Chapter 164: The Superstar Who Disappeared for Three Years Came Looking for Me!
Lucas fell into deep thought as he watched Maya walk away.
Something didn’t feel right.
It wasn’t what she had said...
It was what the System had shown him.
Ever since obtaining the System, Lucas had noticed it always displayed every qualified target’s current emotional or relationship status.
Debbie and Daisy...
Single.
Mia...
Single.
Connie...
Unmarried.
But Maya...
The System had never described her as Single.
Instead, it consistently displayed only one word.
[Unmarried]
Lucas frowned.
"...Unmarried?"
It sounded almost identical to "Single."
Yet the System had never used those two words interchangeably before.
If it deliberately chose Unmarried instead of Single, then there had to be a reason.
Was someone already pursuing her?
Was she secretly engaged?
Or...
Was there something the System wasn’t revealing?
The more he thought about it, the stranger it became.
Just then...
His phone suddenly vibrated.
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
The ringing pulled him back to reality.
He glanced at the caller ID.
Mason.
Lucas raised an eyebrow.
"...Seriously?"
"Can’t this guy just send a text?"
Even so, he answered the call.
"Hello?"
Mason’s energetic voice immediately came through.
"Lucas! What are you doing later?"
Lucas replied casually.
"Depends."
"Why?"
Mason laughed.
"I’ve got something interesting."
"There’s a celebration tonight."
"You interested in coming with me?"
Lucas frowned slightly.
"A celebration?"
"What kind?"
Mason deliberately kept him in suspense.
"You’ll find out when you get there."
"I promise..."
"There’ll be plenty of interesting things happening tonight."
Lucas wasn’t particularly interested.
After everything that had happened recently, attending random banquets wasn’t exactly high on his priority list.
He was about to refuse.
But hearing Mason repeatedly emphasize how "interesting" it would be made him hesitate.
Finally, he answered,
"I’ll see."
"If I have time..."
"I might stop by."
"But don’t wait for me."
"I’m not making any promises."
Mason laughed.
"Fair enough."
"Okay, thanks."
The call ended.
Lucas had barely slipped his phone back into his pocket when it vibrated again.
Buzz.
He looked down.
This time...
The caller ID displayed:
Connie Blue.
Lucas answered almost immediately.
"Connie?"
Her respectful voice came from the other end.
"Chairman Lucas..."
"I’m sorry to disturb you."
"But..."
"There’s a young woman here insisting on meeting you."
Lucas frowned.
"Meeting me?"
Connie sighed softly.
"I’ve already refused her several times."
"I explained that you weren’t here."
"And that you weren’t accepting visitors."
"But she refuses to leave."
"No matter what I say..."
"She insists on waiting."
Lucas became increasingly puzzled.
Who would specifically come looking for him?
He couldn’t think of anyone.
After a brief silence, he asked,
"Is she still there?"
"Yes."
Connie answered immediately.
"Good."
"Hand her the phone."
A few seconds later, the line became quiet before a sweet, slightly nervous voice came through the speaker.
"...Hello?"
Her voice was soft.
Almost pleading.
"Mr. Lucas..."
"My name is..."
"...Gold Pantheress."
The moment Lucas heard that name, he froze.
His footsteps came to an abrupt halt.
His heartbeat skipped.
"...Gold Pantheress?"
His eyes widened in disbelief.
How could he possibly not know that name?
She had once been one of the biggest female celebrities in the country.
Her songs dominated every music platform.
Her concerts sold out within minutes.
Her performances attracted millions of viewers.
Back when Lucas was still in high school, he had been one of her countless fans.
Whenever she released a new song, he immediately added it to his playlist.
Whenever she appeared on a variety show, he never missed an episode.
Among all her songs...
His favorite had always been...
"Crack It Off."
What shocked everyone was that three years ago, Gold Pantheress suddenly disappeared from the entertainment industry.
No farewell concert.
No retirement announcement.
No explanation whatsoever.
She simply...
Vanished.
Her social media stopped updating.
No new songs.
No interviews.
No public appearances.
For three whole years, there wasn’t the slightest trace of her.
Countless fans speculated about what had happened.
Some claimed she had secretly married.
Others believed she had fallen seriously ill.
There were even rumors that she had permanently left the country.
Yet none of those rumors were ever confirmed.
And now...
After disappearing for three years...
She was somehow looking for him.
Lucas couldn’t believe it.
His voice unconsciously became filled with hope.
Please...
Please let it really be her.
Trying to suppress his excitement, he carefully asked,
"...Wait."
"Your name is..."
"Gold Pantheress?"
"The Gold Pantheress who sang..."
"...’Crack It Off’?"
The other side became quiet for a moment before a gentle voice slowly answered,
"...Yes."
"It’s me."
Even Gold herself sounded surprised.
She hadn’t expected the mysterious owner of Bellagio Grand to actually recognize her...
Much less know one of her songs.
The instant Lucas received confirmation, his excitement exploded.
"It really is you!"
He almost blurted it out before quickly calming himself.
Taking a deep breath, he asked,
"What happened?"
"Do you need help?"
"If there’s anything I can do..."
"We can talk in person."
Hearing Lucas’s response, a wave of relief washed over Gold.
For the first time since arriving at Bellagio Grand, she finally felt a little hope.
After hesitating for several seconds, she spoke again.
"I..."
"I don’t know if you’re nearby..."
"But..."
"Could we meet face to face?"
Her voice became softer.
Almost embarrassed.
"I know I’m asking too much..."
"And we’ve never even met before."
"But..."
"My situation is... difficult."
"I really don’t know how to explain everything over the phone."
Lucas didn’t hesitate for even a second.
The moment he heard those words...
He practically jumped into the air.
"Yes!"
His sudden reaction startled several students walking through the hallway.
Everyone turned around to stare at him strangely.
Some even wondered whether the handsome senior had suddenly gone crazy.
Realizing what he’d just done, Lucas immediately coughed awkwardly and forced himself to calm down.
"...Ahem."
Trying to sound composed again, he said,
"Don’t worry."
"I’m coming over right now."
"It won’t take long."
"Just wait for me."
After ending the call, Lucas immediately said,
"Please hand the phone back to Connie."
A few seconds later...
Connie’s respectful voice returned.
"Chairman Lucas."
Lucas’s tone immediately became serious.
"Connie."
"Miss Gold Pantheress is an important guest."
"Take good care of her."
"Prepare the VIP lounge."
"Serve whatever she needs."
"I don’t want her feeling uncomfortable for even a minute."
"Treat her with the highest level of hospitality Bellagio Grand can offer."
Connie answered without hesitation.
"Understood, Chairman."
"I’ll personally look after Miss Gold."
"I’ll make sure she’s completely comfortable until you arrive."
Only after hearing Connie’s promise did Lucas finally hang up.
His eyes still shone with excitement.
Even now...
He found it difficult to believe.
The legendary singer who had disappeared from the public eye for three years...
Was actually waiting for him at Bellagio Grand.
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