Nyx and Lucian made their way toward the garage.
When the doors opened, Nyx immediately spotted the new car. It was parked near the entrance, polished so thoroughly that the morning light reflected cleanly across its surface. A driver was already waiting beside it, straightening the moment he saw Nyx approaching.
"Good morning, Miss Arden."
"Good morning." He stepped forward and opened the rear passenger door for her.
Nyx paused beside the car, glancing briefly at Lucian before looking at the vehicle again. Her lips curved faintly. Not bad. She climbed inside, and Lucian followed right beside her.
.
Morning light flooded the glass-fronted dining room of the high-end city restaurant, casting a warm glow across the white linen tablecloth. Soft piano music hummed over the speaker system, punctuated by the clinking of porcelain and the quiet murmur of early morning diners.
Lucian leaned back in his chair, taking a slow sip of orange juice before looking across the table. "So this is where we’re coming to, and you were all secretive about it."
Nyx laughed, leaning slightly toward him with a playful, teasing smile.
"No, but we have to eat, don’t we? We haven’t had breakfast, and I can’t make you go hungry. I also can’t go hungry." She picked up her glass of water and took a sip before adding, "Your sister is onto something very important, and where we are going after breakfast is directly related to it."
Lucian nodded slowly, a wide smile relaxing his face. "All right, sister. Thank you for the breakfast. I like that we went out and didn’t eat at home."
"Of course," Nyx said, taking a bite of her toast. "From now on, we won’t be eating at home very often. If I have to eat while staring at the faces of those three, my appetite would disappear completely at the mere thought of it."
Lucian let out a bright laugh, and Nyx couldn’t help but laugh along with him. The brief respite felt good, just breakfast with her younger brother which Nyx found herself enjoying more than she expected.
When they finished their meal, a young waitress approached their table, carrying the check leather folder in her hands. Just as Nyx reached into her handbag and pulled out her credit card to pay, she heard a low gasp, followed by a whispered, "Wow."
Looking up from her purse, Nyx saw the waitress staring intently at her head. Before Nyx could ask what was wrong, the girl caught herself and straightened hurriedly.
"Uhm... sorry, ma’am!" the waitress stammered nervously, clasping the leather folder against her apron. "I’m new here, and I actually have never seen such a naturally and beautifully done hair color. It’s just so perfect, and the style too. It makes you look so—"
"It’s actually my natural hair color," Nyx interrupted politely, softening her expression with a small smile.
The waitress blinked, her eyes widening in total shock. "Uh?! Oh, oh! Really? That’s—wow! That is... so—"
"Yeah," Nyx nodded, extending her card. "Can I get—"
"Oh! Yes! Yes, yes, of course! Here, I’m so sorry!" The girl hurriedly took the card and processed the transaction on the wireless terminal, her hands shaking slightly.
"It’s alright."
"I’m sorry, I didn’t know... but your hair is really beautiful," the girl continued rambling, blushing deeply. "The color fits you so fucking much." She immediately froze, her eyes widening. "Oh! I shouldn’t have said that. Anyway, you look—you look great! Ah, ha-ha!"
Nyx stared at her, pursing her lips tightly to keep from bursting into a full chuckle. She nodded continuously at the girl’s panicked barrage of compliments, clearly becoming more embarrassed with every word.
When the girl finally ran out of breath, Nyx’s smile grew warmer. "Thank you very much for the compliment. I really appreciate it. Lucian, come on."
Nyx stood up, gathering her handbag with her right hand and extending the same hand down toward her brother. The waitress remained standing beside the table, nervously wringing her fingers as she watched them, apparently hoping she hadn’t offended her customer.
Lucian stood up and took Nyx’s hand. As they began to walk away, Nyx glanced back over her shoulder. "What’s your name?"
The girl’s eyes lit up with instant relief. "Uh? My name? It’s—it’s Sabrina!"
"Sabrina, my name is Nyx. It’s nice to meet you. See you some other time."
The moment Nyx finished speaking, Sabrina’s whole face illuminated. Her lips curved into a brilliant, wide smile, and she raised her hand, waving vigorously. "Oh yeah! See you!"
They walked out of the warm restaurant into the cool morning air and got into the waiting car. Nyx had barely settled into her seat when her phone rang.
She glanced at the screen before answering.
"Hello?"
Jacob’s voice came through the speaker. "Nyx? Are you on your way?"
"I stopped at a restaurant to get breakfast with Lucian," Nyx answered, pulling out of the parking space into the city traffic. "We’re almost there."
"Good. I’ll be waiting for you in the lobby."
"All right. See you soon."
She ended the call and slipped her phone back into her bag.
Ten minutes later, the car pulled up to the grand glass tower housing the financial and legal firm. After parking in the subterranean garage, she and Lucian rode the elevator up to the main lobby. As the doors slid open, they saw Jacob Fint standing near the polished marble reception desk, checking his watch with an anxious tilt of his head.
When Jacob looked up and spotted her, he paused completely. His expression changed almost imperceptibly as he studied her.
Stepping closer, he paused again, a touch of emotion softening his strict professional demeanor.
"You are Nyx, right? You’ve changed so much."
Nyx nodded, offering him a small, respectful smile.
Jacob hesitated for a second, then spread his arms slightly. "Can I—can I hug you?"
Nyx nodded again. Jacob stepped forward and slowly wrapped his arms around her shoulders, patting her back gently twice before stepping back.
"Your mother would have been so happy to see you like this," he said softly. Then his gaze dropped to her arm, resting securely in its arm sling. His eyebrows furrowed with concern. "What happened to your hand?"
Nyx gave a casual shrug with her good shoulder. "Just an accident."
Lucian, who was standing right next to her, immediately spoke up in an angry tone. "It was Livia who pushed her down the stairs."
Jacob’s head snapped toward the boy, completely caught off guard.. He looked down at Lucian, taking in the sharp jawline and steady dark eyes that mirrored the Arden line. "Is this...?"
"Yes, this is my younger brother, Lucian," Nyx introduced smoothly.
"Oh, he’s so tall now," Jacob murmured, marveling at the young boy. "He was so little the last time I saw him. It was also the last time I saw you. It is truly good to see that you’re both doing fine despite... everything. Come on, let’s go upstairs."
He led them toward the executive elevator bank, scanning his security pass to access the highest level.
"When we reach the forty-second floor, Lucian can wait in our private client lounge," Jacob explained as the high-speed elevator began its smooth ascent. "It has comfortable seating, refreshments, and a media setup if he’d like."
Nyx looked down at Lucian, who gave her a quiet nod of approval. "That sounds fine. Thank you, Jacob."
Once on the top floor, Jacob escorted Lucian to the luxurious lounge, ensuring he was settled with a cold drink and a tablet, before guiding Nyx down the quiet, carpeted hallway toward the primary corner office.