Lucian is referring to John's words in CHAPTER 95 - Caged ***DON'T FORGET TO ADD THE STORY ON YOUR LIBRARY #VOTE*** #BladeAndSieve #LucianAndLatton #LattonAndLucian #HeyStranger
===WARNING: THIS EPISODE CONTAINS AN UNSETTLING TOPIC=== UNBEKNOWNST to Latton, she is not the only one having issues with dealing with a man. Weeks after, her stepmother Catherine resigned as Chief Operating Officer of Ripley International. Soon came their marital problems that she never mentioned to Latton. Albert leaves for work early and returns home late. It’s as if he was avoiding her. To put her theory to the test, she stayed up one night waiting for him and preferred a savory dinner with candlelight. She wore his favorite sexy lingerie that he purchased for her to wear on special occasions. The kind that once he sees she is wearing he can’t stop himself from ravishing her. He arrived around eleven o’clock in the evening, exhausted and drunk. He didn’t appreciate her staying up all night and even criticized her choice of clothes. She let him off the hook that night and cried herself to sleep next to the snoring pile of a man that she calls husband. She was supposed to tell L
LATTON woke up in the hospital after five hours. She was hooked to an IV and her head was bandaged. Her head hurts. She ignored it as it was not important. What’s important is Catherine. She glanced at her room and saw Derek sleeping on the extra bed. “Memories.” She mumbles. She then heard the bathroom door open and saw Lucius. He walks to her and hugs her. “How do you feel? Do you need anything?” He inquired, his voice expressing concern. She exhales audibly. “I should have returned to the manor. If I did. She would never feel alone.” She says in a weak voice. Unsure what to say, he hugged her tighter and stroked her head. “Don’t say that.” He then kissed her on the forehead. Shortly, Derek woke up. Seeing that she was awake, he immediately got up. Lucius then hesitantly excuses himself to give the siblings some privacy. “Latton, how are you?” Derek asks as he leans closer to her. “Barely surviving,” she responded in a perfunctory tone. “Where’s daddy?” She added. “He’s taki
ALICIA watched her son's receding figure walk outside the manor. After a few minutes, he had not returned. Her maternal instinct was telling her to follow him outside. She stood up and discreetly left George beside Albert. When she got outside, she witnessed how her son got down from the second-floor balcony using the vines. "Lucian," she muttered. Startled, Lucian hadn't had time to speak when his mother marched towards him, seeing the bandage on his left hand and the tear on his suit jacket. Alicia frantically asked, "What happened to you? And whose room did you come from?" Caught in the act, he could only tell her the truth. "Oh, Lucian. I'm happy to hear you want to apologize to her, but this is not the right time. The Ripley family is still grieving." Lucian could only lower his head as his mother removed the leaves from his clothes. He felt like a child again needing his mother's help to tidy himself. "I think it's better to remove your suit jacket," she suggested while point
DOLAN woke up late the next day. When he got downstairs, Latton had gone out with Xavier. He wanted to wait for her, but he was soon called to his office as he had other patients that needed his help. Dolan could only bid Albert and Derek goodbye but promised to attend Catherine's eulogy in the afternoon. He heaves deeply while driving to his office. "I'll tell her later." He mumbles to himself. * At one in the afternoon. Catherine's eulogy started. The eulogy was set to be an intimate event that would be attended by family members, close friends, and the Caldwells, which Alicia and George are not supposed to attend since they are still exhausted from staying late last night, but Lucian forces them to go as he can only enter the manor if he is with his parents. * Shortly after, Albert stood on the podium. He took out a white piece of paper from his suit jacket and started sharing how he met Catherine. He frowned, and his face looked sorrowful. He cleared his throat and then began
THE NIGHT after Catherine was laid to rest, Latton, together with her cousins, Lucius and Xavier, and her brother Derek, who brought Dolan along hit the bar. Latton drank her heart out. She wanted to yell at the top of her lungs, but she couldn’t. She was so shaken by the severity of the events that happened in just a week. She wants to shed more tears for Catherine, but it seems like all her tears already left. Until now, she still couldn't accept that her father's affair might be the reason why Catherine died. She could only hope that that was not the case and that the last of her mishaps would be her father’s affair with her high school bully, or so she thought. She drank her liquor while discreetly glancing at Dolan who was sitting opposite her, and she felt better just knowing he was near her. Throughout the night, she focused all her attention on him to forget everything that happened even for a short time. THE NEXT DAY After drinking heavily last night, Latton was awakened b
MONDAY 10 AM at Caldwell Incorporated. Lucian was sitting still in his chair. The surrounding sounds were muffled by the rage, sorrow, and regret he felt. "She slept with Dolan." He said to himself. Shortly, the memory of the photo sent to him entered his mind, and it pains him that she smiles gleefully with Dolan. Her eyes shone bright, he could clearly see that he had lost her and perhaps this time forever. He hated the idea and unintentionally slammed his fist hard on the table. The loud thud startled everyone in the conference room and Eugene Cross, the Accounts Manager who was giving his report, almost collapsed in fear. Shortly, Lucian got back to his senses and remembered where he was. He then gestured to Eugene to continue with his report. His odd behavior did not go unnoticed and his friend John had been looking at him throughout the meeting and Lucian loathed the way he glanced at him. After the meeting, John followed Lucian to his office like a dog waiting for its master
“I’m sorry, Dolan,” Latton said as they drove away from the Merle café. “I just want to treat you out and instead of making up to you, you got hurt because of me,” she added, she lowered her head, hands clenched tightly, and soon tears fell on her hands and she sobbed silently. “Latton it's fine. It didn't hurt that badly, the punch was not even that strong. My lips are not even swollen anymore, but that slap you gave him for sure hurts a lot,” Dolan states jokingly as he holds her left hand with his right hand while driving. She laughs in between sobs. Then she wipes her tears. “How about we take a drive-thru and eat in the car or the park instead?” He asks. She nods merrily. The dismay, sorrow, and rage she felt before dissipated instantly. Shortly after, they bought food at different fast food places: Subway, Yellow Cab, McDonald's, KFC, and Starbucks. By noon, Dolan drove to a nearby park, sat at one of the picnic tables, and started placing the mountain of junk food on the t
LATTON continued going out with Dolan, and today they opted to watch a classic movie in a drive-in theater called The Roadium. “I've never been to this kind of place. Watch the movie with other moviegoers in the comfort of the car,” Latton said while waiting for the movie to start. She felt happy, perhaps too happy, and it scared her, as whenever she felt peaceful there was always something bad going to happen, but she soon brushed it off as she saw Dolan’s gleeful smile. “Next time I’ll take you hiking. We’ll go to Cistern Trail. It's known to moderately experienced hikers. It might be a bit challenging for you, but it is a little less crowded than some other trails, and I'll make sure that I will hold your hand and guide you every step of the way. The beauty of the canyon trail is breathtaking.” He explains while handing her popcorn and soda. She nodded and then noticed that his eyes were shining while talking about hiking, then after he spoke the shine in his eyes vanished and t