LUCAS' POV

I watched as Samantha's eyes widened with shock– did she really think I was going to sleep outside my room? It amused me to see her so surprised and caught off guard by my presence in the bed. I got up from the bed and moved to sit on the chair in my study, enjoying the momentary confusion that lingered on Samantha's face.

I collapsed into the chair in my study and poured myself a glass of whiskey, the amber liquid swirling within the glass. As I took a sip, Samantha's soft voice reached my ears, barely a whisper but loud enough for me to catch her words.

"Who begins his day with alcohol anyways?" she muttered, her tone laced with a mixture of irritation and disapproval.

A smug smile played at the corners of my lips as I took a deliberate sip. I set the glass down with a satisfying thud and leaned back in the chair, my gaze fixed on Samantha– her doey eyes blankly staring into space.

"You have a lot to learn about me, Samantha," I replied, my voice laced with amusement.

"I start my d