Secretly Mine
Chapter 123: Distractions

Chapter 123: Distractions

We didn’t drive for long before Lucas parked the car in front of a small but beautiful park. It reminded me a bit of the café that Christian brought me to, causing my chest to begin to sting with pain.

"Here we are. I’m not sure if you’ve been here before, but I just recently discovered this small park. It reminds me of a small botanical garden with beautiful walkways and unique landscapes," said Lucas.

He guided me to the entrance, where I felt like I stepped into another world. The moment we stepped into the tree line, the cityscape transformed into a lush, mystical garden.

My eyes couldn’t help but widen as I looked around, feeling like I was in some fantasy fairy village.

"Lucas! This place is magical!" I said, feeling a genuine smile creep up on my face.

He looked at me gently and smiled. "Just wait until you see what’s up ahead. It’s truly magical."

We walked along the winding path, looking at all of the unique and beautiful plants and small animals. After crossing a small bridge over a creek, the theme of the garden changed to one that resembled a fairy village.

Large and small mushroom statues were surrounded by bright and colorful flowers and trees.

"If you look closely, you’ll see small fairy statues placed all over," said Lucas, pointing to a small fairy hiding under a leaf.

"Wow! You’re right! So cute!" I said cheerfully.

Having seen the one he pointed out, made me wanted to go and find the others.

"Look! I found another one! It’s sitting on this branch!" I exclaimed.

Lucas walked over and nodded. The sun filtered through the trees, illuminating Lucas’s golden hair, making him look like an angel. He smiled at me with crystal clear eyes that were filled with only kindness.

"Your smile is very beautiful, Leslie. I hope to see you smiling always," he said softly.

It was only then did I realize that I was smiling brightly.

"Thank you for bringing me here. I feel a lot better than I did," I replied, smiling back at him.

At first, I was hesitant to come here with him, but Lucas proved to be a good companion and a true gentleman.

He shook his head, "No, I should be thanking you for coming with me. It’s nice to explore new places like this with someone else, and I couldn’t ask for a better partner."

I glanced around, spotting another fairy in the distance.

Would Christian like it here?

I shook my head, trying not to think about him right now. I came here with Lucas to help me get out of my depressive state. It would only make things worse if I got lost in my thoughts again.

-

"Twenty-six!" I said, looking at him with a victorious smile.

"Wow, you’re much better at this than I am! I’ve only found twelve. I didn’t think there were more than twenty to begin with," Lucas laughed.

He looked at me with a proud expression, genuinely excited that I had found so many fairies in the small garden.

"Come, there’s more to see up ahead," he said, gently placing his hand on my back to guide me forward.

We walked to the next section of the park, which contained a small pond. The first thing I noticed was the small family of colorful ducks at the water’s edge foraging for food.

"Lucas! Look how cute the ducks are!" I pointed as I walked farther down the path.

"Mm, you must be a good luck charm. Last time I was here, there weren’t any cute animals. This time we’ve seen all sorts of critters, and now ducks."

"You probably just didn’t notice them!" I laughed. There was no way that a park this nice didn’t have any critters at a given time.

He let out a soft chuckle and nodded, "You’re probably right. We’ve already established that I’m not as observant as you."

We continued our walk around the pond, taking in all of the beautiful sights. The weather was nice and warm with a slight breeze, making it very pleasant to be outside.

On the other side of the pond, we stopped to sit down on one of the benches. My mood was a lot more cheerful, so I turned to look at Lucas and get to know him better.

"So what do you do for work? It doesn’t seem like you’re a member of the clergy," I said.

He let out a soft chuckle and shook his head, "No, that would be my older brother. I’m in the pharmaceutical business. I started out as a chemical engineer, then pivoted into business."

"Oh wow, that’s impressive! Do you like running a company more than engineering?" I asked, curious to hear his answer.

"Yes! It’s the best of both worlds. Nothing beats being your own boss, and if I ever get an itch to go back to the labs, I can just walk into the lab of my own company," he laughed.

"I’ve actually returned to this city to start a secondary branch of my company. Growth has been quite good, and it’s about time I expanded," he continued.

I nodded, "I should congratulate you on your success, then!"

"Thank you. I very much appreciate that. What about you? Do you have any work or hobbies? I know that heiresses in this city tend to follow rather harsh etiquette."

I hesitated slightly, "Well, up until recently, I was one of those stay-at-home heiresses. Just recently, I was allowed to work at my sister’s fiancé’s company."

"Oh? Christian Vittoria, correct? I can’t seem to go anywhere in this city without hearing his name."

I nodded, "Yes, that’s him."

"How do you like it? Working for him? If you ever get bored, you’re more than welcome to work for me," he laughed.

His bright smile caused me to laugh, "Thank you, Lucas. So far, I like it very much, but thank you for the offer."

"Of course, you’re welcome anytime. Just having your shining personality around would increase efficiency in the office!"

We both burst out into warm laughter, causing the ducks to run into the water.

I looked at Lucas with gratitude. Thanks to him, I was able to laugh so freely, and the positive atmosphere even changed my way of thinking about Christian’s situation.

Have faith, Leslie. He will remember you.