Lucas led them into the parlor, a wide, open space grand enough to host a crowd. The ceilings stretched high above them, light pouring in through tall windows, furniture arranged with deliberate elegance everything about the room screamed power without trying too hard. Neo slowed unconsciously as he stepped in, eyes scanning the space before he realized the others had already followed him inside.
"Here we are," Lucas said simply.
Pia clasped her hands together, suddenly composed, her earlier excitement tucked neatly away. "Thank you so much, sir. And I'm sorry for disturbing you during work," she said, voice soft, almost angelic.
"Oh, no need," Lucas replied easily. "You actually did me a favor."
Pia blinked. "A… a favor? Me?"
"Yes." His gaze shifted smoothly from her to Neo and Aiden. "You brought my workers to me."
Neo stiffened immediately. "W–what are you looking at?" he asked, already suspicious.
"Alright, everyone, take a seat," Lucas said, ignoring the comment.
They barely settled before Lucas continued, his tone deceptively calm. "Since you're both bored, I figured I'd give you something to keep you busy."
Neo and Aiden exchanged a look hopeful, curious, stupidly optimistic.
Then Kellan disappeared briefly, returning moments later with stacks of paperwork. He dropped them on the table in front of Neo and Aiden with a loud thud that echoed far too dramatically in the quiet room.
Neo's mouth fell open. "You have to be kidding me. This isn't fun. This is torture."
"Well, too bad," Lucas replied smoothly. "This is our idea of fun."
"You don't have games? Cards? Anything?" Aiden asked weakly.
"No," Lucas said without missing a beat. "We have paperwork."
Pia snorted, unable to help herself.
Neo pointed at her instantly. "Pia will be involved, right? I mean, she can at least help with stapling or something."
"No, she won't," Lucas said calmly. "I pay you, not her."
"Oh, come on," Neo protested. "That's not fair."
Lucas smirked just barely, like he caught himself enjoying this far too much. "Yes, it is."
Neo tilted his head, studying him carefully. "Are you smiling because of paperwork?" he asked, genuinely disturbed.
"No," Lucas replied. "I'm smiling because of your facial expressions."
"Oh, please," Aiden groaned, slumping back in his chair. "This is actual suffering."
"Five minutes," Lucas said sharply. "That's what you both have."
And that was it.
Pia burst into laughter, loud and unrestrained, clearly enjoying every second as Neo and Aiden stared down at their doom.
He glanced at his watch.
"Time starts… now."
Neo shot him a look like he'd just declared war. "You are enjoying this way too much."
Lucas didn't respond. He simply leaned back against the arm of the couch, arms folded, eyes sharp and unreadable as he watched them. Kellan took a seat nearby, one leg crossed over the other, clearly interested in how this would play out.
Aiden exhaled slowly, then reached for the first file. "Alright. You take left stack, I take right. We skim, flag errors, and stack by priority."
Neo blinked. "…Since when are you this organized?"
"Since I don't want him to win," Aiden muttered, already flipping through pages.
Neo scoffed but followed suit, sliding the pile closer. "Fine. Highlight anything that looks off. Financial inconsistencies, missing signatures, dates that don't line up."
Lucas raised a brow. Just slightly.
They fell into rhythm faster than expected. Neo scanned, marked, passed. Aiden checked, corrected, restacked. No wasted movement. No words needed. Their shoulders brushed occasionally, not once breaking pace.
"Huh," Pia said, lounging dramatically on the armrest. "Look at you two. All synchronized. It's kinda hot."
Neo shot her a warning glare. "Do not start."
"I'm just saying," she continued, grinning. "If this whole mafia assistant thing doesn't work out, you could start a productivity channel. Two hot boys, one paperwork."
Aiden choked. "Pia!"
Lucas cleared his throat, amused now. "Focus."
Pia zipped her lips theatrically, then immediately leaned in again. "You missed a typo, Neo. Page three."
