Chapter 69: Who Do You Really Like?

"Claire, does that kind of medicine actually work as well as they say?" Lauren asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and skepticism.

"Of course it does! Why would I lie to you?" With a sly smile, Lauren leaned in close, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "When I was first interested in Roy, I was afraid he'd be put off by my…shall we say, unconventional background. So I bought a dose myself from that place…" Lauren's voice faded into a quiet murmur as she spilled the details into Claire's ear. The tale left Claire blushing furiously, her heart pounding, her ears feeling like they were on fire.

"See, Claire? Now you believe me, right? I told you, listening to me will never steer you wrong."

"But if that medicine really works so well, why doesn't Lucas just buy it himself?" Claire countered, still dubious.

Lauren paused, momentarily thrown by the question. Then, a grin spread across her face as she gave a light laugh. "Oh, come on, Claire. You know men and their pride—especially a public figure like your dear Lucas. Now that he's got a wife, it's natural for you to take care of things for him. Right?" Lauren nudged her, practically pleading for Claire to agree.

Claire hesitated. "But, wouldn't buying something like that be, well, embarrassing? What if the pharmacist makes fun of me?"

"Why would he? He has the stock, so he's obviously looking to sell it. It's not like he's keeping it all for himself!"

"I don't know, Lauren. I'd be too embarrassed to ask for it myself." Claire shook her head, face flushed at the mere thought. Just picturing it made her want to disappear on the spot.

"Well, I'll ask for it, then." Lauren's tone was resolute, her eyes gleaming with determination. She wasn't about to let her plan fizzle out halfway—not when it was this close to causing some chaos for Lucas.

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**The Café**

At the bustling café, Roy Lin swirled his cappuccino thoughtfully, casting frequent glances across the table at the man sitting opposite him. Lucas Zeller's expression was darker than the black coffee in front of him. Ten minutes had ticked by since they'd sat down. Roy had already drained both an iced and a hot coffee, yet Lucas hadn't even touched his cup. Instead, Lucas's gaze remained fixed on a particular spot in the distance, his expression stoic and unreadable.

"Lucas, your coffee's getting cold," Roy pointed out.

Lucas finally tore his gaze away, rolling his neck slightly as if to ease a cramp from looking in one direction for so long. He gave Roy an annoyed look. "It's an iced coffee, Roy."

"Yeah, but with this heat, it's practically warmed itself up just from sitting there."

With a dismissive glance, Lucas took a small sip and then leaned back in his chair, arms crossed.

"Lucas, there's something I meant to ask you," Roy started, unable to shake his growing curiosity. Lucas's frosty look didn't deter him. Roy was relentless, and he wasn't one to drop a question until he got an answer.

"Didn't you already ask me enough questions today?" Lucas's tone was a mix of amusement and frustration, as if Roy's curiosity were rivaling that of three gossiping vendors.

"But this one's serious." Roy leaned in, his expression sincere. "Like, really serious."

The unexpected gravity in Roy's tone made Lucas straighten up, giving him a skeptical look. "What's this earth-shattering question, then?"

"Well, we were talking earlier about last night, and you mentioned that…Claire called you. Why would she call you?" Roy asked, glancing up quickly to catch Lucas's reaction.

Lucas's eyes narrowed. "Took you long enough to notice. What, just realizing now?" he sneered.

"Look, it's not like I'm hung up on her or anything! I love my wife more than anyone, and I barely think about Claire anymore." Roy held up his hands in defense, his voice rising. "Yeah, maybe I had a tiny crush on her in high school, but that was ages ago! I mean, come on, Lucas, don't bring that up. Especially when Lauren's around—she'd have my head if she heard about it. Not to mention her father would make sure I'm never seen again."

A glint of mischief appeared in Lucas's eyes as he smirked. "You know, I hadn't thought about it before, but that old crush of yours might be handy information. Could come in useful if I ever need a little leverage." He chuckled, clearly enjoying the idea.

Roy's jaw dropped. "You wouldn't!"

"Why not? You should try it sometime," Lucas teased, his smirk growing. "There's something very satisfying about having a little leverage over someone. Just think about it."

Roy's momentary shock faded, and he shot Lucas a defiant look, adopting a similar casual slouch in his chair, his tone dripping with mock confidence. "Good luck with that. My wife and I are solid. She'd never believe you if you tried to meddle."

"Oh, really? And what would you say to convince her?" Lucas asked, his voice completely unruffled, as if the entire conversation were nothing more than a casual game.

"I'd tell her Claire never liked me that way—she's always had her eye on…someone else." Roy's grin widened.

Lucas's brows rose. "Aren't you thirsty?"

"What?"

Lucas kept his expression neutral, but there was a challenging glint in his eye. "All this talk about Claire—what exactly are you trying to say?"

"I was just going to ask why she called you last night. I mean, that's it. Unless…is she planning to come back?"

"Nice try, Roy," Lucas replied with a small laugh. "If she's planning to return, I'd be the first to know."

Roy leaned forward, his expression shifting to one of mild worry. "Are you sure she won't cause any trouble for Claire?"

Lucas's face softened, but his voice remained firm. "She won't mess with my wife, Roy. No one will."

Roy opened his mouth to say more, but Lucas held up a hand, gesturing towards the exit. "Come on. I think the girls are back by now."