A week passed.
Life didn't slow down just because Neo had turned eighteen, just because there had been laughter and cake and music pressed too loudly into one night. The Luther world didn't care about birthdays. It cared about numbers, movement, silence, and power.
And Lucas Luther was back to being everywhere at once.
Neo learned this very quickly.
Mornings started early again before the sun had fully decided whether it wanted to rise. Files stacked and restacked. Meetings that started in glass offices and ended in basements with no windows. Names spoken in code. Locations scribbled and burned. Rita moved like a ghost, efficient and sharp, coffee always arriving exactly when Lucas needed it, never a second too late.
Neo stayed close.
Always close.
If he wasn't at Lucas's side, he was two steps behind. If Lucas spoke, Neo listened. If Lucas paused, Neo anticipated. He learned quickly too quickly how this world functioned. Which voices mattered. Which smiles were fake. Which men never raised their voices because they didn't need to.
And Lucas noticed.
He always did.
There were no more moments like the birthday. No teasing touches. No locked car doors. Lucas was back in control, sharp lines drawn between personal and professional. But sometimes rarely Neo would catch it. A look held half a second too long. A hand placed just a little too close when passing documents. A quiet "good" murmured near his ear when Neo handled something flawlessly.
Enough to confuse him.
Not enough to clarify anything.
Underground meetings resumed.
Neo didn't attend all of them Lucas was careful but he attended enough to understand that the peace after the Darian case had been temporary. Routes were being rerouted. Names resurfaced. Old alliances were being tested quietly, like fingers pressing against bruises to see if they still hurt.
One afternoon, after a meeting that ended with raised voices and forced laughter, Lucas returned to his office with his jacket slung over his shoulder, expression unreadable.
"Clear my evening," he said.
Neo looked up instantly. "All of it?"
"All of it."
"Yes, sir."
Lucas paused, glancing at him. "And Neo?"
"Yes?"
"Good work today."
Neo's chest warmed at that just a little.
Everything had seem to be as peaceful as it should be, but no nothing could be that peaceful in a mafia's life.
The call came on a Thursday.
It was raining again, light but persistent, tapping against the tall windows like it was impatient. Lucas was in a closed-door meeting with two men Neo didn't recognize both dressed too well for legitimate business and Rita had stepped out to coordinate security downstairs.
Neo was alone at the desk outside Lucas's office, typing up a summary from the previous night's underground meeting when the office phone rang.
He answered automatically. "Luther Holdings. Lucas Luther's office."
There was silence on the other end.
Not the awkward kind.The deliberate kind.
"Lucas's personal assistant?" a woman finally asked.
Her voice was calm. Smooth. Educated. There was something about it that made Neo straighten without realizing it.
"Yes," he replied. "This is Neo. How may I help you?"
A soft sound almost a laugh passed through the line.
"Neo," she repeated, tasting the name. "How… fitting."
Neo frowned slightly. "Do you have a message for Mr. Luther?"
"Yes," she said easily. "Tell him Valeria is back in town."
Neo's fingers stilled on the keyboard.
Something about the way she said it like it was a fact the world should already know.
"And," Valeria continued, her tone shifting just enough to sharpen, "tell him he still owes me."
The line went dead.
Neo stared at the receiver.it was giving movie cliche.
For a moment, he wondered if he'd imagined it. If the name was supposed to mean something and just… didn't. But his chest felt tight, instincts prickling in a way he hadn't felt since the meeting since people had tried to corner Lucas with words instead of weapons.
He stood slowly and walked to Lucas's office.
The door opened before he could knock.
Lucas looked up from the table instantly. "You're tense," he said flatly. "What happened?"
Neo swallowed. "You got a call."
Lucas's expression didn't change, but something behind his eyes sharpened. "From who?"
"A woman," Neo said carefully. "She asked if I was your personal assistant. Then she said… her name is Valeria."
The room went quiet.
One of the men at the table stiffened. The other cursed under his breath.
Lucas stood.Not abruptly.Not angrily.
He stood the way men did when something old and dangerous resurfaced.
"She said she's back in town," Neo continued, watching Lucas closely now. "And that you still owe her."
