PHB 57
Deasy: Luc, it seems you don’t need to come over. I have some last-minute business to attend to and must go. Let’s meet later in the evening or after work.
Lucas had just finished all the work that had piled up on his desk. He grabbed his suit and car keys, preparing to leave, when Deasy suddenly sent him a text message.
As Lucas checked and read it carefully, it turned out that the lunch invitation from his girlfriend, which she had insisted on earlier, had to be postponed because Deasy had some unexpected business to attend to.
“Why, Sir? Why are you just standing there like that?” Felix, who was still faithfully in Lucas’s office, asked. Felix was currently organizing some documents for Lucas to take to the meeting.
“Well,” Lucas replied, “Deasy is being really indecisive. Earlier, she insisted that I hurry over to the restaurant. Now, as I’m ready to go there, she sends a message saying we won’t be having lunch.”
“She canceled?” Felix responded in surprise.
“Yes,” nodded Lucas. “She said she has some last-minute business to attend to. So, lunch is postponed.”
“That’s good, Sir,” Felix said afterward. “It means Mr. Lucas doesn’t have to go through the hassle of changing clothes and appearance. You also won’t have to rush against time, trying to transform like a chameleon. Besides, there’s an important meeting at two. It’s better to focus on that.”
Felix was right. This time, Lucas could breathe a sigh of relief because he could avoid the complexities of changing clothes, appearances, and all the other things related to his disguise. If rushed and something was left behind or not done properly, it could lead to trouble.
“Yeah, you’re right,” Lucas agreed. “Luckily, today’s safe. I don’t know about tomorrow, the day after, and the days after that.”
“That’s why you should let her know quickly, Sir. So Mr. Lucas won’t have to play cat and mouse with Miss Deasy. Plus, Miss Deasy benefits from seeing Mr. Lucas in his glowing, good-looking version every day, with the added bonus of a healthy bank account.”
Lucas laughed. He thought Felix was the expert when it came to these matters.
“True, she’s planning to introduce me to her parents soon. Maybe, before the visit, I should confess so that it’s not complicated, and Deasy’s parents won’t be confused. It would be funny to introduce myself and then end up marrying someone else.”
Felix nodded in agreement. Imagining himself in Lucas’s position, it would indeed be quite troublesome.
“At first, I wanted Mr. Lucas to finish Mr. Andreas’s tasks before revealing his true identity. But since the situation is getting more complicated, and there’s a potential baby on the way, I think telling Miss Deasy this secret isn’t a wrong move. Who knows, after confessing and explaining Mr. Lucas’s main purpose, Miss Deasy might even help and provide important information about whether Mr. Daniel is really cheating in the company or not.”
“Exactly!”
Lucas immediately snapped his fingers. He agreed 100% with what his assistant had just said. “That’s exactly what I was thinking. Right now, it’s impossible for me to dig for information, especially since I’m no longer an employee at Quantum Tech. It wouldn’t be appropriate to ask Deasy about company secrets.”
“Alright, Sir. Hurry and find the right time, strategize, and most importantly, prepare mentally to slowly reveal everything to Miss Deasy.”
Lucas nodded and sat back down. He appeared to be thinking and considering when the right time would be to implement what Felix had suggested.
“Yes, I’m thinking about it. I’m currently looking for the right time to tell her everything.”
Meanwhile, in a different location, at a Korean restaurant, Deasy sat quietly with an expression that was difficult to interpret. It was a mixture of confusion, surprise, and curiosity because suddenly, while waiting for Lucas, her boss, Andreas Morales, approached her for a serious conversation.
During her nearly three years of working at Quantum Tech as a financial manager, Deasy had only met the owner of the Dalton Group a few times in person. She had also been involved in direct conversations with him only a handful of times. That’s why she wondered what the reason and purpose of this conversation could be.
“Is your name Deasy Winterborne?”
Andreas cast a scanning look over her, taking in every detail from head to toe. He scrutinized the woman who was currently close to his son.
“Yes, I’m Deasy Winterborne, Sir.”
Andreas smiled faintly.
“You’re the financial manager at Quantum Tech and also the daughter of the late Anton Wolf, the owner of Amaris, right?”
Deasy nodded, confirming what Andreas had said.
“Yes, Sir.”
Andreas nodded as well, continuing to gaze at Deasy as if he wanted to dissect the woman in front of him.
He observed with great interest the appearance of the woman who had now captivated his son. A woman who had led Lucas to cancel his carefully planned wedding with Devina.
“I’m sure you’re wondering why I suddenly asked to speak seriously with you. First, I apologize for interrupting your lunchtime. Because I believe this is important, I intentionally met you here.”
Deasy nodded calmly, trying to maintain her composure. She responded politely.
“No problem, Sir. But… I’m sorry as well, if I may ask, for what reason does Mr. Andreas want to meet and talk with me? Does this have anything to do with work?”
