Chapter 165: The Return of Gold Pantheress
Lucas didn’t waste another second.
The moment he hung up the phone, he sprinted toward the parking lot, unlocked his car, and immediately headed for Bellagio Grand.
Unfortunately...
It was the middle of the afternoon.
The roads were packed.
Traffic stretched endlessly in every direction.
Luxury cars, buses, taxis, and delivery trucks clogged every major intersection, forcing Lucas to slow down no matter how anxious he felt.
Several times, he impatiently tapped the steering wheel while glancing at the navigation screen.
"...Come on..."
"Hurry up..."
For the first time in a long while...
Goo
Lucas found traffic genuinely irritating.
Even though his sports car had more than enough power to fly down the road...
There simply wasn’t any space to accelerate.
After what felt like an eternity...
Nearly an hour later...
His car finally pulled into Bellagio Grand’s underground parking garage.
Without even bothering to admire the luxury vehicles parked around him, Lucas hurried toward the executive elevator reserved exclusively for the chairman.
The elevator doors slowly closed before carrying him directly toward the top floor.
As the elevator passed several levels...
Lucas noticed something unusual.
Many hotel employees were moving busily through the corridors.
Fresh flowers were being arranged.
Expensive red carpets were being rolled out.
Crystal decorations were carefully placed throughout the lobby.
Even the security staff had noticeably increased.
It looked as though Bellagio Grand was preparing for an extremely important event.
"...Some kind of banquet?"
Lucas murmured to himself.
Since he hadn’t personally approved any large-scale event recently...
He assumed it had probably been arranged before he became the hotel’s owner.
With Gold Pantheress waiting for him upstairs...
He didn’t waste time thinking about it.
Ding.
The elevator doors opened.
Lucas quickly stepped into the chairman’s private office.
It was...
The very first time he had actually entered it.
The last time he visited Bellagio Grand, he had been too busy dealing with other matters and hadn’t even bothered to take a look.
The moment he walked inside...
Even Lucas couldn’t help stopping in his tracks.
"...Wow."
The office was breathtaking.
Floor-to-ceiling glass walls overlooked nearly the entire city.
Elegant black marble flooring reflected the soft golden lighting overhead.
Handcrafted wooden bookshelves lined one side of the room, filled with antique collectibles and rare books.
A massive executive desk stood before the panoramic window, accompanied by luxurious leather furniture that looked more expensive than many people’s homes.
Every decoration...
Every painting...
Every piece of furniture...
Exuded understated luxury.
Nothing looked excessive.
Yet everything quietly announced wealth and status.
Outside...
The summer sun blazed relentlessly.
The heat was enough to make anyone sweat within minutes.
But inside the office...
The temperature was perfectly comfortable.
Not because the air conditioning was blasting.
Instead...
The room maintained a naturally refreshing coolness, thanks to the hotel’s advanced temperature-control system and specially designed glass walls.
Even in his hurry...
Lucas couldn’t help admiring it for a few seconds.
"No wonder this is the chairman’s office..."
He finally walked over and sat behind the enormous executive desk.
Almost immediately...
He picked up the office phone and called Connie.
The line connected within seconds.
"Chairman Lucas."
Lucas didn’t bother with small talk.
"Connie."
"Is Miss Gold still there?"
Truthfully...
He had been worried the entire drive.
After all...
He had kept one of the country’s biggest celebrities waiting for over an hour.
Someone of Gold Pantheress’s status...
Had countless people competing just for a few minutes of her time.
Making someone like that wait...
Could easily offend them.
Fortunately...
Connie’s answer immediately put his mind at ease.
"Yes, Chairman."
"Miss Gold is still waiting."
"She hasn’t shown the slightest impatience."
"In fact..."
Connie paused briefly before continuing.
"She told me..."
"Even if she had to wait for an entire month..."
"As long as she could meet you in the end..."
"She would be willing."
Lucas blinked in surprise.
"...A whole month?"
He couldn’t help becoming even more curious.
Just what kind of situation...
Had driven Gold Pantheress to come looking for him with such determination?
The moment Lucas ended the call...
Connie didn’t waste a second.
She immediately walked toward the VIP lounge where Gold Pantheress had been waiting quietly all this time.
A warm smile appeared on her face.
"Miss Gold."
"The Chairman has arrived."
