Chapter 153: Home
The car rolled to a slow stop in front of the Fitzgeralt estate, its dark frame gleaming beneath the descending twilight. The wide, sloping drive was lined with lanterns that flickered gently to life, welcoming them with soft golden light. There was silence here, on ancestral ground carved out of old stones and bloodlines. Not the hollow kind he’d come to fear, but the uncommon, complete lack of demand. Of watching eyes. Of judgment awaiting in the corners.
Lucas stepped out first, inhaling the familiar air. Cooler, more refreshing. There were no cameras or hints of politics in the air. He looked at the mansion’s wide façade, pale walls stretching under ivy and soft archways, and felt the weight on his spine finally ease.
Trevor walked beside him, closed the distance, and placed his right hand on Lucas’s back. Their steps found rhythm easily on the stone path leading to the front doors.
Ahead, the carved double doors opened before they reached them. Windstone stood with the patience of someone who had flown the distance three hours before them to ensure that everything was in order. His gray hair caught the last slant of evening light, and he bowed slightly, not out of obligation, but as a habit worn like well-tailored cuffs.
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"Welcome home," Windstone said, and for the first time in his life, Lucas believed it. He smiled faintly, more instinct than intention, as if his body knew before his mind did.
Trevor didn’t say anything, just kept his hand on Lucas’ back as they stepped inside together. The scent of polished wood and blooming jasmine filled the entryway, leaving the air free of anything sharp or synthetic.
They didn’t linger in the hall. Windstone, with his usual quiet efficiency, oversaw their bags being taken upstairs, and they moved toward the sitting room, where the evening light filtered through tall windows onto velvet cushions and warm rugs.
Dinner arrived shortly after quiet, with just the two of them at the long end of the dining table, soft light illuminating the crystal and china.
Trevor waited until Lucas set down his fork before speaking. "Misty’s trial begins next week. Christian’s lawyers will attend instead of him; he is staying away. He swirled his glass of wine without looking at Lucas. "Serathine used your return as bait. She did not ask you to show up, but she made it easy for them to believe you would."
Lucas blinked once. "That’s cruel."