After finishing his shower, Lorenz habitually reached for his portable scanner.
The number displayed on the screen was 30—within normal range.
It was the expected result. During dinner after returning home, his headache had already completely disappeared, and he’d felt his condition recovering.
However, a puzzling point still remained.
With numbers like this, his physical condition should be excellent, yet irritation kept rising within him. It was similar to when his numbers soared above 70 and he became extremely sensitive.
Could the scanner be broken?
It wasn’t. Even when he measured again, the same number appeared.
He let out a long breath and ran his fingers through his damp hair. Dark blonde strands broke through his pale, long fingers. With a touch that oozed irritation, he carelessly tossed the scanner onto the large, plush bench.
Noah Carter.
Although he hadn’t known the name until now, it was definitely a familiar face. He vaguely remembered hearing that his older brother had worked diligently at this mansion for over ten years.
Lorenz didn’t know the personal details of the mansion’s employees in depth. His recollection of the Carter brothers was merely a memory that happened to surface.
As he put on his loungewear, Lorenz continued his thoughts.
According to his memory, both brothers definitely had good builds. Their height was around 6 feet—not exceptionally tall, but they had sturdy bodies noticeable even through their clothes.
Was that kind of appearance and atmosphere Elian Bellotti’s type?
Healthy-looking tanned skin, optimistic, enjoys outdoor activities, the kind of obvious man whose hobby would probably be drinking beer while watching football games at a sports bar on weekends?
It would be better for Elian to quit.
Elian was a delicate and intellectual type of person. He would value romantic relationships based on things like conversation, empathy, and understanding. There was no way he could communicate with a man like Carter. What kind of conversation could Elian possibly have with that man?
A man like Carter might think that in romance, conversation was just a byproduct and sex was enough, but Elian was…
Bang—
Lorenz, who had been taking out his top, pushed the wardrobe door hard.
He quickly erased the unpleasant thoughts.
Whether the two of them dated or had sex, it wasn’t his concern.
Lorenz tried to lightly skim through the report in his study. It was a report from an external certification company about Project Tempest. Before tomorrow’s meeting with the team members, he wanted to grasp the general outline.
The design and verification period alone was over a year.
They were now almost ready to announce it to the world.
If he announced the project after being declared the successor, it would be the best possible scenario. It was a project Lorenz was concentrating all his attention on, befitting its importance.
Yet even so, his eyes kept circling around the same sentences several times, and Lorenz could hardly turn the page.
When he stood up to drink some whiskey to calm his grating nerves, Elian Bellotti knocked on the study door. It was five minutes before the time they’d arranged.
“Come in.”
“Excuse me.”
Elian was wearing different clothes from those at the parking lot. He must have changed since he’d helped with the car wash. Why did he go out of his way to do that unpleasant work that wasn’t even his responsibility…
As he offered him a seat, Lorenz pointed to the makeshift bar set up on one side.
“Would you like something to drink?”
“I’m fine. Thank you.”
“Sit and wait. I want to have some whiskey.”
Lorenz approached the sofa with a glass on the rocks. As he sat across from Elian, he asked with an artificial smile.
“Did you enjoy dinner?”
“Yes, thanks to you.”
Lorenz swallowed three or four sips of whiskey. His throat felt like it was burning.
“I always ate alone at the dining room on this side. Thanks to Mr. Carter, I got to visit the employee dining room in the annex. The annex has excellent facilities too.”
Elian had meant it as a compliment.
The annex where the employees stayed was actually quite comfortable. It was equipped with a communal kitchen and dining room, living room, and even a recreation room with things like pool tables and ping pong tables. In Manhattan, famous for its murderous rent prices, you’d have to pay at least $2,000 a month to find a condo with those kinds of facilities. Even for a studio type. He could fully understand Noah’s comment that few employees quit because the treatment was so good.
However, despite the pure admiration, Lorenz’s face twisted bitterly.
“So the prior engagement was just dinner at the annex?”
“Yes.”
At the calm face that seemed to have no idea what the problem was, Lorenz’s mood crumpled even worse. To think that the place he’d invited a man like Elian Bellotti to dinner was merely the communal dining room of the annex. That couldn’t even count as a proper date.
But the annex was the employees’ dormitory. Carter had essentially invited him to his own quarters—his home.
That fact additionally irritated Lorenz.
“Have you already been to Carter’s bedroom?”
“Bedroom? No, that’s…”
“Just in case, let me tell you.”
Lorenz, who had cut off Elian’s words, continued in a voice that broke off sharply.
“Romance between employees is prohibited within the mansion.”
“What? Romance, what do you mean…”
“Since they work as live-in staff, they spend a lot of time together, and it sometimes develops into romance. But it’s never ended well. Not to mention becoming neglectful of work.”
“I don’t understand why you’re telling me this or what you’re getting at.”
“Because you seem unnecessarily close to Carter.”
Elian’s face crumpled as if he’d heard terrible news. His cheeks flushed red with displeasure.
“I’m only trying to become friends with Mr. Carter.”
“That’s why I said ‘just in case.’ I’m only telling you to keep it in mind.”
“I understand perfectly well. You don’t need to worry.”
At Elian’s stiff expression and rigid tone, Lorenz smiled leisurely instead. He crossed his legs as he brought the glass to his lips.
“Then that’s fortunate. Ah, didn’t you say you had something to tell me?”
Elian composed his emotions and immediately adopted a businesslike attitude.
“I heard you have the materials.”
“Materials?”
“Materials related to Lucas’s past adoption dissolution.”
“I thought you’d already received them.”
“Those documents only had the adoption date, dissolution date, and a very brief reason. I heard from Mr. Lockhart that you have more detailed materials, so I’d like to see them.”
Lorenz’s eyebrows twitched.
“Margaret said that?”
“……”
“That I have those materials?”
“Yes. Don’t you?”
There were such documents. But they were documents Margaret could have easily handed over herself at her level. She had clearly arranged this meeting. She probably wanted them to resolve their last discord.
Lorenz lightly chuckled while covering his lower face with his large hand.
Seeing Elian’s attitude toward him—not just emotionless but cold—it seemed Margaret’s intention had failed.
Elian, sitting across from him, was looking at him with puzzled eyes, not understanding the meaning of the laughter.
Lorenz thoroughly examined Elian. Without revealing on the outside what he was thinking at all.
Because of his perfect appearance without even the slightest flaw, Elian Bellotti often appeared proud and cold. He had an uprightness about him that suggested if you tried any foolish tricks, he wouldn’t give you the time of day, let alone laugh at you. Whether man or woman, anyone without considerable courage would clearly be intimidated and unable to even speak to him properly.
However, Elian Bellotti simultaneously possessed a certain subtle personality. That was what made him feel like a living, breathing human rather than a sculpture or doll. Perhaps that personality came from within.
What could it be? What on earth does he contain within that flawless shell that seeps out, overcoming that outstanding appearance?
