Chapter 64: Unscheduled Visitors
TERESA’S P.O.V.
The next day was like stepping into a whirlwind, and trust me, I wasn’t prepared to be swept up in it. Luke, ever the gallant partner in chaos, insisted on tagging along for "moral support." Translation? Apart from providing protection, he wanted to be there to smirk when things inevitably spiraled out of control. I was secretly grateful, though. He took charge of pushing the twins’ stroller, freeing up my hands and my sanity.
It was a brisk morning, the kind that bites at your cheeks, and the twins were bundled so snugly in their blankets they looked like two adorable marshmallows. Luke, ever the optimist, declared they were "winter-ready." I privately thought they looked more like contestants in an extreme baby-burrito wrapping competition.
We arrived at the building—a colossal, glassy monstrosity that screamed
corporate overlord. It was intimidating enough to make me consider turning around, but Luke sauntered into the gleaming lobby like he owned the place. Meanwhile, I was fidgeting with my coat, glancing nervously at the shiny floors as if they might swallow me whole.
At the front desk sat a man so sharply dressed he could probably cut glass just by brushing against it. He didn’t look up at first, too engrossed in his computer screen—or maybe just pretending we didn’t exist. When he finally deigned to acknowledge us, his expression was one of pure disdain.
"Yes? Do you have an appointment?" he asked, his tone dripping with all the warmth of an ice glacier.
Luke, as smooth as ever, replied, "We’re here to see Lucian Blackwood."
The man arched a perfectly manicured eyebrow and smirked, clearly enjoying whatever power trip his position afforded him. "Mr. Blackwood doesn’t entertain unscheduled visitors," he said, voice oozing condescension. His gaze flicked to the stroller, and his nose wrinkled as if we’d wheeled in a couple of wild raccoons instead of two innocent babies.
"And certainly not...with babies," he added, his lips curling in disdain. "If you’re serious about seeing him, you’ll need to leave them somewhere. Perhaps in the car?"
For a moment, I thought I’d misheard. Did he seriously just suggest abandoning the twins in a car? Luke, however, was quick to pick up the slack where my brain had short-circuited.