Chapter 158: The Calm Before the Storm

Chapter 158: Chapter 158: The Calm Before the Storm

Lucien stood before the mirror for a long time, looking at the faint red kiss marks running down from his neck to his chest. His skin was still slightly flushed from the hot steam, and his eyes were a bit swollen from crying so much, but he did not feel uncomfortable. On the contrary, there was a very strange sensation blooming in his chest. It was a mixture of utter exhaustion and a deep satisfaction that made him not want to think about anything else.

He grabbed a towel and wrapped it securely around his waist, stepping out of the bathroom. His legs were still trembling, and every step sent a dull ache radiating through his lower back, but he tried his best to ignore it. Walking into the living room, he opened the refrigerator. Inside, breakfast was prepared just as the man had promised: an egg sandwich on toasted bread, a fresh salad, and a box of pre-cut fruits. Lucien took them out, sat down at the kitchen counter, and opened his phone while eating.

000 appeared the exact moment he brought the first bite to his lips.

[Good morning, Host. Is your body feeling better?]

"Not much better." Lucien chewed slowly. "But it is not too bad either."

[That is good to hear. I have some good news for you.] 000 landed on the table, its chubby little body jiggling. [The first mission has been accomplished, and the system has rewarded you with 50 bonding points. Simultaneously, a new sensation has been unlocked: your neck area will be much more sensitive to the touch.]

Lucien stopped chewing and looked up at it. "What did you just say? My neck is more sensitive? What exactly are you turning me into?"

[It is an advantage for your future intimate encounters,] 000 replied nonchalantly. [You do not need to do anything, just simply enjoy it.]

"I have zero interest in those trivial sensations," Lucien replied, then resumed eating. However, deep down, he knew that these unlocked system features could not be altered, making any argument completely futile.

After finishing his meal, he cleaned up the kitchen counter and retreated to the bedroom. He had no intention of going to the company today. Firstly, his body desperately needed time to rest. Secondly, he wanted to avoid certain people, particularly Ethan and Howard, at least until the dust settled. Thirdly, and most importantly, he wanted to stay home and wait for Damian to return. Last night, Damian had taken the initiative to call him over, and then explicitly asked him to stay. Damian had left for work early today, but he would undoubtedly return in the evening. Lucien wanted to take advantage of this quiet time to reevaluate everything.

He grabbed his laptop, opened his email, and read through the project plan that Damian had sent over this morning. The content was highly detailed, the division of labor was crystal clear, and the deadlines were specific. He scrolled through each page, jotting down notes on points that needed modification, and then composed a brief reply to Damian.

"I have finished reviewing the plan. There are a few places where I would like to adjust the layout of the concept section. Let us discuss this further when you get home tonight."

After hitting send, he closed the laptop, intending to lie down and rest for a little while longer. But then his phone buzzed. It was a message from Mark.

"Are you online? I need to talk to you right now."

Lucien typed back: "What is going on?"

Mark replied instantly: "It is not convenient to talk over text. Can you give me a call?"

Lucien furrowed his brows, then pressed the call button. The person on the other end picked up after just two rings.

"Mark, what happened?"

"Are you taking a day off at home?" Mark asked, his tone sounding somewhat urgent. "I heard a rumor going around that you are sick, but I am guessing that is not the case."

"Yeah, I am not sick. It is just that I need a day of rest," Lucien replied. "Is there something important?" ℴℴ𝘮

"Ethan." Mark lowered his voice, the audio coming through the phone sounding slightly muffled. "This morning, after being called up to see Damian, he returned to his desk and sat in complete silence for a while, then requested a four-day leave of absence. But before he left, he completely cleared out all of his personal belongings. There is absolutely nothing left on his desk. I found it suspicious, so I paid closer attention."

"And then what?"

"He stopped by your cubicle," Mark hesitated. "I saw him standing in front of your desk for a moment, his hand lightly grazing the surface of the table as if he was searching for something. After that, he turned to me and asked if I knew what kind of relationship you and Damian had. I told him I did not know. He let out a contemptuous sneer and said that sooner or later, you would be taught a lesson."

