Velia quickly glanced around to ensure that Lucas had not come out of the bathroom yet. The coast seemed clear, and without hesitation, she pulled open the vanity table drawer.
Her hand reached inside and retrieved a bottle that she had always hidden there. It was the only thing that could calm her during her time living with Lucas.
Velia took out a pill and quickly returned the bottle to its original place. She closed the drawer, then grabbed a glass of water from the nightstand and drank it hastily.
“What did you drink, Ve?”
Suddenly and unexpectedly, Lucas emerged from the bathroom at just the right moment.
Velia choked. She nearly spat out the pill and hurriedly drank as much water as possible. The pill that had been stuck in her throat successfully went down.
“L-Luc.”
Lucas approached Velia with a towel wrapped around his waist. He looked at the glass in Velia’s hand and repeated the question.
“What did you drink?”
Velia fumbled. “I-I didn’t drink anything,” she replied, wiping the remaining water from her mouth. “Nothing at all.”
“Really? It seemed like I really saw you drinking something. Is it medicine? Are you not feeling well?”
Velia suppressed a chuckle. She quickly realized the risk of continuing to deny Lucas’s statement. Especially since she was sure that Lucas had seen it clearly.
“Actually, it’s not medicine,” Velia surrendered. “It’s just some sort of multivitamin. Uh, maybe a post-menstruation pill. It helps with blood circulation.”
Lucas nodded, squinting his eyes. “A post-menstruation pill?”
“Yes.”
Velia’s tension eased. She had been worried that Lucas would find out what she had actually taken, but now she felt more at ease.
“It’s for my health, so I won’t feel weak anymore. That way, I can cook a special breakfast for you this morning.”
Velia’s sweet words amused Lucas. He closed the distance and approached Velia. At the same time, Velia lifted her hand to restrain Lucas’s chest.
“Maybe you should get ready. I’ll be waiting for you at the dining table.”
Velia immediately got up from there. Her expression was filled with amusement as Lucas exhaled with a rhythmic breath and shook his head.
Lucas turned just as the bedroom door closed. Velia had left, leaving him alone in the room. He decided to get ready with the clothes Velia had prepared while muttering softly to himself.
“I guess that’s the most appropriate post-menstruation pill for you, Ve.”
*
“The Marketing Department has surveyed respondents from various backgrounds. The survey results will be available at the end of the month and will be discussed with the Development and Planning Department.”
Lucas rubbed his chin after listening to Paul Williams, the head of the Marketing Department, present the conclusions. Then he shifted his attention.
“What about the Development and Planning Department, Mr. Bell?”
Lucas’s question was met with Ricardo’s confident smile. The middle-aged man straightened his back as he responded.
“The construction of the tower is in progress, sir. The team is currently waiting for the contractors to move forward. There are no issues at all. I can assure you that everything is under control.”
Lucas looked at Ricardo. “You must have been working very hard all this time.”
“What, Sir?”
“No,” Lucas said with a faint smile. “I was just thinking about who could possibly fill your position if, at some point, you’re no longer here.”
Ricardo’s confidence disappeared. Nervousness crept in, causing beads of sweat to form on his face. The atmosphere in the room shifted as a subtle unease spread, and the meeting participants exchanged glances.
“W-what do you mean, Sir?”
Lucas laughed. “I was just thinking of moving you to another department. Don’t worry, I don’t intend to fire you. It wouldn’t make sense for me to let go of a competent person like you, would it?”
Ricardo did not answer but swallowed hard. His body tensed, even as others joined in laughter with Lucas, as if it were a funny joke.
“I-I will do my best, Sir.”
Lucas’s laughter stopped there. His gaze suddenly sharpened as he looked at Ricardo.
“I’m always waiting for your best effort.”
Ricardo froze. He could not say anything else as his tongue went dry.
“Please continue the meeting. I would like proposals for antivirus and network security development by the end of the month, including the progress of our negotiations with the game developer the other day,” Lucas said, rising and turning to Vlora. “You handle this meeting.”
Vlora nodded. “Yes, Sir.”
Lucas decided to leave the meeting. There was something else he had to attend to, so he hurriedly made his way to his office. Unfortunately, someone was waiting for him, causing Lucas to let out a long sigh. Perhaps his work would have to wait for a moment.
“Mom.”
It was Sandra. His mother sat casually on the sofa. When the door opened, she turned and spoke.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
Lucas approached Sandra. He gave her a brief hug before sitting in front of her.
“I’m in a meeting,” Lucas said. “So, what brings you to the office, Mom? If there’s something you need, you should have just contacted me. I could have come home later.”
Sandra’s eyes rolled dramatically. “I couldn’t wait until you came home,” she said, shaking her head faintly. “So, tell me. Since when did you stop living in your own house?”
Lucas briefly averted his gaze. Sandra’s question made him smile faintly.
“I stopped living there when you decided to bring Clarissa closer to me.”
The slight lie Lucas uttered took Sandra by surprise. Her eyes widened, expressing disbelief.
“I guess you found out that I don’t live at home anymore when Clarissa came and couldn’t find me after berating all the household assistants. Then she came to you and complained.”
Sandra grew even more shocked and speechless. It did not need to be explained further; her expression showed that Lucas’s guess was correct.
“Clarissa didn’t complain.”
“We can replace it with the term ‘reported’,” Lucas replied with a puzzled expression. “Did Mom and Dad decide to stay here longer?”
“Perhaps. After all, we haven’t lived here for a long time. Maybe for a few more months. We’re not sure yet.”
