Chapter 178: Well, Damn, We Are!
Lucian and Primo paused by the entrance as soon as they spotted people inside their home. Their eyes scanned the dining room, catching everyone jumping from their seats to their feet.
"Lucian~! Primo~!"
Ashley skipped over and stopped in front of them.
"That was quick!" she said. "How was your trip?"
"Good," said Lucian, and then glanced at Primo, who was holding a bouquet.
Primo stretched his arm and offered it to Ashley.
"For me?" Ashley furrowed her brows as she took it from Primo’s hand, smiling. "Thank you."
The boy pursed his lips and looked at Lucian. The latter nodded at him.
"Get some rest first," said Lucian. "And get changed before we leave."
Primo nodded, about to leave, when he paused and looked at the five bum neighbors living across the street. Curiosity was clear in his eyes as they slid to the food on the table, thinking they should be eating all of what Ashley had prepared for them, as they deserved it. However, he didn’t dwell on it and headed to the stairs to get changed.
Ashley and Lucian watched Primo go, and the five bodyguards also followed the small figure.
"Why was he looking in here?" Rum muttered in dread. "What? Don’t tell me... the master told him what we said?"
"Did he think we don’t deserve a single bite?"
"We should’ve eaten fast and ignored her. No, we shouldn’t even be here," Red also whispered, his complexion pale. "Why did we even entertain her rambling?"
Tank kept quiet, but he glanced at his team and thought, You were the ones who were rambling.
Weren’t Rum and Red the first people to bring up Emma, and what happened after that night?
Their thoughts halted when Ashley’s voice echoed through the room, their eyes snapping in her direction.
"Have you and Primo had lunch already?" she asked, hugging the flowers. "If not, you should eat. I prepared a feast for our kind neighbors since they’ve been stuck in unemployment."
The said bums looked at her in disbelief. Normally, they would have scoffed and berated her. Who wrote those damn memos and was abusing her powers before breakfast?!
But that was beside the point.
Would she seriously ask Lucian, the big boss of Dominion, to eat with them?
The five of them instinctively gazed down at the table, their plates, and the dishes on it.
"We did drive-thru," said Lucian, lifting his gaze in their direction.
The second his eyes landed on each of them, scanning them like he was deciding how they would be executed, all five of them stood stiffly. Seeing their reaction, Ashley tilted her head to the side.
"Why are they standing like that, like they’re in a morgue? Just standing?" she mumbled. "Are they even breathing?"
To everyone’s surprise, Lucian only said,
"Eat well," and then moved his eyes to Ashley. "I will just... take out the trash."
Trash?
The five bums felt the tips of their ears twitch at the keyword: "trash."
"No way," they gasped under their breath, looking at Lucian, who was facing his wife. "He didn’t..."
"I’ll pick up the pieces of trash and throw them out," Lucian added, keeping his attention on his wife before moving his gaze to the five guests. "Since... I don’t think even the toilet would flush if I just threw them in there."
Ashley blinked in confusion, watching him look back at her. "Well, okay?"
With that, Lucian walked off toward the kitchen, stopping by the dining room.
"Finish what she gave you," was all he said before heading off to take out the trash in the kitchen.
As for Ashley, she cocked her head to the side as she made her way to the dining table.
"Why would he flush the trash in the toilet? Doesn’t he know that if he does that, it’ll clog? Weird," she muttered, and then faced the five guys. "Huh? Why do you guys look like you’ve seen a ghost? Hello?"
Slowly, the five of them turned to her in sync. Then Gin felt his knees go weak, and he sank into his chair.
"We’re fucked," he muttered. "We’re totally fucked."
Hearing that, the rest felt their knees wobble like pudding until they slumped back in their seats.
"This damn —" Rum clamped a hand over his mouth. "This cursed mouth."
"I’m never going to drink again. Never!" Vodka huffed with determination, clasping his hands on the table. "Not even a sip! No, not even smell it!"
As for Tank, he clutched his stomach, feeling as though digesting anything at all was a sin.
Red, on the other hand, raised his fist and pounded his chest loudly and hard. "I’m a piece of trash," he mumbled. "I cannot even be called a dog. A dog is a hundred times better than I am as a human. No, how dare I compare myself to a dog?"
Seeing their reaction, Ashley shook her head and sighed. But then she glanced at the flowers in her hand and smiled, shrugging the guys off as she sniffed them.
"I forgot to tell Lucian and Primo that I actually don’t like flowers," she muttered, smiling. "I prefer mushrooms."
Just as those words slipped past her lips, she paused, sensing intense gazes on her. Raising her brows, she looked up, only to see the guys staring in her direction with blank expressions.
"..." Ashley bit her tongue and forced an awkward smile. "Are we... back in our hate relationship now?"
Silence fell for a second before they shouted in unison, "Well, damn, we are!"
But instead of getting angry, Ashley just beamed happily and in satisfaction. She hugged her flowers, her smile stretching wider until her eyes crinkled.
If not for Lucian telling them to eat everything, they would have walked out and held a serious meeting about what to do after offending Lucian the way they did. But since the big boss had said it, they wouldn’t dare leave without finishing everything.
And Ashley was there to watch them happily get indigestion, her hands cupping her face, her feet swinging under the table.
*****
Since it was the weekend, Lucian amended his plans to make up with Ashley with Primo in mind. After their morning errands and once the guests left, the family of three headed out to spend the day together.
Ashley didn’t know what kind of place or plans Lucian had prepared, or the real reason he had taken Primo with him that morning for some "errand."
"So, where are we really going?" she asked from the front passenger seat.
She glanced at Lucian driving beside her, and then at the back where Primo was seated. The father and son glanced at her and held back their smiles.
"We’re almost there," said Lucian as he refocused on the road.
"Whoa, Lucian, Primo..." Ashley laughed as she leaned back. "What is this? You guys are keeping a secret from me now?"
She chuckled, reaching back to pinch Primo’s cheek. "Fine, fine. I’ll wait and see." She gave in. "Oh, should I close my eyes? Is this a surprise?"
Lucian glanced at the rearview mirror while Primo looked back at him. The latter pondered for a moment before nodding.
"Really? I should close my eyes too!?"
Ashley had never liked surprises — the only ones she had ever experienced in her life were raids. But since it was Lucian and Primo, even though she was hesitant, she closed her eyes and let them guide her when they arrived.
When Lucian finally said, "You can open your eyes now."
What welcomed her were the beautiful, vibrant colors of an amusement park and the lively screams and laughter from within.
"You said you’ve never been to one," said Lucian, watching her turn to them. Then he clarified, "A family day."
"You..." Ashley bit her inner lip as she gazed down at Primo, and then back at Lucian.
A soft smile touched her lips as she studied the two, her heart warm. She turned to the theme park’s entrance, her lips stretching wide as she opened her palms.
Primo took her hand, then turned to Lucian and took his with the other.
With that, the three of them marched toward the theme park’s entrance for their first-ever outdoor family date.
A date they were certain would become a memory they would cherish forever — one they would look back on from time to time. A beginning of many more memories they would create as Ashley, Lucian, and Primo learned what true family meant.
It should be like that... and it was.
Until... Ashley found herself staring at her trembling hands, covered in blood.