As soone who is as hot-headed as Rafael, he is easily angered. Typically, he would experience intense rage, similar to his reaction when Alexi tried to touch Hera. Rafael expected to react with the sa level of possessiveness and territoriality toward anyone showing interest in Hera. The thought of other n looking at her with lustful eyes was almost unbearable for him.
Surprisingly, he didn’t feel the sa level of hostility toward his friends. Although he was uncomfortable with Leo being close to Hera and often felt agitated when Leo got near her, his reaction wasn’t as intense or repulsive as it was toward other n.
Even though he was questioning this feeling, but he could tell that his friends were experiencing similar emotions. It seed like he was the only one still confused, while they had all co to terms with the situation and were fully accepting of whatever their future relationship might beco.
"Luke, I never expected that you have a shaless side in you." Rafael blurted out as he instinctively reached out to Hera’s waist and pulled her back to his chest because he could feel that right now, Hera seed to be radiating a different aura and was feeling conflicted, it was actually amazing the he could feel her emotions even without seeing her face, and before he knew it, his body has already moved to take action.
Luke raised an eyebrow at Rafael’s silent challenge, his gaze shifting from desire to clear discontent. He placed his cup back on the saucer and folded his arms across his chest, staring intently at Rafael. The warm smile that had been on his lips vanished, replaced by an eerie smirk that sent a shiver down Rafael’s spine.
He could sense a palpable danger emanating from Luke and felt as though he didn’t truly know the person standing before him. This shift in Luke’s deanor might explain why Hera’s emotions suddenly changed after their conversation turned to him.
"Luke, you know we can’t force Hera to do sothing she’s uncomfortable with, and we certainly can’t treat her as a bargaining chip or reward," Rafael asserted firmly. He wasn’t sure if the pressure and danger he felt from Luke were just his mind playing tricks due to his anxiety about his sister’s situation or if this was a side of Luke they hadn’t seen before. Regardless, he felt it was crucial to establish boundaries to ensure Luke wouldn’t inadvertently harm Hera, sothing Rafael would not tolerate.
"I understand. I’m sorry if my joke went too far," Luke admitted, his gaze returning to its usual deanor. He hadn’t intended to manipulate or treat Hera as a bargaining chip. However, when he noticed a change in Hera’s expression, as if she could see the darkest secrets he had been hiding and was viewing him as nothing but a monster, he felt a jarring shift inside himself. The discomfort was overwhelming as if his chest was being ripped open by the realization that Hera was showing signs of hatred and repulsion.
He tried to read her thoughts by staring into her eyes, hoping to understand her better. However, he was frequently distracted, especially when Hera bit her lips in response to the deepening tension. He found himself wanting to bite her lips for her. Just as Rafael could sense Hera’s shifting emotions and aura without seeing her face, Luke experienced a similar perception and felt that all her negative emotions were directed at him.
Of all people, why him and not Rafael? He had always been warm and amiable, especially considering that Hera should have issues with Rafael’s sister. Now, as they discuss finding more clues to help with the case involving Rafael’s sister, shouldn’t Hera be directing her discomfort toward Rafael, rather than him—soone who was supposed to be helping?
Overwheld by these emotions, Luke felt as though his heart was being crushed by a boulder, and he despised it. Before he realized it, he began to act out of character. If Rafael hadn’t reminded him of who he was, Luke might have lost his composure entirely, driven by the urge to bite Hera’s lips and take her on the table, driven to the brink by his inability to handle her gaze. It was a mont of intense frustration that pushed him toward reckless behavior.
But if he did, he would only be undermining his position in her heart. He knew that his feelings had overtaken his ability to judge and think properly so without further ado, he sat back straight on his chair and pulled out his phone to make a call, after the first ring, his subordinate picked up the call.
"Boss, how can I assist you?" The man on the other end spoke in a gruff yet respectful tone.
Luke skipped the formalities and went straight to the point. "I need you to investigate anyone connected to a gang of criminals who have been brutally killing young won over the past few days. It’s becoming alarming. Find out who is behind these orders and gather complete evidence. If no one is willing to talk, you know what to do." His voice, previously warm, had turned into a chillingly cold and authoritative baritone, conveying a dangerous seriousness.
Even without asking, it was clear to everyone that Luke was speaking with the contact Rafael had ntioned from the underground world. No one dared to inquire further, understanding that it was a matter of Luke’s business and not their place to delve into.
No one heard the response from the man on the other end of the call, as Luke had not put his phone on speaker. He kept the volu at a moderate level, so while his own voice and responses were audible, the conversation on the other end remained private.
If everyone would consider this aspect, Luke would really appear suspicious but with his usual deanor, everyone would just assu that he wanted privacy and it only ant that he was doing a great job in his cover, and wouldn’t be easy to suspect him of being involved in the mafia.
"Alright, I’ll send you a copy of the evidence we have on hand. Use it as a guide to track these people down. Besides gathering evidence and identifying the mastermind behind these cris, do nothing else but keep the criminals contained until further notice," Luke added. After a brief response from the person on the other end, Luke ended the call with a smile. The tense atmosphere lifted instantly as if the storm had passed and nothing had happened.
He then turned towards Hera, who was still resting in Rafael’s embrace, having had no chance to react to the rapid succession of events that had unfolded. Her mind hadn’t caught up. Hera stared at Luke, who was looking at her with an expectant expression as if he were waiting for praise for his negotiation skills—even though it hardly seed like a negotiation.
Even Gerald hadn’t expected it to be so straightforward. What had stumped him for a long ti to infiltrate was handled effortlessly by Luke. This made Gerald feel that aligning with Luke through a marriage alliance was far preferable to making him an enemy. Although no one had explicitly explained the situation, he sensed that the relationship between Luke and the person on the other end was one of superior and subordinate, with a solid grasp of the underground world and possibly a high standing in its hierarchy.
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