Luca stepped out of Vernon's office not long after rejecting the man's insane request once again. He knew exactly what Vernon wanted, and it went against every principle he'd held on to his whole life.
"There's nothing good in a relationship that starts with a deal. Get a grip, Luca. Romance only drags you down and traps you," he muttered.
He stared at his right hand—the same hand he'd used to brush away Vernon's fingers—and the scene from a few minutes ago replayed in his mind.
Did Luca have feelings for Vernon? He wasn't sure. He had been suppressing every emotion deep inside him for years, all for the sake of avenging the Romanov family. No… maybe this wasn't just the family's revenge—maybe it was his own grudge from the massacre seventeen years ago.
Now, Luca was the last pure-blooded Romanov still alive. No one knew that the heir most likely to become the next Romanov leader had survived.
On the night of the massacre, no one knew what went through the minds of the mansion's residents. They had protected Luca's existence with their silence.
His foster mother—who had raised him all these years—smuggled him out to safety. But the thing Luca regretted the most, even until now, was what he saw before escaping: his twin brother dying right before his eyes. The Romanov family sacrificed themselves—and his twin—for his sake.
Yes… Luca had a twin brother, hidden from the world.
Since ancient times, if twins were born to the Romanov main bloodline, one of them had to be concealed and raised in the shadows.
Luca had worked endlessly to become a worthy successor, hoping that one day he could free his brother from that fate.
But fate had never been fair. Luca cursed the Romanov traditions that forced his brother to hide from the world… only for that brother to die protecting him in the end.
Luca left Vernon's mansion after meeting Emile in another room to discuss several reports. Then he drove out using one of the cars from the garage.
After stopping by a supermarket to buy household necessities, Luca continued toward his apartment—no, not his. It belonged to Luzen, who had given it to him. Luca moved from place to place depending on the clients he handled. In short, he had no permanent home to return to.
Well, this was one of the "privileges" of being a sugar baby—different places to stay, and all needs covered.
Not bad, right? You all should try it. It's not that awful. Really.
Time showed 8:30 PM when Luca parked in the basement. He hurried up to unit 120 with a large tote bag of groceries in hand.
But the moment he stood in front of the door and tried to tap his access card, he realized something—the door wasn't locked.
Luca walked in and headed toward the kitchen, unaware that Luzen had been watching him from the living room.
"Where have you been, dar.ling?"
That deep, pressing voice came closer from the next room.
Luca turned around and approached Luzen, who looked furious—veins popping on his forehead, arms crossed, leaning against the doorframe with a displeased expression.
"As you can see, I just got back from buying groceries," Luca replied calmly.
Not wanting his walking ATM to sulk, Luca wrapped his arms around Luzen's neck and placed a soft kiss on his lips.
Cup.
In the next second, that kiss turned demanding. Luzen pulled him closer, deepening the kiss possessively.
"Eung—!" Luca gasped when Luzen squeezed his butt firmly.
His sapphire eyes widened. Instinct screamed danger.
Not wanting things to go too far, Luca pushed Luzen away and forcefully broke the kiss.
"You little tease," Luzen growled, wiping the blood on his lip from Luca's playful bite.
"Ssst… Isn't it too early to play?" Luca whispered, placing a finger on the corner of his lips while winking.
Luzen froze instantly. The bulge under his trousers swelled without warning at Luca's teasing.
"Shit. You're too tempting, sweetheart. Do you act like this with other men too?"
"I don't know. Why don't you guess?"
Luzen didn't answer. He exhaled sharply.
He had forgotten—Luca was a call boy. The thought irritated him, but he couldn't protest. He was the one who wanted Luca in the first place. He was jealous but refused to show it.
His pride was too big to admit jealousy over a man who was technically his kept lover.
"I must be losing my mind… I'm actually falling for his beauty," he muttered before leaving the kitchen to clear his head.
Meanwhile, Luca—who had accidentally glimpsed the bulge earlier—clicked his tongue internally.
'Men really are the same. Why are their dicks so damn emotional? Good thing I stopped him before he lost control.'
Just imagining that thing ramming into him made his spine shiver.
Thirty minutes passed, and Luca finished cooking.
He had prepared a simple menu: chicken cooked in chili oil, some blanched bok choy drizzled with hot garlic oil, and steamed rice. A jar of crackers sat on the table as well.
"Sorry for the plain dishes. It's already late. Tomorrow I'll cook something more varied," Luca said once Luzen entered after being called for dinner.
"Thanks. This is more than enough. You know… this is the first time I've eaten home-cooked food besides my mother's."
Luzen's eyes softened. Feeling Luca's gaze on him, he offered a small smile before sitting across from him.
'Being treated kindly by my sugar baby… not bad.'
"You must miss home cooking then. Come on, eat and tell me how it tastes."
Luca scooped rice onto Luzen's plate. "Is this enough?" he asked.
Luzen stared at him, stunned.
"—"
"Mr. Dominic Luzen, are you listening to me?" Luca repeated.
"Yes, it's enough. Sorry, I was thinking about something else," Luzen said, flustered as he looked away. A faint blush dusted his pale skin.
"It's fine." Luca added the sides onto the plate.
Luca almost laughed. Luzen's expressions were far too easy to read today.
'Seriously… this man isn't hitting a second puberty, right?' Luca shivered. The thirty-year-old man was clearly growing more interested in him.
They ate quietly, but one thing was certain—neither of their hearts was calm.
'I hope this mission ends soon. Dealing with a straight man who hides a warm side like Luzen… it really messes with my conscience.'
Luca clenched his fists under the table.
He couldn't stay by Luzen's side too long.
The man was far too perfect for someone like Luca—someone carrying a heart filled with shadows.