Neo paused, scanned again, then frowned. "…Damn it."
"See?" Pia said proudly. "I'm helping."
"You are sabotaging," Neo snapped.
Lucas checked his watch again. Two minutes gone.
They sped up.
Aiden slid a corrected file toward Neo without looking. Neo caught it, added his mark, passed it back. It was seamless too seamless. Kellan's gaze lingered on them, thoughtful.
"They work well together," he said quietly.
Lucas didn't answer, but his eyes never left them.
Pia tilted her head, watching too. "You know," she said sweetly, "if you both mess up, I'll just tell Mom you were stressing yourselves out at a dangerous job."
Neo groaned. "Why are you like this?"
"Because it's fun."
"Thirty seconds," Lucas announced.
Aiden straightened, jaw set. Neo moved faster, fingers flying, heart pounding not from the work, but from the pressure of being watched. From him watching.
"Done," Aiden said, sliding the last stack forward just as the second hand hit the mark.
Silence.
Lucas stepped closer, picked up a file, flipped through it slowly. Once. Twice.
Then he looked up.
"Interesting," he said.
Neo swallowed. "That's not reassuring."
Lucas's lips curved small, controlled. "You didn't fail."
Pia gasped dramatically. "They lived!"
"And," Lucas added, eyes locking briefly with Neo's, "you impressed me."
That… did something to him.
Kellan smirked. "Looks like boredom suits them."
Neo leaned back, finally breathing. "Never again."
Lucas glanced at his watch once more. "Oh, don't worry. This was just the warm-up."
Pia laughed. Neo groaned. Aiden sighed.
Time passed in the estate with Neo and Aiden bickering, Pia having fun exploring the estate here and there until it was near dawn.
"You can stay for tonight, all of you," Lucas said, looking at them.
"Really? Thank youuuuuu," Pia whisper-screamed in excitement.
"You're welcome. So Kellan will take you guys and brief you both about your rooms and whatever you need. And one important thing no wandering about. Is that clear?"
"Clear as glass," she replied excitedly.
Kellan came down and told them to follow him, which they all did except Neo, who didn't walk at the others' pace. He slowed, stopping in front of Lucas, the height difference obvious as he lifted his face to look up at him.
"That was not fair today," he whispered, glancing briefly to make sure the others hadn't noticed.
Lucas slipped his hands into his pockets and stepped closer, closing the space between them. "How was that not fair in any way? You were clearly bored, and I needed my assistants. I simply put two and two together."
Neo pouted harder, a small scowl settling on his face.
"Don't pout like that," Lucas murmured, bending slightly to meet his height, his gaze drifting from Neo's eyes to his lips and back again. His voice dropped, deliberate, slow.
"Don't talk that way," Neo whispered back, breath shaky despite himself.
Lucas's eyes darkened for a split second.
"Neo!!" Pia called, returning after noticing he wasn't following them.
"Coming," Neo said quickly. "He wanted to show me some things we missed." Neo said not taking his eyes off Lucas.
"Go with her," Lucas replied, already stepping back, turning toward the stairs as if nothing had happened.
Neo joined Pia, and together they caught up with Kellan.
The hallway grew quieter as they walked. Aiden shot Neo a sideways look.
"You okay?" he asked under his breath.
"Yeah," Neo lied just as quietly.
Pia bounced ahead, humming to herself, completely oblivious. "This place is huge. I could get lost for days."
"That's exactly what you won't do," Kellan said calmly, stopping in front of a long corridor lined with doors
"Okay, just as Lucas said no wandering around, especially after lights out."
"Lights out?" Aiden scoffed. "As how? We're not kids. Maybe Pia is, but not me and Neo. What's with all the rules?"
Kellan looked at him flatly. "They're house rules. We go by them here, so please just obey, okay? No drama, Aiden especially you."
Pia pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh.
"Pia," Kellan continued, pointing down the hallway, "go straight, turn right, walk a bit, then left again. The door in the middle is yours."
