Chapter 61: Surprise, Broth—!
Just then, the car finally rolled into the villa’s garage. Thomas, ever the perfect assistant, was already out and opening the rear door on Lucian’s side.
He didn’t spare a glance for Brianna.
However, Brianna didn’t seem to mind, as she knew how to use her hand. Pushing her own door open, she stood on the spot, completely unaware Lucian was going to use her door, not the one Thomas held open like a chauffeur.
In the narrow gap between the car and the concrete pillar they collided — not hard, but enough for her to feel the solid heat of him pressing against the curve of her ass.
Brianna sucked in a sharp breath.
Turning, she shoved him hard against his chest. "Hey, watch it."
The force sent her small frame stumbling back, on the contrary, Lucian hadn’t moved an inch. Steadying herself before Lucian could reach for her, Brianna smoothed her dress with quick, irritated strokes, as if she could wipe the feel of him off her skin.
"You just had to follow my door, didn’t you?"
Lucian was momentarily surprised to hear that. With a raised brow, he asked. "What are you talking about?"
So he’s playing dumb now?
Brianna tsked, giving him a contemptuous side-eye. ’How ridiculous of this bastard.’
She scoffed. ’Fine. Let’s play dumb.’
Coldly, "Nothing. Just forget it."
She turned on her heel and walked ahead without another word, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing how deeply the brief contact still affected her.
On the other hand, Lucian could only stare at her retreating figure, unsure of what he did this time. He was completely clueless when it came to understanding the mind of this woman.
He gave a quick glance around before approaching the front entrance. Reaching for the handle—
"Lucian."
At the remembrance of Genevieve’s warning, Brianna couldn’t possibly miss the chance to watch Lucian have a complete breakdown.
’Like the madman he is.’
She held back a snicker and cleared her throat. "Come on, let’s follow the back."
Turning, she expected Lucian to follow.
"Why would we do that when the front door is right here?"
Just then, Thomas came up beside them. "Is everything alright, President Lucian? Shall we go in?"
As Lucian’s fingers closed around the handle again, Brianna stepped in front of him. She placed both hands over his one and pulled the door shut with a firm click.
"We should take the back. It’s for your own good."
Thomas scoffed, not even trying to hide his disbelief. "Mrs. Colburn, with all due respect, how exactly is taking the long way ’for the President’s own good’? The front door is right here. I don’t see how going all the way to the back makes sense... unless perhaps you’re hiding something."
Brianna looked at Thomas like a fool, before fixing her gaze back on Lucian.
"Husband," she emphasized, making sure Thomas got that, "the light is broken in the foyer. I called the repairman earlier, but he hasn’t finished. There are tools and wires everywhere. I don’t want you tripping, especially not now."
Brianna momentarily narrowed her eyes. She had surprised even herself with the smooth lie; though Thomas still doubted it. Not that it mattered. The lie had already gotten to Lucian.
Looking down at her cold hands on his, he cleared his throat. "Fine. The back, then."
~♡~✿~♡~✿~
The back corridor was a void of pitch-black. Brianna, who could barely see her own feet, used feeling along the wall to find her away.
She didn’t care about Thomas, but when she thought of Lucian’s night blindness, she reluctantly reached back and closed her fingers around what she assumed was his arm.
A throat cleared sharply behind her.
"Mrs. Colburn... that’s my hand."
Brianna’s eyes widened for the briefest second. She released Thomas’s hand at once, the contact leaving an unpleasant warmth on her palm.
Before she could correct herself, she turned — and walked straight into something solid!
In the darkness, her palms pressed against it, working her way up. It was definitely a broad chest. She couldn’t tell who it belonged to; but the frame was too tall and wide to be Thomas.
Lucian?
She felt the steady rise and fall of his breathing beneath her fingertips.
"Mrs. Colburn, with all due respect... can you stop doing that?" Thomas said dryly.
Brianna snatched her hands back as if burned. She stumbled away to escape the awkwardness, but her foot caught on the edge of a stray crate.
A faint "Ah!" escaped before she could swallow it. She staggered on one foot, lost her balance, and landed hard on the floor, the impact ran straight through her.
