By the ti Luca returned to pick them up, Laura had already raided every single corner and shelf of the house.
She had explored so thoroughly that, had she been given more ti, she could’ve done it three tis all over again.
She and her boy were both ready when Luca finally arrived, after a small part of her had begun to feel anxious that he might not return at all.
When she suggested he take a short rest before they left, Luca declined, saying they should head straight for the car instead.
Luca stopped moving and smiled when his eyes landed on Martin.
The infant was dressed in a beige t-shirt that perfectly matched Luca’s beige dress shirt, and brown shorts that paired neatly with his brown chinos.
If Luca looked smart, Martin looked even smarter, and this color harmony between them made it seem to anyone that they were father and son.
Father and son.
Perhaps this was the mischievous strand of the web this woman was weaving.
Laura was dangerously clever. She was trying to gradually instill a quiet, psychological truth into Luca’s mind that Martin was his son.
It might seem harmless on the surface, but in the broader sense, it painted an illusion that made the three of them look like a real family when they weren’t.
And that illusion, if nurtured long enough, could shift Luca’s perception, making him believe he and Laura had always been together, and Martin was their offspring.
Luca would need to stay sharp and strong-willed if he was going to survive the dangerous webs the woman beside him was spinning.
This could be a ga he might lose.
Driving the Jaguar safely, Luca took them to the Trampos’ HQ.
Laura admitted how nervous she was because she had never t Trampos officially before, so Luca assured her not to be; they were family here, he said.
His car rolled smoothly into his usual parking spot, and he turned off the engine.
Martin, however, began to fuss, squirming in Laura’s arms.
He seed to be demanding breast milk, but his mother made it clear now wasn’t the ti.
The little boy’s restlessness grew into a rising wail, so before it could turn into a full cry, Luca reached over and scooped him out of the car.
Trampos’ buildings and infrastructure were enough to silence the boy.
Laura stepped out of the car and closed the door. She too was awed.
The world of motorsport had always given her the creeps. Being in the parking lot felt overwhelming, a world too loud and too fast for her quiet nerves.
Just as he expected, the reception Laura and Martin received, especially Martin, was incredible.
At first, in the main building, the workers were confused about who the lady and the child were.
Luca first took them to Mr. Grant, and from there, they moved back down to et everyone else.
Mr. Grant’s eyes were full of adoration and disbelief at the sight of Martin. He carried the boy from Luca’s arms while giving Laura a one-ard, fatherly hug.
Luca made sure to introduce Laura to everyone, and everyone to Laura in return.
Just as they were elated to see Ansel’s child, the entire Trampos facility was filled with glee at the presence of his fiancée.
But of course, it wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to sniff out sothing from the situation.
As humans, it’s in our nature to speculate, draw conclusions, or form stories, especially when sothing feels indecent or morally wrong.
The clerks, crew mbers, and other workers watched silently, their eyes shifting between Luca and Laura, then between Luca and Martin.
Nobody was doubting the parentage of the child, because the ti fra fit perfectly for his biological father to be Ansel.
What was being doubted was the platonic nature between Ansel’s fiancée, Laura, and Luca.
From the way Laura stayed tenderly close to Luca while he regularly checked on her well-being, so had already concluded what their minds were telling them.
Considering all that Laura had fashioned to this point, it wasn’t their fault, though.
Laura smiled when Mrs. Vallotton offered to take her away from the crowd that was surrounding Luca and her baby, leading her instead to a quieter area for a little talk.
The two won were soon joined by other female Trampos crew mbers, all curious and eager to know the woman the team’s wolf had supposedly been dating.
They were willing to give their condolences, even though it was coming almost a full year late.
Seeing the magnitude of everything Ansel had left behind almost left Laura sad and on the verge of tears.
But she didn’t cry. In fact, in recent weeks, she’d been feeling very alive.
Having Luca in her life felt like there was hope again, like the bloom of a new paradise was coming.
Even without doing anything, he was like her anchor, and she believed she could finally see a path for her future.
As won, all of them surrounding Laura seed to feel this sa aura of Luca radiating off her, too.
The tension the trio brought to the headquarters was so strong that even Ms. Vallotton could feel it—Mr. Grant as well!
Even though there was nothing wrong with two adults getting together, this case felt different.
Even after the sympathy she’d earned, Laura was still being seen as an opportunist. And Luca—Luca’s part in all this was harder to place. This didn’t seem like sothing he’d ever do.
Everyone at Trampos rembered Isabella, the engineer, the woman he kissed before thousands in Stadhaven, and Luca wasn’t the kind of man to drift from loyalty.
So the entire suspicion fell on Laura.
Many began to think, though they’d never say it aloud, that maybe she had cast so kind of spell on him.
Smiling and laughing—what kind of man could love another man’s child as if it were his own?
And to what lengths could soone go just to keep what they love in their life forever?
These unanswered questions left the Trampos crew concerned about Luca, his personal life, his judgnt, and his career.
Just when the team was rising, their spirit strong and unified, it now seed that this woman, Laura, despite her beauty and loveliness, might be the thorn that could jam their spinning wheel.
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