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Chapter 19
I stood in front of international arrivals at the airport, wearing a thick coat to protect myself from the cold Swiss air. My eyes immediately caught the figure of a tall man in a black jacket and sling bag who stepped out casually.
Lucas.
He took off his sunglasses as soon as he saw me and smiled broadly before quickening
his pace.
“Althea!” he exclaimed as he spread his arms with an excited expression.
I chuckled and hugged him tightly. “Lucas! I still can’t believe you came.”
He broke the hug and looked at me from head to toe. “Of course, I came. I had to make sure that this man was worthy of you,” he said in a serious tone, but his eyes implied that he was still my brother and best friend.
I sighed, but couldn’t help but smile. Lucas was always like this.
*Just wait until you meet him,” I said, starting to walk towards the car waiting outside.
Lucas matched his pace with mine. “I have some questions for him.”
I turned to him with a furrowed brow. “What kind of questions?”
He grinned. “Questions that will determine whether or not he’s good enough to be your husband,” he said in a dramatic tone as if he were a judge at a competition.
I looked at him suspiciously, but before I could ask further, we had already arrived at the
car.
Caius was waiting at the front, leaning against his car with his arms crossed. As soon as he saw us, he stood up straight and looked at Lucas with a relaxed expression.
Lucas narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing, Caius from head to toe. I could see that he was assessing the man carefully as if looking for one small mistake to use as an excuse to reject him.
“Lucas,” Caius greeted him first, extending a hand confidently. “Welcome to Switzerland.”
Lucas stared at his hand for a few seconds, before finally shaking it with a little more pressure than necessary. “Thank you,” he said in an unpredictable tone.
I sighed, waiting to see how Caius would react. But as usual, the man remained calm, even smiling slightly as if not intimidated at all.
Lucas withdrew his hand first and then, looked at me. “Alright, let’s go. I want to see how serious this guy is.”
I could only smile a little. It was going to be a long night.
We arrived at the restaurant that Caius had booked for dinner. The atmosphere was warm and elegant, perfect for an important meeting like this.
After ordering the food, Lucas leaned his back against the chair and looked at Caius with
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an appraising expression.
“So, Caius,” Lucas began in a casual tone that sounded like a trap. “What made you sure that you were the right man for Althea?”
I stiffened. Lucas was shooting straight for the tough questions.
Caius, on the other hand, didn’t seem surprised. He set his wine glass down quietly before answering, “Because I would never hide it, and I wouldn’t make her feel alone.” His gaze was steady, showing that his answer came from the heart.
Lucas raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like sarcasm for someone,” he said in a suspicious
tone.
“I’m just stating a fact,” Caius replied without hesitation, maintaining his casual expression. “Althea deserves someone who recognizes her, and I will not make the same mistakes as the man before me.”
Lucas paused as if weighing his answer. I bit my lip, hoping Lucas wouldn’t make this more difficult.
However, Lucas only smiled a little before speaking again. “You know, I could just get Althea on a plane home with me right now and keep her away from you,” he said, folding his arms across his chest.
I turned my head quickly. “Lucas-”
Caius didn’t seem bothered. He looked at Lucas with a confident expression. “If that’s what Althea wants, I won’t stop her.”
Lucas squinted. “You won’t get angry?” he asked in a tone that wanted to probe deeper. Caius shrugged. “Why would I get angry? Althea is not someone who can be forced. She has the freedom to choose. And if she chooses me, it’s because she wants to, not because I’m holding her back. But, I will follow her there and marry her right away,” he replied with absolute calmness.
Lucas gave Caius a long look before finally chuckling. “Alright. At least you’re more mature than the previous asshole,” he said in a tone that began to accept Caius‘ existence.
I let out a sigh of relief. It seemed like Caius was starting to win her over.
But, Lucas wasn’t done yet.
He leaned forward, staring at Caius with a sharp gaze. “One last question.”
Caius nodded. “Go ahead!”
Lucas grinned. “If one day you had to choose between business and Althea, which would you choose?”
I shot Lucas a sharp look. “That’s an unfair question,” I said in a protesting tone.
Lucas shrugged. “I just want to know the priorities,” he said with a serious face.
Caius was silent for a moment before replying, “I’m not going to pick one.”
Lucas squinted. “Safe answer,” he said, still trying to read Caius‘ expression. Caius gave a small smile. “No, it’s not. I don’t need to choose, because if I have to sacrifice
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one, it means I’ve failed as a man and a leader.”
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Lucas didn’t answer right away. He just stared at Caius for a long time before finally giving a small nod. “Interesting answer,” he said with an expression that finally began to soften.
Dinner continued in a more relaxed manner after that, although I could tell Lucas was still watching Caius intently.
However, as we exited the restaurant, Lucas suddenly put his arm around my shoulder.
“Alright, Althea,” he said in a lighter tone. “I’ll still keep an eye on him, but it seems this guy is better than I thought,” he added in a more relaxed voice.
I smiled. “So, you approve?” I asked, looking at him expectantly.
Lucas shrugged. “I don’t like anyone who gets close to you easily, but… I don’t find any reason to hate this guy,” he said, as if reluctant to admit it.
I chuckled a little. It was probably the highest compliment that could come out of Lucas‘
mouth.
Caius just smiled faintly beside me. “I’ll take that as approval, then.”
Lucas snorted. “Don’t get too confident just yet! I’ll still be watching you,” he said in a half–joking, half–serious tone.
Caius remained relaxed. “I’m ready.”
I shook my head, stifling a giggle at their interaction.
Lucas might still be keeping a wary attitude, but I could tell he was starting to accept Caius. And, that alone was enough for me.
