In the Study
The atmosphere in the room was heavy. The furnishings were polished and immaculate, the large wooden table separating Antonio and Melody from Lucian. He felt like he was back in a job interview, with the stakes far higher than any career opportunity. Explore more stories at empire
Antonio sat with his fingers interlaced, his piercing gaze fixed on Lucian. Melody, sitting beside him, offered a small, almost apologetic smile, as if trying to ease the tension.
Lucian sat rigidly, his hands clasped together, resting on his lap.
For a while, the room was silent. The ticking of a nearby clock filled the space, each second stretching longer than the last.
Finally, Antonio broke the silence. His voice was calm but carried an undercurrent of sharpness.
“What Avey said downstairs… was it true?”
Lucian knew exactly what he was referring to. His face remained neutral, but he let out a sigh before answering.
“No,” he said firmly, shaking his head. “We have nothing like that between us.”
Antonio and Melody exchanged a glance, their expressions unreadable. Antonio’s brow furrowed slightly, while Melody’s lips pressed into a thin line.
Antonio leaned back, pinching the bridge of his nose. His frustration was evident in the slight shake of his head.
Lucian, sensing the tension, decided to elaborate. “I don’t know why she said that. I… I’ll admit, it took me by surprise too.”
Melody was the first to speak this time. Her voice was gentle but probing, as though searching for the truth beneath his words. “Is Avey… is she alright? Are the two of you okay? I mean…” She hesitated, her gaze softening. “I’ve heard things… about her behavior recently.”
Lucian exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. He met Melody’s gaze briefly, understanding the concern in her tone. “She’s… alright. I think. Or at least I hope she is,” he replied honestly, though his own uncertainty was clear in his voice. “We’re… we’re fine. Nothing is wrong. At least, not as far as I know.”
Melody’s eyes softened further, but Antonio’s jaw tightened. His frustration spilled over as he finally spoke again.
“I won’t ask what’s going on between the two of you,” Antonio began, his voice tinged with impatience. “You’re both adults. You can handle your own problems.”
His sharp eyes bore into Lucian. “But this… this nonsense of announcing something like that in front of everyone? Breaking an engagement in front of those people? It’s not a small matter. Do you even understand the kind of damage this causes to my family? To me?”
Lucian remained silent, letting Antonio’s words settle. He could see the weight of the situation etched into the man’s face, the strain in his clenched fists.
Antonio sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair. “Perhaps it was a mistake to even consider her engagement in the first place,” he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
Melody placed a gentle hand on Antonio’s arm, her touch calming. “Let’s not dwell on what’s already happened,” she said softly. “What’s done is done.”
Antonio didn’t reply, but he didn’t pull away from her touch either.
Lucian finally spoke, his voice low but steady. “I’m sorry for the trouble. But… I think Avey just needs time.”
Antonio’s sharp gaze lingered on Lucian, unreadable and unwavering. He didn’t offer any explanation, nor did he respond to the silent tension hanging in the air.
Melody’s faint smile faltered as she looked between the two men. Was her expression meant to reassure, or was it simply a practiced facade?Even Lucian couldn’t tell.
Then, as if making a final decision, Antonio leaned back slightly, his expression hardening. A glint of something determination, perhaps? flashed in his eyes, followed by a long, deliberate sigh. His lips tightened briefly, as though he were bracing himself for what came next.
Without a word, Antonio reached into the desk drawer, the sound of it sliding open breaking the silence. From inside, he retrieved a thick stack of papers, neatly clipped together. He placed them on the desk between him and Lucian with a thud, his movements precise, almost calculated.
leave it
“Sign this,”Antonio said, his tone clipped and devoid of emotion as he slid the papers closer to Lucian.
Melody blinked, her brow furrowing.”What is this?” she asked sharply, her gaze darting to Antonio.
Antonio didn’t meet her eyes.His focus remained entirely on Lucian, as if he hadn’t even heard her question.
Lucian, who had been sitting quietly until now, straightened slightly in his chair. His eyes dropped to the papers before him, his curiosity piqued by the sheer weight of Antonio’s demeanor.The silence around the table thickened as he reached for the document.
Lucian’s eyes skimmed the paper, his brows furrowing as the words sunk in.
“Memorandum?”he read aloud, his voice tinged with confusion.
