Chapter 146 Unwee Pursuits

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Lucas rubbed the bridge of his nose, a flicker of amusement shing in his eyes. “No need to worry, Mr. Calvin. My fiancée–no one dares even think about touching her.”

“Your fiancée?” Mr. Calvin blinked, as if suddenly remembering Lucas’s engagement. His expression darkened. “Hmph, so what if you’re engaged? If you ever treat her badly and she dumps you, I’ll personally find her someone ten times better.”

Just then, a voice called out urgently from ahead. “Wait! Don’t go—you haven’t even told me your name!”

Lucas and Mr. Calvin turned toward the voice. Up ahead, a teenage boy in sportswear was eagerly circling around Sloane.

Sloane ignored himpletely and walked briskly toward Lucas and Mr. Calvin.

Lucas’s face darkened at once, his instinct driving him forward—but Mr. Calvin stopped him with a hand, his voice half–teasing, half–meaningful. “Getting tense already? She’s only eighteen. Give it two more years–once she really blossoms, suitors like him will be lining up around Stonebridge.”

Lucas’s expression sank even deeper, a cold gleam shing through his eyes.

“I’m not a creep or anything–I just wanted to be friends!” the boy insisted, still tailing after Sloane with bright eyes.

Spotting Lucas, Sloane looked instantly relieved and quickened her pace. “Lucas!”

The coldness in Lucas’s eyes melted in a heartbeat. He strode forward, stepping between her and the boy without a word, shielding her behind him.

“Howard,” Lucas said coolly, voiceced with quiet warning.

The boy froze at the sound of that voice, his smile stiffening. He slowly looked up–only to find not just Lucas standing there, but also his own grandfather, staring at him like he was the shame of the family.

“Gr–Grandpa… Mr. Hawthorne…” Howard stammered, voice trailing off to nothing. He feared almost nothing in this world–except for two people: his grandfather, and Lucas. And today, fate had decided to throw him at both.

Mr. Calvin let out a sharp snort. “Howard, what kind of nonsense are you up to again? Sloane is Lucas’s fiancée and my new apprentice. That makes her your elder. You owe her a ‘ma’am.‘

8:09 Thu, Sep 4 N

Chapter 146 Unwee Pursuits

Now call her properly!”

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“Ma’am?!” Howard’s eyes widened like saucers, his world flipping upside down. He’d finally found a girl who caught his eye–only to discover she was someone else’s fiancée, and worse, iLucas’s /ifiancée. And just to rub salt in the wound… she was now technically his imartial /iiaunt/i.

Lucas noticed the defeat on his face and finally rxed, his sharpness fading into mild amusement. “Come on, Howard. Let’s hear it.”

Howard felt like wailing inside. It’s iover/ii. /iiTotally /iiover/i. He forced the words out, dry and lifeless. “M–Ma’am… good afternoon.”

Sloane blinked, a little surprised, but amused. “Hi, kid.”

That one word—“kid”—hit Howard like lightning. He froze in ce, expression nk, his soul seemingly crushed.

Lucas watched him with a smirk tugging at his lips.

Mr. Calvin cast a nce at Lucas, his voice deliberately slow and cheeky. “Sloane’s my apprentice now. So by seniority… you ought to call her ‘ma’am‘ too.”

Lucas’s face froze. The smirk in his eyes disappeared.

Without another word, he slung an arm around Sloane’s shoulders and turned to leave. “Mr. Calvin, we’ll head out first. We’ll visit again soon.”