CHAPTER 55: THE BOY FROM BIANCA

"In spring, the flowers bloom beautifully along the roadside and the little paths between all the colorful houses. I always help my mother take care of the garden in our backyard. It’s so beautiful!"

Lucien’s stepbrother spoke with wide blue eyes full of excitement, the way only a twelve-year-old could when talking about home.

Small Lucien yawned, utterly uninterested. His grandfather had told him not to get too close to the boy anyway, so he never even bothered remembering his name.

"And in summer we jump from the high rocks straight into the ocean. My friends and I! Sometimes we even fish with the fishermen," the boy continued with the same energy.

"If we get lucky, a giant ship docks in the harbor and we can wander around it!"

Lucien finally perked up at the words giant ship. Being a captain had always been one of his little dreams, sailing the ocean with a crew of his own.

"Really? Can you go to the bridge and take control of the ship?" he asked.

"Of course not! It’s dangerous. What if the ship starts moving and sinks?"

"Huh. Boring," Lucien huffed and crossed his arms. "But I guess your place isn’t too bad."

His stepbrother nodded quickly. "It isn’t, it’s beautiful! I’ll bring you to Bianca someday, and we can eat lots of seafood in Costa!"

"Alright, not a bad idea. But you have to take me to that ship too."

Lucien extended his hand. "What’s your name again?"

"I already introduced myself to you... Whatever."

He took Lucien’s hand with a sigh. "My name is Vincent Serini."

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.

.

The smoke drifted from Lucien’s lips and thinned into the night air, carried off by the sea wind until it vanished.

He leaned against the railing on the sloped overlook, staring down at Sabbia Bianca glowing softly under the moonlight.

"You’re right. This place is beautiful," he murmured.

He’d never visited, not even when he and Vincent swore they would. Promises made in childhood had a way of dissolving like smoke, forgotten once life sank its teeth in.

Bitterness might have settled over this place, over memories he refused to touch, yet the beauty here never dimmed.

"Lucien, the sea wind will get you sick wearing clothes like that," Silas said quietly, eyeing the delicate omega outfit designed to be peeled off easily.

"Tell that to your master. Apparently, he’s a man who thinks aesthetics matter more than basic survival," Lucien muttered.

He crushed the cigarette against the railing and flicked it neatly into the bin.

Silas slipped off his jacket and draped it over Lucien’s shoulders. He stepped in closer, pressing their bodies together as he wrapped an arm around Lucien from behind.

"I get why Edmund likes dressing you up," he whispered near Lucien’s ear. "You would look good with ribbons on your skin. And red lipstick suits you too."

Lucien grimaced. "Just go to the brothel already."

Before Silas could answer, Adrian’s voice cut through the night. "Oi! We got a table! Hurry up!"

They turned toward the restaurant, weaving into the warm, crowded space. The smell of seafood and herbs hung thick in the air, drifting out the door long before they stepped inside.

Locals and tourists filled every seat, laughter and clinking plates blending with the distant sound of the waves.

They settled at a table by the balcony, the ocean stretching out beneath them. Lucien picked up the menu, flipping through it with disinterest.

Adrian leaned over. "How’d you even know this place? You said it was also your first time here."

Lucien kept his eyes on the menu. "Someone not important anymore."

He raised a hand to call for the waitress.

But he froze.

His breath hitched, eyes widening as they landed on a familiar silhouette.

Brown hair catching the warm lights, giving it a faint blond sheen. Blue eyes were tired and hollow in a way they never used to be.

Their gazes collided across the room. Everything else went silent.

Lucien’s jaw tightened.

"Vincent."

Lucien shot up from his chair so fast the table rocked, and before Adrian could even blink, he vaulted over it and sprinted toward Vincent.

Both reacted instantly, their eyes widening for a split second before both bolted toward the exit.

"Lucien! What the hell are you doing!" Adrian yelled, already scrambling after him.

Silas shoved his chair back and followed with a sigh that sounded far too calm for the situation.

"It’s his stepbrother," Silas explained quickly as they all rushed through the door, weaving between confused customers.

Lucien’s smirk grew sharper the closer he got. He couldn’t believe it. Of all places, that bastard had the nerve to hide here.

Vincent, running in fear, looked exactly like the runaway rat Lucien had always imagined. His irritation spiked when he spotted the massive figure beside him.

The Giant North.

He thought it was just someone who resembled the Giant when Ben told him about his stepbrother’s situation. But it was really him.

’So he is really important to Diablo. Important enough that he sent his most loyal hound to escort him.’

Lucien clicked his tongue, heat rising in his chest.

’What the hell is my grandpa doing all this time to the point rats can leave Lucero’s territory!’

They tore through the restaurant’s entrance and into the lively night market. Vendors shouted, tourists scattered in panic.

Victor wasted no time. He grabbed a crate of melons from a vendor’s stall and hurled it directly into their path.

Lucien ducked as the fruit exploded across the cobblestones, but Adrian ran straight into one and swore loudly.

Another crate came flying, then another. Victor was practically bulldozing the entire market just to slow them down.

"You coward! Face me!" Lucien shouted, rage cracking through his voice. "Fight me properly!"

Victor didn’t even look back. Instead, he kicked over a stack of baskets, forcing Lucien to leap sideways.

The crowd shrieked as stalls collapsed in a chain reaction, the narrow pathways turning into an obstacle course.

They pushed deeper into the market until the colorful tents gave way to a thin alley lined with storage rooms and abandoned carts.

The space shrank around them, walls closing in so tightly that Lucien could barely swing his arms.

Adrian and Silas, faster than him in tight quarters, overtook him, but the chase was already slipping away.

At the far end of the alley, Victor shoved a man out of his car as he moved inside quickly.

Vincent jumped into the passenger seat tried to turn, breathless and pale. Victor slammed on the gas, tires screeching as the vehicle lurched forward.

"Move!"

Lucien shouted, shoving past the Twinster and bursting out of the alley just in time to see the car blast through a red light, nearly hitting a delivery truck.

People screamed and cursed as it sped down the main road.

Lucien’s fury lit his veins like fire.

"I am not letting you escape again!" he roared, sprinting forward as if he could outrun an engine.