. Seeing this, the others hurriedly changed the subject, presenting the gifts they had prepared like treasures.

Only then did I realize that what Mother had said on the phone earlier wasn't an exaggeration at all; in fact, it was quite understated.

From manor deeds to yacht keys, a thick stack piled up into a small mountain, along with a large ring of keys. But most conspicuous was an antique crown placed right in the center.

Crafted from gold, silver, diamonds, and sapphires, every gem was enormous, each one proclaiming its priceless value and nobility.

But they seemed to think it wasn't enough, looking as if they wouldn't rest until the table before me was full. Just as I was about to say it was unnecessary, my aunt suddenly slapped the table, her eyes lighting up.

"Vivian, didn't you just break up? Perfect timing. I have a friend whose son just came back from London. My friend has been worried about this kid's marriage for a long time; he hasn't found a suitable girlfriend. Why don't you two meet, just to make a friend?"

I was startled and hurriedly waved my hand to refuse. But Auntie gave me no chance, pulling out her phone directly and pushing a business card over.

"I saw this young man before he went abroad; he's very handsome. Even if there are no sparks, another friend is another path, right?"

Unable to withstand Auntie's enthusiasm, I finally agreed to her proposal.

However, when I tapped on the contact card Auntie sent, I unexpectedly discovered that this person was already my friend.

I clicked in to check. The person had no nickname; the profile picture was a beam of faint light piercing through the deep sea, and the username consisted of just two simple letters:

E.B

I paused, racking my brains, but I couldn't remember when I had added him. I didn't ask further questions, simply turning off the phone screen calmly, as if nothing had happened.

Anyway, once we met, all answers would naturally be revealed.

Just as I was preparing for this date, Lucas, far away in Berlin, finally returned home.

Night had fallen, and the lights in the apartment were off. He didn't see the sticky note on the door and habitually entered the old password, but when he pushed, the door didn't budge.

He looked up in confusion, only then making out the note by the dim light: "From now on, this is Miss Rothschild's home. It's better to set the password to her birthday."

Miss Rothschild's home? Charlotte?

His heart gave a violent jump. Had Vivian discovered something? But Vivian and Charlotte had only met once, and no one would have told her. How could Vivian know about him and Charlotte getting married?

Lucas hesitantly entered Charlotte's birthday, and the apartment door opened in response.

He turned on the lights; the apartment was completely empty. He subconsciously called out "Vivian," his voice echoing in the silent room, but there was no response. Only then did he remember that I had gone to Paris two days ago.

I rarely left him for so long. Most of the time, I was at home waiting for him to return. In fact, since we started living together, except for this one time, every time he came home, I was there.

An inexplicable unease rose in Lucas's heart, leaving a hollow feeling. Was I really leaving? But he immediately rejected the thought.

How could that be? Vivian loved him so much. Maybe it was just because he had accompanied me too little recently, so I was thinking wild thoughts, and happened to guess his relationship with Charlotte. But I would come back eventually. When that time came, he just had to coax me, and everything would be fine.

Thinking of this, he rubbed his temples and walked into the living room.

He would call Vivian later, ask her when she was coming back, and have a good talk with her.

However, as he walked into the living room, before he could dial, his gaze was drawn to the thick stack of documents on the coffee table.

Lucas didn't stop; he walked over quickly, sat on the sofa, and picked up the stack of unfamiliar papers.

A faint trace of anticipation rose in his heart. Did I leave this? For him?

See, he knew I was just throwing a little tantrum. How could I really leave him?

A faint smile floated to the corners of his mouth, but it froze the instant he saw the content on the paper.

The first page was blank, save for a single line of handwritten text. Lucas recognized my handwriting at a glance—graceful and powerful, leaping off the paper. If he hadn't read the content of those words, it would have been aesthetically pleasing.

But that line of text was like a heavy hammer, smashing ruthlessly onto his heart.

"Lucas Vance, happy wedding. We are finished."