Andreas chuckled softly. His gaze now seemed dismissive.
“Let’s get straight to the point because I don’t want to waste much time. I want you to, from now on, keep your distance from my son. If necessary, never bother him again.”
Deasy blinked and then gasped. She was taken aback by what Andreas had just said.Content is © 2024 NôvelDrama.Org.
How could she be asked to keep her distance when she herself didn’t feel particularly close to the man who was, after all, her boss at the office?
“Wait a minute, Sir,” Deasy interjected, bewildered. “Me? Close to Mr. Andreas’s son? Where did you hear that from? There must be a misunderstanding here.”
Andreas laughed. Earlier, on the same day Lucas had expressed his desire to cancel his wedding plans with Devina, Andreas had asked his trusted confidant to investigate the woman who was now close to his son.
Andreas had learned from his trusted confidant that Lucas was currently close to Deasy Winterborne, the woman who served as the financial manager at the company Lucas was leading. Moreover, Andreas had gathered all sorts of information about her family background and every detail about the woman.
“Oh, come on, Deasy. Earlier, Lucas also mentioned that he’s currently close to a woman. Well… he didn’t explicitly mention a name, but is it difficult for me to find out? Lucas even pressured me to cancel his wedding plans with the bride I had arranged for him. Even though the wedding plans were just a few months away.”
Deasy was flabbergasted. Throughout the conversation, she had been both amazed and confused by what Andreas was saying.
“So, what does this have to do with me, Sir? I have no knowledge of or involvement in your son’s sudden cancellation of his wedding plans. Besides, I’m pretty sure there’s a mistake here. Yes, I am currently close to a man named Lucas, but it’s not Lucas Morales. So, I think you have the wrong person.”
From her perspective, Deasy could clearly see the middle-aged man in front of her chuckling as if there was something funny about what she had just said. Yet, at that moment, Deasy had been speaking with the utmost seriousness.
“Oh my, Deasy. I can’t possibly have the wrong person or the wrong information. Right now, you are close to Lucas Orion, aren’t you?”
Deasy nodded immediately. Yes, indeed, she was close to him, and he was the one who had impregnated her. But it wasn’t Lucas Morales, the son of Andreas Morales.
“It’s Lucas Orion who is currently close to me,” Deasy affirmed Andreas’s statement.
“Yes,” Andreas responded with a nod. “Lucas Orion… Lucas Orion Morales, right? Don’t you know or maybe don’t want to know the full name of your boss or your own boyfriend?”
Deasy was taken aback. Shortly after, she seemed to be thinking and then remembered something. No wonder Lucas’s name on every office document was always written as Lucas O Morales. How could she have never bothered to find out what the ‘O’ stood for?
“No…” Deasy shook her head, trying to deny what Andreas was telling her. “It’s impossible. They are different people. From their appearances alone, they are clearly different, Sir. I’m still certain that you must be mistaking me for someone else.”
Once again, Andreas smiled, understanding what Deasy was trying to convey. Andreas thought that maybe Deasy was genuinely unaware of Lucas’s undercover mission to investigate the company’s case.
“In reality, I have no obligation to explain or satisfy your curiosity. What I can confirm once again is that Lucas Orion and Lucas Morales are the same person, and he is my son, who is currently close to you. Here, I am only requesting that you end your relationship with Lucas. Please understand, Lucas is already engaged, and I will never agree to him canceling the meticulously arranged wedding plans just to marry you.”
Deasy appeared to take several deep breaths. Although her feelings were currently a mix of anger, frustration, and confusion, she tried to remain calm and responded.
“But what if it turns out I’m currently carrying your grandchild?”
Andreas was not surprised at all. He smiled again, responding casually.
“Do you think I don’t know that you’re pregnant right now?” Andreas said, gazing intently at Deasy. “I hope you won’t use your pregnancy as a weapon to manipulate Lucas. Just so you know, no matter what, I still won’t agree to Lucas marrying you. And furthermore… there’s no guarantee that the child in your womb is my grandchild. The Morales bloodline and heritage.”
Deasy clenched her fists tightly, trying to contain her emotions in the face of the accusation Andreas had just made against her.
“I’m not a cheap woman as you’re implying,” Deasy said with emphasis.
Nevertheless, Andreas still laughed, as if Deasy meant nothing to him.
“If you’re not, then what should I call a woman who has repeatedly slept with a man without a legally recognized relationship? Who has become pregnant and is even now living under the same roof without a clear commitment? What should I call her if not cheap? No dignified woman behaves like that.”
“But, the baby in my womb is Lucas’s, Sir!”
“Well, we’ll see after it’s born. What’s certain is that, from now on, you keep your distance, or if necessary, end your futile relationship with Lucas. No matter how long it takes, I will never approve.”
Andreas then rose from his seat. Without caring about Deasy’s feelings, the middle-aged man simply left the restaurant.
***