Demitri stood in front of the mirror, gently dabbing ointnt onto the bruises that marred his skin. Lucius hadn’t spoken to him properly since that day and it bothered him.
"He has every right to be upset with ," Demitri muttered to himself before sighing deeply and heading downstairs for breakfast.
As the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the kitchen, Demitri prepared a simple al. Halfway through his toast, his phone buzzed on the counter. Setting the coffee mug aside, he picked up the device and read the ssage displayed on the screen:
"Co to the office. It’s not related to any work."
A faint smile tugged at his lips. So, he’s reaching out after all. With newfound energy, Demitri quickly finished his breakfast, got dressed, and stepped out.
On his way, he made a brief stop at a florist, carefully selecting a vibrant bouquet of flowers. At the next store, he picked up a small but thoughtful gift.
When he arrived at Lucius’s office, Demitri noticed the unusual silence. The room was empty, and there was no sign of Roger either. Just as he began to look around, a voice interrupted him.
"Sir is in an important eting with the Chairwoman and the other company directors," said a young man who had just walked in.
Demitri turned to face him.
"I’m Assistant John. Would you like a coffee while you wait?" the man asked politely.
"No, thank you," Demitri replied with equal courtesy.
As John exited the room, Demitri took a seat on the plush couch, patiently waiting. Ti ticked by, but soon enough, the sound of approaching footsteps caught his attention. The door opened, and Lucius entered, deep in conversation with Layla.
"Demitri?" Layla’s eyes lit up in surprise as she noticed him rising from the couch.
"These are for you," Demitri said warmly, stepping forward to hand her the bouquet and gift bag. His smile was genuine and heartfelt as he continued, "Congratulations on becoming the Chairwoman, Layla. You did an incredible job."
Layla’s face softened as she accepted his thoughtful gift and the bouquet.
"You two look really nice together," Demitri remarked with a warm smile, his gaze flicking between Lucius and Layla.
"Thank you," Layla replied graciously, her smile faltering slightly as her eyes narrowed on Demitri’s bruises. "But what are those? Did Lucius punch you again?" Her tone sharpened as she turned to glare at her husband.
"Not at all, Layla. I didn’t lay a hand on him," Lucius defended, raising his hands in surrender.
Layla’s frown deepened, but before she could press further, Lucius sighed and added, "Well, I should apologize, too. That night when I left suddenly, I didn’t have an urgent eting—it was sothing else entirely." His gaze shifted to Demitri, who was already beginning to fidget under the weight of the mont. "Now, it’s ti for you to tell my wife everything."
Demitri’s hand instinctively moved to scratch the back of his head as his eyelids fluttered nervously. "I... uh..." He hesitated, searching for the right words as Layla crossed her arms, her expectant gaze fixed firmly on him.
"Wait! Lucius, why do you always lie to ? I suppose now you should at least trust that I am strong enough to know your ’mafia’ matters," Layla spoke in a blunt tone.
"Madam is absolutely right," Roger interjected, peeking out from behind Layla, his attempt to hide doing little to shield him from Lucius’s glare.
Lucius gritted his teeth, visibly annoyed.
"I don’t understand any of you," Layla declared, exasperation lacing her tone. "You all seem to enjoy lying to . I don’t want to hear anything else. I’m leaving—I just rembered I have a eting," she pronounced, turning sharply on her heels.
"But I’m telling you the truth now," Lucius said, stepping forward and gently grabbing her wrist to stop her. His grip wasn’t forceful, but it was firm enough to make her pause.
"I was scared that day, okay? I thought I might lose Demitri, and I didn’t want you to be involved. I didn’t know how to handle it." His eyes, usually so composed, revealed a rare mix of worry and guilt.
Demitri’s heart clenched at Lucius’s confession. It wasn’t often he saw the man lower his defenses like this, and it moved him deeply.
"Boss is right, Madam," Roger said, stepping out from his hiding spot, his deanor suddenly serious. "He didn’t an to deceive you. Please forgive Boss—and all of us—for not being honest sooner." He bowed slightly while apologizing with sincerity.