Lucas exhaled slowly through his nose.
"So," he said calmly, reaching for his jacket. "She's finally done hiding."
By evening, the name had spread quietly.
Not announced.Not discussed openly.
But people felt it.
Kellan arrived without being summoned, expression darker than usual. Ethan followed, phone already in his hand, fingers moving fast. Even Elijah showed up later, drawn by instinct more than information.
Neo stayed near the wall even more confused, listening.
"Are we sure it's her?" Matteo asked.
Lucas nodded once. "She wouldn't use anyone else's voice."
"She disappeared five years ago," Ethan said. "No trace. No body. No movement."
Valeria shale, Neo learned, was not just a name.
She was history.
"She doesn't come back unless she wants something," Kellan said quietly.
Lucas's jaw tightened. "She always wants something."
"And this time?" Elijah asked.
Lucas's gaze flicked briefly, unintentionally to Neo.
"That," Lucas said evenly, "is what we're about to find out."
Neo felt it then.That subtle shift.
Whatever Valeria shale was bringing with her, it wasn't just business. It wasn't just an old debt. It was personal. And for reasons he couldn't yet explain, Neo knew deep in his bones that he was now part of it.
Not by choice.But by proximity.
That night, in a high-rise hotel across the city, Valeria stood by the window, phone resting loosely in her hand.
The city lights reflected in her eyes cold, calculating.
"So," she murmured to herself, replaying Neo's voice in her head.
"Lucas Luther's personal assistant."
A slow smile curved her lips.
"This just got interesting."
She turned away from the window, already planning her first move.
After all.....Debts didn't disappear.
They waited.
The next day didn't begin with chaos.
That was the problem.
Everything looked normal too normal. The kind of normal that only existed right before something went wrong.
Neo arrived early, as usual. The building smelled like fresh polish and quiet money. Security nodded him through with the same respect they reserved for people who knew too much to be careless. He set his bag down, powered on his system, and started going through the morning schedule.
Lucas had already been up for hours.
Neo knew this because there were emails timestamped before dawn documents reviewed, comments added, approvals sent. No wasted words. No emotional tells. Just control.
By the time Lucas stepped out of the elevator, jacket perfectly pressed, hair immaculate, Neo was already standing.
"Good morning, sir."
Lucas's eyes flicked to him. "Morning."
Normal voice. Neutral tone.
But Neo had learned better.
Lucas moved past him into the office, loosening his cufflinks. "Any calls?"
"No," Neo replied. Then hesitated just half a breath. "Not yet."
Lucas paused. Slowly, he turned back.
Neo hated how easily Lucas read him.
"She'll come," Lucas said calmly, like he was discussing the weather. "She never waits longer than she needs to."
As if summoned by the words themselves, the elevator chimed.
Neo turned.
The woman who stepped out didn't rush. Didn't look around like she was unfamiliar with the space. She walked like she already owned the floor heels clicking softly against marble, posture relaxed, eyes sharp.
She was beautiful in a way that wasn't soft.
Dark hair pulled into a sleek low bun. Black coat tailored to perfection. Gold jewelry minimal, intentional. And her gaze… her gaze landed on Neo first.
Lingering.Assessing.
Then she smiled.
Not sweetly.Not kindly.
"Neo," she said.
Neo's stomach dropped.
Lucas was beside him in a second.
"Valeria," Lucas greeted, his voice smooth, unreadable.
She turned to him slowly, eyes lighting with something dangerously close to amusement. "Lucas Luther," she said. "Still standing. I'd be disappointed if you weren't."
They stood there, facing each other, the air thickening between them like static.
Same age.Same level.Same danger.
Neo had never seen Lucas like this still, composed, but alert in a way that felt… personal.
"You didn't call ahead," Lucas said.
Valeria shrugged lightly. "Where's the fun in that?"
Her gaze slid back to Neo. "So," she added, "you're the assistant."
Neo straightened. "Yes, ma'am."
"Oh no," she corrected softly. "Don't ma'am me. Makes me feel old."
Lucas's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.
Valeria noticed.Of course she did.
