Chapter 80 Chaos germinating
Meanwhile, as Lucas was wallowing in regret, Zenith had driven to a restaurant for dinner. He was about to step out of his car, when his eye caught the familiar black Bentley rolling in behind him.
His instinct forced his eyes towards its plate and bang, the number too looked familiar. It was the same number plate he saw the night of the staff day out. The same car that the young lady Lucas called his fake wife had rushed into and disappeared.
His pulse quickened, and instantly curiosity set in. He shut his door quietly and pretended to search for something inside his car, while keeping the Bentley in sight.
The driver parked smoothly. The rear door opened. Then a young lady stepped out.
He didn’t see her face that night, but the physique he saw before him matched the one he saw that night. She adjusted her handbag and confidently walked toward the restaurant entrance without hesitation.
Zenith waited a few seconds before he stepped out of his car and followed.
Inside the restaurant, the air smelled of grilled meat and expensive wine. He slowed his pace, watching discreetly. The lady didn’t look around. She walked straight to a corner table where another lady was already seated.
Zenith’s eyes widened as she recognized her…Larrisa.
One of Alex’s former girlfriends.
Zenith whispered inaudibly, “Very interesting.”
Then slid into the chair right behind them, his back turned casually to them. He picked up the menu but didn’t read a single word. Every nerve in his body tuned toward their voices.
“Derby, are you saying Lucas is gay?” Larrisa asked, her voice low but tense.
Zenith’s grip tightened on the menu.
“Yes, Larrisa,” Derby replied firmly. “I was there myself. First I saw him with a girl. But then Alex stormed towards them. He was furious that he was chatting with the girl who seemed to be interested in Lucas. He was extremely possessive. The way he held Lucas? That wasn’t friendly or boss versus employee. It was totally ‘you’re mine’ of a thing.”
There was a sharp scoff from Larrisa. “Damn you, Alex,” Larrisa muttered bitterly. “So it’s not Nathan anymore. It’s Lucas now. Which means he has dumped Nathan already. Fuck this.”
Zenith’s brows rose slightly as he muttered to himself. “So that was the angle.”
Derby continued, leaning closer. But don’t worry, Lucas’s father has already told him to break up with Alex. The man was furious, so they may break up soon.”
Larrisa let out a short, humorless laugh. “You think Alex will allow that? If he likes someone, he doesn’t let go. The only thing that might work is if Alex’s father says no. Alex listens to his family. No one else.”
Silence fell for a beat.
Then Derby’s voice dropped, thick with restrained fury. “Damn it. How do we handle this revenge, it's getting complicated. He can’t cause my mother’s death and walk away untouched. Alex has to pay.”
Zenith stilled, “Mother's death and revenge? This is serious. What the heck did Alex do? He is good at breaking people's hearts but murder? It's unbelievable.”
Derby’s fingers curled around her glass. “We can’t let him enjoy a love life. Not after everything, he doesn't deserve happy endings.”
Larrisa’s voice turned cold. “I won't let it happen.”
Zenith slowly lowered the menu.
A slow, dangerous smile curved his lips. This was better than he expected…secrets, family opposition, ex-lovers' anger, and now revenge.
He was only curious when he followed the young lady, but now, he had leverage. And one thing Zenith understood perfectly was how to turn chaos into a weapon.
“Yes, he needs to pay,” Larrisa said, her voice sharp enough to cut glass. But suddenly she froze. Her eyes widened slowly, calculation replacing anger. “Derby… what color are Lucas’s eyes?”
Derby blinked. “His eyes? What does that have to do with our plan?”
Larrisa’s lips curled. “He once said some guy saved him when he was at his lowest. Said if he ever found him, he would marry him. Then he compared me to him, said my hair and eyes matched, but I wasn’t born with a dick. So that disqualified me from being his forever.” She scoffed bitterly. “Apparently, he likes guys with curly brown hair and blue eyes.”
Derby’s expression shifted. “Blue eyes?”
“Yes.”
“Lucas has blue eyes,” Derby said slowly. “Deep ones. The kind you drown in, just like your eyes.”
Silence fell between them.
Larrisa inhaled sharply. “You don’t think…”
“He could be the one,” Derby muttered. “The so-called savior, and his for...”
“Don't finish that,” Larrisa’s jaw tightened. “If that’s true…” Her voice dropped into something dangerous. “Maybe I should just find a gun and shoot him.”
Derby snapped his head toward her. “Are you insane? You want to rot in jail? The plan is to make him suffer, not to turn us into criminals. We’re not cold-blooded killers.”
Zenith leaned back in his seat, a slow, amused chuckle slipping past his lips.
“What do we have here?” he murmured under his breath. “Derby and Larrisa are plotting side by side. My dear Lucas, they’re sharpening knives for your relationship.”
He took a sip of his drink, eyes glinting. “And your father is already involved? Interesting.”
Zenith didn't go anywhere until after them. He listened as the two women huddled closer, their voices low and tight with calculation. The air around them practically crackled with vengeance. They weren’t just talking, they were strategizing.
“Well,” Zenith mused, cutting into his steak, “let’s see how Alex and Lucas survive this storm.”
He settled in and enjoyed his dinner, entertained by the unfolding drama as the girls across the room continued dissecting possibilities, how to expose, how to manipulate, and how to make Alex pay.
Back in the car, the atmosphere was entirely different between Alex and Lucas.
Lucas had been restless from the moment they left the bar. “I hate secrets,” he muttered for what felt like the tenth time, tugging at Alex’s sleeve like a troubled child. “Secrets are bad. They ruin everything. What should I do now?”
Alex glanced at him briefly before returning his focus to the road. “Do, about what, Lucas?”
Lucas turned to him with wide, conflicted eyes. “Do you have secrets?”
Alex’s brow furrowed. “No, do you have?”
Lucas immediately shook his head, too quickly. “It’s bad.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“Oh it’s bad, you will be mad,” Lucas repeated stubbornly, folding his arms, then unfolding them again. He shifted closer and tugged at Alex’s arm once more. “If someone has a secret… and they tell it… and it hurts someone… is that better than hiding it?”
Alex slowed at a red light and finally looked at him fully. Lucas’s face was flushed, eyes glassy with exhaustion and worry.
“It depends,” Alex said gently. “But hiding things usually hurts more.”
Lucas swallowed hard and leaned back in his seat. “I hate secrets,” he whispered again, softer this time.
By the time they pulled into the driveway, his words had dissolved into half-formed mumbles.
Alex gazed at him worriedly and caressed his cheek, “What the heck is this secret?”