At noon, in the luxurious suite of the hotel, a group of people sat together drinking coffee. The rich aroma filled the room, invigorating everyone's spirits.
"Della, Hubert seems pretty confident about winning this lawsuit. Do you know why?"
Kate, sitting in the middle, furrowed her brows slightly as she spoke.
The prominent lawyer, Della Cobell, put down her coffee cup and gave a cold smile, "It's the same old tactics—destroying evidence by any means necessary and bribing witnesses. From what I've gathered, they've already destroyed a lot of evidence, including several cars and double-barreled shotguns seized by the police. They've even bought off the truck driver."
Kate stared at her for a few seconds, "Yesterday, you all said in the group that you were confident about winning this lawsuit. That's the only reason I agreed to help you. But now, with only three days left, are you still confident?"
"Of course, we have a winning strategy!"
Della Cobell smiled faintly and took out her laptop.
She was about to say something when she suddenly glanced at Luca, sitting on the side. "You, step out for a moment!"
"Uh, me?"
Luca was taken aback, "Why?"
Ms. Della shot him a sidelong glance, "Because you're a man. This lawsuit is a battle between men and women. Is that reason enough?"
Kate, Lima, and Miranda were taken aback for a moment, then chuckled lightly.
"Yes, Luca, step out for a bit. This is a girls-only session. I'm a witness, and Miranda is the plaintiff. What are you, an outsider, doing here?"
Lima nudged his shoulder playfully.
Luca smirked, stood up, and was about to leave when he noticed that Della's two male assistants were still in the room. He asked indignantly, "Aren't they men? Why can they stay?"
"Oh, Mr. Big, can I date you?"
One of the men in a black suit suddenly winked at him.
The other, a blond pretty boy, said nothing but glanced at his pants, blushing and lowering his head shyly.
"WTF!"
Luca covered his forehead, wiped the cold sweat off his face, and walked out willingly.
The noon sun was bright. Bordeaux, near the Atlantic Ocean, is influenced by the Bay of Biscay current, creating a typical temperate maritime climate—mild winters and cool summers, with humid conditions year-round. It was early April, yet the city's green parks were already lush, and flowers were in full bloom.
With his hands in his pockets, Luca strolled through the Plum Square near the hotel, casually taking in the sights like the tourists and locals around him.
He had been in Bordeaux for two days, but due to Kate's situation, he hadn't had much chance to sightsee. Now, taking advantage of some free time, he bought a cruise ticket at the square's pier, went up to the deck to bask in the sun, and enjoyed the light river breeze and the view along the shore.
There weren't many people on the deck at noon, just a few folks sitting around drinking and chatting.
"Bella, I just got word that Hubert and Kate have had a falling out. Do we have an opportunity this time?"
Luca was leaning on the railing, watching the sparkling water and fish below when he suddenly heard a familiar voice not far away. The words included the keywords 'Kate' and 'Hubert.'
Surprised, he turned his head and, as expected, the familiar voice belonged to Gisele Bündchen. She was wearing a purple velvet gown, her golden hair cascading down, her long legs crossed, and her brows slightly furrowed. She exuded a sharp aura, much like Kate, with a natural queenly presence.
Ding!
As he was looking at her, Gisele's eyes happened to glance over, and their gazes locked. In that silent moment, there was an unspoken connection.
He raised the corners of his mouth into a charming smile.
Gisele was startled. Her phone slipped from her hand, spun twice on the deck, and the battery flew out.
With a soft swoosh, it slid over and hit his foot.
"Hi, Gisele!"
Luca picked up the battery and walked over.
"Luca, are you stalking me?"
Gisele frowned, questioning him.
Luca shrugged, placing the phone battery down, "Why would I stalk you?"
"Hmph, you know why."
Gisele glanced at the seat not far away and saw her bodyguard dozing off. She secretly cursed him as useless.
"Well, I really don't know. Care to remind me?"
Luca sat down and noticed a bottle of wine on the table—'96 Lafite, a nice choice.
"May I?"
He pointed at the bottle.
Gisele quietly stared at him for three seconds, "What did you just hear?"
"I heard what I needed to."
Luca poured a glass of red wine, swirled it, and smiled mysteriously.
"Hurry up and say it!"
Gisele urged impatiently.
"Haha, don't rush me. I'm savoring the wine!"
Luca raised an eyebrow and took a small sip. The enzymes in the wine blossomed in his mouth, gradually awakening his taste buds.
"Perfect!"
Luca said, a little intoxicated.
"Stop pretending. You and Kate are both country bumpkins. Do you even know how to appreciate wine?"
Gisele said disdainfully.
Luca chuckled indifferently, "I caught a sentence and roughly figured out your plan."
"My plan? What plan?"
Gisele crossed her long legs, exuding a cold aura, quite similar to Kate.
Two queens cannot coexist on one mountain; perhaps that's why they dislike each other?
Luca smirked slightly, "The Commanderie wine party was orchestrated by you and your team, wasn't it?"
"What?"
Gisele frowned.
"You secretly incited Raul Balmer, that scumbag, to target the newcomer Miranda. Then you informed Kate, knowing her nature. She's righteous, brave, loyal, and values her emotions."
"Pfft~ That's not righteousness and bravery; that's stupidity and recklessness!"
Gisele sneered.
"Well, Kate can be impulsive at times. I guess she takes after me in that regard."
