Chapter 145 Fake smile
Within minutes, the transaction was closed.
From there, he placed a call to Dan, sending him the address. Then drove straight to the property.
The house was quiet, quiet, clean, secured, and exactly as he had requested. Upstairs, Isolated enough, cameras are installed both inside and out. It even stretched to the street. It was perfect.
Alex and Dan walked through each room, checking corners, locks, and entry points. The living area. The bedrooms. The surveillance system. Everything and nothing out of place.
Satisfied, they stepped out, locking up behind them as they headed back to their separate cars.
Later that evening, Alex followed Lucas to dinner. The moment the car pulled into the driveway, Lucas felt a strange mix of comfort and tension settle in his chest.
As they headed to the front door, it swung open almost immediately. His father stood there, clearly having been waiting.
“Lucas,” he called, a smile spreading across his face as he walked forward.
Lucas smiled back, stepping in to hug him. “Hi, Dad.”
His father held him firmly for a second longer than usual before pulling back, his eyes scanning, checking, assuring himself that he was alright.
Then his gaze shifted to Alex.
For just a split second, surprise flickered across his face. It was subtle, but there. He hadn’t expected Lucas to come with anyone, especially not Alex. But just as quickly, he masked it.
“Oh,” he said, recovering smoothly, his tone warm again. “You came with a guest.”
Lucas glanced at Alex. “Dad, this is Alex.”
Alex stepped forward politely. “Good evening, sir.”
Lucas’s father studied him briefly, measured, and observed before nodding. “You’re welcome,” he said, stepping aside. “Please, come in.”
Dinner was… calm, almost too calm. The table was filled, the food warm and inviting, and the conversation stayed light, safe topics, small talk, quiet laughter here and there. Lucas’s sister, Emily, was visibly happy, asking questions, fussing over him, making sure he ate properly.
Alex remained composed, respectful, answering when spoken to, but mostly observing.
And Lucas, he played along, smiling, responding, but there was a quiet awareness in him. Of Alex beside him. Of his father across the table. Of the unspoken things hanging in the air.
It wasn’t until plates had been cleared and the atmosphere softened that his father finally spoke again, this time more seriously.
“Lucas,” he began, setting his glass down. “When are you coming back home?”
The question landed gently, but its weight was undeniable. Lucas paused, glancing down briefly before looking back up. “Dad, I’m fine where I am.”
His father frowned slightly. “Fine?” he echoediddddddd. “This is your home. You shouldn’t be staying elsewhere when you have everything here.”
Lucas shook his head lightly, his voice calm but firm. “I know. But I’m okay, really. I need this space for now.”
A brief silence followed. His father studied him, clearly not fully convinced, but he didn’t push further. Instead, he sighed softly, leaning back.
“Alright,” he said at last. “If that’s what you want.”
Lucas gave a small nod, grateful for that.
Then his father added, more casually this time, “At least take your car and your bike. It’s not right for them to just sit there unused for so long.”
Lucas blinked, slightly caught off guard. “My car?”
“Yes,” his father said. “And your bike. They’re yours. You should be using them.”
Lucas hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Okay… I’ll take them.”
“Good,” his father replied, satisfied.
Across the table, Alex remained quiet, but his eyes lingered on Lucas, watchful, thoughtful, as if noting every shift, every decision.
And Lucas, for the first time that evening, felt a small sense of balance. Caught between the life he came from, and the one he was slowly building.
After dinner, they left. The moment the door shut behind Lucas and Alex’s car, the warmth that had filled the house vanished.
Silence lingered for a beat.
“Damn it!” Lucas’s father’s voice tore through the room as he turned sharply, his calm façade shattering completely. His hand slammed against the table, the sound echoing.
“What does he see in that man?” he growled, pacing now, his jaw tight with barely restrained anger. “Lucas… Lucas…” He dragged a hand through his hair, frustration written all over him. “This is madness.”
His steps slowed, but the tension in him only deepened. “I should have seen it coming,” he muttered under his breath. “Letting him stay away, giving him space.” He scoffed bitterly. “And now this?”
His expression hardened, resolve replacing the chaos.
“No,” he said firmly. “I won’t let this go any further.”
He reached for his phone almost immediately, dialing a number he clearly knew by heart. It rang once… twice…
Then, “Sir?” Gabe’s voice came through.
“I need you to do something,” Lucas’s father said, his tone cold and precise. It was controlled in a way that felt far more dangerous than his anger. “Place men on Lucas.”
A pause, before, “And the man he came with,” he added. “Alex.”
“Monitor their movements. Everywhere they go, I want to know. whom they meet, what they do, everything.”
“Understood,” Gabe replied without hesitation.
“And Gabe…” His voice dropped slightly, sharper. “Discreet. Lucas must not find out.”
“Yes, sir.”
The call ended.
He lowered the phone slowly, his gaze drifting toward the door as if he could still see his son standing there.
For a brief moment, something conflicted flickered in his eyes.
But it didn’t last.
“I’ll fix this,” he murmured to himself, his voice firm with determination. “Before it’s too late.”
The car moved smoothly through the quiet night, the city lights flickering past like distant stars.
Inside, the silence wasn’t heavy, but it wasn’t entirely easy either.
Alex kept one hand on the wheel, the other resting loosely on his lap. He glanced at Lucas briefly, then exhaled.
“Your dad…” he started, his voice calm but thoughtful. “He hasn’t accepted me yet.”
Lucas turned to him immediately, his expression falling just a little. “Alex, I…”
Before he could finish, Alex leaned in at a red light and captured his lips in a soft, sudden kiss.
It wasn’t rushed but wasn’t desperate. Just enough to silence him.
When he pulled back, there was a faint smile on his lips. “Hey, don’t,” he murmured.
Lucas blinked, caught off guard, his breath hitching slightly. “I was just going to say sorry…”
Alex shook his head gently. “No.” His fingers slid up, brushing against Lucas’s jaw, warm and reassuring. “Come on, baby… it doesn’t bother me.”
Lucas searched his face, like he was trying to be sure.
“He’ll come around, when it’s time.” Alex added, his tone steady with quiet confidence.
The light turned green, and the car eased forward again.
“The only thing that matters,” Alex continued, glancing at him again, softer now, “is that I love you… and you love me.”
Lucas’s lips curved into a small smile, his eyes warming despite everything. “I do,” he whispered.
Alex’s hand found his again, intertwining their fingers this time.
“So don’t worry about your dad, okay,” he encouraged.
That instant, his phone buzzed with Mac’s message.
His heart skipped.