C7 Armor Fractures

Sophia and Lucas were walking through a gorgeous, private garden on the estate rooftop as the sun was sinking.

Lucas had insisted on showing her there, claiming that it was his escape from the hectic world of business.

As Sophia ran her fingertips over the fragile petals of a white orchid, she whispered, "It's beautiful. I did not expect this from you."

Lucas's eyebrow went up. "What didn't you expect?"

"This….tranquility. You're always so concentrated and intense.” As she marveled at the flowers, he laughed quietly and followed her gaze.

"Even I occasionally need a way out. But my mom came up with the idea for this garden. She claimed that flowers brought back memories of her more carefree days.”

Sophia gave him a quick look and noticed the unusual sensitivity in his voice. "What was she like?"

Lucas paused, his typically stoic demeanor cracking. "She was... everything. Strong, kind, and unafraid to voice her opinions. She was referred to by my father as his sharpest critic and fiercest ally.”

Sophia stated in a soft voice, "It sounds like she was remarkable."

"She was." Lucas's eyes widened. However, things weren't always as they looked in our household. Before everything fell apart, we had influence, wealth, and power.”

Sophia was silent, feeling the impact of what he had said. Lucas leaned thoughtfully on the railing. "My father made several bad choices, including partnerships with untrustworthy individuals and investments that backfired. Our family name was damaged and we had lost nearly everything by the time the dust settled.”

Sophia took a step forward, intrigued. "How did you rebuild?"

With a hint of resentment in his voice, Lucas said, "I had no other option. I was nineteen at the time. Soon after, my mother died, and my father—well, he wasn't the same man. It was my responsibility to take what little we had and make it into something new.”

His voice was so honest that Sophia's heart hurt. For the first time, she was able to see past the self-assured, mysterious billionaire to the guy underneath—a man molded by suffering and grief.

"You must have been scared," she remarked quietly. With a slight smile on his lips, Lucas looked directly into her eyes. “Terrified isn't even close to describing it. However, fear may be a strong motivator.”

They stood silently for a while, their faces glowing warmly in the sunset's golden light.

"I appreciate you sharing that," Sophia remarked. "I understand that discussing it is difficult."

Unexpectedly, Lucas reached out and brushed a lock of hair away from her face. It was a gentle, almost intimate gesture. Sophia blinked, not sure if this was real or if her artistic mind was playing games on her again.

"It feels different with you….simpler,” Lucas remarked in a barely audible voice.

Sophia's weak barriers started to break down as her breath caught. Even with the persistent misgivings that lurked in the back of her mind, she wanted to trust Lucas because of his undeniable charm.

She had never felt attracted to a guy the way she felt towards Lucas and it scared her. If only he was a regular guy in her world….in her class, she'd be more open about her feelings.

Sophia looked away shyly in the pretense of admiring her surroundings. She didn't want Lucas to suspect the effect he was having on her with his penetrative eyes.

But even as she looked away, she could feel his eyes on her; what emotion his gaze held, though, she couldn't see as she was busy hiding her own emotion.

She suddenly felt a hand holding hers, nudging her to the exit, “Come on, let's get something to drink.” Lucas said, still holding her hand, and Sophia was forced to look up at him.

There was an unusual smile on his face and she quickly looked away before he caught her staring.

When they got to the living room, he took her to a couch, motioning her to sit while he strolled to the bar and poured himself a shot of whiskey. “Want one?” He asked, raising his glass.

She looked at the time and remarked, "I probably shouldn't. It's late, and I have a low tolerance to alcohol."

With a casual tone and a steady gaze, he said, "Stay."

Sophia looked up at him, her heart pounding.

Tension permeated the air, and it felt as though they were getting closer. There was no mistaking the double meaning of his words.

She stumbled over her words, "I….I don't think that's a good idea."

With his face expressionless, Lucas stepped forward. "Why not?"

“Because this is complicated,” she admitted. "You're my client, and I—"

His voice was firm as he interrupted, "You're more than that. Or more explicitly, you've become more than that."

Sophia glanced up at him, her heart racing rapidly as she did. The air was laced with tension, and the distance between them seemed to shrink.

Her voice was just a cut above a whisper as she shuttered, "I… I…have no idea what this is."

"Neither do I," Lucas added. "But I know I don't want work to be the only thing for you and me."

Sophia's breath caught as her mind raced. She couldn't find the perfect words to express her feelings.

Lucas stepped back to give her room. "Consider it," he replied plainly. "I'll see you out.”

The ride down in the elevator was silent, the tension between them evident.

When they got to the front door, Lucas looked at her. He said, "Good night, Sophia," in a tone that was softer than she had ever heard.

"Good night, Lucas," she replied, quickly turning and walking away. It was the first time he spoke to her that softly, tenderly, and he did it in such a way that made her stomach flutter.

She stepped outside into the crisp night air, a jumbled mess of emotions whirling inside her as she left.

It was anything but easy, whatever was going on between them.

However, she wasn't certain she wanted simplicity for the first time in a long time.

************************************************

As Sophia worked on her designs in the mansion studio the following afternoon, she found herself replaying their chat over and over in her mind. The way he looked at her, his informal tone, the way he brushed the hair from her face. And then, asking her to stay?

No, she was not going to dismiss it as a coincidence or paranoia. Those were real. She felt sure there was something there….in Lucas's gaze, his words but she wasn't sure what exactly it was. She wasn't the type to jump to conclusions.

As her pencil glided across the page, she was able to capture the fragility in Lucas's voice and the passion in his eyes.

Even while she wanted to trust the man he had shown her, she couldn't help but wonder about the unanswered questions.

What made him so reticent? What was intended by his clipped conversation with Daniel?

The buzz of her phone cut through her thoughts. She noticed a message from Shirley when she looked at the screen. “We must speak. When you can, give me a call.”

Sophia scowled as she recalled Shirley's cautions on Lucas. At the time, she had dismissed it, blaming it on her mentor's propensity to interfere.

But now that the puzzle was beginning to come together, she couldn't get rid of the suspicion that Shirley could know more than she was letting on.

With exhaustion weighing heavily on her, Sophia strolled by the main room after hours of sketching.

She noticed a bunch of workers gathered around a television as she walked past. One of them murmured, "Did you see this coming?"

"It's unbelievable," someone else said.

She approached closer out of curiosity; her heart sank when she saw Lucas's face splattered across the screen. The headline said: “The CEO of Hawke Enterprises is Associated with a Serious Corruption Scandal.” The room was filled with the voice of the news anchor. "New information has emerged linking Lucas Hawke to a slew of dishonest business transactions involving insider trading and offshore accounts. Although Hawke Enterprises has not yet issued a formal comment, people familiar with the investigation indicate that this could have a significant impact on the company's future.”

Sophia's heart froze. The accusations made against Lucas stood in sharp contrast to the picture of him, calm and self-assured as ever.

Sophia experienced a range of feelings while the staff members whispered to one another.

She turned, making her way directly to Lucas's office, not thinking twice. He was the one who could answer her questions.