Chapter 95 Ice and games
For the first time in three days, their eyes locked. And everything they’d been pretending not to feel came rushing back.
Alex’s thumb brushed lightly against Lucas’s jaw. “Baby… please. Let’s stop this madness. It’s killing me.” His voice cracked. “I’m missing my Lucas. This silence…it’s breaking me. It's scaring me.”
Inside, Lucas was burning but then his thoughts swirled, he said he missed me but he accused me. Then he trapped me with a contract.
Angrily, he slapped Alex’s hand away and shot to his feet.
“Lucas…”
“Don’t.” His voice trembled, not with weakness but with fury. He strode toward the door.
“Stop doing this, please,” Alex pleaded behind him. “Let’s make up. Stop driving me crazy.”
Lucas paused with his hand on the handle but didn’t turn around. “At least I’m not the only one losing it.” His voice was cold now. “You started this Alex. So deal with it.”
He yanked the door open and stormed out. Moments later came a loud sound of the restroom door slamming so hard. The sound echoed down the corridor and back into the locker room.
Alex dragged a hand through his hair, pacing like a caged animal.
“Oh damn it!” he shouted. “Why are you this stubborn, Lucas? Do you want to fucking drive me insane?”
Inside the restroom, it was empty and silent. Lucas leaned back against the door for a second, breathing hard. His hand moved to his chest, feeling the frantic pounding beneath his palm.
“Damn you, Alex…” he muttered. Then pushed himself toward the sink and stared at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes were glassy, jaw tight. “You knew I was desperate for a job,” he said to himself bitterly. “You knew I had no choice. And you added that stupid contract. I thought it was normal company policy and signed.”
His fingers curled around the edge of the sink. “Accusing me of cheating wasn’t enough,” he continued, voice breaking. “You added a threat so heavy I can barely breathe under it, and you expect me to just forget it?”
A tear slipped down before he could stop it. He laughed out suddenly but it was a broken, sarcastic sound.
“That flirty talk is getting to you, right?” Lucas whispered to his reflection. “Margaret’s hand on my arm. Zenith’s stupid jokes. It’s eating you alive.” His eyes hardened as he clenched his fists.
“Then maybe it’s time I ask Margaret out for dinner or ask Zenith out to a bar.”
The idea twisted in his chest like revenge. He wiped his tears quickly, splashed water on his face, and watched himself until the vulnerability disappeared.
With a new composure, he walked out of the restroom, his expression very calm and controlled. Though his heart was something else. He headed back to the kitchen.
And somewhere upstairs, Alex was still breaking. If he didn't get his Lucas back he might really go mad.
Well, luckily, the next time Lucas stepped out to use the restroom, fate placed Margaret right in his path.
She was standing by the hallway mirror, reapplying lip gloss, her laughter echoing as she ended a call. When she saw him, her face lit up instantly.
“Lucas! Going somewhere?” she teased.
He slipped his hands into his pockets, posture relaxed, expression unreadable. “Yeah. Actually, I was looking for you.”
Her brows lifted in surprise. “Looking for me?”
For a brief second, his heart thudded. He almost saw Alex’s face in his mind. Almost hesitated but he didn’t. “I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner with me tonight.”
Margaret blinked as “What?” slipped her lips.
“Dinner,” he repeated smoothly. “Seven-thirty. La Verra Restaurant. I’ll send you the address.”
Her shock melted into excitement so quickly it was almost comical. “Lucas… are you serious?”
He nodded once.
“Oh my God.” She laughed, covering her mouth. “Yes. Yes, of course I’ll go!”
“Good,” he replied calmly. “See you tonight.” He walked away before she could say anything else.
Since the locker room encounter, Alex had been watching the corridor and kitchen monitor. The second he saw Lucas stop in front of Margaret, his body went rigid.
He leaned closer to the screen.
He couldn’t hear the words but he didn’t need to.
Margaret’s hand flew to her chest. She bounced on her heels. She had responded excitedly to Lucas’s request like it were a dinner date.
“Dinner date?” The words slipped off Alex’s lips. His fingers tightened around the edge of his desk.
“No…” he muttered.
He kept his eyes on the screen. Margaret practically floated down the hallway, phone already in her hand. She nearly collided with Judy coming up with the trolley.
“Oh my God, Judy!” Margaret squealed. “Guess what? Lucas just asked me out!”
Alex shot to his feet on seeing Margaret's reaction. “She is telling Judy,” Alex muttered.
He didn’t waste any time because within minutes, Judy was standing awkwardly in his office, clutching her apron.
“Sir, you called for me?”
Alex leaned back in his chair, face calm. “You were just talking to Margaret.”
Judy hesitated. “Yes, sir.”
“And what is the big news?”
“She said… Lucas asked her to dinner tonight.” Judy swallowed. “La Verra by seven-thirty.”
“Good” Alex said and opened a drawer slowly and pulled out an envelope. He slid it across the table toward her.
Judy’s eyes widened.
“This is for you. I want details,” Alex said quietly. “What she plans to wear. When she leaves. If she changes anything. You’ll update me immediately.”
“Sir, I…I..”
“You’ll update me, Judy” he repeated with a firmer voice.
“Yes, sir.” She nodded quickly and picked up the envelope.
When she left, the office door clicked shut softly.
Alex stood and walked to the window, staring down at the parking lot below. “So that’s how you want it, Lucas,” he whispered. “You're trying to really piss me off, hmm.”
By closing time, Alex watched as Lucas entered Zenith’s car. His heart twitched painfully at that. He dialed a number.
“Still here sir,” Ben, one of his men who was waiting down at the parking lot responded.
“He just entered Zenith’s car, follow them.
After about ten minutes, Alex’s phone buzzed. “Yes, Ben.”
“He dropped him off at Nathan’s sir. I think it was just a friendly lift.”
“Thank you Ben, you can go for now.” He cut the call and chuckled. “Friendly lift my ass. Zenith is a snake.”
The dinner time seemed to come too fast. At Nathan's, Lucas stood in front of the bedroom mirror staring at his reflection. He adjusted his collar for the third time before stepping out for his date.
At Alex’s house, he was also dressed up like he was also invited to the dinner. As he gazed at his reflection, he muttered, “Alex, you’re doing this to prove a point to Lucas and anyone concerned.” he told himself. “Not because you want to hurt him.”
He gave his reflection a charming smile. “Not looking bad, huh,” he muttered. “And my sweet Lucas, you’re mine alone.”
That instant, his phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number: She’s wearing a red dress, hair styled in a ponytail, and leaving in 10 minutes. JUDY.
Alex exhaled slowly as he read the message. “Time for our dinner date.”
Across town, Margaret arrived at La Verra glowing in a fitted red dress that clung to her curves. She spotted Lucas near the entrance and waved excitedly.
“You look amazing,” she said breathlessly as she approached.
“You too,” Lucas replied politely.
They were led to a candlelit table near the center of the restaurant. Soft music played. Glasses clinked. Conversations hummed.
Margaret leaned forward, smiling brightly. “I didn’t expect this from you.”
“Expect what?” Lucas asked in confusion.
“This.” She gestured between them. “I thought you were unavailable.”
Lucas forced a small smile. “Well, people change.” But his chest felt tight as the words dropped.
In seconds, the restaurant doors opened again. And the temperature around him seemed to drop.
Margaret didn’t notice but Lucas
did. That cologne, he knew the presence. Those slow, controlled footsteps were approaching from behind him. His heart skipped before the familiar voice cut through the music like a blade.
“ Hello, Lucas.”