Chapter Three: Are You Still That Doormat of a Husband?

Lucas was working at his laptop when Isabella pushed the door open. "It's late, and getting a carriage back would be a hassle, so I'm letting Adrian stay the night. We have plenty of guest rooms anyway."

Lucas didn't even look up. "Whatever makes you happy."

Isabella wasn't used to that cold tone. She frowned, about to say something.

Lucas shut his laptop. "You should get some rest, then. I'll sleep in this guest room tonight."

She stared at him, sure she had misheard. "What did you say?"

Even when she pushed him away, he always insisted on holding her while they slept. Now he was suggesting separate rooms? Had he lost his mind?

Lucas searched for an excuse and offered a weak one. "I have something to do tomorrow and need to rise early. I don't want to wake you."

Isabella didn't believe a word. She rubbed her temples, a headache building.

"Stop making a scene. Adrian is a guest. If you won't help me entertain him, fine, but do you have to sulk like this? The moment he arrives, you move to another room. What will people think?"

Lucas looked at her, puzzled by how strongly she was reacting.

Adrian is here. Shouldn't she be glad I'm out of the way? He'll be overjoyed, surely.

Before he could answer, someone knocked on the half-open door. Lucas glanced up.

Adrian stood there with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist, showing off his body. He smiled, a little sheepish. "Izzy, I don't have any pajamas. Could you help me find some?"

Isabella's attention shifted to him at once. "Of course. I'll find some now."

The moment they left, Lucas closed the door and locked it.

He showered and went to bed, exhausted, yet sleep refused to come.

After a sleepless night, he rose at dawn and walked around the manor grounds. He ate breakfast at a small café, then drove off to find Gabriel Knight.

Standing before the entrance of the company they had built together, Lucas felt dazed, as if he had lost track of the year.

When he stepped into Gabriel's office, Gabriel rushed over and wrapped him in a bear hug. "My dear President Hale, you're finally back! I've missed you so much!"

He reached for Lucas's face as if to plant a kiss on it.

Lucas shoved him away in disgust. "Show some restraint. Here, I brought you breakfast. There's soup in it, so don't spill it."

Gabriel took the bag, genuinely touched. "How did you know I hadn't eaten?"

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "If you ever ate breakfast on time, you wouldn't be you."

While Gabriel ate, Lucas looked around the office. It was far bigger and more luxurious than their first cramped workspace.

At the Royal Academy, Lucas had been a legendary genius in the Department of Arcane Computing. In his third year, he won the prestigious Grand Prize in Artificial Intelligence.

He had secured investors and founded a company. Professor Thomas Wells, the most respected mentor in their college, had publicly called him his proudest student.

Everyone believed a brilliant future awaited him. Instead, after he married, Lucas left the team and vanished from the industry. Whenever his old friends spoke of it, they sighed with regret.

Gabriel looked up and noticed the spark in Lucas's eyes. He paused. "When you come back, your office won't be any worse than mine. Don't be jealous."

Lucas laughed. "I'm not jealous. I'm worried I've fallen behind. AI moves so fast these days that I might not be much help."

After all, the field changed and advanced at a dizzying pace. He had been away for years, and he wasn't sure he could catch up.

Gabriel closed the lid of his takeout box. "What are you afraid of? No matter how fast it changes, the core is the same old thing. I believe in you. If you're determined and focused, you'll catch up in no time."

That made sense.

Lucas nodded and was about to reply when his phone rang.

He glanced at the screen, hesitated, then answered.

The call connected, and Ethan's complaining voice rang out. "Dad, where are you? Why didn't you wake me and Noah up? This is all your fault! We're going to be late for school!"

Rustling sounds came through the line. Someone was helping them dress.

Lucas lowered his eyes and stared at his palm, his face unchanged. "Didn't you always complain that I woke you too early? Now I'm letting you sleep as long as you like. Isn't that exactly what you wanted?"

He had barely finished when Isabella's furious voice cut in.

"Lucas Hale, what kind of attitude is that? Is that how you talk to a child? Do you want to raise boys who go astray?"

She fired off three questions in a row. Lucas felt a sudden tightness in his chest, an ache he didn't welcome.

"Don't worry," he said. "I'll never interfere with the boys' education again. You won't have to fear that I'll lead them astray."

He gave a bitter chuckle. "I'm just not good at raising children. Otherwise they wouldn't have been so easily fooled by Adrian."

A backpack slammed to the floor on the other end. Noah's angry shout burst through the phone. "Don't you talk about Uncle Adrian like that! He's not the person you say he is!"

In the past, even over the phone, Lucas would have scolded Noah for throwing things, no matter how angry he was.

This time, he acted as if he hadn't heard. He said nothing, and hung up.