Yours, Until Needed
Chapter 71: Caught

Chapter 71: Caught

My family never liked having too many visible guards. We weren’t politicians or celebrities, so we didn’t need such detail, but we were also not that stupid to move around entirely alone.

A good choice, especially for days like today.

When the crowds started pushing, security started blocking the booth’s facade.

While that was comforting to know, it wasn’t exactly helpful.

Because where else would this overspill go? The only space available, of course.

I don’t know what they wanted to see, but by now, my Dad had decided it wasn’t safe and pulled me behind him. Rina didn’t have to be told and hid behind us, too, for good measure.

"Boss, I’ve called the organizers to disperse the mob." Mitchel, the blessed assistant, thankfully noted the organizers’ contact details.

What were these people on? And what were they planning on doing by pushing towards us like this?

If need be, I could beat some up, but a stampede won’t do me much good.

Thankfully, I didn’t get to find out as the organizers came with more people to disperse the crowd. But it wasn’t actually the organizers that got these people to move away.

It’d be good if they calmed down instead, but these people just shifted their target. It’s really a gang of meerkats. The way they move their heads simultaneously was quite the sight.

Very eerie.

No wonder celebrities end up as recluses.

Now, the meerkats wanted to fawn over someone or something. We couldn’t really see the outside. We were limited to that small gap above these people’s heads.

We only figured that the organizers had come because of their repeated announcements that no one seemed to be taking seriously.

"Move aside, or I’m calling the police." Suddenly, a familiar voice came from a megaphone.

The voice sounded a bit different through the device, but the hairs on my arms and neck stood up in attention.

Lucian’s here.

It’s a voice I haven’t heard for what felt like ages. Around a week, and I’m this rattled.

For some reason, I panicked more about this than being swarmed by the crowd outside.

Maybe I do have some weird tendencies?

Rina’s actually watching me, something I only realized when I whipped my head to the side. She had a questioning look. Her eyes furrowed as she watched me with rapt attention.

Her eyebrow even shot up as if to ask me why I looked like I was about to dry heave.

I haven’t told anyone about my escapism, and whenever asked, I’d just turn noncommittal, which was normal because Lucian had always been taciturn in their minds.

The crowd gradually parted, dispersing a bit more into the expanse of the lane instead of all crowding in front of our stall. The more they dispersed, the more panicked I felt.

But I tried correcting my facial expression because Rina kept on poking holes at my very flimsy cover.

Stop it! I’m not about to tell you how petty I’ve been recently, okay? I thought to myself because while we share almost everything, I’d prefer to keep this insanely immature and petty behavior I have going on.

It’s a one-sided cold war, and since Lucian has no idea, it’s fine to act upon my feelings to at least appease my mind. But if Rina finds out, then I’ll have to rationalize more things.

And once I’m forced to rationalize things, I’ll have to stop being petty because I’m supposedly a grown-ass adult.

But right now, I don’t want to be rational or logical.

I just want to vent.

Maybe I could punch him to do the trick, but since that surely won’t connect, then I’d rather act out like this. Anyway, no one is getting affected.

Or so I thought.

__

Lucian was in front of me in no time. But to me, it was all happening in slow motion. You’d think I’m seeing him in some sort of action sequence with how it’s going.

Really annoying.

Really handsome.

Tsk.

Not to mention how weird the meerkats behaved when he entered our booth. As if suddenly muted, they stopped all their chatter and movement.

So curious?

Lucian greeted my father first, as he should, because we were all hiding behind him anyway.

"Lucian, it’s good that you got here on time, son."

"Father, apologies. I think I was actually late. If I had been here earlier, then precautions could have been set up." He said, sounding genuinely apologetic.

Even my dad did not imagine something like this would happen. It was only this year that we appeared here after having an apparent close connection with the Sinclairs, after all. To the public, we were only connected as related businesses.

"It’s understandable. You’re scheduled much later than me for the presentation. Going here too early would just be harder for you."

Dad didn’t have to specify why, but that’s obvious to anyone with common sense. These people were after him.

Maybe this is why Idris wanted Lucian to come. I could just imagine what he felt like being the only zoo animal last year when Lucian didn’t bother going.

"Eli."

Screw my body for not knowing how to cooperate. Because I nearly shuddered at him just calling me.

And what do you know? One moment, I was hiding behind my Dad, and then the next, I was already being enveloped in Lucian’s embrace.

What? What’s happening?

I’m admittedly confused because I did not see that coming.

Maybe it’s to deter the audience? We do have to show a very united and lovey-dovey front to these people. So maybe that’s it?

So I just did my part. I just wrapped an arm around his waist. That should make it look mutual.

I’ve been petty recently, but that’s private. This was still a job that I agreed to. It wasn’t even that hard, so I had to do it properly, at the very least.

Lucian towered over me as I didn’t have substantial heels today. This was a construction summit, not a party. Wearing that would increase the ire people have for me. So, to see Lucian’s face, I’d really have to look up.

And I did that because I needed to know if he had any other instructions.

But what a scary experience.

Lucian maintained a straight face, but his eyes betrayed his calm demeanor.

He’s very irritated. In my opinion, that’s not just "very." He’s insanely irritated.

Lucian gets annoyed a lot.

In fact, if many have what we call "resting bitch faces," Lucian’s default expression was that of annoyance. Yes, he maintained a relatively straight face, but people who know him would know that it’s his "annoyed" look- the professional version.

As his new wife, I would know best. He’s capable of sporting more expressions. Those are buried under there somewhere. But right now, the way his eyes looked at me made me curl my toes.

This better be out of fear. Right? Right.

Or else I’ve gone insane.

And as his grip tightened around my waist and my back he leaned down, his face closer to the side of my head as he whispered, "Caught you."

"Now, there’s no escaping."

Shit.

He knows.