Chapter 136 Undeniable fear
Alex met his gaze, his expression calm, but there was a hint of something else beneath it.
“My Mom just reminded me that they were expecting us to be there,” he continued. “And baby, she specifically said she wants to meet you.”
Lucas blinked.
“Me?”
Alex nodded. “Yes, baby.”
There was a brief silence as Lucas processed that.
“Alex, I'm a bit nervous.”
Alex gave a small, knowing smile. “Sweetheart, don't be, okay. My family is very accommodating. You don't have to feel uncomfortable, I will be there with you.”
Lucas let out a quiet breath, turning back to the sink, though his thoughts were clearly spiraling. Could the turnout of the dinner be good or bad?
A little silence stretched before he hissed out a relieved breath. “Alright, as long as you're there. I will be fine,” he said with a light smile.
Alex watched him for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah,” he said softly, slipping his arms around him. “I will be there, hmm.”
The next day, Lucas remained at Alex’s place. He brought up going back to Nathan’s place, but Alex had calmly but firmly talked him out of it. He had gently insisted that there was too much going on, too many unanswered questions. Lucas didn’t argue much after that, knowing that he was right.
Meanwhile, since Alex mentioned that the spiked drink was meant for Lucas, something in Lucas had clicked, and it didn’t sit right. Suspicion had crept in fast, and uninvited. His father and Gab were the only ones familiar with such a motive.
Across the room, Alex was already buried in work. His eyes locked on his system, fingers moving quickly across the keyboard. He focused as if nothing had happened.
Lucas wasn’t okay. So he stepped aside, pulled out his phone, and dialed Gabe. The call barely rang twice.
“Lucas!” Gabe’s voice burst through. It was too warm. “I was just thinking about you…”
“Save it.” Lucas cut him off coldly. “Let’s not pretend we’re suddenly close. I need the truth. Did you do it?”
A bit of silence.
“L-Lucas… do what?” Gabe stammered, confusion bleeding into his tone. “I don’t understand.”
Lucas’s jaw tightened. “Benson’s fashion event, yesterday. Don’t tell me you suddenly forgot.”
“I swear, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Gabe said quickly, voice rising with urgency. “What happened? Were you threatened? Lucas, are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Lucas replied, clipped. “But my friend who took the drink meant for me, wasn’t.”
There was a sharp inhale on the other end. “Your drink was spiked?” Gabe sounded genuinely shaken now. “God… Lucas, I’m so sorry, but it wasn’t your father. And it wasn’t me.”
Lucas said nothing.
Gabe continued, rushing now, words tumbling over themselves. “Your dad… he’s changed. Lately, he’s been… remorseful. And me, I regret everything. I shouldn’t have followed his orders back then. I’m sorry for all the stress we put you through. But that incident wasn’t us. I swear it.”
Lucas exhaled slowly, his grip tightening around the phone.
“Fine,” he said at last. “That’s all I needed to know. Take care of yourself.”
He was about to end the call…
“Wait!” Gabe cut in quickly. “Is there surveillance? Cameras at the event? We could trace whoever did this.”
Lucas glanced toward Alex instinctively. He was busy with work.
“There are cameras,” he replied. “But don’t worry. It’s already being handled.”
A pause before Gabe’s voice softened. “Lucas… please be cautious. And consider coming home.”
Lucas’s expression darkened.
“I believe your father has accepted things, even about Alex,” Gabe added gently. “Maybe it’s time you forgive him. Alex doesn’t have to be a problem, he could be a bridge for the family.”
Lucas didn’t respond.
“Just… think about it, okay?”
The line went dead.
Lucas lowered the phone slowly, his thoughts anything but settled.
The day passed, surprisingly well. Lucas and Alex kept things light, talking, resting, and even laughing at times. For a while, it almost felt like nothing was wrong, until evening came.
Alex was already dressed, standing near the mirror taking the last look. He looked sharp and composed in his white turtle-neck top and black pants. He was every inch the man expected at a formal family dinner. He was ready to go.
His eyes flicked toward the closet for the third time. “Lucas, are you still not ready?” he called out.
“Almost.”
Alex exhaled lightly, checking his watch. He walked towards the closet. “Hmm, baby, I wonder how long it will take you to get ready if you're a lady.”
Lucas chuckled, “Come on honey, don't forget, I'm half a lady, hmm.” He said winking at Alex.
Alex walked over to him, hugging him from behind. “Hmm, okay, make it snappy. I want your first impression to be sweet like you.” He kissed him and muttered, “You smell like an apple.” He kissed him again.
Lucas chortled, “Alex, come on stop teasing me. We will be late.”
Alex wasn’t ready to stop, but that instant, his phone buzzed.
“Alright, hurry up, let me see who is calling,” he said, stepping out of the room. The moment he checked and saw the name on the screen, his expression darkened.
Mac.
Alex didn’t hesitate. He answered immediately, his voice low and edged. “What do you want, Mac?”
There was a pause, then a voice came through, smooth and taunting.
“Wow… do you really want to know what I want?”
Alex’s jaw tightened. “Yes, Mac. Is it money?” he said bluntly. “How much? Name it so you can leave us the heck alone.”
His tone hardened further. “I don’t want Lucas knowing about these calls. I don’t want him getting worried. So tell me, how much?”
For a second, there was silence.
Then, laughter. It was cold, sharp, and unsettling. It echoed through the line, sending a chill down Alex’s spine.
“Really, Alex darling?” Mac said, amusement laced with something darker. “Money?”
The laughter faded, replaced by something far more dangerous.
“What makes you think money can fix what you’ve done?”
Alex’s brows furrowed.
“I don’t want your fucking money,” Mac continued, his voice dropping, with restrained anger. “I want you to feel it. Every bit of pain you inflicted on me.”
A chill crept up Alex’s spine.
“This isn’t something you can buy your way out of,” Mac added coldly. “Do you hear me?”
Alex’s grip on the phone tightened. Something wasn’t right.
His mind raced instantly as it dawned on him that Mac wasn't James?
It didn’t add up. James was manipulative, and he likes money a lot. But this person? He sounded different, deeper, and personal in a way that didn’t match. Besides, Alex had never hurt James.
If anything, it was the opposite.
“I don’t understand…” Alex muttered under his breath, more to himself than the caller.
Fear, quiet but undeniable, began to settle back in his chest.
If this wasn’t James, then who?
His voice sharpened, cutting through the tension. “Who the heck are you?”
There was a long pause on the other end. Then a slow, deliberate breath before Mac said, almost softly, “You really don’t remember whom you hurt badly, right?”