The Day I Walked Away My Empire Began novel Chapter 212

Elio could see that Lucie was stuck and immediately shut down June’s idea. “Oh, come on! You’re such a handful. If you went to her place, you’d probably tear the whole house apart. Either stay here, book a hotel, or just go back to your own place.”

June’s dad worked in Westbrook, so she had her own mansion here. But she never liked being home.

“I’m not going back. That place is cold and empty, and there are always people bossing me around. No way.”

“Then get a hotel, like I’m doing.”

June giggled, then plopped herself right onto Elio’s lap without a hint of shame. “That works too! I’ll just go to your hotel with you.”

“Get off me,” Elio groaned, pushing her away and brushing off his robe like she might’ve left a stain.

June bounced up and kicked him in return. “Ugh, you’re so rude! Seriously, Elio, you’re such a jerk.”

Elio frowned and looked completely fed up. “Can you just stop?”

He was honestly reaching his limit. He’d been hoping for a couple of quiet days with Lucie, maybe actually get closer to her. But with June around, any spark between him and Lucie got doused before it even started.

“Okay, okay, everyone just chill,” Lucie said, feeling awkward. “If you really have nowhere else to go, you can come to my place…”

“Really?” June’s face lit up.

Lucie nodded, forcing a smile. “Of course. Not a problem.”

June was the host, after all, and now that she’d asked , Lucie couldn’t exactly take it back. But they definitely weren’t going to her family’s courtyard house. Instead, she had a huge penthouse downtown—over four hundred square meters with plenty of guest rooms.

“Yes! It’s settled then. I’m coming with you,” June said, grinning and clinging to Lucie’s arm like an overexcited kid.

Lucie just stared, speechless. June was probably the only person she knew who could be so wild and yet so childish at the same time. She wasn’t actually flirtatious—she just really liked hot guys and a bit of excitement.

Seeing an opening, Elio jumped in. “Since you’re letting her stay, you might as well let me crash too!”

“I thought you were getting a hotel?”

Elio copied June’s tone, pouting a little. “I don’t want to go back to some cold, empty hotel room all by myself. It’s more fun with you guys. I’m coming too.”

Lucie’s head hurt just thinking about it. She looked at him, totally helpless.

“Plus, don’t you have to talk me through the statue tomorrow? It’s a hassle to keep running around. And the bodyguards I found for you are arriving in the morning—you’ll want to meet them, right?”

“…Fine.”

“Awesome, it’s decided! We’ll go after our massages.”

“Yeah, good night. You guys should get some rest too.” Lucie couldn’t help but yawn. She almost never stayed up this late—it was already past two, and she was wiped out.

“Good night!”

They each headed to their own rooms. Lucie changed into pajamas and fell asleep the second her head hit the pillow.

June and Elio, though, were total night owls. Neither of them could sleep in a strange place, and June was especially restless. After seeing those steamy pictures Steven sent her earlier, she was so wound up she couldn’t stop tossing and turning.

By four-thirty, she finally gave up on sleep and headed into the kitchen to grab something to drink. When she walked into the living room, she nearly jumped out of her skin. Elio was sitting there in the dark, smoking on the sofa.

“Jeez, you scared me,” June said.

She was only wearing shorts and a little tank top. She opened the fridge, grabbed a bottle of sparkling water, and made her way over to him.

“Couldn’t sleep either?”

Elio gave her a look. “Why do you have to be so nosy? Go back to bed.”

June just grinned, walked right over, and climbed onto his lap, wrapping her arms and legs around him. “Elio, we haven’t ‘sparred’ in forever. How about tonight?”