บท 40: **Chapter 40: A Gunshot Without Warning**
The snow had stopped the next day. Luca opened the window, feeling a bit disappointed. Outside was still filled with towering buildings—no picturesque, snow-covered landscape like he had hoped for.
In this fully commercialized city, time is money, and efficiency is life. Snow only disrupts the rhythm of daily life.
So, after the heavy snow, New York couldn't even take time to dress in a winter wonderland. It had to greet its visitors in a hurry.
Yet, even in her bare form, the city was still stunning.
In the melting snow, Luca and the film crew traveled across various neighborhoods in New York—an art café on DeKalb Avenue, the Spanish vibes of Knickerbocker Avenue, a charming beer house in Grove Court, and the graffiti-laden streets of Brooklyn.
As they moved through these areas, Luca posed for stylish photos and footage in front of the camera. Miranda couldn't stop gushing about how cool he looked. Luca merely smirked; anyone can fake it, especially when Armani is footing the bill.
"Luca, ready? We need to head out," Kate called.
After several busy days, Luca hadn't even had a chance to relax, and now Kate was dragging him out of the gym for a book cover shoot.
Han Li said that the final checks for *Twilight* were done, and the templates had been sent to the printing house. The book was in production.
With the cover shoot done, the book would hit New York bookstores in two weeks.
This was important and couldn't be delayed.
"Ugh…"
Luca yawned, lounging in the back seat of Kate's Ferrari.
Before becoming a model, he never understood why Kate and Lima liked to lie down so much. Now he got it—modeling involved standing all the time. Whether on the runway, in front of the camera, or at parties, standing in the perfect posture for hours was exhausting.
Sometimes, lying down felt like a rare luxury.
"Look at you, Luca!"
Kate fastened her seatbelt and turned back with a teasing grin, "If anyone saw you right now, they'd think you were out partying with women last night."
Luca gave her a lazy glance. "You should talk. Don't you remember what happened last night?"
"Oh? What happened last night?" Kate blinked innocently, smiling.
"Come on, don't play dumb. You know exactly what you did…"
"What did I do?" Kate squinted, a dangerous glint flickering in her deep blue eyes. Beneath her long lashes, the danger felt like a hidden assassin—silent until deadly.
"Nothing!"
Of course, Luca chickened out. He shrugged and shut his mouth.
"Ha!" Kate chuckled, triumphantly starting the car and speeding down Third Avenue.
"Kate," Luca spoke after a moment of silence.
"Mm-hmm?"
"Can you stop going to those fashion parties?"
Kate laughed softly. "You're a full-fledged model now too, Luca. Attending fashion parties is part of the job. How else do you meet designers, editors, and brand reps?"
Luca rubbed his forehead, feeling annoyed.
The previous night, Kate had attended an LV winter fashion party at their Fifth Avenue store. She came home a little drunk, puking everywhere and acting wild.
It took him until midnight to calm her down, and he hadn't slept well.
It's not that he minded her attending parties; he just worried about her getting drunk and someone taking advantage.
"Just try not to drink at these parties," Luca said sternly.
"Alright, Mr. Kelly!" Kate gave a mock salute, smiling gently.
She knew he was concerned, and she appreciated it. Last night at the party, she'd mingled with so many people, each offering a drink. By the time she left, she was tipsy, and the car ride only made it worse. When they got home, she felt so giddy that she dragged Luca into a dance, scaring him.
*Hmph, scaredy-cat.*
"Luca, I was wearing safety shorts. You saw them when you helped me change into my pajamas last night, didn't you?"
Kate glanced at him through the rearview mirror and saw him blush, his expression awkward.
"Hahaha!"
Kate tilted her head back and laughed loudly.
"Shh—"
At a Brooklyn intersection, the Ferrari came to a stop, and a guy with dreadlocks in a nearby Maserati whistled at Kate, flashing a sleazy grin.
"Say hi to your mom for me!" Kate flipped him the bird.
"HAHAHA!"
The guys in the car burst into laughter.
With a roar, Kate shot forward as the light turned green. The Maserati quickly gave chase, the guys inside yelling like maniacs.
After about ten minutes of pursuit, Luca suddenly grabbed a large double-barrel replica gun from the car, stuck it out the window, and fired a smoke bomb.
Screech—
The Maserati screeched to a halt, immediately backing off from the chase.
"Yeah!" Kate and Luca high-fived.
"Luca, you're awesome! Just like John Rambo!" Kate laughed.
Luca chuckled coolly and slid the replica gun back under the seat.
They did have real guns in the car, though. Both Luca and Kate had permits.
Not only could they shoot, but Kate had once taken down a robber in the streets of Rio.
"Kate, no matter what danger you face, always protect yourself. Even if you have to kill someone, it's fine. Worst case, we'll flee to Brazil together."
"Alright, I'll listen to you."
Kate smiled softly, holding his hand. A new sense of security washed over her.
Soon, they arrived at the Patch Tower in Long Island, home to Greenwood Publishing.
"Kate, Luca, welcome to Greenwood Publishing!" Han Li greeted them inside.
Han Li, who had recently become a project manager for *Twilight* after taking time off for maternity leave, now looked sharp in a suit with her hair tied back—a far cry from her stay-at-home look.
"Here are the mockups our designer came up with for the book cover. There are three versions; take a look," she said, handing over a folder.
Kate opened it. The three designs were straightforward.
The first had a black background with a blood-red ribbon twisting from the top left to the bottom right.
The second showed a pair of pale hands cradling a bright red apple.
The third depicted two pale profiles facing each other, with a red apple between their mouths.
The second cover looked familiar to Luca—it seemed to be the original version. He wasn't surprised it had made a return.
"Amy, will all three covers be used?" Luca asked.
"Yes," Han Li replied. "The first will be for the budget version, the second for the hardcover, and the third, 'Vampire's Kiss,' for the limited edition. What do you think?"
"They're great. I'm happy with them," Kate said, glancing at Luca.
Luca shrugged. He was still a newbie at this and felt it was best to keep quiet.
"Shall we start the photoshoot?"
"OK!"
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