CHAPTER 417: CHAPTER 417: AGENT

For some reason, his heart hurt. He clenched his fists tightly.

"Don’t look," he told himself. "Don’t feel anything." But his eyes still followed her until she disappeared around the corner.

In that moment, another ding echoed in Eleanor’s mind.

[Theodore’s favorability has increased to 23%] the system said.

Eleanor smiled faintly. "At least it’s going up," she whispered. "I’ll just keep following your plan."

She adjusted her bag again and left the area with her head held high.

Far away, in another part of the city, Jules sat in her apartment, staring at her security camera feed.

Her hands trembled slightly as she zoomed in on the dark corners outside her door. After a long minute, she finally relaxed when she didn’t see anyone.

She let out a deep sigh of relief. "Finally," she murmured. "No ghosts from the past today."

For the past few weeks, Jules had been living in constant fear.

She was worried that Maya would find her or that her mother would show up again.

The thought of facing her ex-husband made her stomach twist. She didn’t want to go back to that old life.

Now, she was building a new one. She had started coding again and was working hard on her software project. Her screen was filled with lines of code and design templates.

She smiled proudly as she looked at her progress. "Soon," she said to herself, "this will be ready."

Her idea was simple but smart...an AI agent that could manage phone calls for introverted people.

It would answer calls, schedule appointments, and respond politely to messages. It was like having a personal assistant for people who hated phone conversations.

Jules believed that this idea could change her life. If she marketed it properly, it could even become a big company someday. "Maybe by the end of the year," she thought, "I could be a millionaire. Or at least have hundreds of thousands."

She giggled softly at the thought. "Then I could finally stand on equal ground with Lucas. Maybe his family won’t look down on me anymore."

Just then, her phone buzzed. The screen lit up with Lucas’s name.

A smile immediately spread across her face. She picked up the phone and said softly, "What happened?"

From the other end, Lucas’s playful voice came through. "I was looking for my girlfriend," he said, pretending to sound serious. "Can I talk to her?"

Jules chuckled. "Your girlfriend is busy," she teased.

"Oh really?" Lucas said, pretending to sound disappointed. "Then I guess I’ll just flirt with someone else."

Jules laughed out loud. "You better not," she said. "I don’t flirt with other people’s boyfriends."

Lucas chuckled too. "She won’t know anyway," he said in a teasing tone.

Jules leaned her head on her hand, smiling. "I’m a timid kind of person," she said softly. "I’d hate it if your girlfriend blamed me later."

Lucas laughed from the other end of the call, his voice deep but full of playfulness.

"Then I’ll take full responsibility," he said lightly. "Besides, my girlfriend won’t even know a single thing. She’s too busy right now to notice."

Jules chuckled softly, her lips curling into a small smile. "If I didn’t know better," she said teasingly, "I’d think you’ve already flirted with many different people before."

Lucas laughed again, his tone mischievous. "Maybe," he said, "but only after flirting with my girlfriend for a long time. You know, practice makes perfect."

Jules couldn’t help but laugh. "Oh really?" she said, her voice filled with amusement. "If that’s the case, aren’t you flirting with your girlfriend right now?"

There was a small pause on the line before Lucas gasped dramatically. "What? Impossible!" he said. "I thought I was talking to my girlfriend’s good friend, not my girlfriend herself."

Jules laughed louder this time, covering her mouth with her hand. "You need a good beating," she said between her laughter.

Lucas laughed too. "Then come and beat me," he said playfully. "Otherwise, I won’t change my behavior."

Jules shook her head, smiling. "You’re hopeless," she said softly, but her tone was warm.

Lucas’s chuckle grew softer, more affectionate. "If you come meet me and give me a kiss," he said, "then maybe I’ll think about behaving."

Jules blinked and laughed again, shaking her head. "You’re in such a romantic mood today," she said, her cheeks slightly pink even though he couldn’t see her.

"I’m always romantic," Lucas replied smoothly. "You’re just too shy to admit you like it."

