63 – Cypress Mosaic

“It’s ​my ​father’s ​house. ​Did I come ​somewhere ​I’m ​not ​supposed ​to be? Why is ​everyone ​reacting like this? ​I’m hurt.”

Joshua sneered.

“We ​mean ​why ​you’ve ​suddenly ​appeared ​at a place ​you ​were ​estranged from both ​while Father was alive ​and after ​he passed.”

Straightening ​his slumped ​upper body, ​Joshua ​reached ​for the teacup ​he hadn’t ​touched until then.

“You told ​me to, Brother. You ​said I should pay ​more attention ​to ​Lucas. So, I was right here, ​talking to the counselor.”

Joshua ​gestured ​toward ​Elian ​with ​his chin as ​he brought ​the ​cup to his ​lips.

“When ​exactly did I say that? ​And you’re ​claiming ​you came here ​for ​Lucas ​now?”

“I’m ​not ​the only ​one ​who’s busy. ​People who do things you consider trivial ​can be busy ​in their own ​way. More importantly…”

Joshua’s smiling ​eyes flickered ​toward Elian in ​a ​sidelong glance.

“Turns out ​the counselor is ​someone I ​know ​quite well. ​Ha, ​I never ​expected ​to meet ​you ​here.”

Letting ​out a hollow ​laugh ​as [stolen content]if ​admiring ​the ​unbelievable ​coincidence, [Read on Read BL Novels]visit our siteJoshua looked up at Elian.

“Is this what they call fate?”

The bright smile, for which he was revered by fans as the ‘California Sunshine,’ appeared innocent and devoid of malice on the surface.

‘Someone I know well, fate.’

Such expressions grated on Lorenz’s nerves. His eyes narrowed as he looked down at his younger brother.

“If you’re curious about Lucas’s situation, hearing it from me should be sufficient.”

Lorenz, who had taken off his jacket while standing, handed it to Margaret and then turned back to Elian.

“Mr. Belloti, you may go back up now.”

“Yes, then…”

“Where are you going? I’m not finished talking to you yet.”

Joshua’s sharp voice caught Elian just as he was about to leave. The leisure he had been feigning until now vanished in an instant, his mask thrown aside.

In contrast, Lorenz spoke in a warning tone, utilizing his characteristic low, drawn-out pronunciation that emphasized every single word.

“Did you not say you came to see Lucas?”

Before Joshua could retort, Lorenz continued immediately.

“Mr. Belloti’s shift ends at 5:00. It is strictly working hours right now. Dealing with you is not part of his job.”

“Mr. Belloti?”

Joshua’s eyes narrowed. It was as if he couldn’t believe what he had just heard. He tilted his head crookedly and looked up at Lorenz provocatively, a playful smile hanging from the corners of his red lips.

“I guess you call ‘Rian’ that, Brother?”

“……”

Lorenz, who had been pressuring Joshua with an air of superiority, paused for a moment at the unfamiliar name.

Not Elian, but Rian.

Was it a nickname?

No, Elian’s usual nicknames were ‘El’ or ‘Eli,’ just as Elian’s non-blood-related siblings had called him.

The special way Joshua addressed Elian with familiarity, unlike himself, grated on Lorenz’s ears. He hadn’t liked it when Vincent acted close and called him ‘Eli,’ and now Joshua had joined the ranks. Everyone called Elian by their own personal nicknames. Even Margaret had long since stopped calling him by his surname and used his first name. Only he continued to call Elian Mr. Belloti.

Joshua stood up, shoving his hands into his pants pockets, and sneered.

“I was a bit upset thinking he might have been having an affair with you. Fortunately, it seems that’s not the case, seeing as you still call him so stiffly by his surname.”

Every word Joshua chose relentlessly scraped against Lorenz’s nerves. It was now almost certain that there was something between him and Elian. Something that Lorenz himself didn’t know.

“Watch your mouth. I have no intention of tolerating your frivolous wordplay.”

“You might not know, Brother, but Rian isn’t just a counselor.”

Joshua looked at Elian with a suggestive gaze and slowly approached him.

“Do you know how sexy he looks in that tight-fitting uniform? Ah, knowing you, have you already finished investigating the bar where ‘Rian’ used to work?”

Lorenz’s face, which had shown little change in expression despite his discomfort, twisted fiercely.

“Don’t make me say it twice. I warned you that I will not tolerate this.”

