Chapter 62 Chapter 62.

Chapter 62 Chapter 62.
Chapter 62.

Lucas, unable to concentrate, looks at the photos with a clenched jaw. One photo consumes him: the image of Alexéi, leaning over Alicia's helmet, adjusting her hair with intimate closeness. It is not the touch of a stalker; it is the gesture of a confidant.

The head of security enters, his face serious. “Mr. Jank, they have returned to the university. Krylov is dropping her off in the campus parking lot.”

“And where the hell were your men? Why didn’t they stop her?” Lucas hisses, his voice low and threatening.

“Sir, there was no inappropriate physical contact. It seemed like a friendly outing. Intervening would have caused another scandal of assault on a civilian. We had to document.”

Rage mixes with humiliation. Alicia has not only broken his rules; she has done it with the man who represents everything Lucas is not: freedom without commitment.

The Taste of Normality

Alexéi drives the motorcycle back to the campus parking lot and stops next to the Ferrari. Alicia takes off her helmet; the cool air hits her face. Her eyes sparkle.

“Thank you,” Alicia whispers. “That was incredible.”

Alexéi takes off his own, watching her in silence, observing the change in her expression.

“So?” Alexéi asks. “Did you like being low-profile for the first time in your life?”

“I liked it,” Alicia responds, the weight of her real life crashing back. “I really liked just being Alicia.”

Alexéi’s smile is warm. “When you need to be just Alicia again, you know where to find your friend.”

Alicia feels the knot in her throat loosen. She says goodbye to Alexéi, gets into her Ferrari, and drives towards the mansion, carrying with her not only her books but the tangible memory of a day of authentic freedom.

Alicia arrives at the Jank mansion late that evening, past 7 p.m. The twilight colors the windows dark orange. The house is strangely silent, a stillness that Alicia finds more unsettling than noise. She has seen the calls: ten missed calls from Lucas and three urgent messages that abruptly stopped at noon. Her body is charged with tension, anticipating the hurricane of jealousy that should have swept over her the moment she crossed the threshold.

She enters with the university books still in her arms, the evidence of her alibi. She moves slowly toward the living room.

And there she finds him.

Lucas is waiting for her, sitting in the leather armchair, an image of relaxed but deadly power. A glass of whiskey rests on the side table, almost untouched. His expression is serious, calm, a calmness too perfect that puts her on high alert. He neither shouts nor accuses her; he simply stares at her in silence, a silent examination of her attire and state of mind.

Alicia meets his gaze, facing him with palpable unease. She knows that he knows everything.

The Honesty Game

Lucas breaks the silence, his voice calm, almost casual, but the effect is chilling.

“Did you have fun?”

The question disarms her. It is a trap, an invitation to a confession he already knows.

“Do you want me to be honest, or should I lie?” Alicia asks with a touch of defiance.

“Oh, please,” he replies, taking a small sip of whiskey. “Be honest. Don’t hold back.”

Alicia takes a deep breath, feeling the memory of freedom on her skin.

“I had a great time,” she admits, the truth slipping out effortlessly.

“I’m glad,” Lucas says, his expression undisturbed, too calm. His lack of reaction is her real punishment. He doesn't give her the pleasure of a fight.

“Good,” Alicia says, trying to close the topic. “If there’s nothing more to say, good night.”

She tries to walk past, but Lucas stops her, not physically, but with the intensity of his gaze, forcing her to halt a few feet away.

They stare at each other, the air vibrating with the unspoken: the motorcycle, the museums, the pizza, the laughter, the touch on her hair.

“Tell me what you have to say and get this over with,” Alicia demands, feeling cornered by his patience.

“You’re so eager you can’t even stay a few seconds with your uncle,” Lucas replies, sarcasm dripping from his voice as he uses the word “uncle.”

“Tell me what you want from me, ‘uncle’,” Alicia says, throwing the word back at him with venom, pushing the situation to the limit.

Lucas stands up, putting down his glass. He approaches her, his tall figure intimidating, staring her down. His dark eyes promise a punishment that will not be physical, but emotional.

The Fatal Interruption

Just as the tension is about to break and Lucas is about to speak or kiss her, the living room door opens.

Carolina appears, smiling and dressed in an elegant silk robe. Alicia hides behind the wall dividing the room, out of Carolina's sight.

“Lucas, my love, did Alicia arrive?” she asks, her tone sweet and possessive.

The interruption is a lifesaver and a poison all at once. Lucas pauses, his gaze shifting from Alicia to Carolina.

Alicia smiles slightly, a small, malicious smirk. She sees the perfect opportunity to strike back. She steps up to Lucas, raises her face, and with incredible speed, gives him a short kiss on the lips. It is a kiss that tastes of mockery and defiance, a reminder that, behind closed doors, she still holds control of his body.

She steps away with a sparkle in her eyes and an expression of cold triumph.

“Your fiancée is calling you, ‘uncle’,” Alicia says, leaving the word hanging in the air like a slap before retreating to her room, the sound of her heels marking her temporary victory.

“Ah, Alicia, you’ve arrived, Lucas…” Alicia interrupts her.

“Save your fake concern.”

Lucas stands motionless, his original fury forgotten, now in a state of shock from the audacious kiss and Carolina’s sudden presence.

“Go to bed, Carolina, not now.”

Carolina grits her teeth at Lucas’s dismissal, clearly affected by the situation with Alicia.

The Midnight Punishment

Past midnight, Lucas takes advantage of everyone being asleep to go up and enter Alicia’s room. Lucas closes the door, noticing Alicia asleep in bed, and climbs over her, pulling down her shorts. She barely stirs when she feels him abruptly enter her.

“Aahs!” she gasps, waking up to Lucas's fury. “My love.”

“Yes, I am your love, tell me I am everything to you.”

“Aahs!” she gasps, closing her eyes for an instant. She feels him passionate, anxious, hers. “Oh God! My love!” She kisses him, tearing off his shirt, she kisses his chest, biting him passionately. “You are everything to me, everything, Lucas.”