Fated Villain
Copyright© 2026 by Traverse
Chapter 31: The Project Belongs to My Man
Monica was completely stunned.
She had known Sylvia for so long, and not once had she heard her mention any man. Let alone trust one so much.
If Sylvia trusted this man, did that mean she was supposed to trust Lucas too?
But what did all those things he said actually mean?
Although she still had plenty of doubts, Monica no longer looked at Lucas with hostility. Her gaze, however, was still filled with suspicion.
When they arrived at the villa entrance, Lucas was overjoyed. He was finally about to get rid of this woman. He even got out of the car and helped carry her luggage just to get her to leave faster.
Seeing this helpful side of him, Monica’s impression of him improved slightly.
“Thanks for picking me up. Give me your QR code.”
“QR code?” Lucas was confused. “What QR code?”
Monica raised an eyebrow. “For the errand fee. Or are you expecting cash? I haven’t had time to exchange currency, I only have euros. Do you want that?”
This woman really thought he was just her porter.
Lucas gritted his teeth. If she was determined to pay, then he might as well take it.
He pulled out his phone and opened the QR code, curious to see how much she would send.
One payment. Three hundred Dollar.
Alright then. She really gave him a typical errand fee, not even a tip on top of it. She was arrogant and stingy all at once.
Lucas’s opinion of her dropped even further.
“I’ve safely delivered you home. My job is done. If you need anything else, talk to Sylvia.”
As soon as he left the villa, Lucas let out a long sigh of relief.
Thankfully, he had minimal interaction with this female lead. Now that this drop-off was finished, he could stay far away and avoid any messy plotline disasters.
On the way back, Lucas suddenly got a call from Sasha.
“This afternoon, we’re hosting a customer appreciation event to thank all our new and returning clients for their support over the past year. We’ve prepared a lot of gifts. Would you be interested in joining us?”
Afraid that Lucas might decline, she added quickly before he could answer, “There are valuable gifts. And since you’re the guest who discovered a Dragon Jadeite, we’ve prepared a special gift just for you. I really hope you’ll come.”
She had already prepared a special gift and even said such polite words. Refusing at this point would seem impolite.
Lucas could only agree. After hanging up, he drove straight to Sylvia’s company.
He wanted to take advantage of the moment and lock down the project deal before anything could change.
In novels, he had read plenty of scenes where the male lead got stopped by security or given a hard time by receptionists.
But when Lucas entered the company, he received a warm welcome instead.
The receptionist didn’t stop him at all. She personally walked him to the elevator and even pressed the floor button with a smile before stepping away.
It was clear that status really did change how people treated you.
Standing outside the top floor office, Lucas knocked on the door.
A voice from inside replied, “Come in.” Lucas pushed the door open and stepped inside.
As soon as he entered, he saw Sylvia standing in front of the sofa wearing only a thin layer of lingerie.
His eyes flew open. He immediately turned around.
What was going on? Why wasn’t she dressed?
Sylvia didn’t seem bothered at all by being seen. She quietly picked up the clothes from the sofa, put them on, and said, “You’ve already seen me in a bikini before. Why are you acting shy now?”
“That’s not the same thing.”
“What’s different?” Sylvia smiled as she walked up to him. “Do you prefer the lingerie I’m wearing right now?”
This woman was still teasing him.
She really didn’t see him as a man.
If she weren’t David’s woman, he would have taught her a proper lesson by now, to show her what happened when someone flirted so shamelessly.
Of course, he could only think about it. David’s women were off limits, even though he had already touched one of them.
“Ahem. I came to talk about the contract. That ten-million-Dollar deal. When are you going to make good on your promise?”
Sylvia smiled. “I knew you wouldn’t come find me without a reason. Go ahead and call your dad.”
“My dad? What does he have to do with this?”
Sylvia placed a hand on his shoulder. “What, you don’t want me to call him Uncle? Should I call him Father-in-law instead?”
Still teasing.
Lucas had to admit that she was getting to him, but to prevent things from crossing the line, he gently pushed her hand away and took a couple steps to the side to keep some distance.
Otherwise, his heart really wouldn’t be able to take it.
He cleared his throat, pulled out his phone, and called his father.
As soon as the call connected, Sebastian’s excited voice came through.
“Son, I was just about to call you. You’re amazing. You actually managed to secure a deal with the Morgan family!”
So Sylvia had already sent someone to sign the contract with his father.
She was surprisingly efficient. While he had been delivering Monica, she had already taken action.
It turned out he had been worrying too much, thinking she might back out.
“Dad, it’s just a ten-million-Dollar project. It wasn’t that hard.”
“Not that hard? Son, working with the Morgan family might not be difficult, but this project has official support. It’s also a key stepping stone. With this deal, we’ll be able to get in on even more government projects. I’m telling you, this one is worth at least fifty million.”
Fifty million?
That much?
Lucas was shocked and glanced at Sylvia.
He had just picked up her friend, and she had turned around and handed him a project worth fifty million. This woman was way too generous.
What he didn’t know was that when she decided to give this highly coveted project to Lucas, her secretary had already called her wasteful.
At the time, she replied, “Giving my man a project is like transferring money from my left hand to my right. This is how I protect my assets. No reason to let outsiders benefit. How is that wasteful?”
After hanging up, Lucas scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed.
“Thanks. If there’s anything you ever need help with, just ask.”
Since she had already been this generous, it would be petty to keep fussing about an errand fee.
Sylvia smiled. “Actually, there is something I’d like your help with.”
“Go ahead.”
“Tomorrow night, I’m planning to host a welcome party for Monica at the bar. I want you to come with us, to keep an eye out in case any men try to hit on us or pressure us into drinking. What do you say?”
He thought it was going to be something serious, but that was it?
Lucas agreed without hesitation.
He had originally planned to treat Sylvia to lunch, but she already had a client meeting scheduled, so he went home instead.
As soon as he walked in the door, Susanna rushed over, full of excitement.
“Son, you’ve really been working miracles behind the scenes. You actually landed the Morgan family’s official project. Do you know how long your father has been trying for that? Ever since the Morgan family opened the project up for bidding, your dad has been sending gifts to Ivan. Even though he finally agreed, the family elders still wouldn’t go along with it. Your dad had already given up.”
She gently patted Lucas’s cheek with affection.
“If anyone dares to say my son is useless ever again, I’ll fight them myself.”
He wasn’t exactly useless, but he wasn’t anything special either.