The title seemed innocuous,but as his gaze moved down to the content, his confusion deepened, replaced by disbelief.
Item 1:
In case of divorce, regardless of the cause, the party below will not request any assets.
Item 2:
Lucian paused, his voice trailing off as his jaw tightened. He didn’t need to read any further to understand the intent behind the document.
Antonio slid a pen across the table toward him, his expression as impassive as stone.”Sign it,” he said simply, his tone devoid of emotion, as though the request were no more significant than asking someone to pass the salt.
“What is this?”Melody’s voice broke the silence, her sharp gaze snapping to Antonio. Her tone carried a mix of anger and disbelief.
Antonio didn’t immediately respond. He leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped together, his gaze fixed solely on Lucian.
Lucian lips pressed into a thin line. His fingers tightened around the document as his eyes moved back to Antonio, who remained unyielding.
Melody’s tone grew harsher. “Antonio, what is this? Why would you”
Antonio raised a hand to silence her.”Give me a moment,” he said, his voice firm but calm. “I’ll explain later. For now, let me handle this.”
Melody opened her mouth to argue further but Antonio’s gaze flickered toward her, a silent pleaor perhaps a warning to hold back.With visible frustration, she crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, though her expression remained livid.
Lucian’s expression, however, was unreadable. He looked down at the document again, his eyes scanning the terms as if they might change under closer scrutiny.
Finally, he broke the silence.”I’m not going to marry her,” he said flatly, his tone devoid of emotion. “Didn’t I already reject her? So, why this?”
Antonio’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he kept his composure.”If you’re not going to marry her,” he said evenly, “then it doesn’t matter, does it? Just sign.”
Lucian’s gaze lingered on Antonio for a moment longer before he leaned back in his chair. “Disgusting,” he muttered under his breath, loud enough for both Antonio and Melody to hear.
The word hung in the air, sharp and biting.
Antonio didn’t flinch. Instead, he pushed the pen closer. “Then it won’t bother you to sign, will it?”
Lucian sighed heavily, his shoulders rising and falling as if the weight of the entire situation pressed down on him. Without another word, he picked up the pen. His movements were deliberate but devoid of care.
The pen scratched across the paper, his signature scrawled at the bottom of the page.
He set the pen down and pushed the document back toward Antonio. His eyes, dull with disinterest, met Antonio’s.”I hope you think this was worth it,”Lucian said, his voice low but steady.
Antonio remained silent, his expression unreadable, but Melody’s eyes widened in shock and indignation.
“Lucian”she began, her tone softening, but Lucian cut her off.
“Don’t bother,” he said, standing up abruptly. He pushed the chair back with more force than necessary, the legs scraping against the floor with a harsh screech.
He didn’t look at either of them as he moved toward the door.”It’s disgusting. Maybe you should think seriously about what you did today,”he said, his voice steady but carrying a note of finality.
And with that, he walked out, the door shutting behind him with a firm thud.
—
Aftermath
Melody rounded on Antonio the moment the door closed. Her voice was sharp, her words cutting through the silence like a blade. “What the hell were you thinking, Antonio?”
Antonio let out a long sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I did what was necessary,” he said, though his tone carried a hint of weariness.
“Necessary?” Melody’s voice rose, incredulity dripping from every syllable”That was humiliating for him, for us! Do you have any idea how that looked?”
Antonio leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “I know exactly how it looked,” he said, his voice quieter but no less firm.”But think about what’s at stake here. Do you think I can let someone like him near Avey without precautions? She’s our daughter, Melody. Our heir.”
Melody’s expression softened briefly, but her anger returned just as quickly.”And you think this this is how you protect her? By treating him like he’s some kind of gold-digger? He’s Lucian Kane, Antonio! Not some nobody.”
Antonio’s jaw tightened”Exactly. Which is why I need to ensure that his intentions are clear. You know the rumors about him. And after today’s debacle, can you really blame me for being cautious?”
Melody shook her head, her frustration evident. “You didn’t see his face, Antonio. That wasn’t caution. That was”She stopped herself, her voice catching.
Antonio looked at her, his eyes softening for the first time.”I’ll handle it,” he said quietly.
“You’d better hope you can,” Melody replied, her voice heavy with disappointment.
—