After Natasha left, silence hung in the room. Selene's arms were crossed, her legs casually crossed over one another, but the glint in her eyes was anything but casual.
Luke, meanwhile, was already on his knees on the floor, his hands raised slightly as if surrendering to a goddess about to hand down judgment.
Selene sat in front of him, straight-backed, her gun loosely held in her hand and aimed in his general direction.
"Now explain," Selene's voice was calm, low, and cold. Which, in Luke's mind, was ten times scarier than if she'd been yelling.
Luke cleared his throat and straightened his posture as if about to give a lecture to a university class. "Ahem… Then let me explain why I did that."
Selene tilted her head, her finger casually brushing the trigger.
Luke raised a hand like a philosopher delivering his life's thesis. "You see, the universe is vast and beautiful. Every corner, every world is filled with wonders—shimmering skies, towering mountains, and breathtaking landscapes."
Selene's eyebrow arched, unimpressed.
"And, naturally, one of the greatest treasures in this universe is… women." He placed a hand on his chest, eyes shining as though speaking of sacred truth. "Women are part of nature's most delicate, most irreplaceable beauty. Like flowers that bloom even in the harshest of lands. Like rare gemstones found in the darkest caves. Like—"
"Get to the point," Selene's voice cut like a blade.
Luke nodded solemnly, though sweat dotted his forehead. "Right. As such, it is my sacred duty to protect them. To shelter them. To give them a safe place—in my house, and more importantly…" He tapped his chest twice, "…in my heart."
Selene's expression turned colder with every word.
"Of course, some small-minded people might call this selfishness." Luke raised a finger as if correcting an ignorant child. "But no, it is not selfishness. It is… destiny. A noble mission I've been entrusted with. As a kind, generous protector of all things beautiful, I must… and I mean must… expand my heart wide enough to accommodate as many as possible. Because my heart…" He spread his arms dramatically "…is very, very big."
He ended his speech with the most serious face he could muster, as though he were Moses declaring divine law.
Selene, however, looked at him like he was the lowest form of life on Earth—or any universe.
This man… this man is unbelievable.
He spoke about "beautiful women being part of nature" with the same expression someone would use to describe a holy artifact.
He dared to talk about "protecting" them like it was some grand destiny, when in reality, all she could see was a man shamelessly spinning lies to cover up his pathetic excuse of a flirting habit.
Protector of nature? Protector of women? Her lip curled slightly, though she kept her outward composure. What nonsense. He's not a protector. He's just a pervert dressing up his desires with fancy words.
Every gesture he made, every dramatic spread of his arms, only made him look more like an actor performing the role of a saint—except to Selene, he wasn't a saint at all.
He was trash. No—beyond trash. At least trash had the decency to rot quietly in a corner. Luke was trash that somehow thought it was gold.
As he puffed up his chest and claimed his "heart was very, very big," Selene's thoughts turned sharper.
Shameless. Absolutely shameless. He could flirt with another woman right in front of me, then kneel here and act like it's some noble duty? Does he think I'm blind? Or stupid? Or both?
No. He knows exactly what he's saying. That's the worst part. He's not even embarrassed by his own words. He actually believes this garbage. He's so far beyond shamelessness that he's entered some new level of scum existence I didn't even think was possible.
Luke swallowed, then added nervously, "And, of course, you're the main wife. Number one spot. Untouchable, solid… uhh… guaranteed. All the others would just be… side characters! Supporting cast! Mere stars orbiting the moon, which is you, Selene."
Main wife? So he really dares to openly admit he's planning for others? Right in my face?
Selene's icy stare deepened.
"…You will be sleeping on the couch tonight," she said flatly.
Luke's shoulders slumped. "Ah… a small price to pay for following my noble calling…"
And if Luke opens his mouth again with that 'protector of beauty' excuse, she swear I'll put him in the trash bin where he belongs.
Selene's glare didn't soften in the slightest. In her mind, she thought: Small price? You should be grateful I'm not putting you six feet under.
Luke sat frozen on the floor as Selene turned away. Without another word, she slammed the bedroom door shut, the echo ringing through the apartment like the final judgment of a judge.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Luke let out a long sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's fine, it's fine… a small price for a big dream," he muttered, trying to pep-talk himself as if he'd just taken a minor business loss instead of being exiled from his girlfriend's bed.