Chapter 153: Chapter 153
Lucien heard that question and his heart pounded heavily. He knew this was the moment he had to answer with absolute tact, otherwise everything would collapse. He took a deep breath, and then asked in return:
"Would you believe it, boss? If I said it was the truth from the bottom of my heart?"
Damian did not answer immediately. He only stared intently at Lucien, his smoky gray eyes darkening entirely. Lucien knew that the man was struggling with himself; on one side was the rationality wanting to push Lucien away, and on the other was a kind of affection that the man could not control. He decided to take a gamble.
"Alright, let me tell the truth." Lucien let out a breath, then looked straight into Damian’s eyes. "In the beginning, I only wanted to impress you, boss. Because I needed this job, I needed to prove my capabilities. But after the times I met you, after seeing the way you work, the way you treat everyone fairly... I started to genuinely like you. That made me afraid."
"Afraid of what?"
"Afraid that you would think I am an opportunist." Lucien replied, his voice soft yet distinctly clear. "Afraid that you would look at me the same way you looked at those who approached you before. Afraid that no matter what I do, you would not believe me."
Damian remained silent for a long time. He released his grip from Lucien’s arm, but did not step away. He still stood there, his smoky gray eyes looking straight at Lucien, as if wanting to find a crack in Lucien’s calm exterior.
"I am not someone who trusts easily," Damian said, his voice deep and slow. "But neither am I a blind fool."
"I know." Lucien replied. "And I do not expect you to believe me immediately. I only hope you will give me a chance."
Damian said nothing more. He merely turned his back, walked toward the desk, and reached for the half-empty glass of whiskey. He drank the remainder in the glass, then forcefully slammed the glass down on the table. A dry clinking sound echoed throughout the dead silent room.
Then he suddenly spoke up, his tone having changed completely:
"Let us go."
Lucien blinked. "Go where?"
"To my home." Damian reached for the coat on the rack and draped it over his body. "I have a few things I want to show you. Related to the project."
Lucien almost burst out laughing. The project? At ten o’clock at night, after drinking half a bottle of whiskey and looking at him with a gaze that seemed to want to devour him alive? This man lied even worse than Lucien did. But he did not expose the lie, only giving a soft murmur of agreement before following behind.
The elevator descended to the basement. Damian pressed the key fob, and a glossy black car parked in a hidden corner flashed its lights twice. The two men got into the car and fastened their seatbelts. Damian drove the vehicle out of the basement, merging into the sparse traffic of the city at night.
It was extremely quiet inside the car. Damian did not turn on any music, nor did he switch on the radio. Lucien sat in the passenger seat, his eyes looking out the window, but his mind paid absolutely no attention to the buildings gliding by. He was counting the time. Ninety minutes. There were two more instances of physical contact left.
"You have been drinking and you are still driving?" Lucien suddenly spoke up.
"I only had one glass. I am nowhere near drunk."
"But there is still a smell." Lucien said, then deliberately leaned slightly toward the driver’s seat and took a light sniff. "There, the smell of whiskey is very strong. If you get breathalyzed by the police, you will be in deep trouble."
Damian threw him a glance, then turned back to look at the road. "You seem to care quite a lot about me, don’t you."
"Of course I do." Lucien replied without the slightest hesitation. "I already said that I like you. Besides, I am sitting inside your car; if you get arrested, am I supposed to walk back home?"
Damian did not reply, but the corner of his lips twitched slightly, an expression that Lucien had learned meant the man was trying to suppress a smile. He felt that the atmosphere inside the car had become a little less tense.
The car drove through several streets, then stopped in front of a high-end apartment building in the city center. Damian stepped out of the car first, and Lucien followed suit. They walked through the main lobby paved with marble, past the reception desk where a uniformed staff member bowed in greeting to Damian using a familiar name, and then entered a private elevator.
Damian’s apartment was located on the highest floor. The elevator doors opened directly into the living room. Lucien stepped out, his eyes swiftly sweeping around the area. It was a spacious area, with floor-to-ceiling glass walls overlooking the entire panoramic view of the city. The interior design was minimalist, with gray and black color palettes dominating the space. A black leather sofa was placed in the middle of the room, accompanied by a glass coffee table, and a small bar counter situated in the corner of the room.
"Have a seat." Damian said, then walked toward the bar counter, pouring himself a glass of filtered water. "What do you want to drink?"
"Filtered water is fine for me." Lucien replied, sitting down on the edge of the sofa.
Damian brought two glasses of water over, placed one in front of Lucien, and then sat down on the chair opposite him. He did not sit next to Lucien on the sofa, but chose a single armchair a short distance away. That distance was just enough to maintain a professional facade, but also just enough for Lucien to know that the man was intentionally keeping his distance.
Both of them remained silent for a while. Then Damian spoke up:
"You said that you like me. Then let me ask you a genuine question."
"Please go ahead and ask."
"What exactly do you like about me?" Damian asked, his voice deep and steady. "I am a cold, unapproachable person, who only knows about work all day long. What is there that is worthy of you liking?"
Lucien lowered his head slightly in thought. He knew this was not a question meant to challenge him, but rather a sincere question from a man who could not comprehend why he was being loved.
"Do you know what I thought the very first time I met you?" Lucien asked in return.
"What was it?"
"I thought, this man is undoubtedly a solitary soul." Lucien replied, his voice gentle. "Not because no one wants to get close, but because you do not allow anyone to get close. But I found that aspect incredibly intriguing. Because I, too, am a solitary soul."
Damian furrowed his brows. "You are solitary?"
"I do not have any friends at the company. I am alienated by my colleagues. I was demoted, falsely accused, and assigned trivial chores that no one else wanted to do. Every day going to work, I sit in the corner of the room, and no one talks to me. Does that count as being solitary?"
Damian fell silent.
"But you are different." Lucien continued. "Even though you are the general manager, even though you possess power, I see that you are just as lonely as I am. You do not let anyone get close, you have no one to speak truthfully to. And I thought... if I could get close to you, then perhaps I would no longer be lonely anymore."
Damian looked at him for a very long time, saying nothing. Then he stood up and walked toward Lucien. This time, he did not stop at a safe distance anymore. He sat down next to Lucien on the sofa, the distance between the two of them reduced to mere centimeters.
"Did you know that I have been thinking a great deal about you?" Damian asked, his voice deep and husky.
"I did not know."
"Ever since that night you stayed late at the office working on the concept, I have been thinking about you. I wondered why an intern could possibly work so diligently. Then later on, I saw you doing many things that made me entirely unable to take my eyes off you." Damian raised his hand, gently touching Lucien’s cheek. "And I hate that. I hate the fact that I cannot control my own thoughts about you."
Lucien said nothing. He simply sat still, allowing Damian’s hand to stroke across his cheek. Inside his mind, 000’s voice rang out, full of absolute excitement:
[Mission update: The second physical contact has been successfully recorded. There is 1 more time remaining. Keep up the good work!]
"So what do you intend to do now?" Lucien asked, his voice soft and gentle. "Do you still hate the fact that you cannot control your thoughts about me?"
"Yes. I still hate it." Damian replied, but his hand did not leave Lucien’s cheek. "But I also do not want to stop."
Having said that, he leaned down and placed his lips upon Lucien’s lips. This time, it was not a gentle kiss like the one the night before. This time, it was deeper, lasted longer, and carried within it all the emotions he had been suppressing for so long.
Lucien no longer bothered to count the time. But inside his mind, 000’s voice still managed to ring out one final time:
[Mission accomplished! 80 bonding points and 40 intimacy points have been added. The reward from the R18 Store will be transferred into your inventory. Congratulations, host!]
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