NOVEL WEB The early morning air was crisp, tinted with the subtle scent of the blossoming trees surrounding Lucas' grand mansion.
Celia stood at the entrance, her posture tense with nervous energy as she awaited the man who held not just the reins of great power but possibly the fate of her and her son.
Lucas appeared at the doorway, dressed impeccably in a dark robe that accentuated his commanding presence.
His apparent surprise at finding Celia waiting for him was fleeting, quickly replaced by a cheery smile, "Celia, to what do I owe the pleasure at such an early hour?" His tone was light, yet there was a sharpness in his eyes that didn't quite reach his smile.
Celia, her hands clasped tightly together, glanced around before speaking, her voice barely above a whisper, "Could we talk somewhere more private? It's about Xulan."
Lucas raised an eyebrow but nodded. He gestured toward a secluded part of the garden, a spot ensconced by high hedges and flowering bushes, offering a semblance of privacy. They walked in silence, the gravel crunching softly under their feet.
Once they were out of earshot of the house, Celia turned to him, her eyes filled with a mother's plea, "Please, I beg you, do not involve Xulan in whatever you are planning. He is still so young, and this world... it's cruel. He doesn't need to be a part of it…part of your plans to get back at me."
Lucas' expression remained unchanged as he leaned casually against a stone bench. "Celia, you wound me. Here I am, taking such good care of your son, offering him knowledge and opportunities, and yet, you seem to think I have ulterior motives. Why would I want to get back at you? Do you think you have wronged me?"
Celia flinched, not missing the underlying threat in his velvety tone. "I am starting to realise what you could have felt that day. I was so lost in my own feelings that I never thought how hurt you must have been."
Lucas' eyes momentarily flickered before he chuckled and looked at Celia as he asked. "Am I hearing you right? Or are you just that desperate to protect your innocent son?"
Celia shook her head with tears in her eyes as she clutch Lucas' sleeve. "No…I would never lie to you about something like this."
"You would never lie to me?" Lucas coldly scoffed as he shook off her hand from his sleeve. "How many lies did you say to my face in those days while you whored out yourself, claiming it was for the noble cause of protecting me. Did I ever ask you or did you even bother trusting me with whatever was going on? You never saw me as your man but a pitiful thing you wanted to take care of."
Celia felt her heart clench as old memories came flooding back. "I-I only wanted to protect you. It's the truth. You weren't strong nor did you have any strong background. Jiang would have had you killed for sure if I didn't do as he said. You tell me…..even if I told you, what could we have done?"
Lucas slowly nodded before he looked at her and said softly. "Whether we both died or not, we could have stayed with each other with our dignity and love intact. If you were afraid of any consequences to yourself, I would have let you go. But you went behind my back, betrayed me and you expected me to understand you and stay with you? As if what my so-called mother did wasn't enough."
Celia began to tear up as she fell on her knees and clutched his legs. "You don't have to forgive me….I will gladly get punished by you for the rest of my life and remember that it was me who hurt you first. I will be your slave for eternity. But please….leave my son, Xulan out of this. You will get nothing by hurting him. I know you want to hurt him so that I would suffer more but what happens after that? None of us will ever feel better."
"You think I am doing this to make myself feel better?" Lucas coldly asked as he looked down at her. Celia shook her head and said. "You might not but I don't want you to keep hurting like this. I hurt you first but even if I can't reverse what I did, let me try and make it up to you as much as I could. Even if you see me as nothing but a tool, let me be a useful one for you. I know you want to get back at Nadia, Yiman, Jiang and others. I can make it easier for you."
Lucas narrowed his eyes and then slowly curved his lips. "Fine. Let's see how sincere you really are about making it up to me. So for now, I will be a very dedicated teacher to your son and nothing more. But…..cross me once more, and I assure you, Xulan will face a fate far worse than mine."
Celia lowered her head, her heart pounding. Lucas' charming facade did little to mask the danger that lurked beneath. She nodded slowly, a silent acknowledgment of her powerless position.