From Ashes of Scandals to His Embrace novel Chapter 497

York heard voices and stepped out of the dining room. The moment he saw Lucas, he stopped short, almost not trusting his eyes. He hadn’t known Lucas was even in Cabinda.

“What are you doing here?”

Renata, who was chatting with Egan at the dining table, picked up on York’s tone right away. She knew him well enough to realize he never talked like that unless he was close with someone.

She looked out the window and spotted Lucas standing outside. Rubbing her eyes like she was seeing things, Renata almost laughed at herself. It seemed impossible. After Laurinda’s parents died, the Ham family took Lucas back with them, and nobody had seen him since.

While York tried to play it cool, Renata’s reaction was a whole different story. She immediately dropped what she was holding, hurried to the door, and ran straight for Lucas, practically flying into his arms.

“When did you get here? I honestly thought you went back to the Ham family and totally forgot about us!”

Renata hugged Lucas without holding back. Even though they hadn’t exactly grown up side by side, there was history between them. They’d survived a lot together and the bond ran deep.

Lucas hugged her back and felt his eyes burn with tears he wouldn’t let fall. It really hit him, seeing an old friend like this after so long. He tried to say something but the words just got stuck in his throat.

Egan came out from the dining room too, and his expression darkened right away. He walked over to York and spoke in a low, annoyed voice.

“Who’s that guy?”

“Just an old friend we haven’t seen in ages,” York replied, sounding casual, but the look he gave Lucas was icy cold, like he wished Lucas would just disappear.

***

Upstairs, Adolphus had pulled Laurinda back to her room. Before she could even ask what he was doing, he pressed her up against the wall and captured her lips in a kiss that was fierce and hungry.

Laurinda didn’t resist. She let her arms wind around his neck, kissing him back, the world falling away until nothing else mattered.

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