Layla took a deep breath, her anger lting away as she processed their words. While she felt calr, a lingering doubt remained. She knew that if sothing similar happened in the future, they might still try to shield her from the truth.
"I trust Demitri not to hide things from in the future," she said, her gaze shifting pointedly to Lucius, Roger, and the absent Aiden. "But it’s hard for to extend that sa trust to you three."
Lucius nodded. "I understand, Layla. I didn’t an to keep you in the dark. I’ve realized I was wrong, and that’s why I called Demitri here today—to co clean and set things right. I’ve been working on your advice, truly." He hesitated for a mont before adding, "Please, forgive this one last ti."
Layla’s gaze softened as she studied him. She humd and told them they should sit.
After settling onto the couch, Layla crossed her legs and looked at Demitri with a sharp, probing gaze. "Did you tell Lucius the truth—the one that almost broke your friendship?"
Demitri nodded slowly, his expression filled with regret. "I did," he admitted, his voice heavy. "I was wrong, and I realized it far too late... when I was kidnapped."
"Kidnapped?" Layla’s eyes widened in shock. "By whom?"
Demitri sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It was a mafia boss nad Fabio. He’s an old acquaintance of Matteo’s." His voice lowered as he explained further, every word laced with guilt.
"The truth I’ve been hiding from Lucius... I’ve already revealed it to him. Years ago, Matteo sought help from Fabio’s late father to gather information about Tsar. In the process, Matteo ended up taking over so of their estates and properties. Fabio held a grudge and decided to use to settle that old debt. He thought Lucius, being close to , would be the perfect way to cover his father’s losses."
Layla stared at him, stunned into silence, but Demitri wasn’t done.
"The attack that happened a few days ago," he continued, his voice turning somber now, "was Fabio’s doing. I had figured it out, but I refused to tell Lucius because I wanted to keep my promise to Matteo. I thought I could handle it alone, but..." He trailed off, realizing how foolish he was.
"When I found out Demitri was kidnapped, I had to leave imdiately," Lucius began, his tone more serious than usual. "I didn’t want to worry you or Dad that night, so I lied. Besides, Dad never liked my friendship with Matteo, and I didn’t want to reopen old wounds."
Layla humd softly, processing his words. She could understand why he had chosen to keep the truth from them, though it didn’t completely excuse his actions.
"So, where’s Fabio now?" she asked after a pause. "I suppose you handed him over to the police."
"Yes, I did," Lucius replied simply, his tone neutral.
"But Boss burned down the entire estate that belonged to Fabio," Roger chid in with a cheerful grin, as if delivering good news.
"What?" Layla’s eyes widened, and she stopped blinking in shock.
"Please, don’t be angry," Lucius said quickly, leaning forward as if to soften the blow. "It was necessary. I couldn’t use my gun to kill him, Layla. When I tried, your face appeared in my mind, and I just... couldn’t do it. But he tried to harm you, and I couldn’t let his empire stand. Burning it down was the only way to put an end to his power."
Layla stared at him for a mont before she began to smile. The smile grew wider, and soon she was laughing, much to Lucius’s confusion.
"Layla?" he asked hesitantly, frowning slightly.
Her laughter continued. Finally, she managed to speak between giggles, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. "I’ve heard dramatic lines like ’I will burn the world for you,’ but I actually got to witness a version of it," Layla said, her voice tinged with playful sarcasm.
Lucius chuckled softly, rubbing the back of his neck as he smiled. He didn’t have a witty response this ti, but the warmth in his eyes said enough.
Layla stepped closer, wrapping her arms around him in a sudden hug. Lucius stiffened for a mont before relaxing, his hands settling gently on her back.
"I’m glad you handed Fabio to the police instead of taking... other actions," Layla said as she pulled back slightly, looking up at him with a joyful smile. "And it’s good you have saved your punches for the villain of your life," she asserted, peering into his eyes.
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