Free Web NovelChapter 43: The Grand Hotel’s Auction!
After wrapping up the housing paperwork at the agency, Luca Hale and Naomi Monroe headed to San Fierro University Town for dinner.
The evening streets were lively as always. Students crowded the sidewalks, laughter mixed with the aroma of grilled skewers and fried snacks, and the rows of outdoor food stalls buzzed with activity.
Naomi parked her Porsche 911 by the roadside and stepped out first. Luca followed behind her, completely unaware that someone nearby had already noticed them.
A young woman in fashionable designer clothing stood across the street, her gaze fixed on the pair. Every now and then, a curious smile appeared on her lips.
Rebecca Palmer had originally come to the area for a date.
Dressed carefully for the occasion and wearing flawless makeup, she had been strolling through the food street when she spotted a familiar face through the Porsche’s windshield.
Most people wouldn’t have recognized him so easily.
Rebecca, however, was Arabella Windsor’s roommate.
Over the past few weeks, she’d seen Luca Hale’s face countless times on school forums and gossip pages. The moment she saw him, she knew exactly who he was.
At first, she assumed he had come to meet Arabella.
Then she saw him sitting in the passenger seat.
Her surprise only grew when the driver’s door opened and a stunning young woman stepped out.
Rebecca froze.
The woman was beautiful, elegant, and carried herself with natural confidence. More importantly, the way Luca looked at her and the easy intimacy between them made their relationship obvious at a glance.
Without hesitation, Rebecca pulled out her phone and snapped several photos.
’Interesting...’
Everyone at the university assumed Luca and Arabella were together.
But looking at the scene before her, Rebecca wasn’t so sure anymore.
If anything, this woman looked far more like Luca’s actual girlfriend.
Could it be that everyone had misunderstood from the beginning?
Could Arabella be the side chick instead?
The thought made Rebecca’s eyes light up.
As she continued watching, her attention gradually shifted away from the scandal and onto Luca himself.
Handsome.
Rich.
Confident.
He was exactly the kind of man she liked.
Rebecca had always been proud of her appearance. While she couldn’t compare herself to top-tier beauties like Arabella, she still considered herself attractive enough to turn heads wherever she went.
And in her experience, very few wealthy young men could resist a beautiful woman willing to take the initiative.
A moment later, her phone rang.
"Hello? Becca, have you arrived yet?" a man’s voice asked eagerly. "I’m almost there. I’ll pick you up in a few minutes."
Rebecca’s expression immediately soured.
An Audi A4.
Just hearing about the car irritated her now.
Compared to the Porsche and luxury vehicles she’d seen around Luca, it suddenly felt painfully ordinary.
"Matthew."
Her voice was calm.
"You don’t need to come anymore."
"Huh?" frёeωebɳovel.com
"Let’s break up."
The other side fell silent.
"Becca, what are you talking about?"
"I’m serious."
Without waiting for an answer, Rebecca ended the call.
Her eyes returned to Luca.
Watching him open the passenger door for Naomi, a greedy smile slowly spread across her face.
’Since Arabella isn’t the real girlfriend... doesn’t that mean I have a chance too?’
Rebecca wasn’t foolish enough to dream about marriage.
But being close to a man like Luca?
That was more than enough.
And she was confident in her ability to make herself noticed.
---
The next morning, Luca was awakened by the ringing of his phone.
As he sat up, a faint ache pulsed through the left side of his lower back.
It wasn’t particularly painful, so he ignored it.
Moments later, two calls arrived one after another.
One was from Roman Pierce, General Manager of the San Fierro Grand Hotel.
The other was from Jared Prince, General Manager of the San Fierro Building.
Both calls concerned the same event.
A charity auction gala hosted by the San Fierro Red Cross Society would be held that evening at the Grand Hotel.
The annual event attracted many influential business figures from across the city and served as one of San Fierro’s most prestigious social gatherings.
Since he had no plans for the evening, Luca agreed to attend.
As for his date, the choice was obvious.
Naomi Monroe.
---
Night fell.
Under the glow of city lights, Naomi drove her Porsche 911 toward the entrance of the San Fierro Grand Hotel.
She wore a fitted purple evening gown that perfectly complemented her figure, while Luca appeared equally sharp in a tailored Armani suit.
Together, they attracted more than a few glances as they stepped onto the red carpet.
"Good evening, Chairman Hale."
A hostess approached with a professional smile and handed over a gold invitation card.
"The charity gala is being held on the ninth floor."
"Thank you."
Luca accepted the invitation before taking Naomi’s hand and leading her toward the executive elevators.
As soon as they entered, a young man wearing designer glasses smiled and greeted them.
"You’re here for the auction too?"
He looked to be in his early twenties and carried himself with the easy confidence of someone who had never lacked money growing up.
"That’s right," Luca replied.
The young man extended his hand.
"Austin Silva. I’m representing my father’s investment company tonight."
"Luca Hale."
The two shook hands.
"And this is my girlfriend, Naomi Monroe."
Austin blinked.
The name sounded familiar.
A second later, realization struck him.
"Wait."
His eyes widened.
"You’re Little Naomi from Twist Streaming?"
Naomi smiled politely.
"Yes. Nice to meet you, Mr. Silva."
Austin looked genuinely surprised.
He had watched a few of Naomi’s streams before.
Like many people, he’d assumed the camera and filters were doing part of the work.
Seeing her in person completely shattered that assumption.
Even among the influencers, models, and socialites he’d met over the years, very few left the same impression.
Austin immediately turned toward Luca.
"Damn, brother."
He patted Luca’s shoulder with obvious envy.
"You’re living the dream."
Luca laughed.
"I know."
The moment the words left his mouth, his smile stiffened.
"Hiss..."
A sharp pain suddenly shot through the lower left side of his back.
Much stronger than the dull ache he’d felt that morning.
His brows immediately furrowed.
