Calvert had been polite to Gehrmann, but the repeated provocations were starting to get on his nerves.
He pretended not to hear Gehrmann's words and stood his ground, as if daring Gehrmann to make the first move.
Seeing this, Gehrmann's face turned cold instantly. "Mr. Coburn, Cline, is here to propose to Miss Ortega. And you dare to block his way?"
So Cline was proposing to Runa...
Were they getting married?
Luana's face gradually turned pale.
It felt like her whole body was being torn apart, and the pain made it hard for her to breathe.
She had thought she could move on from Cline just like she had from Albion.
But hearing that he was proposing to Runa, it hurt more than she expected.
The pain made her want to rush to him, hug him, and stop him from proposing.
But her rational side told her she had no right to do that. In Cline's eyes, she was nothing.
She was just a substitute for Runa, someone he used to vent his feelings and fulfill his desires. How could she have the right to stop him from marrying his first love?
Her fingernails dug into her palm. It wasn't until she drew blood that she forced herself to calm down.
She and Cline were over, and even if they weren't, she had no right to interfere.
Luana seemed to come to terms with it, resignedly relaxing her fingers and burying her head deeper into Calvert's chest.
At this moment, the only person she could rely on was Albion, the boy who had once promised her a lifetime together.
She forced a smile, but it felt both pitiful and ridiculous.
Calvert wasn't surprised that Cline was proposing to Runa. He just didn't expect it to happen so soon.
He thought, "Better to let a wedding go on than to ruin it." Even if he was annoyed with Gehrmann, he didn't want to interfere with someone's proposal.
He gently placed Luana in the car, fastened her seatbelt, and then drove away.
After the car turned off the main road, the Koenigsegg suddenly sped up and passed them.
As the Rolls-Royce brushed past it, Luana, sitting in the passenger seat, caught a glimpse of the man inside.
His face was chiseled and sharp, hidden behind a pair of sunglasses. It was hard to read his expression.
As the cars passed, he turned his head slightly, as if he had looked at her, or maybe he hadn't.
Luana's eyes followed the Koenigsegg until it stopped in front of a villa.
She then let her gaze fall, feeling a pang of sadness.
Cline would probably get married to Runa soon after the proposal.
She wondered if she would even live to see their wedding.
Luana smiled bitterly, realizing how silly she was. Their wedding had nothing to do with her.
Seeing her bitter smile, Calvert frowned slightly.
"What's wrong?"
Luana shook her head, not answering, but her eyes were filled with pain.
Calvert thought she was upset about Gehrmann's words and quickly comforted her. "Don't take what Gehrmann said to heart. He's just mad that I called off the marriage alliance with his sister. That's why he keeps targeting me. It has nothing to do with you."
Luana nodded, not caring much. No one really cared about her feelings anyway.
Calvert, seeing the despair in her eyes, furrowed his brows even more. "You look really upset. Did something happen?"
Was she that obvious?
Luana touched her stiff face, which felt cold and lifeless.
She must look terrifying.
She forced a smile and said, "It's nothing. I'm just not feeling well."
Calvert believed her somewhat. "Is it your leg? You can't even walk. It must be the problem."
[$]
But when he had carried her earlier, he hadn't noticed anything unusual.
Luana nodded. "My leg is swollen. It's probably due to varicose veins."
She still had her guard up around Calvert. She couldn't tell if his memory loss was real, so she kept her true condition a secret.
Calvert knew about varicose veins. Although the legs would swell, they usually got better with some rest. It shouldn't be so bad that she couldn't walk.
But he didn't dare ask more. She had gotten angry when he inquired about her health earlier. He didn't want to upset her again.
Calvert didn't press further but still showed concern. "I'll have Gath take a look at you. He's a genius in medicine. He can fix any minor issues if you do have."
Luana's forced smile turned even more bitter. "No need."
Why waste medical resources when she was already dying?
"Are you sure...?"
Calvert tried to persuade her, but Luana turned her head to look out the window, signaling she didn't want to talk anymore. Calvert fell silent.
The car soon pulled into Luana's block. Calvert parked and carried Luana upstairs.
Although Luana didn't want him to know where she lived, she had no choice in this situation.
She took out her keys, opened the door, and let Calvert carry her inside.
"Put me on the sofa, please."