Chapter 423: Morning Embarrassment

Lucas remained still for a long time after Bennett finally fell silent.

She had struggled against sleep for a while, mumbling against his shoulder and shifting restlessly. Even as exhaustion took hold, she had continued trying to pull him closer. Eventually, however, the alcohol caught up with her. Her breathing became steady, her grip on his shirt loosened, and she sank into the mattress, occupying nearly the entire bed without a care in the world.

Lucas sat on the edge, watching her for a moment.

He couldn’t help wondering how much of what she had said was simply the alcohol talking and how much she had genuinely meant. She had been unusually direct, far more unguarded than he had ever seen her. The way she had clung to him, kissed his neck, and repeatedly asked him to stay hadn’t seemed entirely meaningless.

He quietly opened the system.

[Favorability: 75]

The number hadn’t changed.

There was no sudden increase or unexpected drop. It remained exactly where it had been before the night got out of hand.

’She was drunk. Most of it was probably the alcohol.’

Still, he couldn’t completely dismiss what had happened. The memory of her leaning against him, along with the things she’d whispered throughout the night, lingered in his mind longer than he expected.

He was exhausted himself. The evening had taken more out of him than he cared to admit, and there was little point in sitting around overthinking everything.

Eventually, he moved to the other side of the bed, careful not to disturb her, and lay down with his back partly turned.

Bennett had already claimed most of the space, leaving him with barely enough room to get comfortable.

He closed his eyes and soon drifted off.

---

Morning sunlight slipped through the thin curtains, casting pale streaks across the hotel room.

Bennett was the first to wake.

The headache hit her almost immediately. A dull, throbbing pain settled behind her eyes, growing worse whenever she moved her head. She let out a miserable groan and slowly pushed herself upright, pressing one hand against her forehead.

Her mouth was dry, and her entire body felt unusually heavy.

She looked down and realised she was still wearing the clothes from the previous night. Her skirt was wrinkled, the fabric twisted around her hips, while one side of her top had slipped off her shoulder.

For several seconds, she simply sat there, staring around the unfamiliar room.

Then she noticed Lucas.

He was sitting in a chair near the window, already awake, his phone resting in one hand. Sunlight fell across his face, and he appeared perfectly relaxed, as though nothing particularly unusual had happened the night before.

Bennett froze.

Memories began returning in fragments.

Leaning against him in the car.

Laughing like an idiot.

Making him carry her into the hotel.

Wrapping her arms around his neck.

Kissing his neck.

Climbing onto his lap.

Telling him she liked him.

Asking him to touch her.

Begging him not to leave.

"Ahh..."

She immediately covered her face with both hands.

Heat rushed up her neck as the full weight of her drunken behaviour began to sink in.

’What the hell did I do last night?’

She squeezed her eyes shut.

There was no way she had actually done all those things. Surely, some of the memories were exaggerated by her imagination.

But the more she thought about it, the less convincing that excuse became.

She took a deep breath and lowered her hands.

Panicking wouldn’t help. She just needed to act normal and hope Lucas wouldn’t bring any of it up.

He glanced over when he noticed her moving.

"You’re up."

Bennett cleared her throat.

"Yeah..." She rubbed her forehead and forced a weak smile. "My head is killing me. I think I drank a little too much last night."

She gave a small laugh, trying to make the situation seem less awkward.

"I only remember bits and pieces."

Lucas looked at her briefly before nodding.

"Makes sense."

That was it.

No teasing. No amused smile. Not even a passing comment about how much trouble she had caused him.

Just two words.

Somehow, his lack of reaction made her even more uncomfortable. If he had laughed at her, she could have fired back with a joke and pretended none of it mattered. But his calm acceptance left her with nothing to say.

She carefully swung her legs off the bed, wincing slightly as the movement made her headache worse.

"I’m going to wash my face. Maybe that’ll help."

Without waiting for a response, she headed towards the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

Once inside, she turned on the tap and stared at herself in the mirror.

Her makeup was a mess, her hair looked like she had spent the night fighting a wild animal, and her expression was far from flattering.

But those weren’t her biggest concerns.

The memories of the previous night kept replaying in her head.

’Did I seriously ask him to touch me?’

She gripped the edge of the sink.

’And I kissed his neck? Multiple times?’

A quiet groan escaped her.

