Despair has become Lucas’s regular company ever since Sia left him in the Monson group hotel room. It’s obvious to him Sia can’t accept him back. It won’t be easy though, even if she’ll. But it wasn’t entirely his fault from the onset.
He only wanted to secure his family’s property, his only means of survival. Though Lucas knows he took the wrong steps and this is what he desperately wants to explain to Sia. He wants nothing more than to pour his heart out.
Lucas has sent emails and texts to Sia but little did he know she went off the grid. So Sia can’t get any text at all. He’s saddened by it all. The undertone of her voice as she revealed another man can pleasure her disheartened him, plus the fact that Sia isn’t responding to his emails.
Some days ago he had wanted to shoot her an email through the Monson’s group’s email address but it’d wither his chances of inching close to her. It’s so unprofessional of him to take that measure neither would Sia acknowledge it.
Several times Lucas had been to the Monson group to see her but the incessant meetings with board members and investors negated him. Also, he’s unaware of the fact that Sia informed the security team to not allow him in. She wants to have her conflicting mind and heart figured out first before facing Lucas, that’s if she ever will.
Since Adriano was out of the country and Ethan is on his honeymoon in Hawaii, life has become increasingly boring, and despair his soulmate.
Lucas was prepping for the Ravine conference weakly, stuffing a single shirt and pants into his carryall as it’s going to be a day stuff and would warrant him to spend the night in California. He already told Grey to book a suite for him in the Monson group hotel in California.
The conference will be held in the ballroom of the hotel in California and of course, all attendees will lodge in the hotel. Grey made an online reservation for him.
As Lucas stuffed his shirt and pant into the carryall his iPad zinged on the nightstand. He clutched it and send his gaze to the screen, only to see Ethan’s name flashing.
He’s surprised to see Ethan calling him on FaceTime. Something he hadn’t done all the while he had been away.
Lucas swiped the receiver tab and strode to his balcony where he perched his elbows on the rail while answering the call.
“Wonder why you called. Not like we’ve an unfinished business.” He worded into the phone making Ethan cackle. Lucas peered at Ethan’s surroundings as he rotated his phone around, showing him the mountainous vistas of the hotel.
Aside from the Monson group hotel, the hotel Ethan and Estrella lodged in is the second most classic and popular hotel in the State. Perched on a cliff which offers a mountainous view from their grand suite room.
The breeze whipped Ethan’s hair as he drove the screen back to his face. His dark sunnies hid his eyes and the sun glows perfectly on his face. Lucas noticed the happiness hovering over his face and smiled.
“Just wanted to check up on you, bud. How you doing? Shit men! Estrella has kept me busy all the while, fucking my brains out. I nearly forgot to call my business partners two days ago concerning the progress of our contract. All because her pussy sank and stuck to my cock.” Ethan blushed while saying it.
It’s unlike Ethan to divulge such an escapade which made Lucas brush into a gale of laughter.
“That’s good news. She’s seriously handling you well. Would have celebrated if you forgot about your ongoing contract.” Lucas teased, laughing uncontrollably.
“Oh, shit! You’re seriously getting a whoop from me when we return.” Ethan threatened. The whooshing of air obstructed his voice to stream in clearly, making it hard for Lucas to hear the few words Ethan babbled.
“Shit man! I can’t hear you. I’m preparing to head to California for the Ravine conference. Maybe we talk later.” Lucas said into the phone. Though Ethan spilled some words, the whooshing of air heightened that he barely heard when Ethan said ‘no problem. Talk later before hanging up.
Lucas shook his head, wishing he’s the one out there making out with his woman and nagging to his friends she’s fucking his brains out.
As he was about to trudge back to his room, he spotted a black SUV and the driver held the back passenger’s door open. Lucas assumes he knows the driver’s features but can’t clearly pinpoint from whence he had seen him considering he was unable to see his face.
Suddenly, Hera emerged from the foyer of the apartment complex with a guy who he recognized as the one he saw in the elevator his first time in this building.
They both stood there for some time wording things to each other before Hera excavated some cash from her bag and something like vials of medicine and handed it to Raymond. In return, Raymond handed Hera a sheet of paper which she scanned intently and said something to the guy beside her.
Straining his eyes, Lucas guessed the paper Hera held contains something very vital as it seems their business is a shady one.
He watched Hera stuff the paper into her bag and clenched into the car. Putting the car in reverse, the driver rolled away from the building.
Curiosity rises like a tree inside Lucas and he began wondering what relationship Hera has with the guy and what is written on the sheet she held.
Shelving the nagging thoughts in the recesses of his mind, he waddled into the room and finished up his routine so he could head to the airport in no time.
**
Sia got off her jet and clamped tightly on her cashmere while adjusting her sunglasses. She had already spoken with Estrella while in the air regarding the conference.
It’s her first time heading such a huge conference and was jittering about how she’ll speak in front of a large audience plus she’s not entirely a good orator.
Estrella cheered her up and assured her she’d perform well as far as she has prepared beforehand for the conference.
“It’s just some stage fright shit. But you know, you’re Mrs. Monson. Your status alone will command attention once you’re on stage. So cheer up.”
Estrella’s words filtered into her ears, boosting her dwindling confidence. Rebekah and Liam met her at the terminal and led her to the hotel.
The conference will kick-start before midnight and she has a little time to prepare herself.
A little close to the time for the conference, Sia headed to the ballroom with a swarm of security team surrounding her. No one could inch closer to her without passing through the security which made it a lot more difficult for Jake to approach her.
Surprisingly, he made it to the conference considering the fact he just returned to the State hours ago. When Sia spotted him struggling to etch through the security guards, she instructed them to allow him to pass.
“It’s amazing having you here, Jake. I never knew your company is among this association.” Sia sputtered as Jake leaned in close and placed kisses on her cheeks.
“My company has been in it before it was demised to me by my foster father.” He said sending lewd winks to Sia, making her blush. “You look breathtaking tonight. In fact, you’ve stolen my breath away.” He said perching his lips on her knuckles.
Sia blushed a mess at his gesture though conjured some words and acknowledged his compliments.
From afar, Lucas spotted them, and his breath whizz off his lungs when Jake kissed Sia’s knuckles. He clenched his fist in the pocket of his pants, willing himself to stop the built-up jealousy.
His mind was only able to divert when he saw Hera standing at the table a few feet away from him. The images he saw this afternoon flashed through his mind again and Lucas hobbled to Hera’s table to see what she’s hiding in her bag which she left behind when someone pulled her away to greet other tycoons in the ballroom.
Picking the bag, Lucas crouched down and shoved under the table covered with a tablecloth.
Lucas dipped his hand inside her bag and fumbled with the contents inside it, searching for some clue regarding the paper he saw her holding in front of his building.
With wobbling hands, Lucas grasped a wrinkled piece of paper from the bag, and as he was about to open it someone mistakenly hit him on his back while rounding the table.
Lucas’s chest heaved heavily and his breath hung in his throat when he saw Hera’s peep-toe heels. Exactly the one she wore earlier today.
It dawned on Lucas that Hera is looking for her bag. Wracking his mind for the best possible solution, Lucas saw the heels pause as he looked from over his shoulder. He saw Hera’s hand grip the tablecloth in an attempt to hitch it up and see whose hiding under the table.
Lucas’s eyes dilated, his mind lacked the ability to think clearly.