Free Web NovelChapter 18: A Heavy Burden
"It’s been a long time indeed." Luca Hale smiled. "How have you been, Class Beauty?"
A trace of complexity flickered across Sophie Kennedy’s face.
"I’m not the Class Beauty anymore," she said softly. "Just call me Sophie."
She never answered his question.
Luca noticed immediately.
Back in high school, Sophie had been the pride of Ashford High. Not only was she beautiful, but she excelled academically as well. She graduated as the school’s top student and earned admission to Silver Province University, one of the province’s most prestigious institutions.
Her future had seemed limitless.
After graduation, she had planned to continue her studies. She intended to work part-time while preparing for the postgraduate entrance examination.
Then life struck without warning.
Sophie came from a single-parent household, and her family had never been wealthy. When her mother was diagnosed with kidney failure, everything changed overnight.
The mounting medical bills crushed her plans.
She had no choice but to abandon her postgraduate ambitions and return from Crestfall to Ashford. Since then, she’d been working while caring for her mother and helping support the family.
And there was still Rachel.
Her younger sister would soon be entering university, which meant even more expenses in the future.
’Can a life like this really be called good?’
The thought lingered in Sophie’s mind.
The faint crease between her brows deepened unconsciously.
Seeing the shadow in her expression, Luca wisely chose not to press further. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
Instead, he changed the subject.
"Do you have a younger sibling studying here too?"
"Yes." Sophie nodded. "My younger sister, Rachel Kennedy. She’s a senior this year."
Luca’s eyebrows lifted.
"That’s a coincidence. My sister Trish is graduating too. They might even be in the same class."
"Trish?" Sophie’s eyes widened in surprise. "Trish Hale is your sister?"
"You know her?"
Sophie laughed softly.
"Not only do I know her, but Rachel and Trish are very close friends."
Now it was Luca’s turn to be surprised.
The world really was smaller than it seemed.
The two continued chatting while students gradually gathered behind the school gates.
Then the familiar bell rang through the campus.
The same old ringtone.
The same sound that had once marked the end of countless school days.
Luca couldn’t help smiling.
"They never changed it."
"No." Sophie looked toward the school buildings, a nostalgic smile appearing on her face. "It’s always been the same."
Moments later, streams of students poured out through the gates.
Among the crowd, Luca immediately spotted Trish Hale.
At eighteen years old, she was already tall and slender, standing around 168 centimeters. Her youthful energy made her stand out even among the sea of graduating students.
Walking beside her was Rachel Kennedy.
Unlike her older sister, Rachel was petite, barely reaching 160 centimeters. Yet she shared Sophie’s delicate features and sweet appearance.
Without question, both girls attracted plenty of attention.
"Trish, look!" Rachel suddenly pointed ahead. "I see my sister."
Following her gaze, Trish spotted Sophie standing near the roadside.
Beside her stood a familiar-looking man.
"Huh?" Trish blinked. "Why does that guy look exactly like my brother?"
Rachel stared at her.
Before she could respond, a voice drifted over.
"It’s not that he looks like your brother."
"It is your brother."
Luca rolled his eyes.
Honestly, he was speechless.
He had imagined all sorts of emotional reunion scenes on the drive over.
Maybe Trish would be surprised.
Maybe she’d run over excitedly.
Maybe she’d even miss him a little.
Instead, she couldn’t recognize him from twenty meters away.
All his expectations shattered instantly.
And he’d even prepared a gift for her.
’Yep. Definitely my biological sister.’
The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he became.
Without hesitation, Luca reached over and ruffled her neatly styled hair into a mess.
"Brother!"
Trish pouted immediately.
"You touched my hair again!"
To outsiders, her angry expression looked more like she was acting spoiled.
It was a side of Trish few people ever saw.
Since childhood, she’d always been independent and outgoing.
She got along well with girls and boys alike. Whenever she faced a problem, she’d solve it herself instead of asking others for help.
That independence had become part of her personality.
Yet for some reason, whenever she was around Luca, she became noticeably more childish.
Sometimes she acted even more spoiled toward him than she did toward Mother Hale.
Rachel stood nearby, completely stunned.
She had never seen this version of Trish before.
’So Trish can act cute too...’
The revelation left her speechless.
"By the way." Trish grabbed Rachel’s arm. "Brother, this is my best friend, Rachel Kennedy."
Then she turned toward Rachel.
"And Rachel, this is the stingy older brother I’ve told you about."
She grinned mischievously.
"Pretty handsome, right?"
Rachel’s cheeks turned slightly pink.
"Hello, Brother Luca Hale."
Her voice was so soft that Luca almost didn’t hear it.
Then silence returned.
The shy girl immediately lowered her head.
Luca couldn’t help smiling.
With Trish and Rachel in tow, he walked back toward Sophie.
"Sister Sophie!" Trish called happily.
The familiar greeting made it obvious they had known each other for years.
After learning that Sophie and Rachel had come by bus, Luca offered them a ride.
The sisters accepted.
Trish had already been shocked when she learned Luca bought a car.
But the moment they reached the parking area and saw the black Mercedes-Benz G-Class waiting there, her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"Brother!"
She pointed at the SUV.
"That’s yours?"
"Yep."
Luca casually unlocked the doors.
"What do you think? Looks pretty good, right?"
"Pretty good?" Trish exclaimed. "This thing is incredible!"
Then she narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"Where did you get all this money?"
Not only Trish, but Sophie and Rachel were equally curious.
They knew the Hale family’s circumstances.
Both of Luca’s parents came from ordinary rural backgrounds. They had worked hard their entire lives just to afford a modest apartment in Ashford.
In terms of finances, the Hale family had once been even worse off than the Kennedys before Sophie’s mother became ill.
Yet only a few years after graduation, Luca was driving a luxury SUV worth hundreds of thousands.
It was difficult not to be curious.
Luca simply laughed.
"Your brother earned it, of course."
As he spoke, he felt a surge of gratitude.
Without the system, he would still be trapped in the same exhausting cycle.
Working endless overtime.
Dealing with unreasonable bosses.
Handling difficult clients.
Living paycheck to paycheck.
Compared to that life, everything now felt almost unreal.
And for that, he was genuinely thankful.
The engine rumbled to life.
With Sophie, Rachel, and Trish seated inside, Luca steered the G-Class onto the road.
Their destination was Ashford Medical Center.
Because the place the Kennedy sisters needed to go wasn’t home.
It was the hospital.
