After the dramatic interview, the rest of Lucas’s day seemed to have gone by increasingly slowly. Even though Mason had told him to keep his head down and focus on only one woman: his fiance, he still couldn’t get Aria out of his head. Her terrified and humiliated expression still haunted his memory.Memory.He flinched in pain as a sudden stabbing feeling pulsed inside his head. He prepared for the painful feeling to reveal a vision of his past but alas, he saw none. All he got was a gut feeling. He had seen Aria’s eyes look like that before, her eyes looked younger at the time too.Lucas at least pretended to be docile and focused on his work when Mason was at his side but he always kept a lookout for a getaway. It saddened and unnerved him that slowly, yet surely, Mason was starting to feel more and more like a stranger. Like someone, Lucas couldn’t rely on it anymore. Or trust, for that matter…As soon as he caught sight of the ‘interviewers’ who harassed Aria, he approached them
The tall city towers began to shrink into houses and eventually into abandoned shacks. As Lucas drove out of the city limits and further out into the rural areas the sky started to darken gradually yet rapidly. Eventually, he drove by a small, rundown, old building that looked like it was supposed to be a nightclub. Or at least it was vibrant decades ago, now it reminded Lucas of a dusty skeleton. However, lights were coming from inside the stained windows and there were a handful of people parked in front of the building. Lucas just hoped that this was still a club and it hadn’t been taken over by a gang of robbers or something.Lucas pulled up onto the gravel parking lot and warily entered the nightclub. Thankfully, it was still just a club. Most of the people there were middle-aged or older. It looked as if the regulars had remained regulars for decades as well. The handsome man walked up to the bartender on the other side of the counter. The woman looked to be in her mid-forties
Flashing lights, the screech of tires. An echoing roar of an engine followed by an agonized scream that belonged to a familiar voice. All of the sounds are brought to an end when Aria springs up with an ear splitting scream. Her body trembled as she gasped for air. The bed and sheets she had laid on were now damp with sweat. Her short breath turned shaky and she hiccuped as she tried to fight back the tears that were starting to bead up at the bottom of her silver eyes. It had been a long time since she’d had a nightmare about Mandy’s death. The intense interview from earlier today brought back old memories that she had been trying to bury for the past three years.Aria sniffled and wiped her tears away on the sheet. She couldn’t resist the feeling of paranoia after hearing her friend’s pained scream in her dreams. Even the twisting shadows from the swaying trees outside the windows made her on edge. Aria hugged her knees, the lonely and frightful feelings that crawled up her spine
As Lucas reached for Aria’s body he paused momentarily to make sure that the woman was truly sound asleep and he could see that she was. Her sides slowly rose up and down with each breath. When her slumber was confirmed he reached closer to her hip until he was able to place his hand on it and slowly glide down to her thighs. A real gentleman would’ve felt shame and self-loathing but such prideful things were overpowered by his curiosity and temptation. His hand gilded her figure as if memorizing her shape by touch alone, he even made sure not to apply too much pressure so that he wouldn’t wake her up. His feelings eventually began to boil into desire and he felt the urge to feel her skin so he reached for the most exposed area, her back on her nightgown. It was satisfying yet torturous to only graze his fingers down her shoulder blades and spine. Feeling up on her stopped abruptly when she moved ever so slightly while still asleep. Even her scent was hypnotizing as he leaned down cl
“Daisy?” Lucas scoffed and rolled his eyes. “What about her? She becomes more of a nuisance by the day. We don’t even sleep in the same bed, let alone live together. The most we do is go out for date nights but even then it’s nothing exciting. It’s a waste of my time.” he grumbles like a grumpy old man but Aria could still see the hint of doubt in his eyes. She wasn’t sure how deep the story goes but she knew that it had to do with his father’s company. He wasn’t in a contract marriage for nothing.Aria couldn’t shrug Daisy off as easily as Lucas could. “The woman is still dating to be wedded to you, Lucas. If the people that worked for your father see what kind of man you’ve become, the kind that spends time with other women, how do you think that’ll make your father look?”Lucas grimaced and looked away. As she thought, he couldn’t just brush off his new fiance so easily. Even if he wasn’t the heir anymore, he still had a reputation to keep for his father’s sake. He still looked at
Lucas glared down at his phone with frustration over his last call. Mason had always had his back in the past, they always had each other’s backs. Why had the tables suddenly turned? Is Mason on his uncle’s side now? Or could it be that Davis is forcing Mason to act against him?He ran his hand through his hair as he tried to collect himself. Davis wasn’t happy when he heard about what happened between him and his so-called fiance. At first, as expected, Lucas didn’t care one bit until what Mason had just told him.“If I don’t make a better effort to make my marriage with Daisy look real then I’ll be sacrificing my job at my own father’s company and likely sell it off to Daisy’s father? That can’t be right…” Lucas kept his thoughts off of his tongue. The only thing that mattered right now was making a better impression.Mason had called him to report that his uncle needed to see him and it was not good news. Not to mention that Lucas is currently late for work since he overslept at Ar
“Do I make myself clear?” Davis questioned his nephew while entwining his fingers and leaning over his desk. Lucas kept his eyes on the floor without giving a response. How could he possibly accept things as they stand? He had already made promises and vows to help Aria no matter what. Was everything he said about to be in vain? Aria’s old bandmates won’t even allow her, they’re all spread out and given up on singing. So who would stand beside her and clear her name?Lucas’s thoughts were interrupted when Davis barked his words loudly with aggression. “SPEAK, boy!”The former heir flinched again. He wasn’t used to seeing his uncle like this and it was somewhat startling. One thing was for certain, his father’s brother wasn’t fooling around with him. He meant business. And how far Davis was willing to go to get what he wanted, Lucas did not know and he didn’t want to find out either. “...I understand,” Lucas muttered while still avoiding eye contact. His voice was deep and low, showi
Mason’s silence turned from annoying to worrisome. The look in the man’s dimly lit eyes expressed that not only was he hiding something, but he was also afraid of something as well. “Mason?” Lucas’s voice changed into a lighter one as he took a step closer to the quiet man.Mason’s hung head quickly lifted again and he forced a smile on his dry lips. “I’ve been talking to a woman lately. I’m sorry that I got defensive. After my wife divorced me, this is a little difficult for me and I’m trying to put myself back out there.”Lucas stared at him for a few seconds as he tried to read his thoughts through his expression alone. His smile was forced. Though his words made sense, of course trying to get used to being in a relationship again after his nasty divorce would leave anybody a nervous wreck because their trust would’ve been shattered almost beyond repair. And yet, something about it just felt awful. It had to have been the look in Mason’s eyes that was making it hard for Lucas to b