Chapter 1513

Lucas had always worked according to his own rhythm, and anyone who disrupted it instantly irritated him.

Hearing the cold tone in his voice, Yvonne clenched her fist.

They hadn’t seen each other in so long—why was he being so distant?

Ignoring his impatience, she forced a light tone. “I finally came back to the country, and you’re not even planning to throw a welcome dinner for me?”

Unconsciously, a hint of playfulness crept into her voice.

But Lucas frowned.

“I’ve been busy lately. I don’t think that’s possible.”

He added bluntly, “If you really want one, I can have Desmond accompany you. I’ve got things to do, so I’m hanging up.”

“Wait!” she said quickly.

Lucas paused for a moment, phone still in hand, not cold enough to hang up immediately.

“If you’ve got something to say, just say it.”

The sharp impatience in his tone made her tense.

When had their conversations fallen to this point, where she had to beg to keep him on the line?

“Lucas, are you in a bad mood?” she asked softly.

His irritation deepened. “I told you that if you have something to say, get to the point. Don’t waste time on small talk. I have work to do.

“If you need a welcome dinner, call Desmond.”

And with that, Lucas hung up the phone, not giving Yvonne another chance to speak.

Yvonne stared at the phone after the call ended, momentarily frozen.

She hadn’t expected Lucas to be so indifferent. She thought after all this time apart, he would at least treat her with a bit more warmth.

But the reality was far from what she imagined.

She had even believed he might throw her a welcome dinner or at least sound pleased to hear her voice.

Instead, he had cut her off without hesitation, refusing to even entertain her small talk. The shock left her reeling.

For reasons she couldn’t explain, a faint unease crept into her chest.

If things were truly like this, did she still have a chance of competing with Aurora for his attention?

Yvonne let out a long sigh but quickly decided to stick to her original plan.

She had already made her intentions clear to Edwin. There was no turning back halfway.

If she backed down now, all the authority and confidence she had built in front of others would crumble.

And then what would that make her? Someone whose words meant nothing.

After thinking it through, she knew she couldn’t afford to compromise with Aurora.

If she gave in once, it would only lead to endless concessions later.

Eventually, everyone’s attention would revolve around Lucas and Aurora, and she would become irrelevant.

Tightening her grip on her phone, she whispered, “Lucas, I’ll prove to you that I’m far better than Aurora. She’s only standing there because of your support. Without you, she’s nothing.”

Yvonne knew exactly what she was doing, and she had no intention of regretting it.