"Okay," Pia replied, nodding seriously, clearly trying to burn the directions into her head.
"And you both already know your rooms," Kellan added, glancing at Neo and Aiden. "So go there. No wandering."
"Okay," they answered almost in unison.
Kellan waited until everyone dispersed in different directions before turning and heading off on his own.
Pia walked for a while, counting her steps in her head. Straight… right… then...
"Did he say left," she muttered, slowing down, "or was it right?"
She hesitated, then turned left.
Wrong choice.
The hallway stretched longer than it should have. After a few minutes, she stopped completely, hands on her hips, looking around.
"…Yeah. I'm lost," she said out loud.
She considered just sitting down and waiting for someone anyone when a voice spoke behind her.
"Lost?"
She startled so badly she spun around. "Yes, I am—"
Her words died instantly.
It was him.
Matteo stood a few feet away, one hand behind his back, subtly lowering the gun he'd instinctively pulled out when he thought she was an intruder. His posture relaxed the moment he recognized her.
"You're Pia, right?" he asked.
"Yes," she said quickly, then paused. "And you're Matteo, right?"
"Yes," he replied, a small nod accompanying the word.
"I'm so sorry," Pia rushed on. "Kellan gave me directions, but I think I messed them up."
"It's fine," Matteo said easily. "That happens a lot here. I'll show you to your room. Come on."
"Thank you," she said, a little too fast.
She followed him, carefully schooling her expression, forcing her heartbeat to calm even though it was doing absolutely the opposite. They walked in comfortable silence until he stopped in front of a door.
"This is it," Matteo said, opening it for her.
"Thank you so much," Pia said sincerely. "I really appreciate it."
"No problem," he replied. "And remember...no wandering."
"I promise," she smiled. "Thank you again."
She stepped inside and closed the door behind her, pressing her back against it almost immediately. One hand flew to her chest as she tried to breathe normally.
"Oh my goodness," she whispered to herself, grinning like she'd just won the lottery.
"He's so fine."
Aiden had been turning here and there on the soft sheets, the mattress way too comfortable for the kind of restlessness crawling under his skin. He wasn't the type to sleep early never had been but here he was, forced into bed when it was barely 10:00 p.m.
"This is so crazy," he muttered, rolling onto his back. "I can't sleep."
He turned again, groaning softly, when his phone buzzed.
Once.Twice.
"Don't tell me it's another fan account tag," he sighed, reaching for it. "I'm already tired of them."
The screen lit up and he sat up instantly.
"Oh hell yes."
It was a message from one of his close friends. An invite.A night party.
Aiden pushed himself into a sitting position, fingers already flying over the screen.
'what is the time of the party and where'
The reply came almost immediately.
'11:00–3:00. Mask party. Color theme black. Are you in?'
Aiden grinned.
'yes. me and neo. we'll come. keep two outfits,feminine kind and a lovely mask'
A pause.
Then.... 'type shiii okay'
Aiden laughed under his breath.
Game on.
He slid off the bed and quietly opened his door, stepping out barefoot onto the cool floor. Every movement was careful, deliberate. He closed the door softly behind him and tiptoed down the hallway, heart thudding like he was about to commit a crime.
When he reached Neo's door, he knocked lightly.
"Open up," he whisper-yelled. "I know you're awake."
Almost instantly, the door flew open.
Neo grabbed him by the wrist, dragged him inside, and slammed the door shut.
"What is your problem?" Neo hissed. "What don't you understand by no wandering?"
Aiden barely had time to react before Neo continued, arms crossed now, eyes sharp.
"You want us killed on our first night here or what?"
"We're going out," Aiden said calmly.
Neo blinked.
"W–what do you mean?"
Aiden's lips curled into a grin. "We're going out for a party."
Silence.
Neo stared at him like he'd lost his mind. "You're crazy."
"Correction," Aiden said, flopping onto Neo's bed like he owned it. "I'm bored. And bored people make bad decisions."
