After leaving the prison, Layla stopped by a quaint florist shop, selecting a small, elegant bouquet of lilies and roses. She stepped into the car with a thoughtful expression as Aiden moved to close the door behind her with practiced care. Sliding into the driver’s seat, he cast a glance her way.
"Layla, you still haven’t told what Seraphina said," Aiden began, his tone light but curious.
Layla sighed softly, placing the bouquet on her lap. "You’ll hear it from Lucius soon enough," she replied, a touch of exasperation in her voice. "I know you all conspire to keep in the dark while working together."
Aiden turned toward her with an apologetic look. "It’s not like that. Boss just doesn’t want you to worry unnecessarily," he explained, his words laced with sincerity. "We all agree—it’s better for you to let us handle these things."
Before Layla could retort, her phone buzzed in her hand. Glancing at the screen, her brows knitted in confusion as she read a ssage from Roderick:
"Do you know my uncle, your husband, isn’t really a De Salvo?"
Her breath caught as she reread the text, her grip on the phone tightening. What was Roderick trying to imply? A sense of unease crept over her, knotting in her chest.
"Drive faster," she ordered the driver abruptly with urgency.
Aiden frowned, noticing the sudden change in her deanor. "Is everything alright?" he asked, tilting his head.
Layla didn’t respond since her mind was elsewhere. Had sothing happened at the house in her absence? Now, more than ever, she regretted leaving Lucius alone to attend to work.
Finally, she arrived ho. Exiting the car, Layla turned to Aiden. "You can leave now," she instructed softly before heading inside.
The house felt eerily quiet, its usual vibrance replaced by an unsettling stillness. Even the servants seed to be missing.
"Young Master Lucius is in his room," the butler, Peter, inford her as he appeared from the shadows of the hallway.
"Thank you," Layla replied with a quick nod, her heels clicking against the marble floor as she hurried upstairs.
Reaching their bedroom, she pushed the door open. "Lucius!" she called, her voice echoing in the silence. The room was empty, but the balcony door stood ajar, curtains fluttering gently in the breeze.
Her heart clenched as she stepped onto the balcony. There he was, standing with his back to her, lost in thought as he gazed out at the vast expanse of the estate before him.
Without saying a word, Layla walked straight to him and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. Her forehead pressed against the firmness of his back, seeking solace in his presence.
Lucius flinched at first, startled by her sudden embrace. Turning his head slightly, he caught sight of the small bouquet clutched in her hands. A soft smile graced his lips as he placed his hands over hers, gently prying the bouquet free before turning around to face her.
"Thank you for this beautiful bouquet," he said, his voice tender as he raised it to his nose, inhaling the sweet fragrance of the flowers. "It’s lovely. Just like you."
Layla’s heart fluttered at his words but she was in a serious mood. "Did sothing happen behind my back?" Layla asked softly, her voice tinged with concern. She hesitated for a mont, then lowered her head in guilt. "I’m sorry for leaving you alone. I must be such a bad wife."
Lucius raised an eyebrow, a chuckle escaping his lips. "A bad wife, huh?" he teased, a mischievous glint sparking in his eyes. Stepping closer, he leaned in and murmured with a smirk, "Then maybe you need to use bad words to seduce properly."
"Lucius!" Layla exclaid, her cheeks flushing. "I’m serious," she insisted, her voice firm. Her gaze locked onto his, searching his eyes for any sign of hidden pain. "What’s troubling you? What happened here while I was gone?"
Lucius’s playful deanor softened as he sighed, running a hand through his shiny black hair. "Well," he began, his tone more subdued, "my mother showed up earlier. I refused to see her last night, so she decided to co here instead."
Layla blinked, processing his words. "Your mother? What did she say? Roderick sent a very strange to when I was on my way to ho."
"My real father is soone else. I knew about it for a long ti," Lucius said.
Layla was shocked to learn that and she stopped blinking. She always thought her life was most complicated one here, but she was wrong. She was unable to understand how Lucius lived up with so many odd things in his life.
"Tell everything," Layla said. "I an... What your mother said?" she asked.
"She told I would lose you because I do dirty work. I am the reason why Antoine died and I should have never befriended Matteo. I carry the sin of my father and a mistake she ended up making," Lucius said in a plain tone.
Layla’s heart crushed to hear those words. Tears stread down her cheeks. It was unimaginable to understand Lucius’s pain in that mont. She quickly wiped away those tears.
"You shouldn’t cry. She is like that. That’s her way to punish for being born," Lucius said. He gently placed his hand on her cheek, caressing it gently.
"It hurts you. I know... I know you are hurt." Layla murmured and her head rested on his chest.
"This is why I love you, Layla," Lucius murmured with a small smile. She would read his heart’s voice. "Don’t cry. I hurts terribly to see you cry," he urged.
Layla promptly stopped weeping. She was not emotionally strong in such matters and would break into tears anyti. "Do you want to go sowhere? Just you and ? Maybe for so days?" she asked, looking into his eyes.
"I thought I was not allowed to go anywhere because my wife wanted to heal first," Lucius remarked.
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