Chapter 55.2

Quintin internally laughed at her reaction, but he was not done annoying her yet. "I could even call Lucas a hero! He sacrificed his happiness and marriage just for his wife's safety. Maybe for some, it was lame, but for us men, those kinds of acts were common, especially if we love someone dearly." He paused and looked around to see if anyone was looking at them. He didn't want anyone to think he was bullying the woman, but good thing all the guests were busy and no one bothered to notice them. He turned back to Diane, who remained speechless. "I couldn't also bear to see a gorgeous, loving, and caring woman like Elyana cry because of the heartaches Lucas caused her. Their marriage was a big waste! But you know what? I could build Lucas a statue for being that kind of husband—a hero husband. He raised women's standards; you should be proud of yourself for having that type of friend, Diane," he continued, still pretending he didn't know about Diane and Lucas's relationship. And with those words, Diane's face soured. It was obvious from the look on her face that she was insulted. She wanted to defend herself in front of him, but she thought Quintin didn't know about what was between Lucas and her, which was something Quintin succeeded in pretending. "Y-yeah, I admire Lucas for that, and I'm here to support him with whatever he wants in life," she replied, stammering. Quintin nearly burst into laughter. 'Such a liar,' he thought, biting his lips to prevent the chuckle from exploding. "By the way, I should go. I will try to find him around. Nice seeing you here," Diane excused herself, hiding the anger behind her words; however, Quintin could see through her eyes how much she hated him at that time. When Quintin saw Diane far enough, he let out a laugh that caught people's attention. "Sorry," he apologized, and he immediately turned around to walk away. He emptied the champagne from the goblet he was holding and handed it to the waiter passing by. He forgot he was hungry when the MC went up to the elevated platform on the other side of the hall. He invited the honorable guests to come and sit in the empty chairs in front of the stage. He announced that the auction would start in a few minutes, so everyone who wanted to join the auction settled first on the available chairs. Quintin followed the guests as they made their way to the auction area. The empty chairs instantly got occupied, and he found a vacant one next to a woman. He had a little chat for a moment before he went to the buffet table. She was the daughter of an Italian business tycoon who seemed to be charmed by his elegance. That's all; he knows the secret business of the girl's father, that he doesn't want to collide with and may lead to his premature death. He only chatted for a while, spilled a few jokes to make her smile, and bid goodbye afterward. "What items do you want to bring home?" Quintin asked to start a conversation. "I want this necklace," she answered while showing the jewelry on the fliers she was holding. It was a simple necklace, yet the purple diamond pendant was huge. "Nice target," he commented, and the lady smiled, showing so much excitement in her eyes. When the MC started speaking on the stage, they both paid attention, but Quintin's eyes were traveling, looking for Lucas around, and just in time before the first item was placed in front, a group of men arrived. One of them was Wilhelm. They sat in the middle row. Quintin saw an empty chair next to Lucas, and he immediately took that chance to approach him. "Hey!" he greeted him. Lucas's eyes widened. He almost had a heart attack at his sudden appearance. "W-what on Earth, Generoso?" he exclaimed loudly in shock. "I didn't mean to startle you, brother," Quintin apologized, but Lucas didn't seem to believe it. "What do you need from me?" Lucas asked directly, his face showing that he didn't have time to play with the young man like he often does. "Woah, relax! I didn't approach you as an enemy; I came in peace," he explained because he seemed like a lion about to attack his prey. "I just want to know if you both have already talked," Quintin stated. A lie because he already knew what happened when the two confronted each other. Lucas seemed to calm down when he heard about Quintin's reason, and he leaned back in his chair and relaxed before answering his question. "We did talk, but it didn't end the way I wanted it to," he answered sorrowfully. "Oh, sorry about that, Wilhelm. But what is your plan after what happened? I know you; you won't just quit." Lucas bowed his head. He didn't have a definite plan yet. He still has a lot of work to do. After that week-long event, he had to go to England. "You're maybe right about that," he agreed. "So, you will try again?" Quintin asked. "Yes, after I fix everything, I will come back," he answered. "But how about her?" Quintin asked next while looking in a certain direction after he saw someone looking in their direction. Lucas, who remained his head lowered, raised his head and looked confusedly at Quintin. "What do you even mean?" he confusingly asked. "Her," he uttered, and he stayed looking in the same direction. Lucas turned his head to see what he was looking at. He saw Diane looking furiously at them. "W-what the h*** is she doing here?" Lucas exclaimed. Diane and his eyes met, and the woman quickly turned around to run away. "I think she knows you went to the Philippines, Wilhems." Quintin knew that Lucas heard what he said before he stood up from his seat. Lucas tried to chase after Diane, but because so many people blocked his way, she immediately disappeared from his sight. He reached the lobby but didn't see Diane come out. He tried calling the woman's cell phone number, but she didn't dare answer any of it. "Damn!" He stomped his feet out of annoyance, sliding his phone back inside his side pocket, and decided to return to the hall. He went back to where he left Quintin to ask him about the last thing he said, but he was no longer there. Quintin had already thought of going home to the Philippines, thinking his mission there was over after he finally warned Lucas about Diane, who had been following his every move.