"Lucus..." Lucus dad calls out as soon as he arrives, his voice a little hoarse, maybe from his worsening condition or maybe from fatigue; Emma isn't too sure. Damon Madden used to be a very charismatic man back when he was the CEO of Madden, Inc. Emma had the privilege to work with him before her marriage; both he and Alex met with her and discussed many things.Emma always thought of the man as a father figure because Damon Madden did not only guide her professionally, but he also helped her parents a lot personally. He was the one who helped her father when David fell into depression after Emma's grandfather's death. According to her father, her father thought that it was the end of the world for him, but Damon Madden helped him get into therapy, and in the end, her father came out stronger."I'm so happy to see you, Lucus. We should do this more often. Now that you're married and—" The man stops for a while, coughs out a few times, and takes in short breaths. Emma can see how much
The ride back to the mansion is quiet. Emma doesn’t know what to feel or think. There's this thing with Mr. Adom that her gut keeps telling her is wrong, and then there's what happened over dinner. Every time her mind tries to bring her back to the moment Lucus told his mom about getting a divorce, Emma struggles to steer her mind away. Thinking about that hurts her heart, and she doesn't want to break down in Lucus car. That will surely raise some questions since Lucus has no idea that she heard the conversation."Are you okay, Omega? You look pale?" Luchs suddenly asks, taking Omega by surprise."No, uhm. I'm just... I have a lot on my mind right now." She supplies belatedly."Listen, Omega. I’m sorry that you had to get involved in my family drama. It isn't fair to you, and..."They're my family too, Alpha. I just wish that you'd—it's just that... Nevermind, just drive. I'm really tired, and I need to sleep." Emma dismisses Lucus after that, turning her back on him and keeping her
Emma wakes up feeling worried. It's been two days since she found out about Mr. Adom and his sneaky plan. The Omega barely slept last night, not after going through those printed documents she got from Elly's place for the umpteenth time before finally succumbing to sleep. Everything on those papers just screams wrong and suspicious.She decides that a hot shower and a steaming cup of fresh coffee will do her good, so Emma gets both. But by the time she sits down in the dining room feeling all cold and lonely, she realizes that a cup of coffee doesn't fix anything. Ironically, Alex decorated the dining room with enough earthy colors to create a warm ambience. The customized dining table set was made of light brown wood, and the orb chandelier hanging above it emits soft yellow lights reflecting through its many crystals. Yet none of those make Emma feel warm. She's just so cold and lonely.Hanging around the house doing nothing makes Emma's head hurt and her heart restless. She should
When Emma gets to the office, she's already in a gloomy mood. She tries so hard to chase away the memories from last night and focus solely on her work as she arranges the folders that need it.Alex told her that Lucus likes to start his day with a cup of coffee, and then he'll go through a few documents that aren't really time-consuming before he gets his breakfast. All other brain-wracking and time-consuming tasks are usually reserved for after breakfast. He'll go through numerous meetings per day and make lots of important decisions. Emma always wonders how Lucus could keep up with everything.Her in-laws and her parents want her to work with Lucus and even Alex. According to them, it will make their relationship stronger. Emma really doesn't want to do it, but after knowing about Mr. Adom, she needs to.By the time Emma finishes with Lucus schedule, the man walks past Emma's desk right into his office without acknowledging her. Clearly, Lucus is still angry with what happened last
When Lucus said that they were going home, Emma got confused. But then Lucus explained that Emma just got assaulted, and she didn't want Emma to be working today. Emma thought, Hey, that's nice. I could really use a day off by myself.But now that they're at the mansion, Lucus doesn't seem like he's leaving. Emma knows that it's rude to ask, but she needs to know. "Lucus, um. Are you, um, staying?""Of course." Lucus answers curtly, like it should've been obvious. The Alpha removes his suit and lays it down gently on the couch before rolling up both sleeves of his white shirt, exposing his veiny forearms.Fuck! Look away, Emma. Look away.While Emma is battling with herself, Lucus moves to the kitchen and rummages through the refrigerator and kitchen cabinets. "You really need to stock up, Omega. You're running out of things."Emma hears her Alpha voice from the kitchen, albeit a bit muted with the noises she's making while going through Emma's pots and pans. "Yeah, I planned to go gr
The week passes, and Sunday finally comes. It's the last day before they are supposed to go back to work.Lucus chooses to waste the day away lazing around the house doing nothing, only getting a bath at noon. Emma, on the other hand, spends the day cooking a new recipe she's been dying to try since she saw it on the internet.Emma has just finished garnishing her duck stew when the doorbell rings. She places the dish on the dining table and moves towards the door to open it.Behind the door, she receives a greeting from an unfamiliar woman. She is petite and cute, with a pair of sharp eyes defined by thick eyeliner and even sharper jaws. Emma has no idea who the woman is, but she instantly admires her outfit. She's wearing a hot pink crop top paired with a short denim skirt and a pair of fishnet tights underneath."Lucus Wait, you're not Lucus!" She corrects herself, and Emma adores how her whole presence screams confidence."Um, yeah. Lucus is actually taking a shower. I'm Emma, and
Their ride to the office the next day is quiet. To Lucus credit, he's been trying to make a conversation with Emma since morning, but the Omega just seems so distant for some reason.Emma can't stop being so mad at herself. She shouldn't have gotten comfortable. She shouldn't have gotten used to the domesticity of their relationship.She shouldn't have loved the Alpha so much.Emma is mad at how easily she forgot that everything changed only because Lucus needed someone to lean on, and she was a convenience because she just happened to be there.What was I thinking? Lucus isn't mine. He has never been mine."Omega!" Lucus nudges her with his free hand from the driver's seat."Sorry, what was it?""Are you alright? I called you like three times, and you're spacing out."Emma clears her throat before coming out with an excuse: "Yeah, I'm fine. Just maybe still a little sleepy. I'll have some coffee at the office.""I'd make you that coffee, Omega, but, um, I'm not going in until after l
Emma's days at the office pass by in a blur. Emma goes to work, busies herself with the papers and documentation, and then she goes back home to a cold, empty bed. Lucus has been very busy too, going in and out of meetings, spending hours brainstorming with the team, and then more hours with the marketing team. They barely speak to each other since they came back to work, exchanging a few glances and smiles here and there when they pass by each other, and Emma can't keep telling herself that she doesn't miss Lucus anymore.Thursday proves to be just like the days before, when Emma spent every second at the office with her computer. Halfway through the day, Emma looks around her desk, feeling proud of the progress. She has finished almost half of the pending work she has had since last week. Taking days off has always come with the burden of work once it starts again, which is why Emma rarely takes any leave.Emma received a few texts from her colleagues asking her about her absence, b