"This is Lucas's estate," Neo whispered harshly. "There are rules. Cameras. Guards. Kellan literally warned us."
"And?" Aiden shrugged. "Anyways It's a mask party. Black theme. No faces. No names. We'll blend."
Neo dragged a hand down his face. "You're impossible."
"You love me," Aiden shot back. "Also, I already told them we're coming."
Neo's eyes widened. "You did what?"
"Relax," Aiden said lightly. "We'll sneak out, sneak back in. In and out. Easy."
"This is how people die," Neo muttered.
"But imagine the outfits," Aiden added, wiggling his brows. "Feminine. Black. Masks. Come on don't tell me you're not a little tempted." Neo hesitated.
That tiny pause was all Aiden needed.
"Oh," Aiden said softly, triumphant. "You're tempted."
Neo glared at him. "…If we get caught, I'm blaming you."
Aiden hopped up, clapping once. "Deal. Now get dressed. We've got thirty minutes."
Chaos had officially clocked in.
"There's like thirty guards in front, Aiden," Neo whispered, his voice low enough to barely escape the walls.
"You know we're tougher than that. We can do it. Let's go," Aiden replied, the mischievous glint in his eyes giving him away.
Neo shook his head. "You're going to make us get on Luca's bad side." He bent down, picking up his sneakers silently.
"Just say you don't want to get on your man's bad side."
"Not my man," Neo muttered. He paused mid-step, turning toward Aiden with a small smirk. "…yet."
"Damnnnn—" Aiden started.
"Shuuuuu," Neo hissed, quickly clamping his hand over Aiden's mouth. "We're trying to sneak out, not wake the whole house up."
They crouched, moving in sync, tiptoeing across the polished floor. Every creak of the wooden planks was a potential disaster, but Neo had already mapped the path in his head from earlier tours of the estate.
First, they hugged the shadows along the wall, moving past the grand staircase where a guard stood, arms folded. Neo timed it perfectly: as the guard shifted his weight to adjust his posture, Neo nudged Aiden forward, their bodies pressed against the wall like ghosts. The guard didn't even flinch.
Next came the hallway lined with surveillance cameras. Neo signaled with a finger: "Three… two… now." They rolled their shoulders to avoid the cameras' blind spots, walking backward for a few steps before sliding into a doorway. Aiden stifled a laugh as he nearly bumped into the frame, and Neo gave him a sharp elbow in the ribs.
"Silent," Neo reminded, smirking.
They reached the glass doors at the back of the estate. Outside, a pair of guards paced lazily, not expecting anyone to come from this side at night. Neo crouched low, pressing himself behind a potted plant as Aiden followed. They waited, breaths shallow, counting the rhythm of the guards' steps.
"Go on my mark," Neo whispered.
The first guard's shadow crossed the far end. Neo grabbed Aiden's wrist, pulling him along the edge of the wall. When the second guard's flashlight swung close, they froze, pressed flat against the textured stone wall, hearts pounding. The beam passed then they moved again, a fluid, silent motion like predators in a hunt.
At the corner of the estate, a maintenance ladder led down to the lower garden level. Neo took the lead, climbing quietly, careful not to scrape metal against the stone steps. Aiden followed, one hand on the railing, the other clutching Neo's arm. At the bottom, they crouched again, surveying the next stretch: a narrow walkway flanked by hedges and more patrolling guards.
They timed their dash to coincide with the guards' routine. When one looked the other way, they bolted in short bursts, ducking behind thick foliage, pressing their backs flat against tree trunks, and whispering each step. Their bare feet made no sound against the damp grass, and each movement was calculated, rehearsed in the quiet moments they'd snuck around before.
Finally, the last obstacle: the gate. Neo had noticed the weak point earlier a section where the camera didn't cover, and the guard preferred to glance at his phone rather than the entrance. They sprinted across the small courtyard, shadows melting into the night, hearts hammering with adrenaline. Neo tapped the gate's panel with a skillful hand he'd learned the code from casual observation earlier. The lock clicked.
