61 – Cypress Mosaic

“I ​thought ​about ​a ​lot of things ​on ​my ​way ​here.”

“……”

Elian ​didn’t react.

“About what my ​first ​words to you ​should be when ​I ​saw ​you. ​Because ​I ​was very angry.”

Joshua ​Lockhart ​brushed ​back the curly ​hair falling over his ​forehead.

“But as ​I stood ​here looking ​at you, ​I ​wondered ​what the point ​of that ​was.”

He shook his head ​and let out a ​hollow, bitter smile. It ​was the ​kind ​of smile a generous boyfriend might ​give, forgiving a partner’s ​repeated ​mistakes ​out ​of ​a love too ​deep to ​let ​go.

“How could someone ​this ​beautiful possibly be in the ​wrong? Right?”

Straightening ​up ​from the wall, ​Joshua ​approached ​Elian. ​Contrary ​to his ​words ​about Elian ​being innocent, the gaze behind his relaxed ​smile shifted in ​an instant. Joshua ​didn’t look away for ​a single ​second until he ​rounded ​the kitchen island ​and stood beside ​Elian.

“Why didn’t ​you ​call?”

He feigned ​a ​gentle tone, ​but ​he couldn’t ​hide ​the ​poison-tipped thorns within.

“It ​wasn’t ​just that ​you ​didn’t ​call. ​You vanished entirely.”

“Did you go to the bar?”

“I did.”

He took another step closer, arching an eyebrow.

“I waited for your call, panting like a dog in heat, until I couldn’t take it anymore and tracked you down. Are you satisfied?”

A vicious tone.

Elian picked up the kettle again and poured water into the mug.

“I was offered another job in the meantime. That’s why I had to quit the bar suddenly.”

“Right, I found out as much. A child psychology counselor, Mr. Elian Bellotti.”

Joshua, dripping with sarcasm, sighed and [unauthorized copy]ruffled his hair. It [unauthorized copy]was visit our sitea sigh that seemed to be an effort to suppress his rage.

“No, forget all that. Why here?”

“……”

“Why the hell here? Are you mocking me?”

The voice questioning him, sounding as if he might strangle him at any moment, grew even closer. Joshua stepped up behind Elian and reached out, bracing both arms against the edge of the counter. Elian was trapped completely. A broad, muscular chest pressed firmly against Elian’s back. Red lips whispered right into his ear.

“So, did it feel good cheating on me with my brother?”

■

Lockhart Holdings Tower.

From Lorenz’s office, there was an unobstructed view of the East River and Brooklyn beyond. While not as flashy as Manhattan, a fairly impressive nightscape had formed due to a redevelopment boom that had lasted for over a decade.

However, the owner of the space, Lorenz, sat with his back to the view that would enchant anyone, absorbed in reviewing documents.

It was a report summarizing the business achievements he had attained within the Lockhart Group over the past five years. These were the materials to be submitted for the selection of the successor.

· Reduced annual operating costs by approximately 22% through the restructuring [visit our site]of Lockhart [Read on Read BL Novels]Holdings’ governance.

· Established a logistics network connecting the ports and major airports of New York, Boston, and Baltimore by integrating Lockhart’s shipping, aviation, and land transport subsidiaries.

· Completed a massive mixed-use complex combining residential, office, and hotel spaces by redeveloping the industrial zone in western Manhattan. Total development scale of approximately $3.5 billion, recording a 92% occupancy rate immediately after completion.

· Expanded the annual research fund of the Lockhart Medical Foundation from $100 million to $300 million, expanding influence in the fields of neurological and rare disease research.

· Led the acquisition of the pharmaceutical company Helion Life Sciences.

· Constructed an offshore wind farm in Massachusetts and signed a contract to supply power to Helion Life, reducing annual power costs by $30 million.

From the time he entered university until his early thirties, from his days as an intern to the present, these were the dazzling achievements he had reached by immersing himself and dedicating everything to his work.

A young executive who had already designed the next twenty years of the Lockhart Group before turning thirty—the evaluation of Lorenz by Wall Street and the media was consistent.

However, the face of Lorenz, as he meticulously checked the graphs, figures, and indicators, was not satisfied.

