Chapter 71 Seeds for crack
Meanwhile, initially, Zenith had not meant to spy on them. At least, that’s what he would tell himself. He had walked away last night with breeding lips wondering why the fake wife would drug Lucas. And also angry at Alex for hitting him so hard.
By morning, he woke up early and waited for them to leave, as most of the staff had departed with the company bus, but Lucas didn't leave with them. He didn't want to leave with the company bus either due to his face that was still swollen.
So after he packed to leave at last, he was passing by the back of room 104 and noticed that a window was open. So curiosity set in.
He stopped, before you knew it he was taking a peek, then he saw them. Not the whole thing but just enough.
Lucas stepped forward and touched him first. Foreheads resting together, and then the kiss. It was slow, unhidden, as if he had
chosen him.
Zenith stood frozen, breath shallow, hand still pressed against the wall beside the window. He didn’t interrupt, didn’t flinch, didn’t make a sound. His heart didn’t shatter, it didn’t rage; rather, it went still.
Yeah, because this wasn’t confusion, manipulation, or Lucas being cornered or pressured. It was mutual, and that changed everything. The equation Zenith had been building in his mind… the doubts, the leverage, the assumptions. It collapsed in a second. Whatever advantage he thought he had, whatever opening he imagined existed between them… it was gone.
With disappointment, Zenith straightened slowly. His jaw tightened, not in heartbreak, not even in jealousy but in recalculation.
That wasn’t Alex chasing Lucas, it wasn’t jealousy or forcing a move. Lucas had closed the gap and made his choice.
Zenith exhaled slowly through his nose, eyes still fixed on the scene he had just witnessed. “He dared to choose that devil,” he murmured under his breath, lips curving faintly. “Interesting… but he’ll regret it.”
There was no tremor in his voice, just cold amusement. He stepped back from the window before either of them could notice the shadow outside. His movements were smooth, controlled. It wasn't a retreat, it was repositioning.
As he walked toward the stairwell, he pulled out his phone and dialed Nathan’s number. The call connected after three rings.
Zenith didn’t waste time.
He chortled lightly, tone deliberately casual. “Hi, Nat. Are you aware that Alex is smooching a new recruit?”
“Come on, Zenith,” Nathan sighed, there was a faint clatter of kitchen utensils in the background. “It’s too early for gossip. I don’t have time for this and…”
“Come on Nat, it’s not gossip,” Zenith cut in smoothly. “I saw them kissing, slow and intimate. He is smooching your friend Lucas.”
A silence stretched, then a short laugh. “What?” Nathan scoffed. “Lucas is straight. So maybe check who you saw. And besides, I’m not with Alex anymore.” His tone sharpened slightly. “Enjoy your day, Zenith.”
The line went dead.
Zenith lowered the phone slowly, staring at the screen before it dimmed. A small smile tugged at his lips. “That is denial and it's predictable. But my friend, seeds didn’t need immediate belief to grow.” Zenith whispered with a cruel smirk.
Meanwhile, Nathan threw the phone back in his pocket, shaking his head with a chuckle. “Lucas and Alex? Zenith must’ve been hallucinating.”
Still, the image lingered for a second too long before he forced himself back into work.
Lucas, on the other hand, floated through the day like he was living inside a dream. It felt unreal.
They stole kisses when no one was looking, took quick brushes in quiet corridors, lingering touches in empty rooms. But every time Alex’s hand began to wander lower, fingers tracing bold paths along Lucas’s waist or sliding beneath fabric, Lucas would gently pull back.
“Sorry,” he would whisper, cheeks flushed. “I’m not ready yet.”
And every single time, Alex would stop. Not reluctantly, or angrily.
He would press his forehead to Lucas’s and murmur, “It’s okay babe. I’ll wait.”
The restraint only made everything burn hotter. By evening, when it was time to leave, Alex refused to let Lucas head straight home. Instead, he drove him to a high-end boutique across town.
“You need proper clothes,” Alex insisted. “Not those tired office rotations.”
Lucas protested weakly, but it was useless. Shirts, Jackets, pants, shoes, and even underwear. The kind of brands Lucas used to wear without thinking… before his father froze his accounts. Alex paid without blinking.
When he finally dropped Lucas off at Nathan’s place, the air between them felt heavy again.
“I will miss you.” He whispered as he cupped Lucas’s face gently and pressed an early goodnight kiss to his lips. It was slow but filled with warmth and promise.
“Text me before you sleep, hmm.”
Lucas nodded, with a smile, his heart pounding happily.
That night, Nathan tried to ignore the voice in his head. But Zenith’s words kept replaying despite himself. At one stage he whispered, “Lucas and Alex, that's ridiculous.”
But still, he stole glances at Lucas across the living room while pretending to scroll through his phone. Lucas looked… lighter, a bit distracted, and smiling at nothing.
Nathan almost waved the suspicion off, until his eyes landed on the shopping bags and the clothes. He stood, casual, walking over.
“Wow,” he said, running his fingers over the fabric of a jacket. The quality was unmistakable. “These are new.”
Lucas’s stomach dropped.
“They look expensive,” Nathan added, inspecting the stitching. “Has your dad unfrozen your account?”
Lucas’s heartbeat slammed against his ribs. He wasn’t ready yet to open up about Alex, so his head swirled for a way out.
Forcing his expression into something neutral. “No. I, uh… took a loan from Diana.”
Nathan’s brows lifted.
“Oh?” His lips curved faintly. “Your crush?”
“Come on, Nat,” Lucas shot back with a lazy smirk, tossing the new shirt onto the bed. “She’s the one crushing, not me.”
Nathan leaned against the wardrobe, arms folded, eyes gleaming with mischief. “Alright then. Tell me your type. Let’s see if I qualify.” He tilted his head slightly. “Because I think I’ve been crushing on you since you moved in. We could be a…”
Lucas spun around so fast that Nathan didn’t finish. “Be what?” His brows shot up. “A couple?” His voice rose before he could stop it. “Get a grip, Nat. I’m not gay.”
The denial came too sharply. Too loud..A flicker of panic flashed across his eyes before he masked it with irritation.
Nathan straightened immediately. “Hey, calm down, buddy.” He lifted his hands in surrender. “I’m joking, okay.” He paused, studying Lucas more closely.
“I just wanted to see if your preference has changed. Because Zenith said something unbelievable this morning.”
Lucas’s pulse slammed against his ribs on hearing Zenith's name.
He turned abruptly toward the wardrobe, pretending to rearrange hangers that didn’t need rearranging, just to hide his face.
“What did he say?” His tone was aimed to be casual but it landed strained.
Nathan shrugged. “He said you and Alex are smooching each other.”
“What?” Escaped Lucas’s lips in fear.