Lucien felt a sudden chill run down his spine. It was not out of fear of Ethan, but rather because he realized Ethan was beginning to make his move. A person like Ethan, once stripped of all his prestige and power, had absolutely nothing left to lose. And a man with nothing left to lose was incredibly unpredictable.

"Did you see him touch my computer?" Lucien asked.

"I am not entirely sure. But I did see him carrying a small USB drive. I do not know if it is related or not."

Lucien fell silent for a long moment. He recalled that his original concept draft was still saved on the company computer, as well as on the cloud drive. If Ethan had plugged that USB into his machine, Ethan might have copied all the data, or perhaps even installed something malicious. He needed to verify this immediately.

"Thank you. Did you happen to see anything else?"

"There is one more thing," Mark said, his voice laced with hesitation. "The people in the office are gossiping quite a bit today. The fact that you were put in charge of the Autumn-Winter fashion project is being heavily rumored to be because of your relationship with Damian. Some even say that you only got into the company because of him in the first place."

Lucien let out a long, heavy sigh. He had fully anticipated this outcome. When a demoted intern was suddenly handed a crucial project, there were bound to be malicious whispers. He was not afraid of these rumors, but he knew they could severely undermine his credibility, and even worse, negatively impact Damian.

"I understand. Thank you for letting me know," Lucien said. "Just maintain your normal demeanor, and do not let it show that you are keeping an eye on things. If anything new comes up, send me a text."

"Alright. You should be careful too."

After hanging up the phone, Lucien sat completely still on the sofa, his eyes gazing out the window. The city during the day remained as bustling as ever, but the peaceful sensation he had harbored in his heart earlier that morning had completely vanished. Ethan had already started to act, and Lucien knew he could not simply sit around and wait.

He opened his laptop, accessed the storage folders on his cloud drive, and meticulously checked through all the files. Fortunately, he had backed up everything beforehand, and the original files were perfectly intact. Yet, he still could not afford to be complacent. He opened his email and composed a message to send to Damian.

"Mark just informed me that Ethan has requested a four-day leave of absence following his meeting with you. Before leaving, he cleared out all of his belongings and even stopped by my desk carrying a USB drive. Mark suspects that he tampered with my computer. Furthermore, rumors are circulating throughout the office that I was assigned this project solely due to my relationship with you. I wanted to give you a heads-up so we can handle this together."

Once the message was sent, he placed his phone down on the table, then stood up and walked into the kitchen. He desperately needed a glass of cold water to calm his nerves.

000 finally spoke up at this moment: [Are you feeling anxious?]

"Not exactly anxious," Lucien replied, pouring water into his glass. "It is just incredibly annoying having to deal with these petty tricks."

[Ethan is the type of person who will not just stop here. Do you have any plans yet?]

"I always have a plan. But I need more information. I cannot fight against someone when I have no clue what his next move will be." Lucien drained the glass of water, then placed the empty glass in the sink. "Damian will handle these matters. I merely need to focus entirely on the project and prove my own capabilities."

[That sounds far too passive.]

"It is not passive. It is simply about choosing the right moment," Lucien replied, walking back out to the living room. "I want to observe what Ethan will do first before I make my move. The more rushed I am, the easier it will be to make a fatal mistake."

He sat back down on the sofa, reopened his laptop, and continued refining the concept draft. This time, he was significantly more focused, casting away any stray thoughts. He knew he had to execute this flawlessly, so that when the project was finally unveiled, no one would ever be able to deny his talent.

The afternoon slipped by in a flash. At around seven o’clock in the evening, the chime of the elevator echoed through the space. Damian stepped inside, a briefcase still gripped in his hand. He was dressed in a dark gray suit, his tie noticeably loosened, and his hair slightly disheveled by the wind. Upon seeing Lucien sitting on the sofa, Damian paused for a brief second before making his way into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of filtered water.