‘This isn’t enough.’

Setting the documents down, he rubbed his temples in a circular motion out of habit.

Recently, his physical condition had followed a nearly identical pattern. He generally felt fine until the morning. Then, [visit our site]as the afternoon progressed, the headache would slowly reveal its true colors. Because of this, [visit our site]he had been scheduling important report reviews and meetings as early in the morning as possible.

Lorenz leaned his elbows on the desk, pressing both temples with his hands as he glared at the data.

‘I must be so overwhelmingly perfect that everyone admits there cannot possibly be another candidate besides me… to the point where not a single person can raise an objection.’

To achieve that, Project Tempest, the wind power project currently in preparation, had to be successfully approved. And as quickly as possible.

And marriage.

Marriage was also essential.

The moment the word ‘marriage’ crossed his mind, the face that strangely associated with it was that of Elian Bellotti. Not Adriana, with whom he had decided to marry and was now only awaiting discussions on the practical details.

It was probably because he had encountered Elian during his second meeting with Adriana. Moreover, since it had been an unpleasant encounter in the end, the memory must have been more intense. Lorenz dismissed the thought, pushing Elian out of his mind.

He didn’t like his own attitude, hesitating before marriage in a way that was unlike him. It wasn’t as if he had ever harbored such absurd dreams—of meeting a fateful partner who would change his life entirely, having a fairy-tale wedding amidst the blessings of others, and living a life of willing devotion, finding happiness in falling asleep and waking up beside a loved one. Then why?

No, in fact, that kind of life was exactly the form that Lorenz could never understand.

What Lorenz wanted was not a change in life or sweet feelings of love. It was for everything to happen exactly as planned since childhood. For the name Lockhart to become entirely his own. Both the family and the group.

And yet, he didn’t know why he felt so uncertain about the marriage. He found this version visit our site[unauthorized copy]of himself strange and uncomfortable.

‘It’s probably because I’m rushing too much, even for an arranged marriage I’ve been prepared for since I was young. Since I haven’t spent enough time on it, it’s only natural to feel anxious for no reason.’

No matter how many times he checked and re-checked, Adriana was clearly the best choice. Even if his father, Damon Lockhart, were alive, he would have chosen Adriana as well. There was no room for doubt.

The headache tightened around his entire skull. It felt as if his heart were racing between his eyes. Lorenz reached for the drawer to find a painkiller, but then stopped. As if a brilliant idea had occurred to him, he stood up and hurriedly gathered his documents. He contacted the secretary’s office to announce he was leaving for the day.

Going home was better than taking a painkiller. If there was one more commonality in his recent pattern, it was that his physical condition was at its best when he stayed at the mansion.

Previously, since the headaches occurred regardless of location, there had been no reason to hurry home. In fact, he tended to stay at the company as long as possible. But lately, his efficiency was far superior in the mansion’s study.

He felt particularly most comfortable when spending time in Lucas’s room with Elian. It was likely because it was a time when he could forget various noisy affairs and be liberated from stress.

Lorenz took his briefcase and left the office.

As soon as he climbed into the backseat of the car in the underground parking lot, a call came through. It was Nathan Cole.

[Mr. Lorenz, I heard you’ve left the office.]

“Do you have something to report?”

On the other end of the line, his reliable confidant cautiously lowered his voice.

[I believe we can speed up the progress of Project Tempest.]

The fingertips pressing into Lorenz’s temples loosened. He gave the signal to the waiting driver to depart.

“Tell me.”

[I intend to target Clara Han.]

Lorenz’s eyes narrowed. He asked back to confirm.

“Clara Han… you mean the Lieutenant Governor?”

[Yes, that is correct.]

“Han is surely in charge of education and social welfare.”

[I am told the Governor plans to put her in charge of energy and economic development soon.]

It was common for the role of a Lieutenant Governor to change during a term. Duties were often redistributed based on changes in the Governor’s policy priorities or election strategies.

Clara Han was a popular politician with a broad base of support and was a figure mentioned as a [stolen content]future presidential candidate. Her exceptional skill was a given. As Governor, he would want to make full use of her visit our siteabilities during his term. To that end, placing her in a critical field that had been receiving more attention recently was a politically wise decision.