Luca Hale couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

The moment Julie’s family stepped through the door, he noticed it. Her parents carried themselves with an air of superiority, their eyes sweeping across the modest apartment as though they were inspecting something beneath them. It was obvious they looked down on his family.

And after what he had witnessed the previous night, he had absolutely no interest in getting involved with them.

Before Luca could say anything, Julie’s mother turned to Third Aunt Mae and clicked her tongue.

"Mae, is this your nephew?" she asked, her tone dripping with thinly veiled disdain. "He’s handsome enough, but his family’s financial situation seems rather... ordinary."

Third Aunt’s smile stiffened.

Ignoring her reaction completely, Julie’s mother shifted her attention to Luca.

"Young man, besides this apartment, do you own any other property?"

"No," Luca replied calmly. "This is the only house my family has in Ashford."

He wasn’t lying.

The villa he owned was in San Fierro.

"Oh dear..." Julie’s mother sighed dramatically. "That makes things difficult."

She folded her arms and continued as though she were discussing a business transaction.

"Our Julie has been pampered since childhood. She’s never suffered a day in her life. Naturally, as parents, we want her to enjoy an even better life after marriage."

"We’re not some extraordinarily wealthy family, but we have our own house, our own car, and never worry about food or money."

She looked directly at Luca.

"You understand what I’m saying, don’t you?"

"I understand," Luca replied.

"So what?"

Julie’s mother paused.

Then she smiled.

"If you understand, then don’t blame Auntie for being straightforward."

Luca already knew what was coming.

’Here it comes.’

"First," she said, raising a finger, "we’ve spent years raising our daughter. A dowry of one hundred thousand dollars isn’t excessive, is it?"

Third Aunt’s expression changed immediately.

One hundred thousand dollars?

She knew Luca’s family circumstances better than anyone. To an ordinary family in Ashford, that was an enormous sum.

But Julie’s mother showed no sign of stopping.

"Second, the house should be at least two hundred square meters."

"Third, the car doesn’t need to be anything extravagant. Something around fifty thousand dollars will do."

"My colleague’s son-in-law drives a BMW 5 Series. That’s quite decent."

She crossed her arms and leaned back proudly.

"Those are my requirements for now. What do you think?"

Luca almost laughed.

A woman who had been juggling multiple relationships behind her boyfriend’s back was sitting here demanding conditions like a prized treasure.

’Like mother, like daughter.’

Outwardly, however, his face remained calm.

"Auntie," he said evenly, "aren’t your standards a little too low?"

The room fell silent.

Too low?

Julie’s family had already prepared themselves for rejection. What they hadn’t expected was this answer.

Julie’s mother blinked.

"What do you mean?"

"A two-hundred-square-meter house and a fifty-thousand-dollar car?" Luca shook his head. "That’s practically nothing."

The three members of Julie’s family froze.

Their eyes lit up instantly.

At that moment, Luca wasn’t a man.

He was a walking gold mine.

"That’s right, that’s right!" Julie’s mother exclaimed, her attitude changing at lightning speed. "Then what are your plans, son-in-law?"

The sudden change of address made Luca almost admire her shamelessness.

"Although I don’t come back to Ashford often, my parents still live here," he said casually. "This apartment is too small, so I’m planning to buy them a villa."

A villa.

The word exploded in the minds of Julie’s family.

Nothing else registered.

Villa.

In Ashford, even an ordinary villa was worth several hundred thousand dollars.

And if Julie married him...

Their hearts began racing.

"As for a car..." Luca continued, casually twirling a set of keys in his hand. "I already own a Mercedes-Benz G-Class parked downstairs, so there’s no need to buy another one."

A Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

Julie’s family stared at the keys.

Their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

The black G-Wagon parked downstairs...

The one they’d secretly admired when they arrived...

It belonged to Luca?

Moments ago, they had been wondering what kind of successful person owned such a vehicle.

Now they discovered that person was standing right in front of them.

"Haha! Excellent!" Julie’s father finally joined the conversation, grinning from ear to ear. "I like ambitious young men like you."

"Come, come, let’s sit down and discuss the wedding arrangements."

The entire family immediately started acting like relatives.

They moved toward the doorway, preparing to enter.

Bang!

A hand slammed against the doorframe.

Luca stepped forward and blocked their path.

The sudden movement startled everyone.

Julie’s mother forced out an awkward smile.

"Hehe... son-in-law, what does this mean?"

"Son-in-law?"

Luca laughed.

The sound held no warmth whatsoever.

"When you first arrived, you looked at me like I wasn’t worth your time."

"When you thought I was poor, your faces couldn’t have been colder."

"But the moment you heard I had money, suddenly I’m your son-in-law?"

His eyes swept across the family.

"Don’t you think that’s a little shameless?"

The smiles on their faces stiffened.

"A hundred-thousand-dollar dowry."

"A two-hundred-square-meter house."

"A fifty-thousand-dollar car."

Luca looked directly at Julie.

"Do you really think your daughter is worth that price?"

Julie’s face instantly darkened.

"Luca Hale!" she snapped. "What gives you the right to look down on me?"

Her voice rose with anger.

Julie had always considered herself attractive. Maybe not stunning enough to turn heads everywhere she went, but she was undeniably beautiful.

With her looks, she believed she could easily marry into a wealthy family if she wanted.

So who was Luca Hale to humiliate her like this?

Luca chuckled.

"Julie, it seems last night’s trip to the police station didn’t teach you much."

The color drained from Julie’s face.

Her eyes widened.

"You..."

Her voice trembled.

"You were there?"

Luca looked at her with undisguised contempt.

"What do you think?"

"If you didn’t want people finding out, maybe you shouldn’t have done it in public."

Julie’s legs nearly gave out beneath her.

The scene from the barbecue stall flashed through her mind.

The angry boyfriend.

The shattered bottle.

The crowd.

The police.

Everything.

Julie’s parents looked back and forth between them in confusion.

"Police?" her mother repeated. "Julie, what is he talking about?"

"Mom..." Julie’s face burned with embarrassment. "Stop asking."

"What happened?"

"Mom, let’s go!"

"What about the blind date?"

Even now, Julie’s mother wasn’t willing to give up.

A rich son-in-law like Luca Hale wasn’t someone they could easily find.

"Why are you still thinking about the blind date?!" Julie shouted, mortified.

She wanted nothing more than to disappear into the floor.

Without another word, she grabbed her parents and hurried away.

Bang.

Luca calmly shut the door behind them.

Silence filled the apartment.

Third Aunt Mae blinked several times.

"Luca..." she said cautiously. "What’s going on? I feel like I missed half the story."

Mother Hale emerged from the kitchen carrying the final dish.

"That’s right," she said curiously. "Do you know that girl?"

Even Old Hale, who had been quietly sitting on the sofa the entire time, looked over with interest.

All three pairs of eyes settled on Luca.