Chapter 17

Lukas spun around, his eyes scanning me like radar. "Give me her information!"

The assistant glanced at me, instantly recognizing my name. As a designer with a reputation in the jewelry industry, he knew most of the prominent figures.

He quickly made a call, and my information was soon relayed to Lukas.

Seeing my name, Lukas Strakovski's eyes flickered. "Em… Sophia!"

I nodded quickly. "Yes, it's me!"

Lukas ignored me, studying the information, lost in thought. Sophia Lopez, a designer at Trifleming Jewelry and CEO Hugo Roberts's girlfriend. At eighteen, she'd designed a piece of jewelry that sold domestically and internationally. Unfortunately, she hadn't produced any outstanding work in the last five years.

Was this… the death of a genius?

However, her stepsister, Bella Lopez, had won several awards in the last two years, including a city-level championship just yesterday. Moreover, Bella's design style was strikingly similar to Sophia's!

Lukas Strakovski immediately suspected foul play. He'd seen countless dirty tricks in this industry, and this seemed no different.

He glanced at me, his lips parting slightly. "Alright!"

Relief washed over me. I'd married Lukas not for anything else but to make Hugo regret his actions. I wanted him to understand that, from that day forward, Sophia Lopez would no longer tolerate him.

Because it was Lukas Strakovski, the marriage registration was expedited. Everything went smoothly, except for the teasing remarks from the Civil Affairs Bureau staff, who all declared us a perfect match. I blushed, but Lukas simply replied, "Different worlds!"

Half an hour later, I emerged from the Civil Affairs Bureau as Lukas Strakovski's wife. Through the glass doors, I saw Bella and Hugo still in line.

Lukas Strakovski glanced at me. "Get in the car, let's go eat," he stated flatly.

I pursed my lips and nodded. "Let's go!"

We'd barely gotten in the car when I saw Hugo exiting the Civil Affairs Bureau, holding Bella's hand, looking distraught as he checked his phone. Bella held two newly issued marriage certificates – hers and Hugo's.

At that moment, my phone rang.

Lukas glanced at me, then out the window. I opened the camera, taking a picture of them before answering the call and recording it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Sophia, where are you?" Hugo's voice was urgent.

"I'm at the hotel. What's up?" I replied calmly.

"Sophia, I just saw a media report saying I was at the Civil Affairs Bureau, and they even posted a photo. The woman in the photo isn't you, but they're speculating I betrayed you and married someone else. It's a huge joke. You must not believe it!" His voice was filled with anxiety.

My eyes flickered. "So, who is that woman, and why were you at the Civil Affairs Bureau?"

"I… she's just a friend. She asked me to come here suddenly. She wanted to get married to her boyfriend! I was just trying to help, but who knew things would get out of hand!" Hugo explained clumsily.

"Do I know that friend?" My tone remained indifferent.

"No… you haven't met her. Her boyfriend and I are college classmates, but we aren't close!" Hugo continued awkwardly.

"I see. I'll hang up now." Before I could, Hugo continued.

"Wait! Sophia, since you believe me, let's hold a press conference this afternoon to clarify the situation. This will impact Trifleming Jewelry! You don't know how those idiots online are criticizing me. You must stand by my side!"

My lips curled into a sneer. Yes, I should definitely stand by my boyfriend who betrayed me!

I ended the call.

After ending the call, I fell silent, lowering my head.

Lukas glanced at me. "Ex-boyfriend?" he asked, his tone like that of a superior addressing a subordinate.

I hummed faintly in response.

Lukas said indifferently, "I don't want you to have any further contact with him after we're married."

I raised my head, calmly looking at Lukas Strakovski. "Rest assured, I won't. But you also have to promise to keep our marriage low-profile. You attract too much attention, and I don't want unnecessary scrutiny."

"That's up to you," Lukas replied, seemingly unconcerned.

I looked away, lowering my head again. I expected him to remain silent, but he surprised me. "Did Bella Lopez use your design plans for the competition?"

I looked up, shocked. "How did you know?" I asked. No one knew about this except me and those two.

Lukas's tone was flat. "Anyone with a brain could figure it out."

"I thought… nobody knew," I said, still stunned.

Lukas didn't respond, simply asking, "Do you need help?"

I quickly shook my head. "No, I'll handle my revenge myself. But you need to give me time. After my revenge, I can completely cut ties with Hugo Roberts. Trust me, I won't betray you!"

Lukas Strakovski looked somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected such willpower. "Since you don't need my help with revenge, what's the purpose of marrying me?"

"To find an exit!" I replied candidly.

He nodded, impressed. "You can handle your revenge however you like, but since you've chosen to marry me, you must fulfill your marital duties. I don't want a wife in name only…"

Despite the suggestive undertone, Lukas's tone was casual, as if discussing the weather.