An Unutterable Secret

Late at night, Lucas opened his eyes in the dark.

He faintly heard the woman's sobbing coming from the end of the hallway.

As the bedroom temperature plummeted, he wrapped himself in a fluffy goose down and closed eyes to dispel the stifling fantasies,like a quiet polar bear.

After a long time, he moved his fingers and then sat up.

The bangs fell on the high bridge of the nose, and long eyelashes covered the melancholy in his eyes.

Outside, a light rain was falling steadily, as he got up and walked to the window.

The raindrops hitting the window were like tears suspended on Kara's eyelashes.

Lucas's fingers traced the path of the raindrops, fantasizing about gliding over Kara's creamy skin. She was so fair, leaving behind faint red marks with just a gentle touch of his nails.

Just the thought of Kara,like igniting a white-hot firework in the snow, ready to consume him at any moment.

He walked back to the bedside, the water in the glass had long cooled, he drank it all in one gulp, but it didn't ease the burning thirst in his heart and lungs.

The servants had already gone to bed, and the hallway was comfortably warm. He didn't need to add another layer of clothing, so he slipped on his slippers and walked out of the room.

The old mansion was eerily quiet in the late night, with the wall lamps flickering with a dim, yellow light.The faint, stifled sobs emanating from the darkness became even more pronounced.

Lucas stood at the doorway with delicate brows slightly furrowed.

After enduring for a while, he decided to go downstairs and pour himself another glass of cold water.

After gulping down a large glass of cold water, the young man felt a bit more awake. The intermittent choking sound, together with the rain outside, poured into his ears and his heart.

He felt even thirstier.

Leaning against the window, Lucas watched the rain outside. He lost track of time until he heard the sound of the bedroom door upstairs opening, guessing that she had come down.

Suddenly spotting the figure standing in the shadows by the window, the woman gasped in surprise, instinctively covering her mouth to stifle a scream. However, upon recognizing the young man, a hint of a smile crept onto her face. She tightened her silk robe and walked lightly towards him.

"Why aren't you sleeping? What brings you down here?" the woman asked softly.

"I came down for some water," he replied.

"Me too," the woman said before turning to pour herself some water.

"Are you and my dad planning to have a baby?"the young man suddenly asked, his voice slightly hoarse.

The woman turned to him, slightly surprised, and replied, "There's no such plan."

"Aren't you planning to give me a little brother?"Lucas asked with a nonchalant smile.

Without waiting for the woman to respond, he walked slowly towards her."I used to have a puppy before. The house was always lively with it around. After it passed away, the atmosphere at home has been quite gloomy. I suppose it's time to bring back some liveliness."

The woman coldly set down her glass.

Lucas stopped in front of the woman, and stared at her for a while. Then, he opened the liquor cabinet behind her and poured some wine into her glass.

"Moderate drinking can help with sleep. Wishing you sweet dreams. Goodnight, stepmother."

Lucas returned to his room, leaning against the door, tilting his head back. He ran his fingers gently over his throat, letting out a sigh.

The servants placed breakfast item by item on the table.The aroma of coffee mingled with the rustling of newspapers in the air as Levi shifted his gaze to his only son, Lucas.

Under the stern gaze of his father, Lucas pulled out the cumbersome dining chair and, after seating himself, the servant placed breakfast before him.

Not long after, his stepmother, Kara, also sat down at the dining table.

She was wearing a sky-blue dress today, adorned with a butterfly at the shoulder.Lucas struggled to tear his gaze away from her.

She avoided the needle-like gaze and turned to Levi asking, "Darling, are you still flying to London this afternoon?"

"Yeah, it's urgent. I still need to make the trip," Levi said, folding the newspaper and setting it aside.

"After I finish breakfast, I'll go upstairs and help you pack," she said.

Levi had originally planned to fly to London yesterday, but the flight was canceled due to a sudden rainstorm.

Lucas casually sipped his coffee and asked, "Dad, how many days will you be gone this time?"

"Probably four to five days,"Levi estimated.

Lucas smiled, "Okay."

The driver had already parked the car at the gate early on. Kara tiptoed to help Levi straighten his tie. "Take care of yourself while I'm away," she said.

Levi deeply breathed in the sweet scent of his wife's hair,hugged Kara tightly. "You too. I'm leaving the house in your hands for these few days," he said.

Lucas looked at the affectionate couple at the doorstep and laughed mockingly.

Truly affectionate, aren't they?

After seeing Levi off, Kara quickly walked towards another car parked at the gate. She had an important meeting this morning.

The driver stood beside the car and opened the rear door for her. She smiled, "Thanks,Robert."

"My pleasure, madam."

But her steps halted at the car door as she looked at Lucas sitting in the back seat. Quickly, she wiped away her smile.

"Why didn't you take George's car?"

"George has a stomachache, so I'm taking your car today," Lucas replied, flipping through a book.

"Then I'll take a taxi. Let Robert drive you to school," she said.

As Kara was about to step back, she was stopped by the cool voice of the young man. "There's going to be heavy traffic on Monday mornings. If we delay any longer, we'll both be late," he said.

Eventually, Kara reluctantly got into the car, and Lucas's backpack formed a barrier between them.

In the spacious back seat, Kara rested her elbow by the car window, her legs crossed, revealing a glimpse of her slender and smooth calves beneath the perfectly draped hem of the sky-blue dress. Her black high-heeled shoes hung gracefully from her arched feet.

She gazed at the receding street scene outside, but her attention was drawn entirely to the sound of the pages flipping next to her.

On some pages, Lucas would flip quickly, while on others, he would linger, using his thumb to trace the paper's texture, as if caressing delicate flower petals or something else entirely.

"Can I come find you for lunch?" the young man beside her suddenly asked.

"What?"

"After all, my school is just across the street from your company," using index finger to adjust his glasses, Lucas set the book aside and looked at Kara earnestly as he spoke.

"I don't want others to see us walking so closely together. It wouldn't reflect well on your father's reputation," Kara said.

"Oh? How do you define 'walking too closely'?"

The young man turned his head to Kara with a playful look, his fair chin already showing traces of stubble.

"Sharing the same house, is that too close?"the young man pressed.

"Sharing the same car, is that too close?" The man leaned in closer.

With Kara already near the car door, Lucas's pressure forced her to huddle in a corner, her breath becoming rapid. The scent of the boy's cleanliness filled her nose.

"Lucas... too close..." the woman said, trembling.

Her neatly pressed uniform was rumpled as she pushed against him, creating creases. She blocked the boy's always warm and dangerous aura. With a little more force, she could grasp his heart hidden beneath the embroidered school emblem on his left chest.

"Is this close enough for you?"

He suddenly tightened his grip on Kara's slender wrist, watching her grit her teeth in pain, her brows furrowed. The heat in his chest intensified.

"I want to be even closer to you,my stepmother," he insisted.