18 Soulmate?

After having breakfast, Liam Min sat in the living room, playing with his cat Milky. He received another mail from Aubrey last night saying that he would need his help but not now. Was there a specific time to receive a help from someone?

"Hm..", he laid his back onto the couch. Thinking about something.

Aubrey was not someone he could mess with. He knew something was not right when the report on him came, but nothing was found. Since looking for facts were no longer an option, he then tried to turn to rumors.

And he found something unexpected along the way; Aubrey Lee, the second heir to the empire Lee Group, died in a fire together with his parents at Lee family's main mansion seventeen years ago. The only survivor was the eldest son, Adamson Lee. He was 17 years old at the time and Aubrey was 8.

He knew this Aubrey could be fake when they were first assigned for a group project together. There were many people out there with the name Aubrey Lee. But his instinct told him to check up on him, and he did. He came to know of Aubrey's real identity though they had never met each other.

They talked in the online platform to finish the project for the MBA program and sometimes they would chatted about random things, outside of the project. Just to kill time. They became friends.

He came to like Aubrey's personality who was quiet and never once tried to disclose his identity. He found it strange at first, why would a millionaire like Aubrey faked his death and gave all the authority of his rights to his older brother?

Liam was lost in thought, even if he tried to dig further, he found it hard to breach the security of Lee Group's informational gathering. It was like someone had deliberately took the measure to seal some secret..

Liam was not stupid, he knew who it was. There could be no other than the current chairman, Adamson Lee himself. He rose to fame as a dictator in economics and business. He was someone too powerful to reach. Lee Group was a phoenix while the others were its lowly kin.

As Liam still valued his life over his curiosity, he stopped digging further. And since then, he lived his life as if not knowing anything regarding Aubrey.

But now that his friend was in need of his help, there must be something going on with Lee family. How could an heir to the company which controlled the economic lifeline of an entire country become poor to not have a house under his name?

•••

It was a sunny morning like any other day at Kalla Villa. The only difference was at the 17th unit owned by Lucy, where there existed another person living there officially, Aubrey Lee.

Lucy woke up at seven, she didn't get a good sleep last night. And the reason was unknown..

She went down to prepare some breakfast, but halted when she saw an unexpected scene right before her eyes.

Aubrey was preparing breakfast? Did he know how?

'Wait.. he was a young master of some rich family, I get that.. he was locked up in his house, but not his room.. hm? So he was able to go to the kitchen and prepare meals?', she thought to herself. Making sure to write this in the daily report later.

Aubrey saw her walking towards him. He was preparing pancakes for two. He seemed quite nervous too.

"Good morning Aubrey! Thanks for preparing the food.", Lucy said while she stepped towards the kitchen counter, taking a seat on the stool.

Aubrey relaxed his shoulders when he heard her. So Lucy didn't get mad when he touched her things in the kitchen? He put the frying pan down, and took a small note, wrote on it and gave it to Lucy.

(You don't mind when I use your kitchen?)

Lucy's eyes lit up in happiness. How could she mind? He was like a doting husband preparing meals for his beloved wife on Sunday morning.

Huh?

'What husband what wife???!', she almost banged her head again but she restrained herself.

'If I hurt my head again, will he lend me his hand a second time?', her thoughts went elsewhere now.

Remembering the way their hands touched each other last night, made Lucy drown in embarrasment. Was she such a bold woman before?

She sighed. She was tired of her own mind games. There must be something better to do.. to get her attention away from such cheeky thoughts.

"Hey Aubrey, do you play games?", she asked. She started to munch on the soft pancake.

Aubrey took a seat across her and wrote.

(I do, but never online.)

"Hm? Ah..", Lucy got the idea. He didn't play online because it required him to connect or communicate with his team.

Aubrey then wrote again. It was slowly becoming natural of him to ask question after being asked. He followed the rules properly.

(Do you?)

"Of course! I play PS4, PC games and mobile altogether.", she said, sounding proud of her gaming nature.

Lucy had always been an enthusiastic gamer since her childhood. It was a way for her to release the steam. She always hated how she was forced to study medicine when she was just a grade schooler. And she turned to games when things got tough. They became her paradise since then.

"What game do you play? Mobile ones?", she asked him.

He started writing.

(I played PS4 too.)

Lucy's eyes were shining brightly when she read the paper. She finally had a playmate! Oh god! She was happy, there was no one among her family members who liked to play games. Even Gary didn't fancy games.

"Oh!!! Hey, do you play Destiny 2? Oh, that's online! No, do you play God of War? Until Dawn? What about Horizon Zero Dawn? Ahhh I'm so excited!", Lucy was literally clapping her hands like a kid. She forgot the rules again.

But when she remembered the rules she herself had set, she stopped acting like a child.

"Sorry, I got excited. It's your turn.", she said, she still looked very happy inside and outside.

Her reaction caught Aubrey's attention. He couldn't stop himself from forming a wide smile. He chuckled. She was so cute.

His laugh threw imbalance over Lucy. She found herself being immersed in his glittering feature. She really liked to see him this way..

He wrote something and handed it over.

(Let's stop follow the rules. You can ask me anytime you want. I'll answer your question as long as it's not a sensitive one.)

"Really? I can do that?", she was happy. Now they could communicate without the rule.

That rule she created was making things difficult for her. And it seemed too formal for both of them. She didn't want something formal between her and Aubrey. He was not just her patient. He was more.. like a friend?

Aubrey nodded. He finished writing and gave a paper to her.

(I played all the games you mentioned.)

"What? Seriously? Oh my!!! I have found my soulmate!", she screamed in joy. Not realizing what she had said. She had always wanted to date someone who shared the same interests as her. Now she actually found one!

Aubrey was in a dazed, she just said soulmate didn't she? It shouldn't take a genius to know what soulmate refers to. He started to blush. This woman always have a way to make him flustered.

Lucy noticed his changes in behavior. She studied his face clearly. Was he blushing? Why?? She then recalled her bold words. She became frozen.

"Ah.. uh.. I didn't mean it. No! It's not like I didn't mean that-", her talk was interupted by a sudden ring of the doorbell.

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