"He’s inviting you to his office now."
The moment those words left Connie’s mouth...
Gold Pantheress was visibly stunned.
"So soon?"
She instinctively glanced at the elegant clock hanging on the wall.
From the moment she’d gotten off the phone with Lucas...
It felt as though barely five minutes had passed.
She hadn’t expected him to arrive this quickly.
For some reason...
A trace of warmth quietly surfaced in her heart.
At least...
He hadn’t kept her waiting on purpose.
She slowly stood up from the sofa, smoothed the wrinkles from her elegant dress, and politely nodded.
"Please lead the way."
Connie smiled.
"This way, Miss Gold."
The two women entered the private executive elevator together.
Neither of them spoke during the ride.
Gold’s beautiful eyes remained fixed on the slowly changing floor numbers.
The closer they came to the top floor...
The more nervous she became.
Her fingers unconsciously intertwined.
By the time they reached the chairman’s office...
Gold quietly stopped outside the door.
She gently closed her eyes.
Then...
Almost imperceptibly...
She whispered a short prayer under her breath.
"Please..."
"I hope everything goes well."
Standing beside her...
Connie couldn’t help giving her a strange look.
She had never imagined that someone as famous as Gold Pantheress would actually look so nervous before meeting Chairman Lucas.
After taking a deep breath...
Gold finally nodded.
Connie raised her hand and softly knocked.
Knock. Knock.
Inside the office...
Lucas immediately straightened his posture.
During the few minutes he’d been waiting...
He had repeatedly reminded himself of one thing.
Stay calm.
No matter what happens...
Don’t act like an excited fan.
After all...
He was now the owner of Bellagio Grand.
He couldn’t embarrass himself the moment she walked in.
He took a slow breath.
"...Come in."
The office door slowly opened.
A graceful figure stepped inside.
Gold Pantheress wore a simple yet incredibly fashionable outfit.
A fitted black crop top paired with a low-rise denim skirt perfectly highlighted her petite but beautifully proportioned figure.
Her naturally curly dark hair framed her delicate face, falling softly around her shoulders with an effortless elegance.
Her skin was smooth and fair with a warm glow.
Her expressive brown eyes carried both innocence and quiet maturity, while her full lips and delicate features gave her an appearance that was both youthful and unforgettable.
She wore almost no heavy makeup.
Yet that natural beauty made her stand out even more.
There was an understated charm about her...
The kind that couldn’t be created through expensive clothing or cosmetics.
She looked exactly like the image countless fans remembered from the stage.
Stylish.
Unique.
For a brief second...
Even Lucas had to admit...
She was even more beautiful in person than on television.
Meanwhile...
Gold Pantheress was equally stunned.
Her beautiful eyes widened almost imperceptibly.
She had expected to meet a middle-aged businessman...
Perhaps someone in his forties or fifties.
Calm.
Experienced.
Intimidating.
Instead...
Sitting behind the luxurious executive desk...
Was a young man who looked like he had just graduated from university.
He was unbelievably handsome.
His calm temperament naturally gave off an air of confidence.
Still...
He was simply...
Too young.
For a moment...
Gold genuinely wondered whether she had entered the wrong office.
Unable to stop herself...
She quietly turned toward Connie.
The questioning look in her eyes was obvious.
Is...
Is this really him?
Connie immediately understood her confusion.
She simply smiled and gave a small nod.
"Yes."
"This is Chairman Lucas."
Only then did Gold finally believe it.
The disbelief gradually disappeared from her eyes.
Replacing it...
Was embarrassment.
She quickly bowed her head slightly.
"I’m sorry, Chairman Lucas."
"I didn’t mean to be rude."
"I was just..."
"...a little surprised."
Lucas smiled lightly.
"It’s alright."
"I would’ve reacted the same way."
His relaxed attitude immediately eased the awkward atmosphere.
He gestured toward the sofa opposite him.
"Please."
"Have a seat."
"There’s no need to be so formal."
Gold nodded gratefully before sitting down gracefully.
Seeing that both of them were settled...
Connie quietly understood her role was finished.
Without making the slightest sound...
She bowed respectfully toward Lucas before silently leaving the office.
The heavy wooden door closed behind her.
Now...
Only Lucas and the mysterious Gold Pantheress remained inside the luxurious chairman’s office.
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