20 Manhattan Apartment

Gemma's POV.

Dmitri laughs. "Gemma, up until now, there hasn't been anything in my life that I wanted but couldn't get."

This man is truly crazy.

I shake my head and turn to run.

His legs are longer than mine, and he's stronger, but I have the advantage of knowing this area better, so I take off down the narrow, winding paths.

But Dmitri is still right behind me, and I can't shake him off.

I'm starting to feel tired; the air in my lungs is getting thinner.

Just this moment, my phone rings in my pocket.

In such a dangerous situation, I have no intention of answering, but the phone keeps ringing persistently. Frustrated, I press the answer button.

Luke's calm voice comes through immediately: "Throw something in his face and run to the junction ahead, then turn right."

Without thinking, I follow Luke's instructions, turn around, and throw the bag in my hand at Dmitri's face.

Dmitri reacts quickly, tilting his head slightly to avoid the hit.

He's about to continue chasing me, but when his eyes catch sight of the Durex on the ground, his movements freeze.

In that brief moment, I speed up, run to the junction, and make a right turn as Luke had said.

The next second, someone grabs my arm and pulls me with great force. With a thud, I fall into an embrace.

I think it's Dmitri. I'm done for. But when I look up, I see Luke's face.

"How did you know I was here?" I ask, surprised.

Luke doesn't answer, instead taking my hand and leading me into a nearby restaurant.

I'm about to ask something else when Luke places a finger on his lips, gesturing for silence.

Immediately, I hear Dmitri's voice outside, asking the restaurant owner if he saw me run past.

My heart tightens, and I instinctively grip Luke's hand harder. But his next move puts me at ease—he lowers his head slightly and plants a kiss on my ear.

My racing heart suddenly calms down.

Sure enough, the restaurant owner calmly replies, "She ran that way, just a moment ago."

Dmitri's footsteps are heard, then gradually fade away.

I fully relax.

After waiting a bit, until we're sure Dmitri has gone far, Luke pulls me out from the restaurant's booth and thanks the owner.

The restaurant owner is tall and muscular, wearing just a shirt despite the cold winter.

"I never expected to see you being chased," the owner jokes, looking at Luke. "What, did you steal his girlfriend?"

"More or less. Thanks."

"You owe me one now. Buy me a drink next time," the owner shouts after us.

"No problem."

Turns out, they're friends.

Then Luke turns to me, "Gemma, stay here. I'll go get the car and pick you up."

Ten minutes later, Luke's car pulls up outside the restaurant.

He gets out and opens the passenger door for me.

I say goodbye to the owner and get in, fastening my seatbelt.

"Where are we going now?" I ask.

"A safe place."

I glance at Luke and ask my second question: "Why were you there?"

"You didn't go back, so I came looking for you. I happened to see that guy bothering you, so I told you to run here to avoid him."

I nod.

The car falls silent for a few seconds, then I say, "He's my ex-boyfriend. His name is Dmitri."

Luke shows no reaction, only saying, "I see."

After navigating through a few more twists and turns, we arrive in Manhattan.

Luke parks the car in front of a building, opens the passenger door, and lets me out.

I follow him into the building, still unsure of what's going on.

We take the elevator straight to the top floor. Luke unlocks a door and lets me inside.

"This is one of my other places. You'll be staying here from now on," Luke says.

I look around at the modern and elegant decor and the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Central Park. My mouth drops open in shock. "How many houses do you have?"

Luke smiles and shrugs. "I don't remember. I never counted."

My boyfriend is actually a secret billionaire??? No wonder the house he owns in the suburbs is filled with luxurious furniture.

I'm happy for a second but then hesitate. "Why do I need to live here?"

Honestly, this place is too far from where I work.

"Your ex came to the dealership looking for you, right?" Luke crosses his arms.

I nod.

"Then he probably knows your address by now."

A cold sweat suddenly runs down my back. That's right—I'm off today, not at work, yet Dmitri appeared near my place.

I agree with Luke's plan.

"Here's the key to the apartment. I'll go back and pack your things for you." Luke turns to leave.

I rush to the balcony and watch Luke appear downstairs, waving at him until he gets into the car.

Once the car is out of sight, I start slowly exploring the apartment.

The house has underfloor heating, making it warm and cozy. There's even a fireplace in the living room. Luke doesn't live here, but the furniture is spotless, suggesting someone comes by regularly to clean.

I push open a door at the end of the living room and find the bedroom.

I sit on the edge of the bed, then slowly lie down. The bed is so soft, and the blankets smell like sunshine. I sink into the warmth, reflecting on how unpredictable life can be.

Suddenly, I sit up and call Luke.

He's still driving, his voice a bit muffled. "What's up?"

"You never told me you're rich."

"You never asked," Luke replies.

I think about it for a moment. He's right.

I lie back down, curiosity about Luke's life bubbling up. "Have you always lived so luxuriously?"

"What do you consider luxurious?"

I squint and start giving examples, "Summer vacations in the Mediterranean every year?"

"Pretty much."

"Have you been to the Arctic and Antarctic?"

"Yes."

I sigh lightly. "I wish I were that rich."

Luke chuckles on the other end of the phone. "If you were that rich, how would you live?"

Looking around at the beautifully furnished bedroom, I answer his question, "If I were that rich, I'd never lick the yogurt lid again. And I'd buy two bottles—drink one, and throw the other away."

His laughter gets louder.

Christmas is coming soon, and my mom calls to remind me to come home.

I tell her I have a ten-day vacation, so I can stay with her longer.

While I'm on the phone, Luke is sitting on the couch with his laptop. After I hang up, he adjusts his glasses and asks, "You're going home?"

"Mmhmm."

He closes his laptop and stands up. "Then we need to get some gifts for your parents."

I widen my eyes. "You're coming with me?"

Luke smiles. "I don't mind."

We go to the mall. My dad's gift is simple—he loves fishing, so I buy him a carbon fiber fishing rod. My mom's gift is more complicated, including face masks and various skincare products.

Luke pays for everything.

Back at the apartment, he says, "Alright, let's check for plane tickets online."

"Okay..." I laugh casually, but my heart starts to feel unsettled.

"How about we eat something first? I'm hungry." I pull Luke to order pizza.

When the pizza arrives, and I'm halfway through eating, I look up at Luke and ask, "Are you... really sure about this?"

Luke grabs a napkin and wipes the tomato sauce from the corner of my mouth, smiling. "What, are you getting cold feet?"

"Of course not, I'm not afraid," I say, continuing to eat my pizza.

After dinner, Luke starts searching for tickets. I sit beside him, wrapping my arms around his neck, my heart suddenly racing.

"Are you really sure about this?" I ask again.

"What, are you not?"

"I am."

Sweat starts to form on my back.

As he begins selecting dates, I swallow and ask for the third time, "Are you really sure about this?"

Luke's response remains the same. "What, are you not?"

I grab his laptop and close it. "I believe in your sincerity. Alright, let's meet after Christmas."

"Really?" Luke looks at me through his gold-rimmed glasses. "But now I'm starting to doubt your sincerity."

"My parents don't even know I'm dating!" I cling to his arm, pleading. "If we go back together..."

He raises an eyebrow. "Would I embarrass you?"

"Give me a little time to ease them into it, okay?"

Luke stays silent for a moment, then lets out a small, cold hum.