Lucian sighed heavily, slumping slightly in his chair. He took a deliberate bite of his burger, chewing slowly as his tired eyes shifted between Jimmy and Victor, who stood locked in an intense standoff. The tension between them was so thick it felt like the air had stopped moving.
“Leave it, Jimmy,” Lucian said finally, his voice calm but edged with weariness. “Why waste your energy? I’m not really in the mood today.” He leaned back, his fingers idly brushing against the table as he let out another sigh. “I’m too tired for this.”
Jimmy’s sharp gaze not leaving Victor’s for a second. Thoughts churned in his mind, a mix of irritation. He knew Victor wasn’t just some random nobody; the man had a significant background and, in their past life, had risen to become a major player. Not someone to ignore completely, but not someone worth their time, either.
Jimmy’s memories tugged at him Victor’s minor connections to Avey and Olivia. It hadn’t amounted to much in their past lives, but the threads had always faintly led back to Lucian.
Jimmy’s thoughts spun as his cold, emotionless gaze stayed locked on Victor, who stared back with equal intensity.
The sharpness of Jimmy’s thoughts was interrupted by a light touch on his shoulder.
Jimmy blinked, his focus snapping back as he turned slightly. Lucian stood beside him, one hand resting on his shoulder. Lucian’s face was calm, almost detached, but his eyes carried a quiet depth that instantly settled Jimmy’s simmering tension.
“Calm down,” Lucian said, his voice steady but firm. “This isn’t worth it. Let him talk. If it turns into something, then we deal with it. No point jumping to conclusions.”
Or do you want fight?His gaze shifted briefly to Victor, his eyes narrowing slightly in an almost imperceptible challenge.
Victor’s muscles tensed involuntarily, a ripple of unease coursing through him. He instinctively shifted into a subtle defensive stance, his instincts screaming at him that he was in danger. The sensation of dread hit him like a wave a sharp, almost primal warning that something wasn’t right.
Victor froze, his breath catching for a split second. What was that? he thought, blinking rapidly as he tried to shake off the feeling. Did I just… hallucinate? No. Impossible.
His sharp gaze shifted back to Lucian, who stood quietly beside Jimmy, his hand still resting on his friend’s shoulder. Lucian’s face betrayed nothing calm, indifferent, almost bored but his eyes…
Those eyes, Victor thought, a chill running down his spine. His mind raced, his arrogance momentarily overshadowed by confusion. Those aren’t the eyes of some pampered son of a rich family. Those are the eyes of someone who’s seen things… done things. Am I… mistaken about him?
Victor’s arrogance reasserted itself quickly, masking the flicker of uncertainty. But the thought lingered in the back of his mind. I need to dig into his background again. Even if I already know most of it, better safe than sorry.
“No,” Victor said at last, his tone sharp and unyielding. “I just want to talk. But if you’re looking for a fight, I’m more than ready for that too.”
Lucian didn’t react to the provocation. Instead, he simply patted Jimmy’s shoulder again, a quiet reminder. “We’re not fighting,” Lucian said, his tone final. He turned and walked back to his seat, his posture relaxed but composed.He doesn’t have time to waste on things which he won’t be able to end it.
Jimmy stood still for a moment, his eyes flicking between Victor and Lucian. Then, with a slight nod, he stepped back. “Hmm,” he muttered under his breath, his voice low.
Lucian slid into his chair beside Garry, who was watching the whole exchange like it was the climax of an action movie. Jimmy, in his usual unbothered manner, grabbed a chair from another table, dragging it noisily across the floor and positioning it beside Garry. The act was slightly out of place for the restaurant, but no one dared to say anything.
Lucian leaned back in his chair, casually signaling Victor with his eyes to sit down. It was a silent command, one that carried more weight than words.
Victor hesitated briefly, but his pride wouldn’t allow him to back down. He strode forward and pulled out a chair, sitting across from the trio. His movements were deliberate, his arrogance reasserting itself as he sat tall, his piercing gaze sweeping over each of them.
The atmosphere remained tense, a crackling energy hanging in the air.
And then Garry, as if unable to resist, leaned toward Jimmy, his grin wide and mischievous. “Man,” he said, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear, “when you two were staring each other down for so long, I thought you’d fallen in love.”
The silence shattered like glass.
Jimmy gaze toward Garry, his expression flat but deadly. Lucian, who just sat, nearly choked, coughing to cover up the snort of laughter that escaped him.
Garry, completely unfazed by the icy stares from both Jimmy and Victor, leaned back in his chair, his grin widening. “What?” he said innocently, shrugging his shoulders. “Just calling it like I see it.”
Jimmy let out a long, exasperated sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Garry,” he said, his voice low and dangerous, “if you don’t shut up…”
Garry raised his hands in mock surrender, his grin never fading. “Alright, alright,” he said, leaning back farther. “No need to get all touchy about it.”
Lucian shook his head, the corner of his mouth twitching as he fought to suppress a smile. “Idiot,” he muttered under his breath, though his tone carried more amusement than frustration.
Victor, meanwhile, remained quiet, his mind once again turning over the strange, unreadable presence of Lucian Kane.
“So, what is it you want to talk about? Be quick, I don’t have much time,” Lucian remarked.
Victor’s eyes remained fixed on Lucian, as if searching for something in him he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something strange about him.
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