He had heard her practising her presentation each day, sometimes sneaking past her room to listen in purposefully. They’d discuss it every evening when she’d join him for dinner, and admittedly their debates would inevitably become heated but never to the point where either of them took offence. She hadn’t asked him if she could leave Tumbricane to deliver her presentation in person. But he had made up his mind the first night they had discussed her thesis. She would be travelling to the city tomorrow to present that evening.
Lucian climbed down to the lower level of the mansion and unlocked the first door he came to, beyond it was another set of stairs that led down to his underground garage. He switched on the light and perused his collection of cars, stopping in front of the black SUV. He slid behind the wheel and drove it up a ramp and out of the concealed entrance onto the driveway. He parked it, checked the tank was full, deposited a thick envelope into the glove box, and stepped out, locking it as he went.
He strode back into the mansion and went directly to Katherine’s room. He listened closely at her door and heard her soft breathing. She was asleep. Lucian smiled. Yes, he would admit to having watched her sleep a few times, despite requesting a lock to her room, she had never used it. She was not a ‘pretty sleeper’. He just knew his little perfectionist would be mortified to know she slept with her mouth wide open, letting out the occasional snore, which is why he would never tell her. It was a rare glimpse of Katherine letting her guard down, and to him, it was beautiful.
He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out the letter he had written. In it he would wish her luck for her presentation, ask that she return to Tumbricane the following day, and tell her he had supreme confidence in her ability to ‘smash it’, to coin a phrase that she had introduced him to. He placed the letter down outside her room, along with the set of keys to the SUV, and straightened.
He quashed the small tremor of fear he felt that she might not choose to return, and he would be forced to retrieve her. Then she truly would consider her time with him as a prison sentence. She would resent him and put up her guard even higher than before. He doubted they would be able to rekindle their friendship or romance from that. The dark shadows that gathered around him seemed to grow, closing in around him with the threat of never-ending loneliness. His empty and purposeless existence stretching out before him.
He shook himself from his depressing thoughts, he had forgotten how suffocating the loneliness could be. Having Katherine with him had all but chased it from his mind. She had shown herself to be honest and respectful, having none of her father’s propensity to swindle, cheat and lie. In fact, she seemed hell-bent on proving herself to be the complete opposite of her father. Lucian supposed it might not be the healthiest of driving forces but having had dealings with Kyle Daxton, he could understand why she acted as she did.
She would return. Hopefully, his demonstration of the trust he had in her, would encourage her to return the gesture and place her trust in him.
Lucian pressed his ear once more to her door and smiled at hearing a little snore. She would be well-rested for tomorrow. He silently wished her a peaceful sleep and made his way back to the underground garage. He strolled past the beaten-up old truck in the corner and chuckled. The Darkhills pack Alpha would not be pleased if he knew he had kept his truck. But he was doing him a favour. A man in his position shouldn’t be driving the rust bucket of which he was so fond. Perhaps he would return it to him as a wedding present. He had finally sent his response to their invitation, and perhaps it had been presumptuous of him, but he had informed them he would be bringing a date. Lucian smiled to himself at the thought of having Katherine by his side, the vision of them arriving together in his mind had him filling up with pride
He strolled leisurely to his favourite black sports car. It was not built for navigating the forest trails that surrounded his home but on the freeway, it drove like a dream. He’d easily be in the city before dawn.
He would stay the night in his penthouse so that he could be there for the presentation the following evening. He had heard her practising, had debated her thesis with her every night and he wanted her to know that he supported her. He doubted her parents had ever bothered to attend any of the key events in her life. She had played it down, but Lucian knew that outlining her thesis to her peers and tutors for the first time was important to her.
His studies at Oxford may have been a long while ago, but the importance of presenting one’s thesis was not to be underestimated. He had already looked at the layout of the lecture hall online. He would sneak in and watch from the back of the room, then once she was finished he would congratulate her before returning to Tumbricane. He would wait for her to return to him the following day.
With his plan firmly set in his mind, Lucian closed his eyes and let his mind connect with Mr. Jones. His long-term enthrallment of the man allowed him to give him commands at any time of the day or night. While the man might be asleep, he would wake with his instructions firmly in his mind, ready to action the next morning. Lucian sent him his orders to provide Katherine with breakfast upon the tray he had set
