CHAPTER 180: ANNIE & BELLA. (1/2)

The next morning, sunlight poured gently through the thick curtains of Lukas’s penthouse suite in Philadelphia. The soft hum of the city below buzzed faintly in the background, but within the suite, everything was calm and meticulously pristine. Lukas opened his eyes slowly, staring at the high ceiling for a few seconds before sitting up on the edge of his king-sized bed.

The room was grand, tastefully designed with dark wood paneling, contemporary lighting fixtures, and wide marble floors. A large framed abstract painting hung over the bed, its bright colors the only chaotic element in the otherwise serene room.

He took a moment to stretch and rolled his neck, the previous day’s meetings and tension still clinging faintly to his shoulders. He threw on a gray tank top and gym shorts and made his way down to the private gym on the suite level. The gym was as lavish as one would expect: sleek equipment, a private sauna, and a stocked juice bar.

Lukas started with light cardio, warming up on the treadmill while scanning through emails on his tablet. Then he hit the weights, focused and consistent. For Lukas, fitness wasn’t just about physique—it was discipline, something he valued deeply in a world that constantly sought to distract. After forty-five minutes, he wiped the sweat from his brow, finished a cold-pressed juice, and headed back to his suite for a shower.

Breakfast awaited him in the dining space—lavishly arranged by the hotel’s room service staff. Eggs Benedict with a creamy hollandaise drizzle, freshly cut seasonal fruits, a tall glass of mango smoothie, and a basket of warm croissants with imported French butter. Everything was served on fine bone china with fresh tulips in a slender vase to brighten the setting. Lukas ate slowly, savoring the quiet.

Halfway through his breakfast, he picked up his phone and called Annie. Her number was saved as "Angel."

She answered on the third ring, her voice still sleepy. "Lukas...?"

"Morning," he said softly, his voice instantly warmer. "I hope I didn’t wake you."

"I was about to get up anyway. Bella just left for the bookstore."

"How are you feeling?" he asked. He could picture her: curled in bed, hand resting on her stomach.

"Fine. Tired. It’s been a month, Lukas. Still feels unreal."

He smiled faintly. "I know. I’ve been thinking about it all morning. I want you and Bella to come to Philadelphia."

"Now?"

"Yeah. It’s time. The new mansion I told you about before needs a heart, not just furniture. I’ll send Roy with a car. I want you both comfortable."

There was silence on the other end, and then a quiet exhale.

"Alright. We’ll come. I miss you."

"I miss you too. And I want us to go shopping together. For the baby. For the house. For everything."

After hanging up, he called Bella next. She was more direct.

"Philadelphia? Fine. Annie needs to rest, though. No dragging her through a hundred showrooms."

"Noted," Lukas chuckled. "Just be here by evening. I’ll have everything arranged."

Once the calls were done, he stood up, gazing out over the city from the floor-to-ceiling windows. Philadelphia felt different now. More permanent. More... adult. With a child on the way, a house being filled, and a company that could shift the world, Lukas felt the old adrenaline returning. Not the thrill of chaos, but the steady rise of legacy.

He glanced over at his to-do list. Furniture shopping, mansion setup, meetings with the media team, and a board check-in with Yaho later that week. But first, today would be about Annie. And maybe for the first time in years, that thought alone made Lukas smile.

He picked up his phone again, this time to message Roy.

Lukas: "Need you and Jay ready in an hour. Bring the Mercedes. We’re furniture shopping."

Roy: "Got it. Any particular place?"

Lukas: "Somewhere good; I don’t want to hassle too much, maybe a custom furniture maker."

Roy sent a thumbs-up emoji.

Roy adjusted his sunglasses as he leaned against the matte black Mercedes, waiting outside the building where Annie and Bella live. He was early. Always early. Lukas had called him personally for this pickup, and he knew better than to treat this like any other job. Annie and Bella were precious cargo—one carrying Lukas’ child and the other a girl who is kind and young.

Inside the small, comfortable apartment, Bella kept glancing at Annie, worry fluttering across her youthful face. The older girl was unusually quiet, one hand gently resting on her stomach, her other cradling a small thermos filled with ginger tea. Bella had made it for her. The past month had changed their dynamic completely. What started as a protective bond had evolved into something deeper—familial.

"You okay?" Bella asked softly, brushing a stray hair from Annie’s forehead.

Annie smiled weakly, placing her hand over Bella’s. "Yeah. Just a little tired, but excited too. I can’t wait to see Lukas. I feel like I can finally breathe around him."

Bella nodded. "Me too. It feels like... like we belong around him."

It was true. For Bella, Lukas had appeared in her life like a lighthouse through fog. He didn’t treat her like a burden, and even when he didn’t speak much, his presence felt like a promise. With Annie, things had been quiet and gentle. She didn’t speak about the father of her unborn child much—because there was no one else. It was Lukas who had stood by her.

The duo slowly started climbing down the stairs; Roy was helping them down the short staircase. His face was as blank as ever, but his eyes softened slightly when he saw Annie visibly struggling to descend.

"Miss Annie, Miss Bella," he greeted with a courteous nod. "The car’s waiting. Mr. Lukas has instructed me to take you straight to the suite. He’ll be back from meetings soon."

"Thank you, Roy," Annie said, gripping Bella’s hand as they followed him.

As the car doors closed and the Mercedes hummed to life, Bella reached into her bag, pulling out a pillbox for Annie.

"Time for the vitamins," she said in a teasing tone.