Chapter 21: The Accidental Daughter-in-Law!

"Are you Luca Hale’s sister? Hello, Trish. You’re so beautiful!"

The moment Naomi Monroe realized the girl on the screen was Luca’s younger sister, she secretly let out a breath of relief.

’Thank goodness.’

At the same time, she couldn’t help being amazed. The Hale family’s genes were truly unfair. Both brother and sister were ridiculously good-looking.

"Naomi, why aren’t you saying anything?" Trish teased with a grin. "Good thing I answered. If my parents had picked up instead, wouldn’t that have been awkward?"

The instant those words left her mouth, the atmosphere inside the car froze.

Luca’s grip tightened on the steering wheel.

Trish blinked.

Silence.

"Ahem."

Luca deliberately coughed twice.

Naomi’s smile gradually stiffened.

Seeing that neither Luca nor Trish was saying anything, a terrible realization slowly dawned on her.

"Um... Trish..."

Her confidence visibly crumbled.

"It can’t be..."

"Trish, give me your brother’s phone."

Before Trish could react, Mother Hale had already reached over with sparkling eyes and taken the device.

The screen shifted.

A middle-aged woman with features strikingly similar to Luca’s appeared before Naomi.

For a split second, Naomi’s mind went completely blank.

Her face turned crimson.

"A-Ah... I..."

Words failed her entirely.

Mother Hale, meanwhile, looked delighted.

What a beautiful girl.

And judging from how red she turned after seeing her, she seemed sweet, sincere, and easy to read.

Mother Hale’s smile widened.

"If calling me Auntie feels too formal, you don’t have to."

She paused.

"You can just call me Mom."

"Ah... Ah... Mom!"

"Pfft!"

Luca nearly hit the brakes.

Trish burst out laughing so hard she doubled over in the back seat.

Even Mother Hale was momentarily stunned by how quickly that panicked "Mom" came out.

Then her face lit up.

"Good! Good! Good!"

She was so happy that she could barely stop smiling.

On the screen, Naomi covered her burning face with both hands.

She wished she could disappear on the spot.

This was too embarrassing.

It was all Luca’s fault.

That horrible man!

For the next thirty minutes, Mother Hale enthusiastically questioned Naomi about everything from her hobbies to her work, practically stopping just short of asking for her identification number.

By the time the call finally ended, Naomi collapsed against the steering wheel of her newly delivered Porsche 911 and let out a long breath.

Her cheeks were still hot.

Part of her wanted to strangle Luca.

But another part of her couldn’t stop smiling.

Luca’s mother clearly liked her.

At least the first hurdle had been cleared.

’If we get married someday...’

Her eyes widened.

’Naomi Monroe! What are you thinking?! Have you no shame at all?’

Alone inside the sports car, she alternated between burying her face in embarrassment and quietly giggling to herself.

Back in the G-Class, Mother Hale still looked thoroughly satisfied.

"Son, that girl is wonderful. I like her very much."

She handed the phone back to Trish before turning to Luca.

"When are you bringing her home so your father and I can meet her properly?"

Luca immediately understood.

At this point, any explanation would be useless.

His mother had already promoted Naomi Monroe straight to future daughter-in-law status.

"I’ll do my best."

"What do you mean you’ll do your best?"

Mother Hale shot him a glare.

"If you come home next time without Miss Monroe, don’t bother coming back at all."

Luca was speechless.

A single video call was all it took for his own mother to switch sides.

"Mom, you’re really..."

"What?"

Mother Hale narrowed her eyes.

Luca immediately corrected himself.

"Too understanding. Extremely understanding."

"Hmph."

Mother Hale looked victorious.

Meanwhile, Trish was laughing so hard in the back seat that tears were forming in the corners of her eyes.

She clutched her stomach and couldn’t even sit up straight.

That evening, Luca volunteered to cook dinner.

Under Mother Hale’s suspicious gaze, he moved around the kitchen with surprising confidence.

Soon, steaming dishes began appearing on the table.

Boiled sliced pork.

Bamboo shoot chicken.

Spicy sliced beef and tripe.

The rich aromas quickly filled the house.

Ever since obtaining his Master-Level Culinary Skills, Luca had never actually prepared a full family meal.

Even so, Mother Hale couldn’t hide her surprise.

Forget the taste for a moment.

The presentation alone looked better than what many restaurants served.

Not long afterward, Old Hale returned from work.

As usual, he changed clothes, washed up, and headed straight for the dining room.

"The food smells incredible today."

He sat down and looked at the table in pleasant surprise.

Before Luca or Trish could say anything, Mother Hale smiled sweetly and placed a piece of beef into his bowl.

"I made a few improvements. Try it and tell me what you think."

Completely unsuspecting, Old Hale popped the beef into his mouth.

The moment he chewed, the rich flavor exploded across his taste buds.

Tender beef.

Complex seasonings.

Perfect balance.

He took a sip of his drink and nodded repeatedly.

Not bad.

Really not bad.

Mother Hale’s smile grew wider.

"So?"

Old Hale looked up.

"How does it compare to my usual cooking?"

Something about her expression felt... dangerous.

But he hadn’t noticed yet.

"Today’s dishes are really—"

"Ahem!"

Luca suddenly coughed loudly.

"Sorry. Choked a little."

At the same time, Old Hale noticed Trish frantically signaling at him from across the table.

Then he looked at his wife’s unusually sweet smile.

Finally, enlightenment struck.

’Oh no.’

’That was close.’

Mother Hale folded her arms.

"Go on."

Her smile remained.

"What were you saying?"

Cold sweat appeared on Old Hale’s forehead.

"Today’s dishes are indeed..."

He paused dramatically. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"...not as good as your usual cooking."

Luca lowered his head.

Trish nearly exploded.

Old Hale continued with complete seriousness.

"Wife, your home-cooked meals are still the best."

His gaze was so sincere it deserved an acting award.

Mother Hale’s eyes softened immediately.

"Really?"

"Absolutely."

"Good."

She happily placed a chicken leg into his bowl.

"Then enjoy your son’s cooking."

Old Hale blinked.

"Son’s cooking?"

The entire table instantly went silent.

"Didn’t you say you made it?" he asked innocently.

"Did I?"

Mother Hale smiled.

"No."

"No."

"No."

Old Hale, Luca, and Trish shook their heads in perfect synchronization.

After dinner, Luca carried a cup of tea onto the balcony.

The evening breeze drifted through the neighborhood, carrying the scent of summer flowers.

Leaning against the railing, he quietly enjoyed the rare moment of peace.

Just then, his phone began vibrating.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

Luca glanced at the screen.

The caller ID displayed a familiar name.

Sophie Kennedy.