Swallowing the groan, she bit her bottom lip, refusing to let the sound reveal how much it hurt. The pain radiated from her backside, forcing a slight limp as she pushed herself up.
Sighing, Thomas reached into his pocket for his phone. "And as usual, I’m left to fix this mess." He mumbled tiredly, but when he tried turning on his phone, it was dead flat.
His face fell. "Mrs. Colburn, you know this could have been avoided if we had used the front door."
Ignoring him, Brianna limped ahead, inhaling through the pain, "Let me just find the light switch. Stay where you are."
She heard Thomas’s mocking chuckles behind her, but she didn’t bother responding. She was already regretting why she had listened to Genevieve.
By the time she reached the kitchen door she turned toward their direction. "You two can come now. The kitchen should be safe."
Thomas cocked a perfect brow in the darkness. The kitchen was the least safe place to wander blind.
Lucian, however, had already started moving toward her voice. He was beginning to regret listening to his wife. If she hadn’t asked so nicely, he wouldn’t have followed.
The leverage this woman now held over him was somehow concerning.
Even now, because she had said he should come, his feet were already moving toward her.
Lucian hadn’t realized he was in the kitchen until he heard his wife’s frustrated sighs at the corner of the room as she struggled with the switch. Every other switch she flicked was for something else entirely.
"Ugh!"
He heard her growing more frustrated with each flick.
"Was there a reconstruction done around the house?" she asked.
"Yes."
Brianna narrowed her eyes. "How come I don’t know about it?"
"It happened the week you moved out," Lucian said casually, as if she were the only one who didn’t know.
Brianna’s eyes narrowed in the dark. ’The week I moved out.’ The memory of that night on the kitchen counter flashed through her mind — his hands, the way he had looked at her like he wanted to devour her whole.
She pushed the thought away, swallowing. "Okay then. Turn the lights on."
Lucian’s low voice answered immediately. "Lights on."
The lights flared to life, brightening the kitchen in warm gold.
Brianna stared at the ceiling, then at him. A ridiculous scoff escaped her. "That’s it? Lights on?"
The lights suddenly flicked off.
She paused for a second. "What’s... happening?"
"The AI model only listens to my voice... and the housekeeper’s." Lucian said simply.
Brianna scoffed again, sharper this time. "Of course it does... Go ahead. Bring the lights back on."
"Lights on," he repeated.
The lights came back on.
With the lights back on, Brianna glanced around for signs of anyone. She wondered if she should inform Genevieve or... Either way, she’d just remain here with Lucian until they decided to find them.
However, Lucian was still bothered by Reyna’s appearance and decided this was the best time to ask.
He took slow steps towards her. "Now we’re back in the villa... there’s something important I want to discuss with you."
Brianna momentarily looked at his intruding figure and took some steps back. She wasn’t letting her guard down again—not after that night.
"Can it wait? I have to... make sure a few things are going according to plan."
Lucian studied her face for a brief second before nodding. "Alright. If you need me, I’ll be in my study room. While you’re here, don’t say ’lights on’ again," he warned quietly.
Brianna’s brow arched. "Why shouldn’t I say ’lights on’?"
The lights snapped off once more.
Lucian sighed. "Because of that—"
"Lights on."
There was no response.
Brianna’s rubbed her forearm, already beginning to feel uneased. "What’s happening now?"
"The system thinks there’s an intruder mimicking my voice," he said. "... It’s crashed."
She cursed inwardly. Inhaling, she straightened her hair. Maybe it was time to find Genevieve and the rest, right?
"Don’t worry. We could still fix this. I just need to reset it with my fingerprint." Lucian said with one hand stretched out blindly in front of him. "Guide me."
Brianna moved aside to let him pass, then realized he couldn’t see her. "Just follow my voice," she said, keeping it cool and steady.
His hand reached out in the dark, searching for direction — and closed over something full and... he squeezed, soft.
His eyes, useless in the dark, widened. He knew exactly what he was holding!
Before he could retreat—"Surprise, Broth—!"
