Chapter 121 Cold shoulder
“Okay, give me till this evening, hmm.”
Lucas walked towards the closet as he responded, “Whatever you say.”
“Please, Lucas, don't do this.” He pulled him into his arms. “It hurts when you act like this. Please give me time. I will tell you everything, okay.”
Lucas gazed at him, “Come on, what else do you want me to say? Do I have a choice? I will wait.” Lucas responded grudgingly
“Baby I promise, everything will be sorted, hmm.”
Lucas nodded, and Alex smiled lightly, leaning in and pecking his cheek. “You know I love you, right?”
“Hmm,” Lucas nodded lightly.
Alex brushed his lips lightly. “Let me shower.”
Under the shower, the water hit his skin, but it did nothing to ease the tension coiling inside him. His mind kept replaying Lucas’s words.
“If I’m your Lucas…” Guilt settled deeper. By the time Alex came out,
Lucas was ready, waiting but not for him. Just ready to leave for work. He was sitting on the couch in the sitting room, tapping on his phone.
When Alex stepped out of the bathroom, he saw a shirt Lucas had picked out for him and smiled. He dressed up and came out showing off the shirt. “Baby, how do I look in this?”
He looked, “Okay, let’s go,” Lucas said quietly.
Alex wasn't happy with that reply but he just nodded. “Yeah,” knowing he was the cause of his mood.
They left the apartment together. The silence between them stretched like a fragile thread ready to snap. The drive to work felt longer. Alex tried a few times to make a conversation.
“Are you hungry? We could grab a coffee and a snack…”
“No.”
“Let’s have lunch together during the break period?”
“Okay.”
Everything Alex said met only short answers, polite and distant.
Lucas wasn’t ignoring him, but he wasn’t there either. And that made the situation worse.
Alex tightened his grip on the steering wheel, eyes fixed on the road ahead, feeling something unfamiliar creep in. For the first time in a long while, he wasn’t sure how to reach Lucas. And it was killing him.
By the time they got to the company, the silence had become unbearable. It wasn’t loud or dramatic, but it pressed in on Alex from all sides, suffocating.
Every step Lucas took beside him, every glance he didn’t give, every word left unsaid was tearing at him.
Alex stopped abruptly. “Lucas.”
Lucas paused, turning slightly. “What?”
Alex stepped closer, his voice lower and strained. “Come with me to my office.”
Lucas frowned faintly. “I have things to…”
“Please.” The word came out sharper than intended, almost desperate. “Just, come. I can’t bear this…” He exhaled, shaking his head. “I can’t take this cold shoulder anymore. It’s killing me.”
Lucas hesitated. For a second, it looked like he might refuse. His lips parted, ready to protest, but something in Alex’s expression stopped him. Maybe it was the tension in his jaw or the honesty in his eyes. Or maybe, it was the crack in his voice.
Alex stepped closer, softer, but firm. “If I can’t reach you the normal way I thought is best, then fine. I’ll do it your way.” His gaze locked onto Lucas’s. “I’ll tell you everything.”
That landed well because Lucas’s brows drew together slightly, confusion mixing with concern. “Everything?”
Alex nodded once. “Everything. Just, come with me.”
After a brief pause, Lucas gave in. “Okay.”
The walk to the office was quiet, but different this time, less distant, yet more uncertain.
Once inside, Alex shut the door behind them. The click echoed in the room. For a moment, he didn’t speak. He just stood there, gathering himself.
Then finally he said, “It started with a call.”
Lucas’s attention sharpened immediately.
Alex ran a hand through his hair, pacing once before continuing. “A number I didn’t recognize called two days ago. I almost ignored it, but something felt off.”
His voice darkened. “The caller was showing as Mac. When I answered, this guy started talking like he knew us.”
Lucas stiffened slightly.
Alex noticed but continued his tone tightening. “He didn’t say much at first, just enough to make it clear it wasn’t random. Then the threats started.”
“What kind of threats?” Lucas asked quietly.
Alex stopped pacing, turning to face him fully. “The kind that don’t sound like threats at first, until you realize they know too much.”
A beat of silence passed.
“He mentioned you,” Alex added, more quietly this time.
Lucas’s expression shifted to confusion, then something deeper.
“He asked questions,” Alex went on. “About how our night together was and if I was enjoying my new lover. He doesn't just know me or you. He seemed to be keeping track of us.”
Lucas’s heart skipped.
“So I had my men look into it,” Alex said, frustration creeping into his voice. “Every contact, every lead, every trace of that number.”
He let out a bitter breath.
“Yield nothing.”
Lucas blinked. “Nothing?”
“Nothing,” Alex repeated, his jaw tightening. “It’s like he doesn’t exist. No records. No trail. No mistakes.”
Silence settled between them again, but this time, it wasn’t empty. It was heavy and real.
Alex stepped closer, his voice softer now, but filled with something raw. “That’s why I didn’t tell you. Not because I don’t trust you, but because I don’t understand what I’m dealing with yet. I don't want you worrying about this.”
His eyes searched Lucas’s face.
“And one thing I do know that bothers me much is the fact that whoever he is was involving you in his madness” he added, voice low and unsteady.
He paused and then added more quietly, “That’s the part I can’t risk.”
Lucas couldn't fathom what he just heard. He started pacing. “He didn't give you hints on what he wants from us?”
“Nothing at all,” Alex responded.
“Do you think of any enemy that might be seeking revenge?”
“No, I'm not perfect but I tried my best not to offend people.”
For a moment, Lucas just stood there. Everything Alex had said, every word, every hidden fear, every quiet burden, all settled heavily in his chest. The anger he’d been holding onto suddenly felt small.
His lips parted, but no words came out. He hadn’t expected that Alex had been carrying something this serious alone.
“Alex,” His voice came out softer than he intended, almost fragile.
Before he could think it through, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around him. “I’m sorry,” Lucas murmured against his chest. “I shouldn’t have shut you out like that. I didn’t know.”
Alex froze for half a second, then his arms came around Lucas instinctively, holding him just as tight.
Lucas pulled back slightly, just enough to look at him. His eyes were no longer distant. They were filled with concern, and something steady. “We’ll figure this out,” he said quietly. “Whatever this is, we’ll face it together. You’re not alone in this, okay?”
A small pause, then a faint, reassuring smile. “And don’t leave me out again. I’m part of this too, whether you like it or not.”
Alex’s expression softened.