"Why aren’t you eating? You didn’t eat properly last night," Layla complained, noticing Lucius’s untouched plate.
Alekis and the others glanced toward him, concern evident on their faces.
"Layla," Lucius lifted his head, eting her eyes. "If I said I need to disappear for a while... what would you say?"
"Lucius, you can’t leave Layla alone. She’s pregnant," Fiona interjected firmly.
"I’ll give you ti. I don’t mind," Layla said softly, her hand now resting on the edge of the plate. "You need space, so take it. But... how can I be sure you’ll take care of yourself while you’re gone?"
"Don’t worry about that. I... I’m not myself right now," Lucius murmured.
"Lucius," Alekis finally spoke, "I know what you’ve been through. But saying all this isn’t helping. We’re here for you. Just stay with us. That way, we’ll worry less about you."
Lucius fell silent, his eyes clouded with a storm of conflicting emotions, ones only Layla seed able to read.
"I’m going to my parents’ ho for a while, Father," Layla suggested softly, turning to Alekis and then Fiona. "I think Lucius should have so space during this ti. Let him breathe." She then looked back at her husband, her gaze steady and full of care. "Now, eat your breakfast. Promise that during this break you take, you won’t let your health suffer. And I don’t want to hear any empty promises."
Luca glanced at Layla, admiration shining in his eyes for the way she handled Lucius.
"Lucius, if you want, you can stay at my farmhouse," Luca offered gently. "It’s a quiet, isolated place, just right for you. There’ll be no one else, only you."
Lucius shook his head slowly. "I haven’t decided where I’ll go for now. But I do need so ti to clear my head." His gaze shifted to Layla, softening with sincerity. "I promise I’ll take care of my health and return to your side soon. Just... forgive for being a vulnerable being in tis like these."
"Don’t say that. You’ve been through so much. Your peace matters most to ... and to our baby," Layla said gently with a tone of understanding. "Now, eat. Finish your al."
Lucius humd softly and picked up the spoon. Around him, his family breathed easier, a sense of relief settling over them as they watched him finally take his first bites.
~~~~~
"I spoke with Layla earlier," Demitri began, glancing at Nora. "Lucius won’t be in Italy for a while. He wants so ti to clear his head."
"What? But shouldn’t Lucius be thinking about Layla and their baby first?" Nora asked, turning off the tap.
"Layla was supposed to go to her parents’ ho, and suddenly this happened," Demitri began, shaking his head. "She said she’d stay here for a while, giving Lucius enough space. I have to admit, what’s going on seems unusual, but Layla doesn’t see it that way, she understands Lucius deeply."
Nora crossed her arms, frowning. "But Lucius is a grown man. I understand losing your mother can affect you, but you can’t neglect your wife, especially when she’s pregnant," she argued.
"It’s not that simple for Lucius," Demitri replied calmly. "He’s lost two more people before her. I hadn’t been in close contact with him for a long ti in the past, but Roger used to tell how depressed Lucius was. I think he must have sothing heavy on his mind, which is why he needs space."
Nora fell silent, realizing she didn’t truly know Lucius beyond his role as the company’s director.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed, and he glanced at the caller ID. "Lucius?" he murmured in surprise, seeing the familiar number.
He didn’t hesitate to answer. "I heard from Layla that you wanted to talk. Let’s et later this evening," he said, bringing the phone to his ear.
"Sure. But are you seriously thinking of leaving for a while? I an... you have a family now. What are you thinking, Lucius?" Demitri asked, even though he already understood, to so extent, why Lucius made this decision.
"I’ll tell you in the evening," Lucius said, ending the call.
It had been the briefest conversation between them.
"What did he say?" Nora asked.
"He asked to et in the evening," Demitri replied.
"Hmm. Then go in the evening," Nora said, turning her attention elsewhere. "We have so grocery shopping to do."
"Yeah, sure. Let’s go," Demitri agreed.
~~~~
Lucius knelt before Layla, their knees pressing against the rug, as he gently took both her hands in his.
"What are you doing?" Layla asked, concern flickering in her eyes.
"I’m sorry for leaving you like this," he said. "There’s sothing I must do before I can finally walk away from this mafia life. I thought I ended everything three months ago, but my encounter with Tsar showed it’s not over. I have to finish what’s left unfinished. Right now, I can’t explain everything, but once I return, I promise I’ll tell you everything."
Layla humd softly and ran her fingers through his hair. "You know," she murmured, a warm smile spreading across her face, "even when you don’t speak, your eyes tell everything. Don’t worry about or the baby. We’ll be fine."
Lucius closed his eyes for a mont, drawing strength from her words. "Thank you," he whispered. "If I have any hidden strength, it’s because of you. As I always say, if you weren’t with , I—" His voice faltered, and he couldn’t finish the sentence as Layla pressed her fingers lightly against his lips, stopping him.
"We complete each other," she said softly, her eyes shining with resolve. "Give updates every day. Talk to your father every day. That’s all you need to do while you’re away."
Lucius nodded, a sense of reassurance settling over him. "Hmm... I will," he promised.
Then, he buried his face in her lap, smiling a little. ’Layla, when I return I’ll be a man everyone desired to be.’
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