Luca spread his hands. "So you seized on this, fully exploiting it to provoke a feud between Kate and the Balmers, both to suppress Kate's popularity and to curry favor with the Balmer family, possibly securing the Givenchy endorsement, right?"
Gisele snorted lightly and shook her head, "Firstly, Raul frequently preys on newbie models at fashion parties, and Miranda was the most dazzling newcomer. It was inevitable he'd target her, with no need for incitement.
Secondly, I'm not the only one wanting to suppress Kate's popularity; many in the industry do. This year, Kate's been too conspicuous, and a lot of people want to see her fall."
Gisele took a sip of red wine and spoke calmly, "Since Kate became a bestselling author, she's gradually forgotten her identity. When the company arranged for her to attend high-level parties, she refused without hesitation, not once but multiple times. Wouldn't the higher-ups be angry?
Also, with this car chase incident, hmm~ If it were in the past, she might have saved Miranda but would never have chosen to go head-to-head with Raul, let alone openly feud with the Balmers like this. It's only because she's too proud now, forgetting she's still just a model."
Luca leaned back, crossed his legs, and stared at the woman before him, silently admiring her insight. No one knows you better than your adversary.
"What are you looking at?!"
Gisele, using her hand to shield her chest, asked angrily.
Luca snapped out of it and smiled, "Gisele, as you said, Kate has indeed forgotten she's still a model. That's true, because she plans to leave the modeling industry in five years and become a full-time author. So, you don't have to target her. Once she's gone, the fashion world will be yours alone."
"Ridiculous. She's on the rise, with her endorsement fees continuously increasing. It's the perfect time for her to cash in. Why would she want to leave modeling?"
Gisele held her glass of wine, scrutinizing him, seemingly discerning the truth of his words.
"It's true."
Luca blinked, "If you paid attention, you'd notice that Kate hasn't taken on any contracts beyond 2008. This year is her last year for endorsements, so she's taking on more to stock up. That part you should understand."
Gisele was silent for a moment before suddenly raising her head, "Why are you telling me this?"
"Because we're both Brazilians."
"Hahaha~ That's hilarious!"
Gisele covered her mouth, chuckling softly. Then she said coldly, "Brazilians? 40% of the top models in the fashion world are from Brazil. Your sister became a popular supermodel by stepping on the backs of other Brazilians. Now you're saying we're all Brazilians? Oh, how laughable, how hypocritical. So, Luca, whatever you have to say, just say it straight. Don't play tricks on me. Your sister isn't my match, and neither are you."
"Alright, alright, I'll be honest then."
"Alright, alright, I'll tell you the truth."
Luca chuckled softly, "Gisele, you should know that this time Kate might be in trouble. I think after her confrontation with Balmain, she'll not only offend French fashion brands but also brands worldwide will have an opinion about her."
"So you want me to back off?"
Gisele swirled her wine glass, speaking with a hint of smugness.
"Yes!"
He didn't know what those feminists were planning or how confident they were, but the result would be the same—Kate was bound to lose. The fashion industry's top players wouldn't favor a feminist.
He thought letting this happen would mean Kate could leave the scene sooner, so he didn't stop it.
At the same time, he also wanted to see how powerful the Betty Club was. If this club proved to be a better platform, maybe Kate's sacrifice would be worth it.
"Haha, are you begging me to back off?!"
Gisele raised her chin, looking vibrant and full of life.
"Begging? No, no, no. I'm talking about a trade."
Luca said seriously.
"A trade?"
Gisele was taken aback, "What kind of trade?"
"If you agree to back off, I'll spend a night with you."
Pfft~
Gisele spat out her wine.
Luca wiped his face, "Gisele, is that a yes?"
Gisele touched her lips, glaring at him with clenched teeth.
"I remember you were in the national team."
"Yes."
"How can someone as shameless as you be in the national team?"
Gisele said angrily.
Luca shrugged indifferently, "If you ever meet Kaka, he'll tell you that there was once 'the world's most despicable forward' in the national team, and that was me. So, about being shameless, I admit it."
Gisele took a deep breath in frustration, "Get out of here. This is my seat. I don't want to see you anymore."
"So about our deal—okay, okay, don't throw the wine glass. I'm leaving right away."
Seeing Gisele raise her glass as if to smash it, Luca waved his hand. As he was getting up, he suddenly noticed someone not far away snapping photos like crazy with a camera.
He smirked, "Gisele, if you weren't satisfied with the previous offer, how about I trade you a secret about Leonardo?"
"You think I'll believe you?"
Gisele said dismissively.
"This time, it's true."
Luca lowered his head and said slowly, "According to my investigation on Leonardo, out of the eight girlfriends he's dated, the longest relationship lasted a year. All of these girlfriends were no older than 25 when they broke up with him. You're 23 and a half now. How much longer do you think you two will last? So, let me give you a piece of advice—make plans early. It's better to dump Leonardo beforehand than to be the poor one who gets dumped."
Gisele's expression changed. These figures were roughly accurate. Could she be the exception?
Wait!
That damn Luca was trying to drive a wedge between her and Leo. How could she believe his words?
Gisele snapped back to her senses, ready to retort loudly, but that damn guy was already gone, his tall figure slowly disappearing on the deck.
Only a boarding card was left on the table, with a boarding time of half an hour ago.
"Isn't this stalking me?"
(End of this chapter)