"Boss, could it be soone from your family? What if it’s your brother’s wife?" Roger suggested cautiously with skepticism.
Lucius’s eyes narrowed as he leaned back in his chair. "Fiona?" he echoed, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. "She despises , sure—blas for surviving when Antoine didn’t. But throwing threats like this? That’s not her style. She doesn’t have the nerve or the cunning for sothing this bold."
"Then perhaps a more distant relative?" Roger ventured, lowering his voice as though the walls might have ears.
Lucius shook his head firmly. "There aren’t any left," he said. "Not close enough to matter, and certainly not close enough to try sothing like this."
Roger noticed the shadows of unease flickering across Lucius’s face. "Boss," he said softly, "you’ve done nothing to deserve this. Whoever’s behind this, we’ll find them. I promise. Don’t let it weigh you down."
Lucius let out a low hum of acknowledgnt but didn’t respond. Instead, he leaned back in his chair. His gaze drifted to the shelf on his left, staring blankly at the neatly arranged books and trinkets.
"Thanks, Roger," Lucius said as he turned to glance at his trusted confidant. A faint smile tugged at his lips, one that spoke more of gratitude than joy.
In Roger, Lucius saw a rare loyalty—soone who hadn’t abandoned him when others had, soone who continued to believe in him despite the odds.
"Where’s Madam Layla?" Roger asked, glancing around the room. Sensing he might be overstaying his welco, he added, "I don’t want to keep you busy, Boss, so I’ll take my leave."
Lucius leaned forward slightly, his expression softening. "Layla’s in the garden with the maids. She’s busy arranging new flower pots," he said. After a pause, he added, "You’ve done enough for today. Take a break—start fresh tomorrow."
Roger nodded, a small smile of appreciation crossing his face. "Sure, Boss," he said, rising from his seat. With a respectful dip of his head, he turned and exited the room, leaving Lucius to his thoughts.
Lucius took a mont before picking his phone from the desk. He called soone and waited for him to answer the call. Finally, the person on the other side of the call answered.
"Can we et on Monday?" Lucius asked.
"Sure." Before the person could answer, Lucius hung up the call. He furrowed his brows together and leaned back on the chair. "I wish Antoine were alive," he murmured.
~~~~
"Madam, ever since Master married you, I’ve noticed sothing remarkable—he smiles all the ti now," Sarah remarked, holding the garden hose as she watered the plants. Her voice carried both surprise and admiration. "It’s such a sudden and wonderful change in him."
Layla paused, taking the hose from Sarah’s hands with a curious expression. "Why? Did Lucius not smile much before?" she asked.
Sarah gestured for another maid to turn on the tap, and water began sprinkling over the plants. "Not at all, Madam," Sarah admitted in a low voice. "Master Lucius rarely smiled. He wouldn’t eat on ti and was always locked in his study. His moods swung between anger and despair, and he hardly slept. But since you ca into his life, it’s like he’s a new man—soone who actually wants to live again."
Layla’s hand tightened slightly around the hose as her gaze shifted to the sparkling droplets. A pang of sadness pierced her heart. Lucius had hidden so much pain beneath his stern, composed exterior. Behind that was a man scarred by loss and loneliness.
Sarah continued, her tone brightening slightly. "It also seems Master Lucius has stepped away from his mafia work, and I think it’s because of you. It’s been nearly a month since anyone fell victim to his bullet—that alone has been a relief for all of us."
She turned to Layla with a faint, hopeful smile. "Please, Madam, stay with Master Lucius forever. You’re the reason he’s started to truly live. Without you, I fear he’d fall back into the darkness."
Layla glanced at Sarah, her heart heavy yet determined. She nodded slightly, silently vowing to help heal the man she’d co to care for more than she expected.
"Of course, I won’t ever leave Lucius. He is my husband and my love too," Layla said with assurance and a big smile. "How long are you serving, Lucius?" she inquired.
"It’s been ten years, Madam," Sarah answered.
"Oh. That’s a long period. You must have seen Lucius’s brother too," Layla said.
"Yes, I did. It had been only six months since I joined as a maid in the house that ti. Does Madam want to know what happened during that ti?" asked Sarah.
"Yes," Layla promptly showed her interest.
"Both the masters had such a strong bond. I rember Master Lucius was being scolded for keeping his friendship with his late friend, who has been involved in the underworld for a long ti. But Master Antoine would never do that. Despite being from different mothers, they had such a strong brotherhood. When Master Antoine passed away, everyone blad Master Lucius for taking him to the fishing pond, except for the Old Master. I rember Master Lucius had stopped coming ho after that. Even if he would co, then it was mostly being drunk. There was a ti when Master Lucius attempted to take his life, but his friend saved him. It was a tough phase for Master Lucius."
Layla was upset to learn all that. Lucius indeed suffered a lot. He fought alone or perhaps Matteo helped him. Now, soone had again started troubling him, stabbing his old wound again, which never healed.
"Thank you, Sarah, for sharing all this," Layla said and handed the hose to her before heading inside.
In the house, she searched for Lucius, first in their bedroom but found it empty. Her steps eventually led her to his study. Standing quietly at the door, she found him sitting in his chair, staring blankly at a photograph in his hands. He was so lost in thought that he didn’t notice her presence.
Layla’s chest tightened as she watched him, her heart aching for the man who had endured so much.
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