In this morning, Luzen woke up with his hand blindly reaching for the left side of the bed—only to find it empty. His palm drifted toward the nightstand in search of his phone.
His eyes were still heavy with sleep, but he forced them open enough to see the clock blinking 8:00 a.m.
Not finding Luca beside him, Luzen headed to the bathroom to freshen up and get ready for work.
Meanwhile, Luca was already in the kitchen, preparing breakfast wearing nothing but a loose T-shirt and knee-length shorts.
For an unemployed man like Luca, mornings weren't busy hours—unless cooking counted.
"Morning, sweetheart…"
Luzen greeted thirty minutes later, right when Luca had just finished plating breakfast on the dining table.
"Morning. Hurry up and eat! You're late for work, you know," Luca scolded, plopping down on a chair.
Luzen gave a faint smile, leaned in to kiss Luca's cheek, then sat beside him, placing his briefcase on the other side.
"I know. But who wouldn't sleep well hugging a sweet little kept lover like you? I'd be losing out waking up early," he said carelessly while reaching for his food—completely unaware of Luca's face turning red.
A wave of irritation radiated from Luca. An imaginary crossroads appeared above his head as he forced a smile and shot Luzen a sideways glance.
"Your words are awfully sweet… So why does it feel like you're mocking me?"
"Really? Must be your imagination. You're still the lover I adore the most."
"Thanks for the compliment! Which is why you'd better remember to pay me properly, or I'll just find a richer, handsomer sugar daddy than you!" Luca snapped.
He was angry—but even angering him felt pointless, because what he said was technically true.
Luca didn't mind being teased by others… but somehow, Luzen's words poked a part of his heart that was usually solid steel.
After eating, Luzen approached Luca, who was washing the dishes.
From behind, he wrapped his arms around him—Luca's silent fury practically visible in the air.
"Are you mad at me, hm?"
"No," Luca answered bluntly.
"Liar. I know you're mad. Sorry, baby. I won't tease you anymore. And about me loving you—that part really is from my heart."
Luzen coaxed him, sneaking kisses along Luca's neck, already addicted to the spot.
"Whatever. Go on—you're already late, Mr. Dominic Luzen Vadelard!" Luca said sharply, pushing him back.
"Okay, I'll stop bothering you. Tonight, wait for me at home, alright?"
"That depends on how well you beg for forgiveness, Mr. Dominic. You still owe me an apology for mocking me."
"You pouting with that sarcastic face is dangerously tempting, Luca. If I didn't have a meeting this morning, I'd rather pamper you in bed."
"Oh my god! I didn't know cold, expressionless Mr. Dominic could be this narcissistic. Just go—save your flirting for later unless you want your company bankrupt because you're this lazy!" Luca grumbled.
And Luca looking like this—annoyed, snarky, yet adorable—tempted Luzen to pin him down right then and there.
No one would ever guess that behind Luca's cute face and sassy complaints hid a dark, vicious side that could make anyone shiver.
If Luzen was cold and stern but warmhearted underneath, Luca was the opposite—sweet on the surface, but dark as a bottomless abyss.
---
The moment Luzen left, the apartment fell silent. Luca, having received a call from Vernon, headed out after tidying up and grabbing his phone.
As usual, Vernon had sent a driver to pick him up and bring him to the mansion that served as their base.
One hour later, Luca arrived. Before meeting Vernon, he went to his private room on the second-floor corner to fetch his laptop—the one he used to access classified information.
All his personal belongings were stored in that room under high-level security. He chose to keep them there to avoid enemy detection—and because his nomadic lifestyle left him wary of leaving anything at whatever temporary home he stayed in.
Vernon might be annoying, but he still behaved within Luca's tolerance. Besides, only a handful of people knew he was a descendant of the Romanov family—Vernon included. Luca took full advantage of that fact, gambling on the bastard.
In the office, Luca knocked once and entered without waiting.
"What task do you have today that you felt the need to call me?" Luca asked flatly. Normally he would speak more formally, but today he couldn't be bothered.
He shot Vernon an impatient look and sat on the couch, putting his laptop on the table.
Vernon closed his own laptop and walked over, sitting beside him.
Before speaking, Vernon made a hand gesture. Instantly, the room—equipped with advanced AI technology—shifted into high-security mode.
Then he looked at Luca with eyes that practically glowed with longing, a smile curling on his lips.
"No specific task. Last night, the spies I stationed around the old massacre mansion reported that several armed men entered the place. They were all disguised, making them hard to identify. But there's one person among them worth focusing on. Guess what I found?"
Luca, already struggling to contain his rising fury at anything related to Romanov affairs, felt his patience snap.
"Stop playing games, VERNON! You know I'm not in the mood for riddles. Just say it!"
Luca's flushed, furious face made Vernon's heart flutter—and before he could think, he leaned in and kissed Luca's cheek, making Luca bristle with rage.
"VERNON! Are you really trying to push me past my limits?!"
He stood, ready to throw a punch—until Vernon said one single name.
"Luzen. He was one of them."
Luca froze.
"Luzen?"