Lucas Martin.
Daniel blinked, hard, as if his eyes were lying to him. But no — it was him. The same man he had delivered the parcel to. The same man Sebastian had warned him not to upset.
And Sonia or someone who looked exactly like her was holding his arm like she belonged there.
The light turned green, but Daniel didn't move. Cars behind him honked, one impatient driver shouting through his open window. Still, Daniel remained frozen.
Then, slowly, deliberately, he pulled his car to the side and parked.
He lowered the driver's window just a little and watched them. Sonia and Lucas crossed the street, still close, still smiling. Her head rested for a brief moment on his shoulder — an intimate gesture, nothing like the cold fury she'd shown Daniel just hours before when she broke things off.
His mind raced.
What the hell is going on?
Was it really Sonia? Was it someone who just looked like her? And if it was her — how? Why?
And Lucas Martin? Of all people?
The woman Sonia — glanced in his direction briefly. His heart jumped, but her eyes didn't register him. She kept walking.
Daniel stayed in the car, not sure if he should follow… or disappear.
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When he finally managed to arrive, he still felt lost.
Even after seeing how beautiful the apartment was, he couldn't shake the image from his mind.
Sonia was laughing on Lucas Martin's arm like she belonged in that world. Like she'd never looked at Daniel the way she had looked at him.
The apartment was more than he ever imagined. Sleek marble floors, soft lighting that adjusted with a whisper, and furniture that looked untouched, as though waiting just for him. There was even a stocked fridge and a walk-in closet filled with clothes his old self wouldn't have dared to touch, much less own.
But none of it impressed him. Not tonight.
He dropped the keys on the glass counter and paced the living room, his thoughts loud in the silence.
Could it really have been her?
Was the breakup part of something deeper — a setup?
His fists clenched at the thought. Had Sonia lied to him? Had she already been involved in whatever this organization was? Was she just playing a role all along?
He grabbed his phone and stared at the screen for a long time. The urge to call James and confront him burned hot in his chest… but he stopped himself.
No.
If Sonia was involved — really involved — then James probably already knew.
And if James knew and didn't tell him, it meant one thing.
He wasn't ready for the truth yet.
As if waiting for him to settle down in his new place, his phone rang. He glanced at it and was surprised to see it was Sonia. His heart skipped and he didn't feel like picking it — he wasnt ready yet.
But the phone kept ringing continuously and he ended up picking it up.
"Hello," he said after placing the phone over his ear.
"I have been thinking about it and I thought I should clear some things with you," Sonia said, sounding like she didn't care about anything else in the world m.
Daniel didn't reply fast. But after finding his voice again, he spoke. "Go ahead."
"I now have a new lover and guess what, he is one of the biggest men in the country. With him, I won't have to worry about what to eat, drink, wear, and do. This is the kind of life I want so the earlier you forget about me completely, the better for you..." She paused, expecting Daniel to say something but he didn't. Nevertheless, she continued. "A little advice for you, you better change your life or you'll end up dying lonely."
With that, she ended the call.
Daniel sighed. Not angrily but tiredly.
"Lucas Martin," he muttered the name. The name of his soon-to-be or already-to-be enemy. "You took my girlfriend away from me, I'll make you pay."
With that, he got up and looked around the house. It was a very comfortable place for him to stay in.
After taking a tour around the house, he decided to take his bath. While he was having his bath, his phone rang continuously so he hurried up and came out of the bathroom with only a towel around his waist.
He picked his phone from the corner of the bed where he had kept it and upon opening the phone, he saw it was James.
His heart skipped a bit because of what he was thinking but after summoning enough courage, he called his friend back.
"James," he said.
There was a moment of silence between them and slowly, Daniel's fears were beginning to manifest.
"...Did you call me only to turn mute yourself?" Daniel asked, seeming impatient. "If there's anything you want, say it."
Inwardly, he hoped it wasn't what he was thinking. He wouldn't believe it if James tells him that he's aware that his girlfriend left him for Lucas Martin. He hated being in the dark.
"Bro, your girlfriend is cheating on you with the same Lucas Martin. Like I don't understand how she was able to capture his attention," James said after a while.
Daniel sighed. "I don't care how she was able to get his attention," he said, surprisingly James who breathed out. "But I am certain of one thing; I'm going to make her regret breaking up with me."
James sighed at his friend. "Couldn't you just let go?" He asked. "I mean, she is not worth the effort, bro. There are plenty girls out there who'd die to get you."
"I know," Daniel replied. "I know but I insist on doing it. I don't want her back, I just want to make her pay for the pain she's caused me."
"So how will you do it?" James asked him.
"Simple," Daniel replied. "I will seduce Lucas, make him fall in love with me, make him break up with Sonia and then leave him."