At 4 PM, sunlight streamed softly through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Inkstone Studio, bathing the room in a warm glow. Lucien stood by the window, his gaze fixed on the scene below.
Eleanor was standing with Luke, the two of them speaking in low, serious tones. After a moment, Eleanor gave a casual, almost dismissive wave of her hand, as if saying goodbye. Luke stared blankly at the spot where she had been, then nodded to himself and turned to leave.
Lucien's eyes followed Eleanor until her figure disappeared down the street. His expression was deep, unreadable, betraying no specific emotion. He didn't comment, but he quietly filed the scene away in his memory.
"Ethan, what's with him?" Cordelia asked, looking curiously at his friend.
"Who knows? Maybe the heart of the ten-thousand-year-old iceberg is finally thawing?" Ethan replied with a mischievous, watching-the-drama-unfold grin as he looked at Lucien by the window.
Imperial Hotel
Luke sat at his desk, staring blankly at the image of Lucien Griffin on his screen, lost in thought. The Griffin family, the Shaw family... both were forces he couldn't afford to cross.
He switched to the Shadow Network interface, hesitating as he looked at the job listing. The client field clearly stated: "Lucien Griffin."
His mouse cursor hovered, wavering between the "Accept" and "Reject" options
Suddenly, his phone rang, startling him. "Damn it! Who is it at this hour?" he cursed, then finally saw the name "Skyler" on the screen and quickly answered.
"What's up, calling me so late?" Luke asked, noticing how quiet it was outside, the wind sounding particularly chilly.
"Luke, are you that hard up for cash?" Skyler got straight to the point, her voice sounding urgent.
"I'm not. What, feeling generous, beautiful?" Luke's tone was teasing, the last syllable drawn out, flirtatious and annoying.
Skyler, far away in Summer City, made her exasperation clear through the phone. "Cut the crap. This is about Elle."
Realizing the seriousness, Luke immediately stopped his antics, his previously slouching posture straightening up at once.
Hearing his silence, Skyler continued, "Remember who Elle's arranged marriage is with?" She paused. "It's Lucien Griffin."
Luke's breath hitched, a wave of shock crashing over him. "What? Isn't Lucien Griffin supposed to marry her sister?" Before Skyler could explain, he jumped to a conclusion, "Is he two-timing?"
Skyler was fed up with his leaps in logic. "Shut up! Eleanor's parents lied to her. The Griffins asked for her originally. But her selfish parents wanted her sister to take her place. Recently, her sister ran away."
Hearing this, Luke was livid. "What? No wonder she seemed off earlier." Thinking of Lucien's face, he couldn't help but mutter, "I should've kicked that guy when I had the chance."
"You saw Lucien? Seems I missed something..." Skyler felt a pang of regret, sighing. She should have gone back with Eleanor. "So, the job?"
"I'm not taking it! No way! Screw that job. He can shove it. I don't care if they call me ungrateful; I won't do it!" Luke stood up, stomping his foot in frustration.
Skyler had guessed that if Luke knew this involved Eleanor, he'd side with her. But she was confused. "What do you mean... 'ungrateful'?"
Seeing he couldn't hide it, Luke briefly explained the past incident to Skyler.
"That happened?!" Skyler didn't press further, just gave him a few firm instructions before hanging up.
Luke's computer screen returned to the confusing interface. "Forget it. Who cares about an unpaid debt? It's not like they know who I am. And..." He ran his hands through his hair in agitation. "...Let's see how things go after Elle-bear is married. If that old man treats her well, maybe I'll reconsider. I'll just shelve it for now."
Finally feeling somewhat settled, Luke let out a long breath and shut down his computer. "Sleep."
Summer City
Kyler Apartments
Skyler looked at the red exclamation mark on her computer screen, her interest piqued. She raised an eyebrow, a curious smile playing on her lips. "Interesting," she murmured, popping a lollipop into her mouth as she prepared for battle.
The rapid, incessant clatter of keyboards soon filled the entire apartment. The evening wind rustled the leaves outside with a soft rustling sound.
After a while, Skyler took the lollipop out of her mouth, looking at the screen where the numbers had returned to normal.
One name came to mind: "Ethan Shaw." Almost no one else could breach her security system. What is that guy trying to do?...
Meanwhile, The Capital
Ethan's Apartment
"Damn it!" Ethan's face was flushed, his teeth clenched. "Skyler..."
His phone screen lit up, clearly displaying the caller: "Lucien."
"Any news on Y?" Lucien's voice was grim over the line.
Ethan's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. "Nothing solid yet. I've contacted the Shadow Network. Just waiting for their reply."
The air seemed to thicken with tension, feeling oppressive and suffocating.
"What about Doctor Luo?" Lucien continued his interrogation.
"Nothing there either, but they haven't rejected the job. There's still hope," Ethan said, the color slowly returning to his previously pale face.
Lucien gave a noncommittal "Hmm" and hung up.
Griffin Manor
Lucien stood on his balcony, looking at the century-old tree in the courtyard, his brow furrowed with worry.
Knock. Knock. The butler, Mr. Adams, respectfully knocked on Lucien's door. "Young Master, the Master wishes to see you."
The air, already feeling heavy, now seemed to have been sucked out entirely, pressing down on Lucien until he could barely breathe. The tightness in his chest expanded, threatening to burst. But he controlled his emotions, replying flatly, "Understood."
He took a deep breath and walked out of his room.
Griffin Living Room
"Sir, the Young Master is here," Mr. Adams said with a slight bow, his voice pitched perfectly to reach the Old Master Griffin.
The Old Master glanced toward the door, observing Lucien, who stood straight as a pine tree, dressed in a set of deep blue velvet loungewear, his hands resting naturally at his sides, a picture of respect. "Grandfather."
The Old Master nodded slowly, thinking to himself, My grandson is perfect in every way, except for his arrogance. He's already 26 and hasn't brought a prospective bride home, forcing this old man to swallow his pride and approach the Sullivans about that old marriage pact. His mind drifted back to the days when the Sullivan family, under the old patriarch, had been a presence even the current Griffin family would find hard to match.
Thinking of this, the Old Master shook his head faintly. He looked up at Lucien. "Lucien, have you met the Sullivan girl?"
Hearing "Sullivan," Lucien's brow twitched almost imperceptibly, but he maintained his composure. "Yes."
The Old Master gave another slight nod. "What do you think of her?"
Lucien's expression remained aloof. He didn't answer, but couldn't help asking, "Grandfather, why does it have to be the Sullivans?"
The Old Master smiled. "Because of the marriage pact. It was your own doing."
"My own doing?" Lucien was baffled, pointing at himself.
"Do you know about the Sullivan family of the past?" the Old Master began slowly. Seeing Lucien's lack of response, he understood. "Back in the day, our families were very close. But after that old fellow passed, I haven't seen that little girl in a long time." A memory flashed in the Old Master's mind—a little girl's bright smile. "Those were good times. You weren't so boring back then either."
Ignoring Lucien's utterly confused expression, the Old Master turned to Mr. Adams. "I'm tired. I'm going to rest now." He slowly made his way toward his room.
Lucien watched his grandfather leave, filled with questions. What did all that mean? Did I really ask for this marriage when I was a child?