The notion of Lucille abandoning her violin forever deeply saddened Claudia for quite some time.

Yet, Claudia recognized Lucille's burden. She had enjoyed a life of privilege and joy for 25 years, thanks to her family. So, when hard times fell upon her parents, she couldn't just watch without doing anything.

While couples from wealthy and influential families didn't face the financial struggles of ordinary people, they still encountered many similar issues.

To make things more complicated, Lucille's husband was involved in a long-term relationship with another woman for five years, leaving Lucille feeling like an outsider in their marriage.

Jace had pointed out the chaos that enveloped Lucille's life once she got married.

Claudia's heart ached for her, yet she felt powerless. Her only recourse was to offer her presence and companionship.

When Anthony fled from their wedding, Claudia held back from sharing the news with Lucille, worried it would pile on more stress.

However, Lucille found out anyway. Had Claudia not intervened, Lucille would have hopped on the first flight to team up with Aurora against Anthony.

Then, Claudia's marriage to Bennett became headline news. Lucille, aware of Claudia's newfound happiness, steered clear of bringing up her own circumstances.

A while back, Claudia wanted to reconnect with Lucille, only to face an unexpected rejection.

In a surprising turn, less than two weeks later, Lucille reached out, mentioning her upcoming Linmarsh show and suggesting a meeting.

“Hey, pretty lady, is this seat taken?"

Caught off guard, Claudia heard a lively female voice from above.

Lifting her gaze, she met Lucille's playful eyes.

Claudia's face brightened with a smile. "Great to see you, Lucille.”

Lucille sat down opposite her with a smile. “Is it me, or have you become even prettier?"

Feeling shy, Claudia brushed it off. "Oh, that's just your imagination. It's been a while since we've seen each other!"

Noticing her flushed cheeks, Lucille's smile grew wider. "It seems that you're beautiful and glowing with charm."

Still blushing, Claudia hurriedly passed over the menu, urging, "Check out what you'd like to order."

Accepting the menu, Lucille eased up on teasing her. “I get it, you're a married woman now."

“Humph... Why are you as naughty as Aurora?"

Seeing that she was so shy, Lucille stopped talking about it. “Let's just order our food!"

After selecting two of the restaurant's specialties, Lucille handed the menu back to Claudia. Resting her chin in her hands, she gazed at Claudia, and said, “It's comforting to see you so happy."

Claudia peeked at her and responded, "You seem to be doing alright yourself."