They slipped through.
Outside, the night air hit them like a shockwave. Neo and Aiden paused, chest heaving, eyes scanning to make sure they hadn't left a trace.
"We made it," Aiden whispered, grinning like a kid.
"Quietly," Neo hissed back, holding up a finger. "Before someone notices we're gone."
The estate stood silent behind them, the soft hum of guards' radios carrying faintly. But in that moment, under the moonlight, Aiden and Neo felt unstoppable, untouchable, and untamed two shadows in sync, perfectly executed.
They didn't stop until the estate was far behind them.
The road narrowed as they moved downhill, the lights from the house disappearing behind thick trees and private land. This was the stretch no outsider ever saw the reason blindfolds existed in the first place. By the time they reached the public highway, their legs were burning and their breaths uneven.
Only then did Aiden pull out his phone.
He'd been careful. His friend wasn't anywhere near the estate, not even close. The pickup point was a quiet roadside far below the hill, where regular cars passed and the world went back to normal.
Headlights finally cut through the dark.
Aiden waved once as the car slowed to a stop, relief washing over him as they climbed in. The doors shut, the engine roared, and just like that, the estate its rules, its watchful eyes faded behind them as the car drove toward town.
They drove for a while through town until they got to the house they'll change into their outfits "okay guys I'll see both of you there welcome to the crew Neo" Aiden's friend said picking up a cigarette to take a smoke "thank you" neo replied smiling "okay come on let's go change" Aiden said dragging neo to the room.
Neo picked up the outfit from the bed and just stared at it like it might bite him.
"…Why is it so revealing and feminine?" he finally asked, holding it up between two fingers.
Aiden didn't even look guilty. He was already examining his own set. "It's a mask party, genius. We don't want to be recognized. We're literally trending right now. The whole point is to look like someone else."
Neo frowned harder. "My waist will be on full display. Aiden, this is a cropped top and short shorts with some crazy jean cut design. I'm practically naked."
"You're not naked," Aiden said calmly. "Have you seen mine?" He lifted his outfit. "At least yours pretends to be fabric."
Neo glanced over and immediately regretted it.
Aiden's outfit was bold. A sleeveless black mesh top layered under a structured cropped jacket that stopped just under his chest, exposing smooth skin and sharp lines. His pants were high-waisted, tight around the hips, then flared slightly at the bottom, slashed with deliberate cuts along the thighs that showed skin when he moved.
"See?" Aiden continued. "We're both committing. Besides, we're built like this. Feminine bodies, narrow waists. Nobody's going to suspect us."
Neo sighed dramatically but still stepped closer to the bed.
His outfit was… dangerous.
A black cropped top with long sleeves, the fabric hugging his arms but stopping high enough to leave his waist bare. The shorts were denim but reworked. Cut short, frayed at the edges, sitting dangerously low on his hips, with silver rings and straps stitched into the sides. When he lifted them, the waist chain already attached jingled softly.
"…There's a waist chain," Neo muttered.
Aiden grinned. "Exactly. Wear it."
They changed in silence, broken only by Neo's occasional complaints and Aiden's amused hums.
Neo pulled on knee-high net socks, the fine black mesh hugging his legs perfectly, disappearing under the shorts just enough to be provocative without being obvious. He slipped into sleek black boots with a slight heel, adding height and confidence whether he liked it or not. The waist chain rested against his skin, cool and delicate, accentuating every movement when he turned.
Aiden added his own accessories fingerless leather gloves, a thin chain necklace resting against his collarbone, and rings stacked on two fingers. He adjusted a matching waist chain low on his hips, then stepped back to admire the effect.
Finally, the masks.
Neo picked up his: matte black, half-face, sharp edges around the eyes, subtle silver detailing that caught the light when he tilted his head. It gave him an unreadable, dangerous elegance soft and lethal at the same time.
