CHAPTER 303: CHAPTER 303: INVESTOR

"I will leave then," Aurora said, her smile reaching her eyes.

"Alright," Lucas replied with a nod. "Have fun."

As Aurora walked away, Lucas stood still, watching her leave.

Only when she disappeared from view did he let out a soft sigh and close the door behind him.

He walked up to his room, heart beating a little faster than usual.

Because he had lied.

He didn’t come back for some files.

He had come back to change.

Today... he had a special meeting too.

With her.

The girl who had been haunting his thoughts, showing up in his dreams again and again.

The girl he just couldn’t forget, no matter how much he tried.

Her name was Jules.

After he gave her the software course, she studied diligently.

She was serious about learning. But she never bragged.

That dedication of hers had impressed Lucas. Slowly, without even realizing it, he began following her habits. He studied harder, stayed more focused, and practiced his skills more often.

She had changed him.

He stood in front of the mirror and fixed his collar. He wore a navy-blue button-up shirt, dark jeans, and a watch his older cousin had gifted him.

He looked at himself and paused.

Was this okay?

Did he look too serious?

Or... maybe not serious enough?

His cheeks turned a little red. "Why am I acting like this?" he mumbled. "It’s just a simple meeting."

But deep down, he knew it wasn’t just that.

He wanted to make a good impression.

Because Jules mattered to him.

He took a deep breath, grabbed his phone and keys, and left the apartment.

Within a few minutes, he reached Jules’s place. It was a quiet building, surrounded by tall trees and soft sunlight.

He rang the bell.

Ding-dong.

A few seconds later, the door opened.

Jules stood there, smiling softly. She had her hair tied in a loose ponytail, and she wore a white T-shirt and blue overalls. Simple, but she still looked lovely.

Lucas smiled back.

"Hey," Jules greeted, stepping aside. "Come on in."

Lucas entered, and Jules gently closed the door behind them.

Inside, everything smelled faintly of lavender. Her room was neat, with a laptop open on the table, a mug of tea beside it, and a few notebooks stacked neatly in the corner.

Jules turned around to face Lucas again. Her eyes scanned his outfit, and for a moment, she hesitated.

She didn’t say it out loud...

But he looked really good.

Better than she expected.

Lucas, on the other hand, suddenly found it hard to look her in the eye. He cleared his throat and asked,

"Did you have dinner?"

Jules chuckled before nodding her head, "I indeed had lunch." She emphasized the word ’lunch’.

Lucas blinked, and then his eyes widened slightly.

Right.

It was still afternoon.

He bit his lip in embarrassment, realizing how silly he sounded.

"Ah... that was a slip of tongue," he said quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I meant to ask about lunch, not dinner."

Jules raised an eyebrow, amused. "Sure," she said playfully.

Lucas gave a nervous chuckle. Then, trying to change the subject, or maybe just cover up his awkwardness, he looked at her and added,

"You look beautiful today, Jules."

Jules blinked.

Then she smiled softly, eyes warming. "You look handsome today, too, Lucas."

The words made Lucas’s ears turn a shade redder. He lowered his gaze for a moment and quickly asked, "So... how are you doing now?"

Jules’s smile faded just a little. It was quick, barely there, but Lucas noticed.

She took a short breath and said calmly, "I’m coping up with the situation."

Lucas wanted to ask more. He wanted to reach out, maybe say something comforting. But seeing the calm strength in her voice, he stopped himself. Instead, he gently shifted the topic.

"Have you made anything new?" he asked, referring to her coding lessons.

Jules shook her head lightly. "Only a simple calculator," she said. "Just something basic.

Lucas raised his brows in admiration. "You made a calculator in just one week? That’s actually really good, Jules."

Jules let out a soft chuckle. "It’s not much. If any software engineer saw it, they’d probably just laugh at me. I mean, who takes a week to make a calculator, right?"

Lucas frowned. "You’re always hellbent on humbling yourself," he muttered.

