Chapter 13

Luke finally found Gilmore in front of a villa. Gilmore looked at him curiously and asked, "How did you find me?"

After receiving the contract and villa keys from Christine, Gilmore had come to check on Villa 1. There were 500 villas in total at the Palazzo; finding someone was difficult. Gilmore had been about to call Luke, but he hadn't expected Luke to find him so quickly.

Luke wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "It was hard. Fortunately, I met Christine on the way. She told me you were at Villa 1."

Gilmore realized Christine had revealed his location. He asked tentatively, "Did she tell you anything else?"

"Yes," Luke said, thumping Gilmore on the shoulder. "She even said you're her boyfriend! Gilmore, you're amazing! What did you do to win her heart?"

Gilmore smiled. "Would you believe me if I told you I'm just her fake boyfriend?"

Luke stared blankly, then burst into laughter. "Come on, bro, I almost believed you"

Gilmore thrust the contract into Luke's hands. Luke was stunned. "Bro, you're giving me a luxurious villa without a second thought? It makes sense. Christine's the only child of the Evergreen Group chairman. If you marry her, the whole group will be yours someday. I guess a villa means nothing to you, right?"

Gilmore's mouth twitched. "I didn't say I'm giving you the villa, Luke. I just want you to check the last clause on the last page."

Luke was confused. "So I got the wrong end of the stick? You're not giving me the villa. This is a little awkward."

Chapter 13 (continued)

Luke turned to the last page. It read: "Ever since you signed this contract, you have officially become Christine Foster's contract boyfriend. You are required to cooperate with Christine to prevent outsiders from finding out about this relationship. [After signing the contract, no breach of contract is allowed unless both parties agree to terminate. The penalty for breaking the contract is two billion dollars.]"

"Two billion dollars" Luke gasped. He looked at Gilmore anxiously. "If Christine refuses to terminate the contract, won't you have to pretend to be her boyfriend forever?"

Gilmore gave Luke an enigmatic smile. "But if I don't let her out of the contract, she can only be my girlfriend."

Luke processed this, suddenly understanding. "I get it. Christine thought she could use this contract to make you her fake boyfriend, but she forgot one thing: the contract works on her, too. If she wants to terminate it, she'll need your consent. If you don't agree, Christine can do nothing but be your girlfriend, whether she likes it or not."

Luke gave Gilmore a thumbs-up. On the surface, Gilmore seemed tricked by Christine, but in reality, Christine had fallen for his trick as well. He now had Christine's number, and it was highly likely that Christine would lose more than she gained, ultimately becoming Gilmore's girlfriend. This is why Gilmore signed the contract after reading the last clause. Christine thought she controlled everything, but Gilmore had anticipated this.

Chapter 13 (continued)

Could he have really signed just to compete? That was impossible; he wasn't a simp.

"Oh, by the way, Gilmore, why did Christine" Luke asked, suddenly confused.

Gilmore explained everything about Marco and his becoming Christine's fake boyfriend. Luke finally understood. However, he was worried about how Gilmore would deal with Marco. "Are you really not afraid that he will"

Gilmore said, "Tomorrow, Christine's bodyguards will be dealing with him."

Luke said enviously, "You're truly using Christine's protection."

Gilmore took the contract back and they checked out the villa. The living room was spacious, with mahogany tables and chairs, leather sofas, and exquisite furnishings.

"The marble tiles are from Greendale, the mahogany from Southingfield, the chandeliers from Bellcester. Each piece is worth thousands of dollars!" Luke marveled.

Gilmore sighed inwardly, "Christine has surely overestimated herself!" The value of the furnishings far exceeded the villa's price. Gilmore had made a huge profit.

Chapter 13 (continued)

Having acquired the villa, Gilmore decided to bring his parents and sister to Oakhaven. He moved in immediately. That night, he and Luke celebrated with dinner. As they returned to the villa, Gilmore noticed two uninvited guests inside. A smile played on his lips. "I didn't expect them to come so soon!"

He whispered to Luke, "There are thieves in the villa. Go call security. I'll wait here."

Luke was shocked. "Really? How did you know?"

Gilmore pointed to his head. "My intuition. It's never wrong."

Luke, though skeptical, nodded. "Okay, I'll call someone. Be careful."

After Luke left, Gilmore opened the door. The villa was dark. The sound of a struggle, bone-cracking, and screams filled the darkness.

A fierce struggle was underway. Then, Luke and several security guards arrived, shocked by the scene. The remaining text appears to be incomplete and possibly in another language, so it's omitted.