Aiden's mask was darker, sleeker, with a faint gloss finish and narrow eye slits. Less decorative, more intimidating.
They put them on and looked at each other.
Neo swallowed. "…We look insane."
Aiden tilted his head, eyes dragging slowly over Neo's exposed waist, the chain, the nets. "Yeah," he said softly. "Insanely unrecognizable."
Neo exhaled, nerves buzzing under his skin. "If Lucas sees this-"
"He won't," Aiden cut in, already grabbing the door handle. "And if he does? We were never here."
They stepped out into the night, masked, dressed like trouble, hearts pounding ready to disappear into chaos.
Immediately neo and Aiden stepped into the party it was like all eyes literally turned to them they we're hot neo's thighs were fully in view same with his tiny waist they looked really hot that people couldn't keep their eyes off them.
The music was loud bass heavy, vibrating through the floor, through their bones. Neon lights flashed over bodies packed together, masks everywhere, smoke hanging low in the air. For a split second, Neo almost froze under the attention, but then Aiden grabbed his wrist and pulled him forward, laughing.
"Relax," Aiden shouted over the music. "This is the point."
They disappeared into the crowd.
They danced together first messy, uncoordinated at the start, then slowly finding the rhythm. Neo moved without thinking, hips swaying, arms loose, the waist chain catching the light every time he turned. Aiden matched him easily, shoulders rolling, head thrown back as he screamed lyrics into the air like nobody could hear him anyway.
For the first time in days, maybe weeks, they weren't assistants. They weren't watched. They weren't careful.
They were just bodies in motion.
People started circling closer. Compliments shouted through masks. Fingers snapping. Drinks lifted in invitation.
A guy in a gold mask stepped in first, holding out two glasses. "On the house."
Aiden smiled politely, shook his head. "We're good, thanks."
The guy lingered anyway, eyes trailing over Neo openly. As he stepped back, his hand brushed Neo's waist too slow to be accidental.
Neo stiffened, then forced himself to relax, stepping away without making a scene.
Another followed. Then another.
Hands grazed thighs as people danced past. Fingers brushed hips, lower backs. One bold touch lingered just a second too long at Aiden's waist before he caught the wrist and gently but firmly moved it away, still smiling.
Control. Always control.
Aiden eventually disappeared toward the bar and came back with drinks, pressing one into Neo's hand. "Hydration," he joked.
Neo laughed and took it.
They drank.
One turned into two. Two into three.
The music felt louder. The lights brighter. Neo felt warmer, looser, the edge of awareness softening. He danced closer now, movements freer, less guarded. Aiden laughed louder, pulled him into the crowd again, their shoulders brushing, fingers hooking briefly just to make sure the other was still there.
The adrenaline mixed with alcohol, buzzing under their skin.
They were famous. They were hidden. They were reckless.
And neither of them noticed how long they'd stopped checking the exits or how easy it had become to forget the estate, the rules, and the people who would absolutely not be amused by this.The music got louder or maybe it only felt that way.
Neo laughed at something Aiden said, but the sound felt delayed in his own ears. The room spun just a little when he turned, lights smearing into color. Bodies pressed closer now, the space shrinking without him noticing when it happened.
A hand wrapped around his wrist.
At first he thought it was Aiden.
It wasn't.
Neo turned, frowning beneath his mask. "Hey-"
The guy only laughed, leaning in too close, breath heavy with alcohol. Another hand slid to Neo's waist, fingers digging in like they belonged there.
"Let go," Neo said, sharper now, trying to pull back.
The grip tightened.
Across the floor, Aiden was dealing with his own problem someone had backed him against a pillar, blocking his path, hands planted on either side of him. Aiden shoved lightly, still laughing it off, trying not to draw attention.
"Move," he said. "You're too close."
The guy didn't move.
Instead, more people pressed in. A circle forming without meaning to. Without asking.
