Chapter 36 Unspoken bonds
Alex smiled at his reaction and muttered, 'Not to worry, my Lucas; we will get used to each other's eyes soon.'
Raising his voice again, “Lizzy, make it less spicy, please.” He said, and the girl responded, “Yes, sir.”
He started his normal routine, in the kitchen, making sure everything was going well.
Lucas's heart kept pounding. He wondered, “Has he left? Please heavens, let him leave. I don't understand what is wrong with me; this is my first opportunity after days of searching. Please help me not to fuck this up,” he muttered in prayer.
After about a minute, he didn’t hear the voice again, and a relieved breath slipped past his lips. “Thank goodness,” he muttered, forcing his focus back onto the cutting board.
Lucas was excellent with knife work—one of the skills he had drilled relentlessly during his culinary program. The blade moved smoothly before his fingers, swift and precise, the steady tap-tap against the board almost soothing.
This was familiar territory, and it was very comforting for him at that moment. He felt alive—exactly where he belonged. Being there and doing what he loved, filled him with a quiet thrill.
He was nearly finished when a familiar scent drifted toward him.
That cologne in the elevator. His heart skipped. His hands stilled mid-slice.
A chorus of “Good morning, sir” rippled through the other side of the kitchen, voices straightening with instant respect. Slowly, Lucas lifted his head and glanced over his shoulder.
It was him again. Lucas wondered how he got there and was now all dressed up. He stood a few steps away, dressed in a crisp chef’s uniform that seemed tailored to perfection. The cap on his head bore a single word in bold letters: Executive. Authority clung to him as naturally as his presence commanded the room. Under the bright kitchen lights, he looked even more striking—sharp, composed, and undeniably breathtaking.
Lucas realized he was staring only when a low voice murmured beside him.
“Lucas,” Zenith said, leaning in just enough to be heard, “are you crushing on our boss?”
“What—what? No! I’m not,” Lucas stared wide-eyed as he blurted, the words tumbling out too fast. His face heated instantly as he snapped his attention back to his cutting board.
But it was too late, Zenith had seen his flushed face. And just as he noticed Lucas, so did Lucas, out of the corner of his eye, catch the flicker of emotion crossing Zenith’s face—something dark and unsettled. He was angry, and beneath it, lay an unmistakable jealousy.
“Then stop staring and focus on what you’re doing.” The anger in his voice was sharp, unmistakable, and it completely baffled Lucas.
“Yes, sir,” he replied quickly, forcing his gaze steady to the cutting board.
He tightened his grip on the knife, determined to keep his eyes, and his thoughts under control. “The vegetables were almost done. Just finish them. Don’t look up. Don’t look at him again.” Lucas muttered to himself.
Unaware that Alex was already moving toward him, Lucas worked mechanically, his hands steady while his mind spiraled. Zenith’s strange behavior replayed itself over and over—his tone, his stare, that odd question from earlier. Before he realized it, a whisper slipped past his lips, barely audible over the clatter of the kitchen.
“No… how can I be crushing on him? I’m not gay. What even made him think that? There’s nothing wrong with admiring a handsome man. Right? Or is there something wrong with…” He paused as the whiff of the cologne increased, as if he were much closer. “Don’t look, Lucas, focus,” he whispered to himself, but then it happened.
“What is this nonsense again? Zenith!” The barked command snapped through the air like a whip.
Lucas jerked violently, nearly dropping his knife. He looked up in panic, confusion written all over his face. “S-sorry, sir, I—I—”
“Enough.” Alex raised a hand sharply, cutting him off mid-sentence.
Lucas’s mouth snapped shut as his heart began to pound. He barely had time to breathe before Zenith strode to his side, his presence suddenly overwhelming.
“What is this?” Alex thundered, eyes blazing as he grabbed one of the peppers. “Why is he batonnetting my bell peppers? Didn’t I clearly instruct yesterday that all bell peppers are to be diced?”
The words echoed through the kitchen.
“Oh dear,” Zenith said, frowning deeply. “But Lucas, I told you to dice the peppers.” The lie was smooth, effortless, and delivered straight to his face without the slightest hesitation.
Lucas froze, dumbfounded. His head shook instinctively, denial written in every movement. This wasn’t true. He knew it wasn’t. His lips parted, ready to defend himself, to tell the boss that Zenith was lying.
But Zenith was already talking.
“I’m so sorry, sir,” he said quickly, placing a hand to his chest in apology. “I forgot to supervise him properly. It won’t happen again.”
Another lie. Just as seamless.
Lucas stood there, stunned, the knife trembling slightly in his hand, his confusion deepening as the weight of the moment settled heavily in his chest.
Something was very wrong, and he was standing right in the middle of it, keeping quiet.
Alex’s gaze snapped from Lucas to Zenith, sharp and unforgiving.
“No excuse will be tolerated next time.”
Lucas lifted his eyes and stared straight at Zenith, a defiant spark flashing despite the fear coiling in his chest. Alex caught the look, his lips parting to speak—but Lucas moved first.
“Sir, I promise this will never happen again,” Lucas said quickly, bowing his head in respect. “Please pardon me.”
Alex didn’t respond immediately. Instead, his eyes lingered on Lucas, roaming over him with open astonishment. He had grown—broader, taller, stronger. The boy who had once dragged him from the jaws of death now stood before him as a man.
His mystery man was Lucas, his Lucas…
The memory hit hard. The debt he owed him was immeasurable.
“Zenith, you may go,” Alex said at last, waving him off absently.
Zenith didn’t move right away.
Alex remained rooted to the spot, his gaze fixed on Lucas with an intensity that made Lucas’s skin prickle. Something was unsettling in the way he stared—too long, too focused.
Lucas shifted slightly, unease crawling up his spine.
“Sir, please forgive him,” Zenith interjected, stepping in quickly, his voice calm but calculated. He was already uneasy, his thoughts spiraling. Is Alex interested in Lucas?
Zenith's apology snapped Alex out of his trance. He blinked, then turned to Zenith and nodded.
“You may go, Zenith. I’ll let this slide,” he said firmly. “It’s his first and last mistake. Isn’t that right, Lucas?”
“Yes, sir,” Lucas replied at once, bowing his head again.
Zenith clenched his jaw. He didn’t like the sight of Alex standing so close to Lucas. He didn’t like the way his attention refused to leave him. But he had no choice but to turn and walk away.
Yet even as he did, his eyes kept drifting back to them.
He knew Alex far too well.
Curly brown hair had always been his weakness—and Lucas already fit the picture too perfectly.
“Lucas, come to my office, during your break period, it's important, okay”
Lucas nodded, “Yes sir.”