"I like him," she said to Lucas. "He listens. That's rare."
"He's working," Lucas replied coolly. "Why are you here?"
Valeria stepped closer.
Close enough that Neo could smell her perfume something dark, expensive, dangerous.
"You owe me," she said simply. "And I've decided it's time to collect."
Lucas insisted on a private room.
Valeria agreed too easily.
That should've been warning enough.
Neo waited outside the conference room, pretending to work while his mind raced. Through the glass, he could see them sitting across from each other Lucas calm and still, Valeria relaxed, legs crossed, hands folded like she had all the time in the world.
An hour passed.
Then another thirty minutes.
When the door finally opened, Valeria emerged first.
She stopped when she saw Neo.
"Oh," she said lightly. "You're still here."
"Yes," Neo replied. "Is there anything you need?"
She tilted her head, studying him again. Up close, she was even more intimidating not loud, not aggressive. Controlled. Calculated. The kind of person who didn't raise her voice because she never needed to.
"Walk with me," she said. Neo blinked. "I...."
"It's fine," Lucas said from behind her.
Neo turned.
Lucas was watching him intently. Not warning him. Not stopping him.
Just watching.
Neo swallowed and nodded. "Of course."
They walked toward the elevator.
"You're very close to him," Valeria said casually.
Neo hesitated. "I'm his assistant."
She smiled. "That's not what I meant."
The elevator doors closed.
Silence settled between them.
"You know," she continued, "Lucas has always had a habit of keeping interesting people too close."
Neo glanced at her. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," she said, meeting his gaze, "that proximity is dangerous around men like him."
The elevator opened.
She stepped out, then paused. "Be careful, Neo," she added softly. "Debts have a way of claiming collateral."
Then she was gone.
That evening, Lucas summoned Neo to his office.
The city outside was dark, lights scattered like stars that didn't quite reach them.
"You didn't ask questions," Lucas said.
Neo stood straight. "You didn't tell me to."
Lucas studied him for a moment. Then, unexpectedly, laughed low and brief.
"She likes you," Lucas said.
Neo frowned. "I don't think that's a good thing." "It's not."
Lucas moved closer. Not too close. Just enough.
"She wants leverage," Lucas continued. "And she's smart enough to know where to look."
Neo's heart pounded. "Am I in danger?"
Lucas's gaze dropped just for a second to Neo's mouth.
"Not if I can help it," he said quietly.
The silence stretched.
Neo felt it again that pull. That tension. The thing that hovered between them, unresolved and dangerous.
"Lucas," Neo said softly, before he could stop himself, "what does she want?"
Lucas exhaled slowly.
"She wants what she believes is hers," he replied. "And what she believes is hers… is me."
Neo's breath hitched.
Lucas looked at him then really looked at him and for a moment, the world narrowed to the space between them.
Too close.Too charged.
Neo didn't move.Neither did Lucas.
Their breaths mingled. Neo could feel the warmth of him, the restraint, the conflict simmering just beneath the surface.
For a split second, Neo thought,
Then Lucas stepped back.
"This is going to get complicated," Lucas said, his voice steady again.
Neo nodded, heart still racing.
"Very," he agreed.
Neo got a text from Aiden to meet him downstairs where he worked with kellan in their own department in the company which he agreed to very quickly because he needed to destress and Aiden was definitely a pill for that.
Neo didn't waste time.
The moment Lucas dismissed him with a nod, he grabbed his phone, replied On my way, and headed for the elevator like the walls upstairs were closing in on him. He needed noise. Familiar chaos. Aiden.
The elevator ride down felt longer than usual. His reflection stared back at him from the steel doors shirt loosened, eyes a little too bright, thoughts definitely not where they should be.
When the doors slid open, the atmosphere shifted immediately.
Kellan's department was louder. Not messy never messy but alive. Low conversations, keyboards clacking, someone laughing softly at something that definitely wasn't work-related. Neo spotted Aiden instantly, leaning against a desk with that casual confidence that made people assume he had his life together.
Aiden looked up and grinned. "There he is. Birthday boy survivor."
Neo scoffed, walking over. "Don't start. I'm already emotionally unstable."