Neo tried again, yanking his arm, but alcohol dulled his timing, his strength off by half a second. Someone brushed past him, another hand sliding too low before disappearing into the crowd.
His breath hitched.
"Aiden!" he called, voice swallowed by the bass.
Aiden finally saw him.
Their eyes met across the crowd and something in Aiden's expression changed immediately. The smile vanished. Sobriety punched through the haze as he shoved harder this time, breaking free just enough to move.
"Back off," Aiden snapped, pushing toward Neo.
But the crowd closed again.
Hands everywhere now. Not violent but invasive. Possessive. Like they were entertainment, not people. Someone tugged at Aiden's arm, laughing, pulling him sideways.
"Don't touch me," Aiden said, voice rising.
Neo's heart slammed against his ribs. Panic crept in fast, ugly. He twisted again, this time shoving his elbow back, finally breaking one grip only to be caught by another.
That's when the music cut.
Not faded.
Cut.
The sudden silence hit like a slap.
A ripple of confusion rolled through the room. Heads turned. People froze mid-movement.
Then the doors at the far end opened.
Two men stepped in.
Black suits. No masks. No rush.
Authority walked in before they did.
Lucas stepped in first, sharp eyes already moving, the noise and bodies barely registering. Kellan followed at his shoulder, posture relaxed but lethal, gaze sweeping the room in practiced angles. Masks everywhere. Glitter. Skin. Sweat. Chaos.
"They're here," Kellan said quietly.
Lucas didn't answer. He didn't need to.
They moved deeper into the club, scanning faces, bodies, movements. Too many people. Too many masks. No clear faces. But then Lucas saw it the tension. Two figures near the edge of the crowd, boxed in too tightly, shoulders stiff, movements defensive. Hands lingering where they shouldn't. One of them tried to laugh it off, the other looked ready to snap.
Kellan noticed it at the same time.
"Uncomfortable," he muttered. "Could be them."
Before either of them could move closer
Neo saw them.
Even through the lights, even through the masks, he knew. The height. The posture. The way Lucas stood like the room belonged to him. His stomach dropped.
"Aiden," Neo breathed, panic slicing through the alcohol haze.
Aiden followed his gaze and froze.
"Oh shit."
They didn't think. They didn't plan.
They shoved hard, breaking out of the circle of bodies, ignoring the shouts behind them as they bolted. People cursed as they pushed through, drinks spilling, attention snapping toward the sudden movement.
"Hey-!" "Watch it!"
Lucas's head snapped up.
"Two just ran," he said flatly.
Kellan was already moving. "That's them."
Neo and Aiden sprinted toward the far end of the bar, hearts pounding, lungs burning. They skidded to a stop near a service table stacked with unused linens and decor. Neo grabbed the first thing his hands touched a large black table cover yanking it free.
"Here-now-!"
They wrapped it around themselves clumsily, fabric swallowing their exposed skin, barely covering enough. They pressed back against the wall, breathless, masks still on, trying to disappear.
Too late.
Lucas and Kellan cut through the crowd like a blade. The space around them thinned without anyone quite realizing why. When they stopped in front of the two figures wrapped in tablecloths, the entire area seemed to hold its breath.
"Take off the masks," Lucas said calmly.
The room quieted. Heads turned. Phones lifted.
Aiden hesitated for half a second then reached up and pulled his mask off.
Neo followed.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Whispers exploded.
Kellan swore under his breath.
Lucas's jaw tightened, eyes darkening as they dragged over the ridiculous fabric, the bare legs, the panic still written all over them.
"Outside," Lucas said, voice low and dangerous. "Now."
No argument. No jokes. No teasing.
Neo nodded once. Aiden swallowed and did the same.
They moved through the stunned crowd toward the exit, every step heavy, every eye on them, the weight of what they'd just done and who had caught them settling in fully for the first time.
The real trouble was just beginning.
The music had died down when Lucas stopped.
