Kate greeted Lucien warmly, but the moment she stepped closer, she sensed something off.
Her eyes shifted between him and her son.
Lucien stood calm, unreadable.
Daniel, on the other hand, looked uneasy—like a child caught doing something he shouldn't.
"Daniel," Kate said, her tone turning sharp, "what did you say?"
The boy hesitated, then muttered a reluctant apology.
Lucien didn't respond.
Not out of anger—just disinterest.
A forced apology meant nothing.
Kate sighed, clearly embarrassed, and quickly gestured him inside. "Please, don't mind him. Come in."
Lucien stepped into the house without another word, his gaze quietly observing everything.
As they walked through the hallway, Kate tried to explain.
"He's at that age," she said. "Influenced by the wrong people… I haven't been paying enough attention."
Lucien gave a small nod.
He understood more than she thought.
Some ideas didn't come from nowhere.
Kids learned them.
And once they did… they stuck.
Still, it wasn't his problem.
He wasn't here to fix her family.
The living room was quiet.
Too quiet.
Lucien's eyes landed on a small figure sitting near the corner.
A little girl.
She looked up at him, then raised her hand in a simple gesture—a silent greeting—before walking away with her doll.
"This is Max," Kate said softly. "She… can't hear."
Lucien watched the girl leave.
Compared to her brother, she felt… normal.
Quiet. Closed off.
The kind of behavior he expected.
Kate returned with water, placing a glass in front of him.
Lucien didn't waste time.
He pulled out the envelope and placed it on the table.
"The rent," he said simply.
Kate looked surprised, then relieved as she checked the money.
"Looks like things are better for you," she said with a faint smile.
Lucien didn't answer directly.
He just leaned back slightly, studying her.
Her face looked tired.
Eyes dull.
Like someone who hadn't slept properly in days.
"Not sleeping well?" he asked.
Kate paused.
Then sighed.
"…No. Ever since the accident."
Her hand instinctively rested on her stomach.
Lucien understood immediately.
Loss.
Not long ago.
"I keep having the same dream," she continued quietly. "Every night."
Lucien didn't ask what dream.
He didn't need to.
Whatever it was—it hadn't left her.
Kate forced a small smile, trying to change the mood.
"We're thinking of adopting," she said. "Another child."
Lucien's eyes narrowed slightly.
That… was a bad idea.
In a normal world, maybe it would've been fine.
But this wasn't normal.
And people like her—
Kind. Emotional. Vulnerable—
Were exactly the kind that invited trouble without realizing it.
"You should be careful," Lucien said calmly.
"Especially for your children."
Kate nodded… but her expression didn't change.
She had already made up her mind.
His words didn't reach her.
Before he could say anything else, the front door opened.
A man walked in, smiling.
Behind him—
A girl.
Small. Quiet.
Clinging to his arm like she belonged there.
"We're back," the man said cheerfully.
Kate's face lit up. "John! You're back already?"
"It went smoothly," he replied.
Lucien's attention, however, wasn't on the conversation.
It was on the girl.
From the moment she stepped inside… something felt wrong.
Not obvious.
Not loud.
Just—
Wrong.
"This is Lucien," Kate introduced.
The man greeted him politely.
Lucien nodded once.
Then his gaze returned to the girl.
"Esther," Kate said, gently taking her hand.
The reaction lasted less than a second.
But Lucien saw it.
That flicker of discomfort.
No—
Not discomfort.
Disgust.
It vanished immediately, replaced by an innocent smile.
"Hello," the girl said softly.
Lucien smiled back.
But his eyes didn't.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
He had seen children like this before.
Orphans.
Abandoned kids.
They didn't trust easily.
They didn't cling to strangers.
And they definitely didn't attach themselves so quickly.
But this one?
She acted like she had always belonged here.
Like she was… playing a role.
Perfectly.
Too perfectly.
John spoke again, breaking the silence.
"Stay for dinner," he offered. "It's already late."
Lucien stood up.
"Another time."
He wasn't interested in staying.
Not here.
Not anymore.
As he walked toward the door, he paused.
Then turned slightly.
His gaze rested on the girl once more.
Still smiling.
Still watching.
Like she knew something.
Like she understood more than she should.
Lucien's lips curved faintly.
Then he spoke.
"You should take her to a doctor."
The room went quiet.
Kate blinked. "A doctor?"
Lucien didn't explain.
He just gave one last look at the girl.
Calm.
Sharp.
Certain.
"She's not as normal as you think."
And with that—
He walked out.
Leaving behind a silence that felt heavier than before.