Chapter 155: Confusion and suspicion

“I… I know,” Nathan admitted, running a hand through his hair. “But I can’t think straight.”

Lucas tried to stand, but his legs betrayed him, wobbling beneath his weight. Nathan quickly caught him, wrapping an arm around his waist to steady him.

“Easy… easy,” Nathan whispered, though his own balance wasn’t much better.

Lucas swallowed hard. “This isn’t just alcohol,” he said, forcing the words out. “I’ve had more than this before… I didn’t feel this tipsy.”

That seemed to cut through Nathan’s haze just enough. His expression shifted, from dazed to uneasy.

“You think…?” Nathan started, glancing toward the door, then back at Lucas.

Lucas nodded faintly. “I need to call Alex.”

This time, Nathan didn’t stop him.

Lucas fumbled with his phone again, his fingers clumsy, vision slightly blurred. It took him a few tries before he finally managed to unlock it.

Meanwhile, Nathan moved toward the door, peeking out into the hallway. The music from the party still pulsed faintly in the distance, but something about it now felt far detached.

The same waiter who had directed them earlier was nowhere in sight. Nathan’s jaw tightened.

“Luc… we might have been set up.”

Lucas finally hit the call button, lifting the phone to his ear. It rang once… twice, “Pick up,” he whispered urgently.

Behind him, Nathan closed the door halfway, his instincts kicking in despite the fog clouding his head.

“Lock it,” Lucas said weakly.

Nathan hesitated for a split second, then turned the lock with a soft click.

As the phone continued to ring, Lucas leaned back against the chair, his breathing uneven.

“Alex… please pick up…”

Meanwhile, across the hall, the party roared on.

Laughter. Music. Glasses clinking.

Completely unaware. Alex stood slightly away from the crowd, phone pressed to his ear, his expression sharp as he finalized the last details with Dave.

“…fine. We’ll proceed once the documents are ready,” Alex said, his tone controlled.

His phone buzzed again in his palm. It was Lucas as he glanced at it. Then declined.

“I’ll call him back,” he muttered, slipping the phone into his pocket as he turned his attention back to business.

Minutes later, the deal was wrapped up. Dave clapped him lightly on the shoulder. “Good doing business with you.”

Alex gave a brief nod, already distracted. The moment they stepped back into the main party, he felt cold. Instantly, something felt off. His eyes immediately began scanning the crowd. Left, right, entrance, bar, and dance floor.

Both Lucas and Nathan were in sight. His brows furrowed.

He pulled out his phone and dialed Lucas.

It rang and rang but no answer.

Alex’s jaw tightened. He called again, but still nothing.

A third time…the line didn’t even go through. It said it was switched off.

That was when the unease twisted into something sharper and darker.

His grip on the phone tightened.

He immediately dialed another number.

“Dan.”

“Yes, boss.”

“I need a few boys at the party venue. Now.”

A pause. “Is everything okay?”

Alex’s gaze swept the room again, colder this time. “No, Lucas is missing, Just get them here.”

He hung up.

Nearby, Dave had already drifted into another group, laughing easily, drink in hand, completely at ease.

Alex’s eyes locked onto him. For a moment. Then narrowed.

Nathan was nowhere in sight either and he wasn't even aware.

What if, it's not Mac Hunter or James’s problem? A slow, dangerous thought crept in.

Could he be with Nathan, freely?

Alex’s jaw clenched.

Images flashed, Nathan’s gaze earlier, the way he looked at Lucas.

It was too familiar, too soft, and too fucking interested.

Alex exhaled sharply, his temper flaring. “What the hell is going on…” he muttered under his breath. Then paused on his track and dialed Nathan’s number.

It was switched off. That was it.

The last thread snapped. His expression darkened completely, something lethal settling behind his eyes.

“Could Nathan be trying something with my Lucas?” he growled quietly. “I saw the way he looked at him when we arrived…”

His voice dropped, deadly calm now.

“I’ll fucking kill him if he tries anything stupid.”

Without another second wasted, Alex turned sharply and strode toward the security section. Each step he took was purposeful and controlled. Yet he was burning underneath.

He pushed the door open without knocking. The security guard's head snapped up.

Inside, the monitors flickered, multiple camera angles of the venue playing at once.

“Rewind the footage to the party floor,” Alex ordered, his voice cold enough to freeze the room.

The guards straightened immediately. “Sir?”

“Now.”

They scrambled to work.

Alex stepped closer to the screens, eyes locked, unblinking, watching and waiting. His heart thudded as he prayed that whatever he was about to see, wouldn't be the end of it all. He hoped Nathan’s presence wasn't going to change everything.

The monitors flickered endlessly, casting cold light across Alex’s face as the footage rolled. His jaw was tight, his eyes sharp and calculating. Behind him, the door opened and his men filed in quickly. Thomas and two others, alert and ready.

“Boss, we're here.”

Alex didn’t turn. “Stay quiet and watch.”

His gaze remained glued to the screen as clips rewound and fast-forwarded in fragments of movement…guests arriving, laughter, waiters weaving through crowds.

He leaned slightly forward, thinking. Nathan… Dave… when did they arrive? His fingers tapped once against the desk.

“Stop,” he said suddenly. “Go back, about 50 minutes.”

The guard obeyed immediately.

The footage rewound. Then played. And there they were.

Nathan and Dave are stepping into the venue.

Alex’s eyes narrowed.

“Yes… That’s him. That’s the guy with Lucas.”

Thomas stepped closer, squinting slightly. “Nathan?”

“Yes,” Alex muttered, voice low and possessive. “I don’t trust him with my baby.”

His tone carried a warning that made the room tense. “Pause it,” Alex ordered. “That’s when Dave and I left them to catch up.”

The footage resumed, this time at a faster pace. Laughter, talking.

Nathan animated as always.

Lucas relaxed… smiling and looking too comfortable.

One of the guards shifted slightly, then spoke without thinking. “Is Nathan in love with him? He seems to really adore…”

“Shut your mouth.” Alex barked.

The words came sharp and deadly, making the room freeze.

Alex turned slowly, eyes blazing. “Lucas is mine. Do you hear me?”

The guard swallowed hard. “S-sorry, sir.”

Silence swallowed the space again. Then the video continued to roll. Then the toast came, glasses raised with smiles.

Alex sent two of the guys to go to the balcony and check around for them.

Then a few minutes later, it showed the moment Nathan was leaning in.

Then the kiss.

Alex’s breath hitched. “What the heck was that?”

“A kiss sir, seems like I was…”

“Shut your trap, that's my lucas. What did he…” Alex barked as the security guard sealed his lips.

To Alex, his anger wasn’t just about the kiss. It was the fact that Lucas didn’t pull away or resist. Instead, he leaned in again for more.

Alex’s heart twisted violently, something cracking deep inside his chest. The room felt smaller as disappointment overwhelmed him.

“How could you, Lucas?” He muttered painfully.