He turned slowly, eyes sweeping the crowd phones raised, whispers spreading like sparks. The guards behind him fanned out without a word, presence alone forcing space.
Lucas lifted a hand. Everything froze.
"You're all going to listen very carefully," he said, voice calm enough to be terrifying. It carried without him raising it, slicing through the bass and chatter. "Any footage from tonight any video, any photo, any clip if it leaks, we will trace it. Every upload. Every sender. Every account."
The room went dead quiet.
"And whoever it leads to," Lucas continued, eyes cold, "will be sued into nothing. If there's intent, obstruction, or profit involved prison won't be off the table."
A beat.
"You don't know who these boys are," he said flatly. "But you know who I am."
That did it.
Phones dropped. Screens went dark. People looked away like eye contact itself might incriminate them. No one wanted to be brave. No one wanted to be stupid.
"Good," Lucas said. "Enjoy your night."
He turned.
Neo and Aiden didn't look back as they were guided out, still wrapped in the tablecloths, hearts hammering so loud it felt like the whole club could hear.
The parking area was dim, quiet, the city noise dulled by distance. The car waited at the far end, engine off, guards positioned like shadows.
The second the doors closed behind them.
"What the hell were you thinking?"
Lucas's voice snapped like a whip.
Neo flinched. Aiden stiffened.
"You sneak out of a secured estate," Lucas went on, anger sharp now, pacing once, twice, running a hand through his hair. "You go to a public club. You drink. You put yourselves in a position where strangers think they can touch you."
"We didn't—" Aiden started.
"Enough, don't say anything" Lucas cut in.
Silence slammed down.
For a moment, no one spoke. Then Lucas stopped moving. His shoulders dropped just slightly. When he spoke again, his voice was different. Lower. Controlled.
"I was angry," he said. "Because I was scared."
That landed harder than the shouting.
Neo swallowed.
"We didn't think-" Neo began, voice small. "We just wanted one night. To feel normal."
Lucas exhaled slowly, eyes closing for half a second.
"Normal? by sneaking out without anyone's consent without no one knowing, what if something happens to both of you what do I tell pia, what do I tell your parents, your mom did you both think about that"
There was a long pause in the air as Lucas held the tip of his nose calming his self down
Then his gaze dropped.
"…Why," he asked, "are you still wrapped in tablecloths?"
Aiden blinked. Neo's ears burned.
"We-uh...." Aiden stammered. "It's just-"
"We'd rather keep them on," Neo said quickly.
Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
Neither of them answered.
"Take them off," Lucas said.
"No," they said together too fast.
Kellan shifted, arms crossed, watching closely now. "Take it off" he said evenly. "This isn't a suggestion."
Neo's fingers tightened in the fabric. "Please."
Lucas's jaw tightened. He stepped closer close enough that Neo had to tilt his head up again.
"Last time," Lucas said quietly. "Take them off."
Hands shaking, Neo loosened the cloth. Aiden followed a heartbeat later.
The fabric slipped.
And the air changed.
The guards froze. One of them sucked in a breath before catching himself.
Neo stood there flushed pink, waist bare, legs exposed, eyes wide and embarrassed. Aiden looked no better cheeks red, lips parted, body tense like he wanted to disappear into the pavement.
"Turn around," Lucas said instantly.
All the guards obeyed without hesitation, backs facing them, eyes forward.
Lucas didn't look away.Kellan didn't either.
Both eyes on different preys
For a long moment, no one spoke.
Neo hugged his arms around himself. Aiden swallowed hard.
Lucas's voice came out low. "Get in the car."
Not angry. Not cold.Protective.
They moved quickly, the door opening, the tension thick enough to choke on. As Neo passed Lucas, he felt it the shift. The heat. The way Lucas's gaze lingered just a second too long before he forced himself to look away.
Inside the car, the door shut softly.
And in that silence, with hearts still racing and consequences looming
Everything had changed.