Two days later, the morning sun bathed the city in warm golden light.

Luca Hale changed into a simple casual outfit before heading out for Julian Cruz’s wedding.

The only thing understated about it was the color.

The price certainly wasn’t.

It wasn’t that Luca looked down on inexpensive clothes. He had grown up in an ordinary family and had never cared much about brands.

The problem was that most of the clothes in his wardrobe had been bought by Vivienne and Naomi.

Naomi would happily buy herself cheap bargains, but when it came to Luca, she never hesitated to spend.

Vivienne, on the other hand, had grown up surrounded by luxury brands. Every outfit she picked for him was worth at least five thousand dollars.

As for formal wear, every suit had been custom-made under Vivienne’s supervision, with very few costing less than a hundred thousand.

Little by little, Luca’s standards had naturally risen.

Nowadays, the clothes he wore outside were almost always high-end labels.

The reason he chose this outfit today was simple. He didn’t want to outshine Julian, the groom, or make himself the center of attention.

Even so, anyone with a sharp eye would recognize the discreet Prada logo.

It was a custom-made limited edition.

Dressed and ready, Luca stepped out of his bedroom and noticed that Trish’s door was still shut.

"Trish, wake up."

"I’m coming!"

Hearing her voice, he headed downstairs and started preparing breakfast.

The two had already agreed the night before that he’d drop her off at Naomi’s place this morning.

Although Trish and Naomi had been chatting online for quite some time, this would be their first time meeting in person.

Trish had been looking forward to meeting Naomi ever since before her college entrance exams, and Naomi was just as excited.

Luca had originally planned to take her to Golden Water Bay yesterday.

Unfortunately, Raven Green had an unexpected emergency, and Naomi had driven her back to a neighboring city.

Thankfully, the weather was beautiful today, giving the girls the perfect excuse to spend the day together.

Perhaps because she was so excited, Trish finished washing up in record time and hurried downstairs.

By then, Luca had finished making breakfast.

"Brother, I have to admit, your cooking is way better than Mom’s." She stuffed an egg pancake into her mouth before complaining dramatically. "I’ve been surviving on Mom’s healthy meals every single day. I was starting to lose my mind."

She puffed out her cheeks.

"And she won’t even let me buy fried chicken. Look how skinny I’ve become."

She stretched one slender arm toward him as proof.

Luca glanced at it and chuckled.

"Then why don’t you say that to Mom?"

"Hehe... do you think I’m brave enough?" Trish laughed nervously. "If Mom heard me say that, none of you would save me."

Just remembering the last time Mother Hale chased her around the house while both Luca and Father Hale pretended nothing was happening made her grit her teeth.

Not one ounce of sympathy.

"You’ve got some nerve saying that." Luca snorted. "When Mom was beating me, you were cheering her on. You even dragged Sister Lucy over to cheer with you."

The "Sister Lucy" he mentioned was naturally Lucy Smith.

Thinking about it reminded him that he’d completely neglected the game company lately.

He had invested in it, yet the past few days had been so busy that he’d almost forgotten it even existed.

"Oh, right." Luca picked up his phone. "I transferred five thousand dollars to you. Remember to accept it."

He could easily have given her much more.

But Trish had only just become an adult and was about to start university.

Five thousand dollars was already more than enough.

As long as she wasn’t spending recklessly, it would comfortably cover her expenses for the next couple of months.

Trish’s eyes sparkled.

She hurriedly grabbed her phone, and the moment she saw the transfer notification, her smile bloomed like a flower.

"Yay! Long live my brother! Love you!"

She made a heart with both hands.

Having a rich older brother really was the greatest blessing.

Just then, Luca’s phone rang.

Seeing the caller ID, he wasn’t surprised in the slightest.

As soon as he answered, Lisa Hale’s anxious voice came through.

"Cuz, why did you send me so much money? Take it back. I don’t need it."

Lisa had always been sensible.

Even though she knew Luca was wealthy now, she’d never ask him for money.

Her parents’ allowance was enough for her daily expenses.

She only worked part-time because she wanted experience before entering society.

So when she suddenly saw five thousand dollars appear in her account, she’d rushed out of the library in a panic to call him.

"You keep it."

Luca leaned back in his chair.

"You’ll be starting your hospital internship this summer. If you’re exhausted after work, buy yourself something good to eat without worrying about the cost."

"You’ll also be going out with classmates sometimes, or traveling during holidays."

"It’s always better to have some extra money."

Lisa felt a warmth spread through her chest.

Back when Luca had been struggling financially himself, he’d still ask whether she had enough spending money.

She would always insist she did.

Even so, he’d secretly slip her money whenever he could.

It was never much, usually less than fifty dollars.

But to her, those small gestures had always felt like sunshine.

Having a brother like him was one of the greatest blessings in her life.

Knowing he wouldn’t take the money back, she stopped arguing.

"Thank you."

"Focus on your exams."

His voice softened.

"I won’t keep you any longer. Good luck."

"Okay."

After hanging up, Luca looked up and found Trish staring at him with a face full of grievance.

"What?"

She took another bite of her egg pancake before muttering, "You wouldn’t even let me talk to my cousin for a minute."

"She’s in the middle of exams," he replied. "Let’s not distract her."

"I’ll take you to see her once they’re over."

Although he’d never studied medicine himself, he’d heard enough stories to know medical students barely had time to breathe during exam season.

The last thing he wanted was to become another distraction.

After breakfast, Trish volunteered to wash the dishes.

Luca wisely chose not to remind her that the villa had a dishwasher.

A little housework never hurt anyone.

He wasn’t about to raise his little sister into someone who couldn’t do anything for herself.

As they stepped into the front yard, a sightseeing shuttle pulled up outside the gate.

A graceful woman stepped off the vehicle.

The moment she spotted the siblings, a polite smile spread across her face.

"Good morning, Mr. Hale. Good morning, young miss."

After greeting them, her gaze lingered on Luca for a moment.

"It’s been quite a while."

"Good morning, Miss Francis."

Luca smiled politely.

"This is my sister, Trish."

Turning to Trish, he added, "She’s Manager Francis from the property management company."

"You can just call her Miss Francis."

"Hello, Miss Francis."

"It’s nice to meet you." The manager smiled warmly. "Your sister is absolutely beautiful."

"Thank you." Trish returned the compliment with an equally bright smile. "You’re beautiful too."

Even so, Trish had already seen through the situation.

Manager Francis clearly had feelings for her brother.

Unfortunately, judging from Luca’s reaction, there wasn’t the slightest chance.

After all, she’d seen the women her brother liked.

Compared to beauties like Naomi, Amelia, or Vivienne, Miss Francis simply wasn’t on the same level.

She was attractive.

Just... not enough to catch her brother’s attention.

Sometimes, a younger sister understood her brother better than anyone.

Luca knew exactly what Miss Francis was hoping for.

But after becoming accustomed to the finest things in life, it was difficult for his standards to go backwards.

Not only did she fail to meet the kind of woman he was attracted to, he also had no intention of becoming the sort of man she was looking for.

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