Jules laughed at that, her shoulders relaxing a bit. "Maybe. But tell me, how’s your internship going at the office?"

Lucas’s smile faded. He looked down for a second, hesitating.

Jules noticed right away. "What happened?" she asked gently.

Lucas looked up at the ceiling before answering, "I want to build my own company."

Jules’s eyes widened in surprise. "But... you’re only 21."

"I know," Lucas said with a nod. "But I’ve been preparing for this since I was 18. I started learning coding back then. Got deep into AI too. Algorithms were hard for me, but I pushed through. I think I’m finally at a place where I can build something real."

"But my internship... it takes up too much time. I barely get a moment to write my own code."

Jules leaned forward a little, her brows drawn in concern. "Are you sure about this decision?"

Lucas shook his head. "No. That’s the problem. I’m not sure. I keep thinking... what if I mess it all up?"

He paused and continued in a quieter voice,

"My family has always supported me. My dad will retire in ten years or so. I don’t want to become a burden. What if I fail and end up buried in debt? I don’t have capital. Whatever savings I have, they’re not mine. They came from my father. And that eats at me."

Jules sat silently for a moment, letting his words settle.

Then she said, "I don’t know if you truly have the skill set yet or not. But I do know this: if you fall, I’ll be there. I’ll help you get back up."

Lucas stared at her, taken aback.

Jules looked away, her expression shifting just a little, like she was hiding something. "You were there for me," she said, her voice quiet.

"So I’ll be there for you. Just... do what you want to do."

Lucas’s throat tightened. "I don’t even know how to tell my family," he confessed. "They’ll worry. They’ll think I’m being reckless."

Jules thought for a moment. "Why don’t you reach out to investors?"

Lucas gave a bitter smile.

"I thought about it. But I don’t have any certificates or a college degree to show I’m good. I’m just a newbie with no proof. Investors don’t care about dreams. They care about numbers."

Jules’s eyes lit up. "Then reach out to Ms. Dawn."

Lucas frowned. "Ms. Dawn?"

Jules nodded, smiling now.

"You don’t know her? She’s a famous investor. In just three years, she turned a few million into hundreds of millions. She’s known for supporting startups, especially the ones with no data, no proof... just ideas and passion."

Lucas’s expression changed. He looked surprised, then thoughtful.

"Wait... I think I’ve heard of her. Isn’t she the one who owns half of the GreenCove Tech Park?"

"Yes, that’s her!" Jules said.

"She’s invested in so many young people. All they did was pitch their idea, show their skill, and explain why it mattered. No fancy reports. Just pure passion."

Lucas’s heart beat faster. A small flicker of hope rose inside him.

He looked at Jules and smiled. "You really are amazing."

Jules shook her head with a shy smile. "You would’ve found out about her eventually. I just reminded you."

Lucas laughed softly, the heavy weight in his chest lifting just a bit. "Still... thank you."

There was a small silence between them. Not uncomfortable, just soft and quiet, like a pause in a song before the next note.

Jules finally looked at him again. "So... do you think you’ll reach out to her? Ms. Dawn?"

Lucas let out a deep breath and leaned back on the couch. "I think I will. I’m still scared... but after talking to you, I feel a little less stuck."

Jules smiled warmly. "Good. Even if it doesn’t work out, you’ll at least know you tried."

Lucas nodded. "Yeah. That’s better than living with a what-if forever."

For a few moments, they sat quietly, sipping the tea Jules had poured earlier.

The sunlight slanted through the window, falling on the edge of the table. A gentle breeze came in through the small gap in the window, bringing with it the faint scent of flowers.

"Lucas... sometimes I wish I had met you before..." Jules suddenly said, making Lucas stunned.

"I don’t think so, that would be a good idea." Lucas said in a tone full of certainty, "I wasn’t good before 18."

"You are gentle and kind, that is enough," Jules argued, but Lucas chuckled with bitterness,

"That’s for now. Before, I was too career-oriented. If it wasn’t for my sister’s reminder... I might have never realized how wrong I was."