"Hnn"
A sharp headache jolted Lucas awake.
"Ow, fuck. What happened?"
He opened his eyes to a dimly lit room and tried to look around to get a sense of where he was when he felt a throbbing headache.
"What the hell? Where am I?"
The room was filled with dimly lighted lanterns of various shapes and sizes, giving him a warm, cozy feeling. Lucas tried to sit up from the bed to get a better look.
The room was small, with a simple bed frame, and a thick blanket that slipped onto the floor.
He could also see a bit of the furry carpet in front of the bed with a pair of black bedroom slippers on it.
"This doesn't look like my room or Jacob's room."
He glanced up at the ceiling, and noticed a simple, fixed light that could illuminate the entire room if switched on.
The place looked old yet it gave a cozy feeling, less luxurious than what he had back home but far from uncomfortable.
"Where the hell is this place?"
He didn't feel trapped inside the room and couldn't share the confusion about what had happened between him and his family and how he had ended up here.
However, his train of thought was cut abruptly when the door opened, revealing a man in suit, carrying a tray with food and a glass of water.
"Oh, hey there. Looks like you're awake."
The man set the tray of food on the bed and sat on the furry carpet, looking directly into Lucas's eyes.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Wang Ezekiel, and you will be under my care."
The man smiled warmly at him as if they had known each other way before this. Lucas could feel a sense of comfort from the man's presence.
It was as if the young man knew that the man before him, Ezekiel, would not do anything that would bring him harm.
"Nice to meet you, too. My name is Lucas. Where am I, and what am I doing here?"
Ezekiel's expression shifted as he looked at the latter with concern. He was already briefed by Rex on the possible scenarios to tell Lucas, but Ezekiel was still unsure what to tell him.
"You are in my boss's estate. He found you lying cold by the roadside in the city."
Ezekiel hesitated, feeling as if he was speaking to someone who might not fully understand the situation. He silently cursed Rex as he stared at Lucas with pity.
"Roadside? Which roadside? The last thing I remembered was at a bus terminal. I was supposed to board a bus!"
Panic surged through Lucas as the possibility of being kidnapped dawned upon him. He tried to stand up and get out of the room, but Ezekiel frantically placed the tray of food on the nightstand and grabbed him.
"Wait! Please, calm down! You are not being held as a hostage here!"
Lucas struggled to break free of Ezekiel, opting to scratch or bite Ezekiel's arm.
"Let me go! I don't believe you! You just kidnapped me!" Lucas shouted.
Ezekiel clicked his tongue in frustration and used all of his energy to pull the man back to the bed and pin him down.
However, Lucas refused to back down and continued to struggle until Ezekiel, exhausted, eventually gave up and let him go.
"Let me go! Let go of me, kidnapper!" Lucas screamed again.
Ezekiel took a deep breath and yelled back to Lucas, his patience worn thin.
"We didn't kidnap you, so calm your ass down! My boss found you on a roadside by the hotel, picked you up instead of letting you die of hyperthermia and eventually brought you here to get proper treatment!"
This time, Lucas was not listening.
There's no way that someone would just pick up a stranger by the roadside and bring him back to his estate to get proper treatment.
If that were true, there wouldn't be any beggars on the streets.
"Jeezus, calm down, will you!"
Lucas bit Ezekiel's hand, making the man yell in pain, slightly loosening his grip on him. Seizing the opportunity, Lucas finally broke free from Ezekiel's grasp and bolted for the door.
However, when Ezekiel realized what had happened, he frantically got up and wrapped his arms around Lucas, yanking him back onto the bed.
Another session of yelling and screaming erupted in the room until the door eventually opened, revealing Rex, who stood there with an amused expression.
"Wow. I have never heard such loud people before."
Mockery laced his tone as Rex leaned against the doorframe with a childish grin on his face.
Ezekiel let go of Lucas, practically pushing away the small-statured fellow as he straightened himself and stood up straight.
"Ow, you little bitch! That hurt!"
Rex chuckled at the sight and took a good look at Lucas.
Soft features, small eyes, plump lips—all of the good features that could be categorized as delicate and feminine, Lucas had them all.
Rex's gaze continued to look further down and he tried not to lick his lips at the sight before him.
"Hey, you! Look at me and say sorry! You literally tossed me to the side!"
Lucas glared at Ezekiel as he dusted himself off and stomped towards him. Ezekiel, however, remained frozen, nervous as always whenever he saw Rex's neutral expression.
"Hey, I am talking to you. Hey-!"
Rex yanked Lucas's chin softly, making the young man face him eye to eye.
Black locked with muddy brown.
Lucas stuttered, taken aback at the sight of Rex's intense, masculine expression, which sent shivers down his spine.
"I like you. Why don't we talk about this in my office? I'm pretty sure you have a lot to say, right, Mr. Huang?"
Lucas stared at the CEO, bewildered by the name he was called. Rex offered him a small smile before letting him go and headed for the door.
"Prepare some clothes for him, Mr. Wang. I will be waiting in the office."
"Yes, boss."
And with that, Rex walked out of the room, leaving Ezekiel and Lucas standing there, confused and astonished.