Chapter 49

Third POV

Lukas lazily lifted his eyes, his demeanor composed. "Let them wait in the reception room. Go and call Sophia."

Elena, a member of the Schmidt family, wanted to maintain good relations with Elias, so Lukas decided to handle the situation himself. Martins nodded, left to fetch Sophia, and Lukas settled back at his desk. He casually popped a mint into his mouth before going to the reception room.

Upon entering, Lukas saw Gerald flailing and kneeling, the welts from the previous night's altercation evident. Each movement caused him to wince.

Lukas remained stoic as he sat on the sofa. Elena's eyes lit up; she'd heard rumors of Emily going abroad and saw an opportunity with Lukas. Smiling, she said, "Lukas, I heard Gerald upset you last night. I brought him to make amends."

"Amends? Where are they?" Lukas raised an eyebrow indifferently.

Elena's smile faltered. The apology was a pretext. She hadn't anticipated Lukas taking it seriously. The jewelry industry in Mediopolis was flourishing. Gerald Hughes, her cousin, and the Hughes family also ran a successful jewelry business. Gerald, however, had carelessly offended Lukas, causing several crucial business deals to fall through that morning. Panicking, they'd sought Elena's help. She brought the hospitalized Gerald to Strakovski Jewelry's headquarters to apologize.

Elena, however, was resourceful. Slightly embarrassed, she quickly recovered. "If you want to see him apologize, I can make him do it now."

Lukas glanced at her. "No need. He offended the wrong person—not me."

Surprised, she recovered quickly. "I know. He offended your company's new designer, Sophia. The one making a buzz online, right?"

Lukas felt a twinge of annoyance at her description of Sophia. He snorted but remained silent.

"Mr. Strakovski said you should still apologize to him first. Miss Lopez is an important employee!" Elena tugged at Gerald's sleeve, urging him to apologize to Lukas.

Gerald finally understood. He bent over, knocking his head repeatedly on the floor. "Mr. Strakovski, I've been blind! You are magnanimous, please forgive me! I know my mistake!"

Lukas narrowed his eyes. "It's been a long time since I personally hit someone."

Gerald looked bewildered.

"I was so disgusted that even the bodyguards wanted to swap places with me," Lukas said, a cold smile curving his lips.

Gerald's face drained of color. Since discovering his assailant's identity, fear had consumed him. Within a day, several vital business deals had collapsed. He'd recklessly offended someone he shouldn't have crossed.

Observing Gerald's distress, Elena turned to Lukas. "Lukas, please forgive him! My cousin didn't know!" She continued, "I heard it was the Lopez family's idea. They said Gerald would marry Sophia eventually, so being together beforehand wouldn't matter. My cousin was confused and didn't know Miss Lopez was willing, which led to…"

Lukas looked up sarcastically. "Is that so? Not inquiring about the woman's opinion turns willingness into forceful actions. Even if they weren't married, such actions are illegal!"

Elena laughed awkwardly. Seeing Lukas casually flipping through his phone, she blurted out, "Lukas, could it be that you've developed feelings for Sophia?"

Hearing this question for the second time that day, Lukas's expression subtly changed. He gave Elena a cold glance. "Regardless of whether I like her or not, who are you to—"

Elena was taken aback, her smile faltering. A knock came, and a man and a woman entered.

Sophia POV

Entering the room, I felt Elena's hostile gaze, though it was fleeting, replaced by a forced smile.

Lukas's tone was indifferent. "The main character has arrived. Whether you want to apologize or seek revenge, it's up to you."

Gerald immediately knelt and crawled toward me, bowing vigorously. "Miss Lopez, I was wrong! I'm worse than a beast! Please spare me! I didn't mean to do that last night. It was your mother's orders! Please forgive me!"