Chapter 153 Growing jealousy
Lucas’s phone buzzed once, then again and again. It vibrated restlessly against the bedside table, the screen lighting up the dim room in short, persistent flashes.
Alex glanced at it the first time, then ignored it. By the third buzz, curiosity got the better of him.
He picked it up.
“Nathan?” he muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing slightly as the name flashed across the screen again. “Why does he keep calling like this…?”
The phone buzzed again in his hand. “He should let the phone breathe for crying out loud,” Alex added, irritation creeping into his tone.
At that exact moment, the bathroom door clicked open. Lucas stepped out. Fresh from the shower, water still clung to his skin, trailing down his neck and shoulders. His hair was damp, slightly tousled, and the faint scent of soap followed him into the room.
Before he could reach the phone, it stopped ringing.
“Hmm?” Lucas picked it up, glancing at the screen. A smile spread instantly. “Oh… It’s Nat.”
That instant, the phone buzzed again. Lucas didn’t hesitate this time. “Hello, Nat! What’s up?” he answered, his voice bright, too bright for Alex’s liking.
Nathan’s voice filtered faintly through the speaker, cheerful enough to match.
And just like that, Lucas melted into the conversation. He paced at first, laughing softly and replying quickly, then slowly drifted toward the bed, sitting down without even realizing it.
“Are you serious?” he laughed, shaking his head. “No way, you’re lying!”
Another pause. Then louder laughter.
Alex, who had picked up his own phone, hadn’t looked at it in a while. His attention had shifted entirely. His eyes stayed on Lucas.
Watching, listening, trying to catch fragments, anything…from Nathan’s side of the conversation.
But all he could hear was Lucas.
And the way he laughed was free, easy, and unrestrained.
Something about it didn’t sit right with Alex. The call stretched on.
Minutes passed, then more, and slowly, subtly, Alex’s expression changed. His jaw tightened. His grip on his phone stiffened.
Jealousy crept in quietly… but it settled deep.
Then, Lucas’s voice spiked with excitement. “You mean you’re really coming here for the party?” he nearly exclaimed, sitting up straighter. “Oh, Nat, I’ve missed you!”
Alex’s gaze sharpened instantly.
“I can’t wait to see you,” Lucas went on, smiling so wide it almost hurt to look at him. “I’m looking forward to this, bestie.”
Best friend. The word echoed unpleasantly in Alex’s mind.
“Alright, see you soon,” Lucas added before finally ending the call.
The room fell quiet. Lucas turned, still smiling, eyes bright.
“Nat is coming to town.”
Alex didn’t look up immediately. “So?” he replied flatly. “What’s so special about that?”
Lucas blinked, slightly taken aback. “Come on, honey… It’s been months. I’ve missed him. I can’t wait to see him and catch up.”
A small pause.
“Hm.” That was all Alex gave. His gaze stayed on his phone, expression carefully hidden.
Lucas didn’t notice. He was still riding the excitement. He stood up from the bed, heading toward the closet. “I should figure out what to wear that day…”
The moment his back turned, Alex’s head snapped up. His eyes followed Lucas’s every movement, sharp and calculating. Then his expression darkened.
“Damn it,” His jaw clenched.
“Why is he this happy about Nathan coming?” He muttered out of jealousy.
His mind flashed back to the stunt Nathan had pulled before. The uncertainty increased. “I don’t trust him with my Lucas.” He whispered.
His gaze hardened further, fixed on Lucas’s unaware figure. A slow breath left him. Decision settling in.
“I need to watch him.”
Days later came the night of the party. It was loud, bright, and overflowing with life.
Music pulsed through the grand hall, glasses clinked, and laughter echoed from every corner. The air carried that unmistakable weight of wealth and influence. It was bigger than expected and Mr Benson was glad.
Lucas stood slightly apart from the crowd, his eyes drifting toward the entrance and actually searching for what felt like the hundredth time. Every time the doors opened, his attention snapped there. Then fell again, one time he even whispered, “Not him.”
Alex noticed. From where he stood, drink untouched in his hand, his gaze had been locked on Lucas for a while now. Watching him and growing increasingly irritated.
Finally, he’d had enough. So he walked over, slipping an arm around Lucas’s waist, pulling him just slightly away from his post.
“Come on,” Alex murmured, his tone smooth but firm. “You’ve been standing here all night. Let’s go mingle.”
Lucas barely resisted. “I’m just waiting for…”
“I know,” Alex cut in, already guiding him away. “He’ll show up.”
Reluctantly, Lucas let himself be led into the crowd, though his attention still drifted back now and then and Alex felt it. And that only made the irritation sit deeper.
Then Lucas went to use the restroom. Not long after, the entrance doors opened again. This time, Alex saw Nathan. He was looking good and different but he wasn’t alone.
Walking confidently beside him was Dave Peters, a sharp suit, composed expression. Every bit the man Alex knew him to be.
Alex’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Dave…”
He straightened just as the two approached.
“Nathan,” Alex greeted. greeted, his tone neutral but edged with something unspoken.
Nathan opened his mouth, surprise flickering across his face.
Before either of them could say anything…Dave stepped in smoothly.
“Alex,” he said with an easy smile, extending a hand. “Good to see you again.”
Alex shook it, his attention split.
“I’ve actually been meaning to talk to you,” Dave continued. “As I informed you earlier, there are a few business matters we need to go over.”
Alex nodded slightly. “Of course.”
Then, Dave turned slightly, reaching for Nathan’s hand with casual confidence. “And this,” he added, his tone softening just a fraction, “is my sweetheart, Nathan.”
The words landed surprisingly. For a split second, there was silence.
Nathan’s expression was a bit shy and a bit of delight.
Alex’s grip on his glass relaxed almost imperceptibly. Then their eyes met. A history unspoken but very much alive passed between them in that glance.
Dave, completely unaware, continued effortlessly, “Nathan just transferred to the head branch. Thought it was about time you met him.”
Alex’s lips curved slowly into a polite smile, but controlled and calculated.
“Is that so?” he said, his voice even, but his eyes never left Nathan. And beneath the surface,
Everything had shifted.
Meanwhile, at the far end of the room, half-hidden behind a marble pillar, Larrisa and Derby stood still, their eyes fixed on one target.
Alex and Lucas.
They weren’t talking much. They didn’t need to. The tension between them spoke louder than words…shared purpose with different reasons.
Derby’s fingers tightened around the stem of her glass, her jaw set. Every time Alex laughed or leaned closer to someone, it felt like a personal insult.
He gets to breathe freely… after everything? Her mind flashed, her mother, the loss, the silence that followed. The unanswered questions. The pain that never really left. He’s going to pay for that.
Beside her, Larrisa’s expression was colder, more controlled, but her eyes burned just the same.
Watching Alex now, watching how easily he moved on… how easily he replaced people before her.
Then Nathan after her, and now Lucas.
A bitter smile tugged at her lips.
“Unbelievable,” she muttered under her breath. “He doesn’t even try to hide it.”
Derby didn’t respond immediately. Her gaze had shifted.
“Look.”
Larrisa followed her line of sight.
Nathan had just been introduced.
He stood beside Dave, calm, composed. But that moment Lucas walked back and saw Nathan. Instantly everything else faded. Lucas’s face lit up in a way that was impossible to fake.
And then, they hugged, tight, familiar, and real like best of friends.
Larrisa’s brows furrowed slightly. “Oh, that’s Nathan…”