Jules sighed, pretending to be tired. "Fine, fine. You win," she said, her voice teasing. "But don’t think I’ll actually come there just because you said that."

"Oh, I’ll make you come," Lucas said, his voice low and confident. "You can’t resist me for too long."

Jules laughed softly, resting her chin in her palm. "You talk as if you’re some kind of charming prince," she said with a smile.

Lucas pretended to sigh deeply. "Maybe I am," he said. "But my princess doesn’t visit her prince anymore. What a tragedy."

Jules burst out laughing again, unable to hold it back. "You’re ridiculous," she said between her giggles. "How do you even come up with this stuff?"

"I just talk from the heart," Lucas replied proudly. "My girlfriend loves it when I’m honest."

Jules rolled her eyes even though she was smiling. "Honest? You just flirted with your girlfriend’s ’good friend,’ remember?" she said, laughing.

"Then maybe your friend should forgive me with a kiss," Lucas said smoothly.

Jules groaned, though she was smiling so wide that her cheeks hurt. "You never stop, do you?"

"Not when it comes to you," he said softly.

For a few seconds, neither of them spoke. The playful mood faded into something more quiet and gentle. Jules could hear the sound of his slow breathing on the other end, and it made her heart beat faster.

Just as she was about to say something, Lucas spoke again, his tone calm but serious this time. "Hey," he said quietly, "this New Year... I want to introduce you to my family."

Jules froze. Her heart skipped a beat. "What?" she asked softly, unsure if she heard him right.

Lucas repeated gently, "I want you to meet my family this New Year. I’ve been waiting for the right time, and I think now is good."

Jules’s fingers tightened around the edge of her table. She didn’t say anything at first. The thought of meeting his family made her nervous. Her chest felt heavy, and she could feel her palms getting slightly sweaty.

Lucas noticed her silence. "Jules?" he asked softly. "Are you okay?"

"I’m fine," she said quickly, trying to sound calm. "It’s just... sudden."

"I know," Lucas said. "But I want them to meet you. They play a very important part in my life... and I can’t hide everything from them for long."

She bit her lip softly. "Do you really think they’ll like me?" she asked in a small voice.

Lucas chuckled gently. "Of course," he said. "You’re smart, kind, and beautiful. They’d have to be crazy not to like you."

His words made her blush. She smiled, though her heart was still pounding. "You sound too confident," she said.

"That’s because I know you," he said warmly. "You’ll be fine. I’ll be there the whole time."

Jules took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. "Alright," she said finally. "I’ll do it. I’ll meet them."

Lucas smiled on the other end. She could hear the happiness in his voice when he said, "Good. I’ll come pick you up that day. Just get ready, okay?"

Jules nodded, even though he couldn’t see her. "Okay," she said softly. "I’ll be ready."

"Promise?" he asked gently.

"Promise," she replied.

A huge grin appeared on Lucas’s face. His eyes were bright, filled with mischief and warmth.

He said with a charming smile, "If that’s the case, then I have prepared a small gift for you. But for that, you need to go to the reception of your building."

Jules blinked, surprised. "What?" she asked, her voice soft but filled with shock. She stared at wall, wondering if he was joking.

Lucas just grinned wider. "Go on," he said playfully. "It’s waiting for you right now."

For a moment, Jules froze. Her hand stopped halfway as she brushed her hair back.

She didn’t even want to move. Her heart began to beat faster, and her chest felt tight.

The thought of stepping out of her apartment made her feel uneasy. Her eyes shifted toward the front door, then back to the screen.

"Lucas..." she began slowly, "I don’t know..."

He noticed her hesitation right away. His tone softened. "What’s wrong?"

Jules looked away, biting her lip. "It’s nothing," she said quickly. "I just..." Her voice trailed off.

She didn’t want to tell him the real reason how afraid she was that Maya might somehow find her, or that someone was watching. Even though she told herself that she had left the past behind, the fear still stayed inside her like a shadow that refused to fade.