Love Contract novel Chapter 98

"Do you love him?" Lucas gave Mary an uncomfortable stare, as if he wanted to see right through her heart.

Did she love him or not? Mary didn't even have to think twice about her response.

Her answer was as clear as day, but she didn't dare to acknowledge her feelings anymore because they were not reciprocated. It was useless to talk about a one sided love affair. However, deep down in her heart she couldn't pretend that she didn't love him no matter how much she tried to convince herself.

"Don't bother answering the question, I can already tell from your expression," Lucas said with a smile, "I still remember when William called me and told me that he was married. I rushed back from abroad because I just wanted to take a peek at the person who had stolen William's heart and permanently removed him from the bachelors list."

"And then what happened? Were you disappointed?"

"Yes, a little. Especially when I saw how she looked." Lucas rubbed his nose as he was talking.

"Well..." Mary hadn't expected him to be so "direct" and express his feelings in such detail. "Ha ha, I'm just kidding." Lucas chuckled at her uncomfortable expression, showing his white pearly teeth that were lined like a toothpaste advertisement. "I think you are the perfect match for him."

"Ha ha..." Mary sighed and smiled.

"It's a pity that he is so stubborn," Lucas said suddenly turning serious. "He insists on following that contract to the letter and, yet you fell in love with him. Mary, that is a very dangerous situation for you to find yourself in."

Mary gulped the noodles she was chewing when her mouth suddenly went dry as if the noodles had absorbed all the saliva from her mouth. Although it was a small bite, it still felt as if she had swallowed a huge potato.

"I know what you mean," Mary hurriedly spoke then took a huge sip of water, to remedy the choking feeling on her throat.

"After knowing you, I feel that he doesn't deserve you. If I were in his position, I would ..." Lucas stopped talking mid-sentence and visibly shook his head as if reprimanding himself, then he looked at Mary and plastered a smile on his face. "I'm spewing a lot of nonsense... Yet it's important to eat without disruption... "

After they finished their meal, Mary walked to the checkout counter to pay the bill.

"Table twelve, the one by the window. Please give me the bill." As Mary was speaking, she was busy checking her pocket for her wallet.

"Madam, someone has paid for table twelve," the waiter answered with a smile.

"Paid? How is that possible and we just finished eating!" Mary was taken aback. "How could it be? Are you sure you are looking at the right bill?" Mary asked in surprise.

"Well... Let me check it once again." The waiter checked the message again just to be sure since his customer was looking a bit bothered and said, "Madam, your bill has been paid. Well... From the system it shows that, it was this gentleman who paid."

The waiter suddenly pointed at the person who was standing behind Mary.

When Mary turned around, she saw Lucas, looking cheeky with a bright smile on his face as if he had accomplished the most important thing in the world. He was standing two or three steps away from her with his hands in his pockets, looking very casual with no care in in the world.

"Okaaay." Mary stammered through her words while looking at Lucas in confusion. Lucas nodded with a smile when he saw how distraught she looked.

"Didn't we agree that this was my treat?"

"How can I let you pay for the lunch?" Lucas asked with a smile. "I just needed someone to keep me company while I had my lunch, so I invited you here."

"Well..." Mary didn't know what to say. "Thank you."

"You are too polite." Lucas shifted to Mary's side on the left as they walked out of the restaurant like old friends, "Why are you always so reserved when you are with me? I think you have the wrong impression of who I really am. I'm not a pervert who works as a doctor during the day and a killer at night in TV dramas. I'm very safe to hung around with."

"Puff..." Mary couldn't help laughing and said, "No, that's not what i think of you, I just feel that we are really not familiar with each other. After all, we have only met a few times so it's difficult to act all friendly and familiar."

"What..." Lucas looked like he had suddenly realized something. "Yeah, it seems that we've really only met a few times..."

"So..."

"I'm always familiar around you because I feel like we have known each other for a long time," said Lucas, while scratching his head with an embarrassed expression. "I hope I did not make you feel uncomfortable?"

"No, no, no," Mary shook her head and hand at the same time. "How can you be a bother to me? I should thank you. If it weren't for you, I don't know what my life would be like today." "You're being polite again," said Lucas, as he opened the door and invited Mary to get in. "Get in the car and I will drive you home. I think you need to go back and have a rest."

"Thank you for..." Before she could finish her words, she saw Lucas raising his eyebrows with a snicker. Mary stopped talking and changed whatever she was about to say into a simple word, "Okay."

"Mary." Lucas continued while sitting in the car, "Forget him. I think it may be time for you to give up and move on with your life."

Forget him and give up.

She had thought about it several times in her heart, but her presence there proved that it was easier said than done.

When Lucas noticed that she wasn't going to respond to his suggestion, he sighed, "I know that you may not want to pester or hold him accountable, but if you keep living like this, you will only torment yourself. You deserve someone who treats you better."

"I am working on it. I will forget him," Mary said with more force while she nodded her head as if trying to convince herself more than anyone else.

"I know it's hard..." Lucas wanted to pat her on the head and encourage her further, but he realized that he would be crossing his boundaries so instead, he withdrew his hand and said, "If you have any misgivings or you need any kind of support, you can always call me."

"Yep, I will." Mary nodded.

The car stopped at the gate of Kylin International and Mary got out. But just as Lucas was about to start the car and leave, Mary touched his arm that was hanging on the door of the driver's window, to stop him.

"Uhmm, Lucas..."

"Yes? Anything else?"

"I want to ask..." Mary took a deep breath and asked, "It is about my mother... Ho...how long do you think she can hold on?"

With one hand on the steering wheel and a serious look in his eyes, he looked straight ahead, trying to avoid direct eye contact with her. Lucas said after a while, "Well, of late... I think it's better if you spend more time with her.

"I see. Thank you for your candor." Mary's mouth trembled at the corners. Losing the battle to keep her emotions hidden, she said, "Then I'll go in first."

"Are you sure you don't need me to accompany you upstairs?" Lucas looked worried.

"No, thanks. I... I'm okay." Mary waved her hand and said, "Drive carefully... I'm going upstairs now." When she turned around, she walked on wobbly feet, feeling as if she was stepping on cotton.

He said "spend more time with her"... Did that mean that her mother didn't have much time left? She was not ready yet to say good bye to her mother. Why was the world so cruel to her?

Mary clutched her burning heart and rubbed her chest trying to ease the iron grip that was spreading through her whole chest in a heat of pain. She also tried to pace her breathing which was becoming more shallow with each step she took. Why did people have to say goodbye....

Lucas looked at Mary's receding back, and realized that for the first time, he was looking at a woman who was both strong and pitiful.