"Say less." Aiden straightened and slung an arm over Neo's shoulder, steering him toward the break area. "You look like you just saw a ghost. Or a hot problem."
Neo froze for half a second. "Why would you say that so accurately?"
Aiden laughed. "Please. It's your face. That's the 'something is wrong but also kinda hot' face."
They grabbed coffee Neo didn't even taste his and leaned against the counter.
"So," Aiden said, lowering his voice just a bit, "what's the deal with Valerie?"
Neo blinked. "You know her name already?"
Aiden gave him a look. "Neo. Her name entered the building and productivity dropped by at least forty percent. People are whispering like it's a horror movie."
Neo exhaled. "Yeah… that tracks."
Kellan passed by them at that moment, expression unreadable as always, but his eyes flicked briefly to Neo sharp, assessing before he continued on.
Aiden noticed. Of course he did.
"Oh," Aiden murmured. "So it's that kind of situation."
Neo frowned. "What kind?"
"The kind where the higher-ups suddenly get very quiet and very alert," Aiden said. "Which usually means history."
Neo hesitated, then shrugged. "I don't actually know who she is. I mean I know she's important. Intimidating. Rich. Dangerous vibes."
Aiden snorted. "That's not a job title."
"But it fits her," Neo said. "She walked in like she owned the place. Like she wasn't visiting like she was returning."
Aiden leaned back against the counter. "That's exactly what people are saying. Apparently she hasn't been seen around Lucas in years."
Neo's heart skipped. "Years?"
"Mmhmm," Aiden nodded. "Someone from finance swears she used to be… close. Not assistant-close. More like… equal."
Neo's fingers tightened around his cup. "So… ex?"
Aiden's eyebrows shot up. "Ohhh."
"What?" Neo said quickly. "I'm just saying it would explain the tension. And the way Lucas...."
"The way Lucas what?" Aiden pressed.
Neo stopped himself. "Never mind."
Aiden grinned like a menace. "Too late. Spill."
Neo sighed. "The way he went still when she was mentioned. Like… like something old woke up."
Aiden hummed thoughtfully. "Yeah. That's not nothing."
They stood there for a moment, watching the department move around them. Everything looked normal, but the energy underneath was off like a storm waiting for permission.
"So who is she really?" Neo asked quietly.
Aiden shook his head. "That's the scary part. No one seems to know. Or maybe they do, and they're just smart enough not to talk."
Neo swallowed. "She talked to me."
Aiden whipped around. "She what?"
"Briefly," Neo added quickly. "Nothing dramatic. Just… weird."
"How weird?" Aiden asked, eyes narrowing.
Neo hesitated. "She warned me."
Aiden straightened fully now. "Warned you about what?"
"Proximity," Neo said. "She said being close to Lucas is dangerous."
Aiden let out a low whistle. "Okay. That's not friendly gossip. That's villain monologue energy."
"I know," Neo muttered. "And the worst part is-"
"-she knows," Aiden finished. "Whatever this is between you and him."
Neo didn't deny it.
Aiden stared at him for a long second, then sighed. "Great. Just great. As if one emotionally unavailable, powerful man wasn't enough."
Neo laughed weakly. "You sound like you're speaking from experience."
Aiden rolled his eyes. "Please. At least your problem admits you exist."
Neo glanced instinctively toward Kellan's office.
Aiden caught it. Smirked. "See?"
They both laughed then, the tension easing just a little.
"But seriously," Aiden said after a moment, voice softer, "be careful. Women like that don't come back for nostalgia."
Neo nodded. "She said Lucas owes her."
Aiden's smile faded. "Yeah… that's bad."
"Do you think," Neo started slowly, "that whatever he owes her… has something to do with me?"
Aiden didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he bumped Neo's shoulder gently. "All I know is this if your name is suddenly part of a power struggle, you don't walk blindly. You watch. You listen. And you don't let anyone play you."
Neo met his gaze. "Including Lucas?"
Aiden held his eyes. "Especially Lucas."
The room hummed around them.
Somewhere upstairs, deals were being rewritten. Old names resurfacing. Old debts breathing again.