Chapter 85: Don’t argue with her, kid. Trust me, I’ve tried for 22 years, lost every damn time.

"Just come."

"I’ll be there."

"Good."

Naomi nodded and cut the call. As for Lucian... he just stared at his phone and didn’t know what to say.

’Creating distance...

I am doing a great job, aren’t I?’

He shook his head and stopped thinking about this.

He had been to Naomi’s house many times when he was younger, back when his parents were alive, Naomi’s parents weren’t struggling financially, back when both families regularly had dinners where the adults talked till late at night and young Naomi would be trying to help Lucian with his homework he barely understood.

Lucian laughed at that memory.

Then, he stepped out of his home and walked towards Naomi’s.

Their house still looked the same, a little older compared to his memories, the paint near the gate had started peeling, one of the outside lights flickered, there was a small crack near the lower wall which was badly covered with plaster but...

It still had that warm, familiar feeling.

Now even more than before because now... it was the only place where people waited for him.

Lucian stared at the front door for a second, then he knocked. A few moments later, Dianne Pierce opened the door.

"Mrs. Pierce."

Lucian greeted politely.

Dianne Pierce was a lively woman with sharp eyes, soft brown hair tied messily behind her head. She was wearing a simple sweater and held a wooden spoon in one hand.

The spoon she raised the instant she heard what Lucian said.

"Mrs. Pierce?"

She repeated those words threateningly.

"...Aunty?"

"Better."

She nodded.

Then suddenly, she grabbed Lucian’s face and turned it slightly, inspecting him properly.

"You have become thinner."

Lucian blinked at those words.

"Thinner...?"

He couldn’t believe someone would say that to him.

"Yes, it’s clear you have not been eating properly."

"What are you doing?"

That was when another voice was heard, Lucian recognised it instantly.

It was Martin Pierce, a tall man whose hair had started thinning near the front, he was wearing a wrinkled shirt.

And as he walked towards the door with a lazy expression on his face—

"Is the kid here—holy shit who is that?"

He blinked.

Clearly, even though Lucian recognised him, he did not.

And without missing a beat, the man turned towards his wife and—

"You are cheating on me with this handsome hunk? How did you even pull him? No way someone like him should be attracted to you."

"..."

Dianne only glared at him and he quickly changed his words.

"He should know he doesn’t stand a chance with someone as hot as you, after all."

"Uncle Martin."

Lucian greeted politely, ignoring whatever absurd words he just heard.

He was already used to it.

He still remembered how this man would say the wildest of things with such calm that it was almost impossible to know when he was being serious.

Martin looked at him, then he looked back at his wife again and—

"You heard that? He sounds exactly like the kid. How cool is that? Should we keep him? We will use him to surprise him."

Lucian’s mouth twitched at those words.

Keep him...?

What was he even supposed to say at that?

"Martin."

That was when Dianne spoke up and Martin finally let go.

"What? I was just kidding."

Then, he glanced at Lucian and—

"And what are you standing there for? Come in!"

He spoke as he placed his arm around Lucian’s shoulder and pulled him in.

"Where have you been, kid? Have you been avoiding me? You have really gotten bolder huh?"

"I told you he was busy."

That was when Naomi, who had been setting up the dining table spoke up.

"Hmph!"

Martin snorted.

"Alright Lucian, leave the old man be. You have a seat."

Dianne smiled, grabbing Lucian’s hand and making him sit. Lucian sat down with a polite nod. Then, without waiting, she began serving the food.

"Aunt, that’s enou—"

"It is not."

Before Lucian could even stop her, Dianne only glared at him.

"It is. I am not very hungry since I at—"

"I said it’s not enough."

Dianne wasn’t listening. Lucian tried to say something but then—

"Don’t argue with her, kid. Trust me, I’ve tried for 22 years, lost every damn time."

Martin gave wise advice as he prepared Dianne’s plate and Lucian took it.

Dianne served as much as she wanted, filling Lucian’s plate till it could no longer be filled and Lucian could only watch.

Soon, everyone sat down and started eating.

For the first minute, Naomi’s parents didn’t say anything, they only watched Lucian eat, as if they were making absolutely sure he did.

Then—

"So,"

Once she made sure he was eating and was no longer being shy, Dianne spoke up.

"You work now?"

"Part-time."

Lucian nodded.

"Naomi told us it’s for a security company."

"Yes."

"Security, that’s a good one."

Martin sipped from his mug.

"You stand near doors and look serious."

"That is only one part of it."

Lucian corrected.

"What is the other part?"

Martin asked curiously.

"Looking serious near windows.

That’s where the boss man actually sees you working, doors aren’t see-through."

Martin laughed at those words.

"I am clearly talking to a professional."

Naomi rolled her eyes, Dianne on the other hand, only looked at Lucian with worry.

"Where did you go for a month?"

"I had training."

Honestly, Dianne didn’t know how to bring it up. She knew about the legal trouble Lucian was facing or... had been facing.

She had seen Naomi constantly worry about it, the girl had only been reading laws, previous official court statements on similar cases, researching possible counters, ways to get out of this. For the past month, Dianne felt like she was talking to a lawyer rather than her daughter.

But from what she said, it looked like things turned out fine in the end, though Naomi did warn her not to bring it up during dinner since Lucian didn’t like talking about it.

And as if Martin knew that, he quickly changed the topic.

"Your father once disappeared for three days."

"My father?"

Lucian raised his eyebrow.

"Yep, it happened before you were born. We were both young back then, he told your mother he was going to help me move a shelf. Pfft! What a ridiculous excuse, as if someone as strong as me would need help moving a shelf."

"You need my help to open a can."

Dianne looked at him with a deadpan look on her face. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"That’s because I do not wish to crush it with my power."

"..."

Dianne didn’t know what to say.