After sharing a warm farewell with his parents, Luca Hale officially began the journey back to San Fierro.

At exactly nine o’clock in the morning, he arrived outside the hotel where Arabella Windsor had been staying during her trip.

The moment she received his message, Arabella came downstairs with her luggage already prepared. Luca spotted her immediately.

She was impossible to miss.

Dressed in a simple white dress, she walked across the pavement with calm, measured steps. Her long black hair flowed down her back, swaying gently in the morning breeze. There was nothing flashy about her appearance, yet every passerby seemed drawn to her without realizing it.

"You somehow managed to get even prettier after only a few days apart," Luca joked as she climbed into the passenger seat.

Arabella studied him for a moment before giving a small nod.

"Thank you. You’re quite handsome yourself."

Her expression remained completely serious.

Luca laughed.

"I honestly didn’t expect you to be the type who gives compliments."

"I am not blind, Luca. I am simply stating an objective fact."

"..."

Luca rubbed his forehead.

Talking to Arabella was always a unique experience.

She was breathtakingly beautiful, intelligent, elegant, and impossibly composed. Yet every conversation somehow felt like discussing philosophy with an emotionless machine.

"By the way, what exactly do you do?" Luca asked as he guided the G-Class onto the highway. "I realized I still don’t know."

"I’m currently a junior at San Fierro University."

That answer genuinely surprised him.

A university student?

He had never once associated Arabella with college life.

If someone told him she was an immortal fairy who had wandered into the mortal world by accident, he would probably believe it.

"You don’t really act like a university student."

Arabella tilted her head slightly.

"What does that mean?"

The brief flash of confusion on her face nearly stunned Luca.

For the first time, she actually looked her age.

And somehow, that tiny reaction made her even more attractive.

"You just seem very mature," he explained. "Most students are energetic, impulsive, emotional. You feel... different."

"That assessment is inaccurate."

Arabella shook her head.

"I am officially recognized as the Campus Belle of San Fierro University. According to online discussions, I am considered a symbol of youth."

Luca nearly choked.

The internet truly was a mysterious place.

Still, he couldn’t deny the claim.

If someone with Arabella’s appearance wasn’t a campus belle, then the title probably shouldn’t exist at all.

As the hours passed, the scenery gradually shifted from open roads to winding mountain highways.

The weather changed just as quickly.

Dark clouds rolled across the sky, swallowing the sunlight. The distant rumble of thunder echoed through the mountains.

A powerful gust of wind suddenly swept across the road.

Leaves spiraled through the air.

Dust danced across the asphalt.

Then the rain came.

Without warning, torrents of water crashed down from the heavens.

Lightning flashed across the horizon.

Thunder exploded overhead.

The windshield wipers immediately began working at full speed.

Luca tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

Driving through mountain roads in weather like this was asking for trouble.

"There is a service area ahead," Arabella said quietly.

Luca nodded.

A few minutes later, he guided the vehicle into a highway service station and parked beneath a sheltered section.

Judging by the storm outside, they weren’t going anywhere tonight.

Fortunately, Mother Hale had insisted on packing enough food and supplies to feed a small army.

For once, maternal over-preparedness had paid off.

By eight o’clock that evening, the rain had only grown heavier.

The entire world outside had disappeared behind a curtain of water.

"It looks like we’ll have to continue tomorrow," Luca said.

"Hm."

Arabella sat quietly, watching raindrops race down the glass.

Luca reclined his seat and stretched.

"We’ll have to sleep in the car tonight."

Then he grinned.

"If you get cold later, you’re welcome to borrow me for warmth."

Arabella turned to look at him.

She seemed to consider the statement seriously.

Several seconds passed.

Then she replied,

"Not now."

Before Luca could process those words, she calmly reclined her own seat as well.

Not now?

Luca stared blankly.

’What exactly is that supposed to mean?’

His imagination immediately began running wild.

The worst part was that Arabella genuinely sounded as though she had evaluated the proposal and simply postponed it.

Luca slowly turned his head.

Arabella’s profile was illuminated faintly by the dashboard lights.

Her features were flawless.

The close confines of the vehicle made her presence impossible to ignore.

A delicate floral fragrance lingered around her.

Quiet.

Subtle.

Dangerously distracting.

Without realizing it, Luca found himself staring.

"What are you doing?"

Arabella’s eyes opened suddenly.

Luca immediately snapped back to reality.

Only then did he realize he had unconsciously leaned much closer than he should have.

"Ahem..."

He cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Sorry. I got distracted."

Arabella looked at him for a moment.

Then she simply closed her eyes again.

"Stop thinking nonsense and go to sleep."

Luca obediently lay back.

Outside, rain hammered endlessly against the roof.

Inside the vehicle, the atmosphere gradually settled into silence.

Before long, exhaustion overtook him.

His eyes slowly drifted shut.

The last thing he noticed was the faint outline of Arabella beside him.

Then darkness claimed him.

Sometime after midnight, Luca was abruptly awakened.

Something soft had pressed against him.

Something warm.

His eyes snapped open.

For a brief moment, he thought he was dreaming.

Arabella Windsor was lying directly against him.

The distance between them had completely vanished.

Her face was only inches away.

One of her hands was gripping the front of his shirt.

Her long hair had spilled across his chest.

In the darkness, Luca could even feel the gentle rhythm of her breathing.

His heartbeat instantly accelerated.

’Wait... what is she doing?’

Just as that dangerous thought appeared in his mind, Arabella shifted slightly in her sleep and moved even closer.

Luca froze.

The storm raged outside.

Inside the silent vehicle, the atmosphere suddenly became indescribably delicate.

And for the very first time since meeting Arabella Windsor, Luca began to wonder whether he had completely misunderstood the kind of woman she really was...