Lucian entered his room, shutting the door behind him with a soft thud. The lock clicked faintly, sealing him off from the world outside. Without another thought, he trudged toward his bed, the weight of the day pressing down on his shoulders like bricks.
He landed face-first onto the mattress, his arms stretched out, still wearing his shoes. They dangled loosely off the edge of the bed, not quite touching the floor.
“Ah, man… so exhausted,” Lucian mumbled into the soft fabric of the bedspread. His voice was muffled, his body heavy with fatigue.
The room was silent for a moment, the kind of quiet Lucian needed after everything that had happened. But then
Ring. Ring.
His phone buzzed again, the sound grating against his already frayed nerves.
“Ugh…” Lucian groaned dramatically, dragging his hand to his pocket. With barely a glance at the screen, he brought the phone to his ear.
“Hello…” he murmured, his voice a mix of exhaustion and disinterest.
“Why are you cutting my calls again and again?”
The voice on the other end was sharp and low, carrying a faint edge of anger. It was unmistakably Celestia.
Lucian sighed deeply, letting the phone rest against his ear as his face remained buried in the bed. “Do you even know how fucked up the situation was just now?” he complained, his voice muffled and irritated. “Rose had my phone. Rose! And don’t even get me started about how you saved your number as ‘My Wifey’!”
He paused, exhaling loudly before continuing, his frustration spilling over. “Do you know what happened next? She answered the call. You. And the first thing you said was ‘Darling.’ Mother heard it too!”
For a moment, there was nothing but silence on the other end. Lucian frowned slightly, confused by the lack of response.
Then
“Ahahahahahaha!”
A burst of laughter erupted from Celestia, rich and unapologetic. It was loud and carefree, as though she were genuinely amused by his suffering.
Lucian’s face twitched slightly as he pulled the phone an inch away from his ear. “What the hell is so funny?” he muttered under his breath.
Celestia’s laughter eventually subsided into small chuckles. “What’s the problem in that?” she asked, her tone still laced with amusement. “Isn’t it a good thing that my sister-in-law and mother-in-law found out about me?”
Lucian’s face flushed at her teasing words, his eyebrows knitting together in frustration. “Don’t say it like that,” he grumbled, turning his face to the side to hide his sudden embarrassment, even though no one could see him.
“So, what did you tell them?” Celestia asked, curiosity piquing in her voice.
Lucian let out another sigh, this one longer and heavier, as though every ounce of energy was draining from him. “Leave it,” he said simply. “It’s not important.” He paused for a moment, then added, “Anyway… why were you calling me so much?”
Celestia’s tone shifted instantly, her voice dropping into something softer still teasing, but now laced with genuine concern. “Why? Were you busy?”
“Ugh, no,” Lucian replied, his tone quieter now. “Just… tired, that’s all.”
Celestia hummed lightly on the other end, a sound of quiet acknowledgment. “Well,” she began, her voice gentler now, “I just wanted to tell you not to worry about what happened at the restaurant today.”
Lucian’s eyebrows twitched slightly, and he lifted his head off the bed slightly, his curiosity piqued. “What do you mean?”
“I know what happened with that Victor guy,” Celestia said, her voice dipping into something darker. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve already taken care of everything.”
Lucian blinked, surprised. “You… took care of it?”
“Yes,” she said softly, a quiet edge of pride in her tone. “The videos that people recorded? Gone. I had my team hack into every device and system that captured anything. Every piece of evidence has been wiped clean. As for the witnesses…” She paused, her voice dropping lower. “Don’t worry about them either. My background, my people they’ll take care of it all. No one will hear a single whisper about this incident. You’re safe.”
Lucian blinked again, his face now fully lifted off the bed as he stared down at his phone. His lips parted slightly, surprise flickering in his eyes. He hadn’t expected this hadn’t even asked for it but here she was, moving mountains behind the scenes like it was nothing.
“You… really took care of everything?” he asked quietly, something warmer slipping into his voice.
“Yes,” Celestia replied, her tone softer now. “I always have your back, my darling. No matter what.”
For a moment, Lucian didn’t know how to respond. He simply stared at the phone screen, the corners of his lips twitching slightly. He blinked once, twice, as though trying to process her words.
“I see…” he said finally, his voice quieter now, almost unsure. “Thanks.”
It wasn’t much, but it was all he could say in that moment. A strange warmth bloomed in his chest an unfamiliar but not unwelcome feeling. He knew he had people working for him, capable of handling situations like these, but… Celestia’s reassurance still felt different.
It felt personal.
“Are you alright, though?” Celestia asked softly, her voice laced with hidden concern. “After everything that happened?”her words carrying many meanings…
Lucian hesitated, her words tugging at something fragile inside him. He lowered his head again, pressing his face lightly into the mattress. “…Yeah,” he murmured after a pause. “I’m alright.”
There was silence on the other end, but it wasn’t empty. It was warm, as though Celestia were listening closely, waiting for him to say more if he wanted to.
“How’s everything with your family?” she asked finally, her tone light but careful, as though testing the waters. “Is everything okay? You know… if you ever feel lonely, you can always come live with me.”
Her voice dipped slightly, teasing but not forceful, the unspoken care hidden in her playful words.
Lucian fell silent for a moment, the phone still pressed to his ear as he lay sprawled across the bed. He stared at the wall, blinking slowly as her words settled over him.
“It’s alright,” he said quietly at last, his voice soft, almost a whisper. “Everything’s alright.”
The call fell into silence again, but this time it was comfortable a quiet acknowledgment of things that didn’t need to be said.
Lucian lay there, holding the phone to his ear, feeling the faint buzz of connection. For all her teasing and chaos, Celestia’s words lingered in his mind, offering a small but undeniable comfort.
And for a moment, as his tired eyes fluttered closed, Lucian allowed himself to feel it.
—–