As Alex and Nathan stepped out of Lucy’s chamber, Nathan closed the heavy wooden door behind them leaving Lucy to her maids to attend to her.
Ever since the dealings in the market, it was not only that Alex had benefited from it, but the whole Hartwell family has prospered by doing the business.
Nathan turned to face Alex.
His face held a look of absolute gratitude and relief.
"Brother Alex," Nathan began, his voice thick with emotion, "I cannot express how grateful our entire family is for what you did. You saved Lucy when none of us could find her.
I honestly do not know what we would have done if you had not found her. Our father was so worried that he barely slept these past three days."
Alex nodded calmly, placing a reassuring hand on Nathan’s shoulder. "There is no need for such heavy words between us, Nathan. Lucy is as close to as she is to you.
I would not have simply sat back and done nothing while she was in danger."
Though you just had to barge in at that exact mont, did you not? Alex thought with a hint of lingering irritation.
Could not have waited even five more minutes before charging in like so overprotective guard dog. I was having a perfectly good conversation with Lucy.
"But Brother Alex," Nathan continued, his tone shifting to concern, "you really should not have put yourself in such danger! Going after the bandits alone, into their mountain hideout... who does that? It was incredibly reckless! What if sothing had happened to you?"
Alex felt warmth spread through his chest at Nathan’s genuine worry.
A slight smile played at the corners of his lips as he replied, "You do not have to worry so much about , Nathan. I assure you, I was not really in any danger throughout this entire operation.
I would not have gone if I did not believe in success of this plan, Okay? So, do not you worry."
Oh, if only you knew how true that was, Alex thought with internal amusent. If only I could tell you about the professional commando who did all the actual work.
Nathan opened his mouth to protest further, but stopped when a sudden chill spread across Nathan’s back, raising the fine hairs on his neck.
His survival instincts, honed through months of working under Alex, scread at him to run.
He raised his head to look into Alex eyes, the gentle smile on the Alex face is slowly changing to sothing akin to a predator spotting his prey.
Alex’s eyes gained that certain glint that Nathan had learned to recognize and fear over these months.
Oh no. Oh no, no, no.
It was that look....again.
The look that appeared right before Alex assigned him to handle so particularly challenging or unpleasant task that would consu weeks of his life without any rest.
The look that said: "I have plans for you, my dear subordinate, and you are not going to like them."
His mind raced frantically. Had he done sothing wrong? Was Alex annoyed about sothing? Why else would his expression change like that?
What was Brother Alex about to dump on him now?
Alex opened his mouth, clearly about to say sothing that would likely involve sothing quite tiring.
No. No, I have to do sothing. Think, Nathan, think!
"Uh, Brother Alex!" Nathan exclaid hastily, perhaps a bit too hastily, as words spilled out of his mouth. "Wait, actually, I rembered sothing very important," he said.
Alex’s smile widened inch by inch, like a cat that had spotted a very intriguing mouse trying to make a getaway.
His eyes literally shone with amusent at Nathan’s obvious panic.
"Yes, Nathan?" Alex prompted smoothly, obviously relishing the experience. The pleasantness of his tone was just a little too chilling.
"I... that is...." Nathan swallowed hard, his mind scrambling to think of sothing, anything, that would change the course of this conversation away from whatever terror Alex was preparing to set him upon.
But then, as if a bolt of divine intervention, sothing really important turned up in his mind.
"Oh!" Nathan exclaid with obvious relief. "I just rembered sothing actually important! Sothing I genuinely forgot to ntion earlier!"
Alex raised an eyebrow. His face changed from a mischievous glare to one of curiosity. "Oh? And what would that be?"
"Miss Evelyn!" Nathan said quickly, the words tumbling out in a rush of relief. "After you disappeared from the warehouse, Brother Alex, you have no idea how worried she beca!
This caught Alex’s complete attention. His whole deanor shifted, his teasing spark of amusent replaced by genuine concern.
"Worried?" Alex repeated carefully.
"Incredibly worried," Nathan confird, nodding vigorously as he ward to this much safer topic.
"The instant word got around that you had disappeared from the warehouse without a trace, she called on the whole McCoy family to search for you." Nathan paused for emphasis.
"Brother Alex, I have never seen her lose her temper like she did when she could not find you. She even told to call her imdiately as soon as I find you, no matter how late it would be."
"I see," Alex said quietly, his voice softer than before.
"Where is she now?" Alex asked finally.
"She is in the main hall with Father," Nathan replied imdiately, clearly relieved to have successfully navigated away from whatever assignnt Alex had been plotting. "Oh, right.... Magistrate Sai is there as well. They have been discussing the bandits’ audacity in attacking our family so brazenly."
Alex nodded slowly. "Oh.. Magistrate Sai is there as well? Then should not I be there too?"
"Yes, Boss."
Nathan breathed a sigh of relief as Alex’s focus suddenly turned completely away from him and towards the more pressing concern of Miss Evelyn’s worry.
Crisis averted, Nathan thought gratefully.
As Alex moved away down the corridor, Nathan leaned back against the wall, taking a long, trembling breath.
"That was too close. Far too close."
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