chapter48

Lucinda couldn't take any more embarrassment. She slipped away with Grace, both of them heading back to their room without another word. Clearly, they had underestimated Lydia. Next time, they'd have to be smarter. No more careless mistakes. They needed a real plan.

Lydia, meanwhile, had just finished her test flight and couldn't stop smiling. The helicopter was incredible, easily one of the best in the world. Leave it to her parents

to go big on everything, even gifts. They never did anything halfway.

"Thank you, Mom, Dad," she said, her eyes bright.

"I'm so glad you like it." her mom replied.

"Yeah. I think I'll swing by the company for a bit." She had taken on this responsibility, and she wasn't about to slack off.

Cameron and Kylie nodded, about to agree, when the butler walked in. "Sir, Madam, Chris Jefferson is here. He says Mr. Jefferson sent him to pick up Miss Norwood and take her to the hospital to see Connor."

They glanced at Lydia, a little uncertain. Maybe you can go to the company another time?" Since Mr. Jefferson had made a personal request, turning him down wasn't really an option.

Lydia thought for a second, then nodded. "Okay."

When they got back to the main house, Chris was already waiting in the living room. He was tall and lean, dressed head to toe in black leather jacket, shorts, boots. The whole look gave off a cool, rebellious energy. He greeted them politely, explaining why he was there.

Cameron laughed. "Alright, take Lydia to see Connor."

Chris, honestly, didn't think much of Lydia. Sure, she was pretty and had a bit of a frosty vibe, but he didn't believe for a second she could actually help his brother. He was only here because his grandfather had forced him to come. It wasn't fair. Connor was stuck in a hospital bed and Mikey was buried in work. Somehow this was all Lydia's fault, and he planned to make her pay for it.

He shot her a sly smile. "By the way, Miss Norwood, it was rush hour so traffic was terrible. I took my bike. Hope you're okay riding with me."

Chris was obsessed with his motorcycle. Racing, speed, anything that got his heart racing, he lived for it. He had a plan, too. He'd take Lydia on the wildest route, weaving all around the city, just to scare her off. No way would she pick him as her fianc after that. Genius.

Lydia just arched an eyebrow, gave him this calm, almost amused look, and smiled. "Please wait for me at the gate. I just need to grab my bag."

He grinned, thinking victory was in the bag. "Sure thing."

After saying goodbye to Cameron and Kylie, Chris hopped on his bike and parked by the front gate. He pictured Lydia clinging to him, begging him to slow down, maybe even crying.

Before he could get too lost in his daydreams, the deep rumble of another engine cut through the air. Chris turned, expecting to see a nervous girl shuffling over. Instead, a girl on a flashy, limited-edition Tomahawk motorbike pulled up, her long hair streaming behind her in the sun. Her black leather jacket hugged her figure perfectly, and even with the helmet, her eyes were bright and fearless. She looked confident and cool, like she belonged on that bike.

Chris stared, totally stunned. He couldn't help blurting out, "No way."