“Well… that’s not something I hadn’t expected, but I never expected to find out like this…” Pen said with a sigh as she sat down beside Thea that night in her house.They’d all opted to go back home after that incident leaving the awkwardness of their moment to be forgotten.“Tell me about it. I knew you were pretty open about anyone finding out but this is definitely the first time I’m falling into such an awkward situation with you like this.” She said with a smile and Pen sighed.“We just got swept in the moment. Haden is unexpectedly… Passionate…” Pen mumbled and Thea laughed.“Woah! I really want to hear more about that,” Thea said and Pen sighed.“What I want to hear about is you and Lucian. Although Peter told me that he set you two up, I didn’t think that you were already going out!” She exclaimed and Thea almost winced. She really didn’t want to tell Pen anything about her and Lucian. Because then she’d have to lie to her.“I don’t know how to say it… we just decided on it t
“You seem to be deeply mistaken about something, Professor Pierce,” The dean said looking at Robert through his glasses with the same amused smile he had earlier, except for the cold glint in his eyes, Thea would have never detected his anger.“Pardon?” Robert asked as he looked back at the dean seeming startled by his interruption.“Hearing you talk like this, Mr Salvator might think that our university takes this project as a joke,” He said with the same smile and a chill ran down Thea’s spine.Yupp, her grandfather was angry.“Not at all, I’m already aware of how hard the university is working to accommodate to our selfish requests,” Lucian said with a smile not letting go of Thea’s hand as he intertwined their fingers again.“I’m sure that hiring Thea must make Professor Pierce anxious too. Since he wasn’t there for her thesis and the beginning of her career,” Her grandfather said.The first reference to her thesis made Thea’s heart tighten for a moment. They rarely ever talked ab
“Are you going to keep avoiding me forever?” Peter asked through the voicemail and Thea sighed.It had already been a few days since their money crisis peacefully ended and she was wondering how she was going to explain the anonymous donor to him. Peter was a sharp person, very fit for his position as a lawyer and very good with remembering details. She was wondering how long it would take him to figure out that Lucian was the one who donated that money.There was no way that she was going to tell him that this was a contractual relationship between them and that this was her compensation for marrying him. Peter would flip if he hears that.She even sacrificed going to see her student’s faces when they learn about their scholarships. Now she had been sulking all week while still frustrated about what happened with Lucian and Robert the other day.Seriously. Why was her life so messy these days… She needed an equilibrium. And she was pretty sure that there was no way she was going to f
“Well, well, if it isn't Lucian Salvator… Long time no see…” Lucian heard a singsong voice behind him say before a rand rested on his shoulder.It took a bit of effort to tamp down his annoyance at being interrupted at such an important moment.“Hello, Colleen. How have you been,” He asked turning around to look at the woman shaking her hand casually.But Colleen wasn’t looking at him. Her eyes were on Thea with a vulture flesh eating smile as she looked her up and down.Thea looked back at the woman with a blank expression as if she was waiting for her to finish her appraisal so that she can move along. Lucian wanted to smile as Colleen, who was known to illicit jealous stares from women wherever she went. Today, she was completely ignored by Thea.“It has! I missed you so much at our usual place. You don’t come anymore!” She whined.Awkwardly, Lucian wondered if there was anyone listening around them. Whoever hears them, would think that something was going on between them while the
“Well, well, if it isn't Lucian Salvator… Long time no see…” Lucian heard a singsong voice behind him say before a rand rested on his shoulder.It took a bit of effort to tamp down his annoyance at being interrupted at such an important moment.“Hello, Colleen. How have you been,” He asked turning around to look at the woman shaking her hand casually.But Colleen wasn’t looking at him. Her eyes were on Thea with a vulture flesh eating smile as she looked her up and down.Thea looked back at the woman with a blank expression as if she was waiting for her to finish her appraisal so that she can move along. Lucian wanted to smile as Colleen, who was known to illicit jealous stares from women wherever she went, was completely ignored by Thea.“It has! I missed you so much at our usual place. You don’t come anymore!” She whined.Awkwardly, Lucian wondered if there was anyone listening around them. Whoever hears them, would think that something was going on between them while they were just
Thea looked down at her phone as she tried to remain calm. Flipping a lock of her hair back behind her ear, she looked back up at her grandfather who was still busy talking to Peter.“… I think that this will work out better for you than before,” Her grandfather said and Peter nodded.“Relying on one main source of income was too risky. I guess we had it coming. It was bound to happen,” Peter answered and Thea wanted to sigh.She had no idea how Peter always managed to have a normal conversation with her grandfather. She had such a hard time just getting him to listen to her…“What do you think we should do about the day of the event?” Peter asked.“I think we should leave this to the school committee and Chim&Bio’s PR team. They will come up with a date for the event,” Thea answered looking into her email box another time. This time skipping over the message that left her too shocked to talk and going straight to the email she was looking for in the first place.As soon as she found
Lucian was having a hard time controlling himself even though he knew what he was doing was wrong. More guilt piled up in his conscience as he parked his car in front of the coffee shop where Thea was supposed to meet Robert.He had heard her on the phone earlier and seeing the messages he was sending her over her shoulder, Lucian couldn’t sit still as he watched her drive to her appointment with him. Admittedly, She had never lied to him about who she was meeting because he never asked in the first place. But he still couldn’t shake this feeling that she was going to be stolen away from him. That Robert was seeking more than friendship with Thea, more than a working relationship.And he was right.Through the window, he could see Robert reaching out to put his hand on top of Thea’s as he spoke leaning toward her too closely. Lucian didn’t think further after that, before he knew it, he was getting into the coffee shop, making his way toward them just as Thea stood up shaking Robert’s
“I’m not so sure this is a good idea!” Lucian all but yelled as he grabbed the car door handle for dear life making Thea chuckle.“Don’t worry, I will get you there with time to spare,” She answered as she sped up through the coastal road smoothly gliding the car.“I’m worried about getting there in one piece…” Lucian answered looking from her to the road with an alarmed expression.“You’re such a worrywart. I always thought you were such a careful driver; your driving is worse than an old grandma’s,” she told him and Lucian snorted clearly offended by her comment.“At least I wouldn’t have died while recklessly driving. I’m not so sure about that now- woah!” He screamed as Thea dodged a speeding truck coming from the opposite direction.“Okay, that’s it! Thea, I don’t care about the car or the meeting. Just stop the car on the side of the road, I'm getting down,” He ordered, and Thea merely laughed as she sped up more.There was a lull of silence between them as Thea began to drive m