She turned on the cold water and splashed her face several times, hoping it would help clear both her headache and her thoughts.

It helped with neither.

After spending a few more minutes trying to put herself together, she finally stepped out.

The room was quieter than before.

Lucas was still sitting near the window, although his phone was now lowered as he looked out at the city. He didn’t say anything when she returned.

Bennett found the silence increasingly uncomfortable, but she wasn’t sure how to break it without drawing attention to what had happened.

Instead, she walked over to the nightstand, picked up her phone, and unlocked it.

Several notifications appeared on the screen. She scrolled through them until one message caught her attention.

Her expression changed slightly.

"Moretti just sent a message," she said, deliberately keeping her tone casual. "Your car has already arrived in Silvermont. It’s at my place."

Lucas turned his head.

"That was fast."

"Yeah." She nodded, forcing a small smile. "Well, there’s nothing else for us to do here, so we should head back."

She said it a little too quickly.

Truthfully, she wanted to leave. She needed some distance from the room, the bed, and the memories of everything she’d done. Staying there any longer would only give her more time to embarrass herself.

Lucas studied her for a moment before nodding.

"Alright."

He had no particular reason to stay either. He had accomplished what he came for, and the Chiron was waiting for him back in Silvermont. There was little point in prolonging their stay.

They began gathering their belongings.

Bennett collected her things while making a conscious effort not to look at the bed. Lucas packed the few items he had brought with him.

Neither mentioned the previous night.

Once they were ready, Bennett called her driver.

A few minutes later, the black jeep was waiting outside the hotel. The morning air was cool, and the staff opened the doors for them as they came out with their bags.

Bennett slipped on her sunglasses despite the relatively mild sunlight. At least that way, she wouldn’t have to worry about making eye contact with anyone.

They climbed into the back seat, and the driver pulled away, merging into the morning traffic.

The journey was mostly silent.

Bennett sat with her arms loosely crossed, staring out of the window. Every now and then, another memory from the previous night would surface, making her press her lips together.

The worst part was that she couldn’t remember everything.

And somehow, she suspected the things she couldn’t remember were probably worse than the ones she could.

Lucas remained quiet beside her, watching the buildings pass by. He made no attempt to start a conversation, and Bennett was secretly grateful.

For now, neither seemed particularly interested in discussing anything.

After some time, the vehicle approached the private terminal.

The driver slowed near the restricted entrance, where security personnel briefly checked their credentials before allowing them through.

Beyond the final gate, the tarmac stretched beneath a clear morning sky.

Bennett’s private jet was already waiting.

Its engines were running, producing a steady roar that carried across the open space. Several ground staff stood near the boarding stairs, dressed in neat uniforms and waiting for their arrival.

Everything appeared organised and peaceful.

Bennett felt some of the tension leave her shoulders.

Once they boarded, she could finally put the awkwardness of the previous night behind her. She would have enough time to recover from her hangover and, more importantly, stop thinking about how shamelessly she had behaved around Lucas.

The jeep stopped a short distance from the aircraft.

Lucas stepped out first, followed by Bennett. She adjusted the bag on her shoulder as the wind from the engines tugged at her hair and skirt.

Lucas closed the door and looked towards the waiting jet.

For a brief moment, everything seemed perfectly ordinary.

Then something changed.

The sound of approaching engines grew louder.

Several black vehicles suddenly appeared on the tarmac, moving at a speed that was completely out of place in the normally controlled airport environment.

They approached from the opposite direction and came to an abrupt stop in a tight formation, positioning themselves between the jeep and the private jet.

Before either of them could react, the doors began opening.

Men dressed in dark tactical gear stepped out one after another.

They were heavily equipped, their weapons and protective gear clearly distinguishing them from ordinary airport security. Their movements were coordinated and precise, with each man taking up a position almost immediately after exiting his vehicle.

There was nothing casual about their arrival.

These were highly trained operators, and they hadn’t come here by accident.

Bennett’s steps slowed.

She looked from the vehicles to the armed men, her earlier relief disappearing as quickly as it had come.

Lucas’s expression changed too.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he studied the group, paying particular attention to the way they were positioning themselves.

They weren’t simply passing through.

They had come for someone.

And judging by the direction they were facing, that someone was either him or Bennett.

The peaceful morning had come to an abrupt end.