Lucas nodded. That possibility gave him a warning. Perhaps he had to be patient a little longer. His mother would not give up so easily.
“So, answer my earlier question and don’t try to change the subject,” Sandra said, focusing on the topic. “Where do you live now?”
“I don’t want Clarissa to suddenly come to my house and cause a scene. So sorry, Mom. I can’t tell you where I live now.”
“Oh my God, Luc.”
Sandra’s hands flew up in frustration. Her patience was wearing thin.
“Clarissa is just trying to get closer to you. Don’t you realize that you’re truly compatible with each other?” Sandra exclaimed.
“No. Not at all. How long will you refuse to accept the fact that there is only one woman who is right for me?” Lucas replied.
Sandra’s hand clenched the arm of the sofa in frustration. Lucas had pushed her buttons, and her patience had worn thin.
“Again, with Velia? When will you realize that she is no longer a part of your life, Luc?” Sandra said, her voice filled with exasperation.
Lucas did not answer. He just let out a long sigh and did not seem inclined to respond to Sandra’s frustration.
“Don’t you even try to please me, Luc? By accepting Clarissa?” Sandra continued.
“Do you want to see me living with someone I don’t like?” Lucas asked. He snorted briefly and shook his head. “Forget about marrying her, I can’t even stand sitting with her for five minutes.”
“You haven’t tried, Luc. Everything will be different once you get married. I am sure of it.”
“Do we need to make a deal?” Lucas proposed.
Sandra paused in confusion, her irritation turning into bewilderment. “A deal?”
“Yes,” Lucas nodded as if genuinely offering a middle ground to his mother. “I could marry Clarissa, but if I feel incompatible, I can file for divorce on the same day.”
Sandra stared in disbelief. “Are you crazy?”
“I’m just offering a solution.”
In Sandra’s eyes, it was not a solution. It was quite the opposite. Sandra saw it as Lucas’s subtle form of defiance.
“Now you dare to defy my words, all because of Velia,” Sandra emphasized each word, making Lucas let out another long sigh. His head throbbed, and he reluctantly massaged the bridge of his nose.
“If you didn’t push me. You know what I’m like. Have I ever changed my mind?”
Sandra did not answer. Her anger had reached its boiling point. She quickly grabbed her bag and stormed out of the room. A shred of remaining sanity prevented her from venting her anger.
Velia. Velia. Velia.
Sandra’s frustration was immeasurable as she dialed Ricardo’s number while driving. Unfortunately, he did not answer the call, further fueling Sandra’s anger.
“Argh!”
Arriving home, Sandra’s anger became uncontrollable. Jeff, who saw his wife’s arrival with a red and angry face, furrowed his brow.
“What’s wrong, Sandra?”
Sandra plopped down on the sofa. She sat there, massaging her temples with a pressured expression.
“Same old,” Sandra replied curtly. “Lucas.”
There was no need for further explanation; Jeff could sense what had happened. He finally understood the reason behind his wife’s departure after breakfast. He had thought Sandra was going to meet her socialite friends, but the reality turned out to be unexpected.
“He is always stubborn. I just want him to live happily with Clarissa, but what does he do? He rejects her before even giving Clarissa a chance.”
Jeff reluctantly left his work and approached Sandra. He reached out to hold his wife’s hand, gently trying to soothe her.
“We both know how stubborn Lucas can be. It’s just his nature, but isn’t that what has made him successful now?”
Sandra pulled her hand away from Jeff’s grasp. She did not need comforting gestures when her anger had reached its peak.
“This is a different matter. I just want him to live happily with Clarissa. Instead, he wastes his time constantly thinking about that damn Velia.”
Jeff let out a sigh and leaned back on the sofa. “We can’t force Lucas. His marriage is Lucas’s decision. He’s free to choose whoever he wants to marry.”
That should have been the case. The absolute right was in the hands of their son. But not if it was Velia he chose.
Sandra would do anything. She would do whatever it took to prevent that from happening.
“I think there’s nothing wrong with Lucas marrying Velia. I quite like her, especially because she is the daughter of your friend,” Jeff said, trying to catch his wife’s attention. “Wouldn’t it be nice if Lucas married the daughter of your friend?”
Sandra’s breath caught in her chest. She closed her mouth tightly without answering her husband’s question.
“Speaking of that, I think it’s been a long time since we heard from George. How is he doing now? Is he still in Crestdale?”
Sandra swallowed hard, feeling a bitter taste in the back of her throat. Unexpectedly, she stood up and replied curtly before leaving.
“Why should we think about that damn man?”
Jeff roughly rubbed his face when he realized his wife had left. It was difficult, but he had to admit that some things would never change, even as the years went by.
Exactly like what was going through Sandra’s mind. She could not understand how Velia could still linger in Lucas’s mind after all these years.
“Argh!”
Sandra threw her bag onto the bed and clenched her hands tightly. Her chest was tight with unexpressed anger. She wanted to shout, curse, and unleash all her emotions, but the circumstances did not allow it.
The sound of her phone ringing caught Sandra’s attention. She quickly opened her bag, and when she saw a particular name on the screen, she nodded.
“Ricardo.”
Sandra answered the call without feeling the need for small talk. Sitting in her favorite armchair, she spoke with a warning tone.
“I’m reminding you. Your time is running out by the end of this month. You have to finish everything, or else you will regret it. I’m tired of waiting!”
No. That was not enough for Sandra. She wanted more than just that. She desired not only Velia’s death but also her suffering.
“One important thing, Ricardo. I want you to torture Velia before killing her. Make her death a shocking national news. I want everyone to witness her demise.”
*