It only took Lucas a short while to gather the remaining shreds of energy. When his body regained strength, he created a small distance to ensure Velia was okay.
Lucas caressed and tidied Velia’s hair, his actions displaying utmost care.
“So, how?” he asked.
Velia opened her eyes. She let out a slow breath, with a slight frown adorning her face.
“It seems like you’re indeed healthy now,” Velia weakly replied. “Instead, maybe it’s me who’s sick.”
Lucas burst into laughter. His shoulders shook, and his chest rumbled. He laughed so hard that his head lifted, and his eyes closed.
“Was it the last one that hurt?” he asked.
Velia squinted her eyes. “Oh, forget it, Luc. I’m tired, and I don’t want to argue with you.”
Lucas stopped laughing. Instead, he smiled understandingly. He continued to caress Velia while asking softly.
“Do you want to rest? How about going to the bedroom?”
Velia nodded and settled back on Lucas’s shoulder.
“Yes.”
Without wasting time, Lucas promptly responded to Velia’s desire. He rose, carrying Velia in his arms. His action triggered Velia’s reflexes, and her slender legs immediately wrapped around Lucas’s waist.
Lucas headed towards the bedroom with steady steps. The faint movements made Velia’s innocent body sway gently before they finally fell onto the bed together.
They quickly sought comfortable positions. Drawing closer to each other, Velia rested her head on Lucas’s arm, curling up in his embrace.
“I want to sleep for a while, Luc. I’m really tired.”
Lucas chuckled softly. There was no need for an explanation; he knew perfectly well that engaging in intimacy after work was not a wise choice. Unfortunately, desire overcame logic.
“Go ahead and sleep.”
Velia closed her eyes. It did not take long for her to drift off as fatigue, drowsiness, and Lucas’s caresses converged. Three temptations attacked, and Velia succumbed to unconsciousness.
Deep sleep. Comfortable. Velia drifted into the dream world while Lucas, on the other hand, was awakened. The peaceful sight of Velia made him realize that the present reality was more beautiful than any sleeping flower.
Lucas contented himself with gazing at and caressing Velia. He smiled with a radiant happiness in his eyes.
It seemed like this was the first time. Lucas was certain that this was the moment when he truly believed in the existence of happiness. When Velia was in his embrace.
*
Lucas welcomed the morning with a fresh and energetic spirit. The fever and fatigue had left no traces on his face or body. He was prepared to face the day and tackle a pile of work with enthusiasm.
Wait. There was one thing Lucas wanted to know before starting his work.
“Did my mom come yesterday?”
Vlora nodded. “Yes, Sir.”
“What did she ask?”
Lucas sat behind his desk, turned on the computer, and looked back at Vlora. The secretary answered the question straightforwardly, as usual.
“I didn’t tell her anything about your home address or anything like that.”
“Of course. I know that, Vlo,” Lucas replied. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Sir. Also, Mr. Sanders came by.”
The name Andreas made Lucas frown slightly. Although he was certain that his friend’s visit was more due to Vlora, he still asked, even though the chances of his instincts being wrong were very small.
“Did he say anything to you?”
“No, Sir.”
Just as Lucas suspected. Andreas was only looking for an excuse to meet Vlora. It made him wonder how long Andreas would continue to behave like a child.
“You may leave.”
Vlora nodded and bid him goodbye, then left. The door closed tightly, and now there was only Lucas with a pile of work to be done.
Lucas took a deep breath. He had only missed a day at the office, and the consequences were already beyond his expectations. It seemed unsurprising that he would have to work overtime today.
Or maybe not. Working overtime right after recovering was not the right thing to do. Lucas remembered Velia and the various pieces of advice she gave before they parted ways earlier. Velia would surely not be happy if he came home too late tonight.
An hour passed. Lucas, who had started to immerse himself in seriousness, was interrupted when the door opened. Unexpectedly, he could not do anything when it was Sandra who came in. And Clarissa was with her.
“Lucas.”
Lucas stood up, albeit reluctantly. He had to momentarily leave his work to welcome his mother.
Sandra opened her arms. A brief hug united her and Lucas. It was followed by a quick kiss on Sandra’s cheek.
“Mom.”
Sandra loosened the embrace with a smile on her face. She withdrew and intentionally created an opportunity for Clarissa to approach Lucas.
Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. Lucas chose to sit down without even looking at or greeting Clarissa.
Sandra glared. She hurriedly approached Lucas while Clarissa chose to sit with a blushing face.
“Luc,” Sandra whispered, signaling through her eyes. “I am with Clarissa.”
