Chapter 25 Luciana's first instinct was to say no . She scrambled for an excuse . " Uh , no need . I've got a shift at the restaurant later . It's not on your way . " Thiago narrowed his eyes , a dark storm brewing behind them . Without a word , he grabbed her sketch bag off the chair and slung it over his own shoulder , looking at her with a half - smirk . " Come with me , or your art supplies are staying with me . " Biting her lip , Luciana glanced at Alicia , who looked completely stunned . She then reluctantly followed Thiago out of the luxury high - rise . The two walked through the complex in silence . It was late summer , and the sycamore trees lining the sidewalks still had their thick canopy of green . Streetlights filtered through the leaves in wide , golden patches , casting a dizzying glow on the pavement . Luciana trailed behind his tall figure , and for a second , it was like déjà vu - she saw flashes of that boy from their senior year of high school . The one in the crisp white uniform shirt , always walking like he owned the world . Suddenly , Thiago turned around . Under the messy bangs of his hair , those flirtatious eyes of his were unusually soft . " Luciana , I know you got fired from that restaurant . " She froze , Her lashes cast faint shadows beneath her eyes , her expression making her look small and vulnerable . " How do you know that ? " Wait … Had she somehow offended him ? Was he the reason she got fired ? Thiago stepped closer and bent slightly at the waist , bringing his sharp and handsome face inches from hers . His voice was unusually serious . " Doesn't matter how I know . Just don't run your mouth in front of me again . It pisses me off . " Luciana looked up , her eyes glassy and welled with tears . She didn't dare argue . She didn't even have the right to . But she had no idea what she had done to provoke him . She had been trying to stay away from him . Was this still about that ridiculous crush she'd had on him in high school ? Seeing the growing look of hurt on Luciana's face , Thiago instantly knew - this little overthinker was spiraling again . He almost laughed . She was too easy to read . Thiago reached out and gave her hair a rough tousle , turning her smooth , neatly brushed strands into a mess in seconds . " Dummy , the restaurant manager is gonna call you tonight . You'll be back at work tomorrow . " The way he said " dummy " -soft and doting - made Luciana snap her head up . Her wide eyes blinked up at him , a few stray strands of hair brushing the tip of her nose . She looked so lost and adorable that it made him want to mess with her even more . " What ? I can go back to work ? I thought you were the one who got me fired ? " Thiago raised an eyebrow . " Luciana , what kind of grudge would I even have against you to do that ? " Luciana tilted her head , thinking . Okay , maybe there was no grudge , but he could've held onto how she had annoyed him back in school … There were also those 98 burritos … She opened her mouth to say something , but before she could , Thiago reached out and yanked her straight into his arms . Luciana panicked , nearly yelping , but he quickly pressed a hand over her mouth . " Shhh . " Her wide , panicked eyes shifted toward the direction he was looking - and then , she froze . Just a few feet away , Wendy had her arms wrapped around Nigel's waist . She rested her chin on his chest as she whined softly , " Nigel , I really , really like you . Are you sure you're not staying over tonight ? " Nigel had one hand cradling the back of her head as he replied gently , " Not tonight . I have stuff to handle . Next time , alright ? " Wendy murmured something under her breath , then stood on her tiptoes and kissed him . He didn't stop her . The two of them melted into each other by the flowerbed , their kiss growing deeper by the second . Luciana could only stand there , stunned . Her mind instantly flashed to that afternoon - Vivian sitting on the dorm bed in tears , saying she wanted to give her first time to Nigel Up until now , Luciana had always thought of Nigel as perfect - smart , kind , and principled . He was the kind of man who took responsibility . He was , in her mind , the ideal guy . But this - this was like a bolt of lightning on a clear day . It shattered everything she thought she knew and flipped her entire worldview upside down Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!