Lucien's POV,
He is small and stubborn, pointing at a cake as if it owed him something. Then, he pouts, looks up, and presses his face against the glass. He was obviously blocking me and every other person in the line, and it looked like his mother was nowhere to be found.
But when he looks at me, the resemblance hits me like a fist.
What the fuck…
He folds his hands as I buy the cake for him, and his eyes widen when I give it to him,
"My mother said not to collect sweets from strangers." He whispers, as if telling me a secret. I chuckle, despite myself, and set the cake on the nearby table.
"You shouldn't," I smirk. "But rules like that exist because some things are worth the risk."
He grins, then snatches the cake off the table. "How smart."
I'm taken aback as he runs to a woman with black hair. He whispers in her ear while she's on a call. She turns with a scowl, then her eyes widen.
My face falls. That's not the mother. I know because I've never slept with that woman. I mean, I would remember, right?
She waves at me from afar, and I nod once.
As I'm getting back to the mansion, the boy haunts me. I immediately tell my bodyguards to hurry back and follow them.
Why would he look just like I did when I was younger?
My bodyguards inform me of his house address and the boy's school.
"Another obsession?" Mireya asks when I tell Isolde to find information on the owner of the school.
"It's a boy, this time, apparently." Isolde snickers, and Adrian gags.
"Eww." He twists his face. "Lucien, just because you didn't find her doesn't mean you have to stoop that low."
"You fool." Niklaus hits him on the head. "This time, he believes he has a son."
"Damn." Mireya exhales, then takes a drag through her pipe. "I thought Adrian would be the first person to come home with a baby."
"Same." He shrugs, and I kiss my teeth.
"You guys are the most inefficient set of humans," I say, and point at Isolde's computer. "That one. I'll use that."
"You're going to ask him to pay you?" Isolde raises her brow, and I adjust my suit, then smirk.
"No, he doesn't owe me." I scatter her hair. "I'm going to help him."
~ ~
Niklaus finds the current owner of the school, and I lay out my terms. I'll help him pay off the debt of the bank loan he borrowed if he sells his school to me. The man refused.
"Just who do you think you are?" He bellows, slamming his hand on his desk. "Young kids these days. Thinking they've made it just because they bought two nice suits. Get out!"
My eyes twitch. Why are humans so ungrateful? I can never understand them and that is why I can never be nice. I exhale and nod to Niklaus who steps forward with the case.
"I told you, I'm not accepting any money." He snaps, and I chuckle, then wear my leather gloves.
"I find it offensive that you think I'm young, sir," I say, slowly. "And I find it more offensive that you believe I'd leave because you said so."
Niklaus opens the case, and the man's face pales. In it, there are three different types of guns, ten different knives, and two toxins. The cherry on top is the photos laid on it.
"Are…are those my…my children?" He stammers, picking one photo.
"Ah, yes." I snapped my fingers. "They put up a fight, especially the little one."
"The boys said they'd find her more interesting." Niklaus chimes in, and his face turns red. He moves to grab his phone, but Niklaus twists his wrist. The man screams.
I'd already told them to clear out the club, so we were alone, but he still made a lot of noise.
I haven't even done anything yet.
"Please." He begged, already sweating. "Please, I beg you. Have my school. Have anything else you want. Leave my daughters. Please."
I grin. "Now, that's more like it."
I gesture to my men standing outside, and they bring out another case. "But the thing is, I don't like giving people second chances."
They open the case filled with money, and his eyes sparkle. Humans. You can control them all if you have the right resources. "Yeah, so…"
I flick my hand, and they throw down the money from the window. The man's eyes widen, and he stands up. I click my tongue, then tap my finger on the paper. "Sign this, and the money is yours."
His eyes blaze red, and I grin. "Better hurry. We're in the bad part of town, with hungry thieves everywhere. If one dollar note gets missing, it's on you, not us."
He quickly signs the paper and starts to run.
"I like a game, you know?" He pauses. "I give you five minutes to pick up every dollar bill, or you might have a grandchild. My men know how to aim well."
He yells and runs down towards the elevator, but Niklaus gets there before him. "Use the stairs, old man."
When he's out of sight, I chuckle and stare at the paper. "So, what's next?"
I smirk, call Mireya, and she picks up with a groan, "What?"
"How do you feel about being the new owner of a school?"