Lucas glanced briefly at Clarissa. He smiled briefly as a form of greeting. Unintentionally, a wave of pity arose in his mind. There was nothing Lucas could do for Clarissa, who had to be her own birth mother’s blind ambition.
“I heard you were sick, Luc,” Clarissa tried to start a conversation. She placed a gift on the table. “So, I brought you some healthy food.”
Sandra applauded enthusiastically. Her face looked very excited.
“Oh, Clarissa! You really care for Lucas,” Sandra said, shifting her attention to her son. “See, Luc? Clarissa is very caring, and caring women are rare nowadays. You are very lucky.”
“I’m sure it would be better if Clarissa used her caring on someone else.”
Firmly and straightforwardly, Lucas spoke without blinking. He spoke with a seriousness that Sandra had never imagined.
“You may think I’m cruel and heartless, but it’s for your own good. You certainly don’t want me to marry you while I love another woman, do you?”
Not only Clarissa, but Sandra was also shocked by Lucas’s question. Both were shocked and nearly pale. Ironically, Lucas did not stop there.
“Do you want me to marry you, but I mention another woman’s name instead? If so, don’t blame me if you find me cheating on you. From the beginning, I never loved you, and ah!”
Lucas paused briefly. It was as if he almost missed something, and that thought suddenly crossed his mind. He smiled, but Sandra and Clarissa were not pleased with that expression at all.
“If someday I find my woman, then you should be willing to be my mistress. Just so you remember, never think that you were truly the first because from the beginning, I never loved you.”
Sandra held her head. She was torn between wanting to vent her anger at Lucas or comforting the pale-faced Clarissa. Her face was frozen in shock, and it seemed like the blood had stopped flowing in her body.
“C-Clarissa,” Sandra panicked softly. “Listen me. Th-this-”
Clarissa took a deep breath. “Do you want this food?”
A sense of pity flickered within Lucas again. Clarissa’s voice trembled, and her eyes were red, with tears pooling in her eyelids.
“No.”
“Alright,” Clarissa said, getting up and grabbing the gift. She turned to Sandra. “I’m going home.”
Clarissa left without saying anything more. She exited Lucas’s office, and her voice could still be faintly heard.
“Do you want to have lunch?”
Apparently, the healthy lunch was a match for the secretary. According to Lucas, it was a wise decision.
“Lucas!”
Sandra could not contain herself any longer. Her shout burst out along with her tightly clenched fist. She glared angrily at Lucas.
“Do you realize what you’ve done to Clarissa? Oh, God. I never taught you to behave so cruelly towards women!”
“I wouldn’t act like this if you didn’t push me. What’s the point of you doing something that’s surely futile?”
Sandra’s face hardened with a conclusion that did not need questioning. “Again, Velia.”
“Why don’t you like her? What did she do to make you hate her like this?”
“Hate?”
Sandra’s face was now fierce and red. Not only that, her body trembled faintly. She tried her best to hold back the boiling anger when a shred of sanity reminded her not to explode in front of Lucas.
“No. I don’t hate her. I am just stating the truth. Velia isn’t worthy of being with you. Have you forgotten? She left you first and has been absent from your life until now. Why are you still waiting for her?!”
“I’m waiting because I believe we will meet again someday.”
Sandra winced. “Velia only wants your wealth, Luc.”
“If she wanted my wealth, she wouldn’t have left me behind.”
Lucas’s sharp and clever response silenced Sandra. Her mouth remained tightly shut as she struggled to withhold various curses.
“Mom.”
Lucas exhaled and approached Sandra. He took hold of her hands and gently caressed them. His expression softened, displaying the side of a child pleading with their parent.
“Can’t yougive her blessing to our relationship? I will do anything to gain your approval. Whatever it takes, I just want you to accept Velia.”
Lucas waited. He hoped and prayed in his heart. The gaze in his eyes radiated his deepest desires, hoping it could melt the heart of any mother in the world.
“Don’t hope for it.”
Lucas dramatically closed his eyes. His plea was rejected just like that.
“I would rather die than see that woman marry you, Luc. I will never accept her as my daughter-in-law.”
Lucas forced himself to keep his eyes shut. His mouth remained tightly sealed, restraining the urge to let everything out. He tried to hold on with one reason.
It was Sandra. She was his biological mother.
Suddenly, Sandra pulled her hand away, startling Lucas. All his thoughts scattered as his mother released herself from his grip. She stood up, and Lucas didn’t make any move to stop her departure.
Lucas rubbed his face. He exhaled a long breath, facing a pressing situation that required a difficult decision.
I really have to end all of this.
*