One corner of Joshua’s mouth curled up as he poured out more sarcasm.

“Why are you so worked up? Because I called Rian sexy? Or is it because you’ve never seen Rian’s sexy side?”

“Get out now if you don’t want to be dragged out like a dog. I’ll give you the chance to walk out on your own two feet.”

Joshua stopped walking. He and Lorenz ended up in a standoff with Elian caught between them.

At Lorenz’s strong warning, Joshua’s eyes wavered. His deep green eyes, like a swamp in a dense forest, quickly clouded with a sticky rage.

“People keep calling me a lunatic, but from where I stand, you’re not much different from me. You’re not normal either, Brother.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Joshua grabbed Elian’s wrist as if snatching him. It happened in an instant. With a small gasp, Elian lost his balance and leaned toward Joshua, and in the next moment, he was resting against Joshua’s chest. Before he could regain his footing, the captured hand was brought to Joshua’s lips.

“How can you live in the same house with him for over a month and not lay a finger on him? If that’s not being crazy…!”

Joshua couldn’t finish his sentence. It was because Lorenz’s arm cut in and snatched Elian away. He pulled Elian toward himself with all his might, gripping his shoulder. Losing his balance even more, Elian had no choice but to stumble and crash into his chest.

The muscles in the jaw of Lorenz, who held Elian’s shoulder firmly, twitched. He commanded in a voice condensed with rage.

“Margaret, tell the security team to come up.”

“No, Margaret, that’s not necessary.”

Joshua, also without taking his eyes off his brother, snarled back.

“Since my brother is being so generous, I’ll just walk out on my own.”

Picking up the outerwear he had draped over the back of the sofa, Joshua paused for a moment and looked back at Elian. Seeming startled by the sudden scuffle that had broken out between them, Elian hadn’t even realized he was practically being embraced by Lorenz. Toward such an Elian, Joshua flashed an exaggeratedly sorrowful smile.

“See you again, Rian. My love.”

■

Elian followed Joshua’s retreating figure with his eyes until he had completely disappeared from the living room entrance. He couldn’t let go of the tension, feeling as though Joshua might change direction and lunge at him at any moment.

As long as he worked in this house, he had expected to encounter him eventually. However, such a violent reaction was unexpected. Moreover, Joshua seemed to be an even more unpredictable person than what he and Vincent had surmised based on their research. Both his words and actions were impossible for Elian to pin down.

He was difficult to deal with, though in a different sense than Lorenz.

If Lorenz was a player who played the game by his own set of rules, Joshua was a player who didn’t care about rules to begin with.

Sigh.

Letting out a small sigh of draining fatigue, Elian withdrew his gaze and only then became fully aware of his situation.

Lorenz Lockhart was gripping one of his shoulders tightly, and his other shoulder was pressed against Lorenz’s chest. He was essentially being held in an embrace while standing askew.

As he slowly lifted his head, his eyes met Lorenz’s, who was looking down at him. The green eyes he met did not hold a look of gentle concern. Rather, he felt a pressure that fiercely demanded something. It was a face that had a lot to say.

Elian was the first to avert his gaze. He tried to pull away from the embrace, lightly pushing against Lorenz’s chest. However, the hand gripping his shoulder did not loosen. In fact, it pulled him even closer. Not as if trying to hug him, but as if trying to restrain and confine him.

After he resisted a couple more times, the large hand finally let go.

“Let’s talk in the study.”

The sunken voice took the form of a request, but in reality, it was no different from a command. It was a notification that gave the other party no choice.

Lorenz, dressed in a vest without his jacket, turned his back first and led the way.

After a brief exchange of glances with Margaret, Elian forced a smile at her and followed behind Lorenz. A heavy sigh escaped him. It didn’t seem like the conversation they were about to have in the study would be pleasant.

When Elian entered the study a few steps later, Lorenz was standing by the small bar on the trolley. He poured whiskey into an on-the-rocks glass and downed the strong, neat liquid—without ice or water—as if it were beer.

Standing half-turned away from Elian, he leaned over, bracing himself against the edge of the trolley and glaring at the opposite wall. His back heaved breathlessly. His broad shoulders and back rose and fell, revealing the rough waves of his agitation. It felt as if the vest wrapping his back might burst open.

This was the first time Elian had seen Lorenz express his emotions so violently.

Elian waited for him to compose himself without even sitting down.

After swallowing the remaining half of the whiskey in the glass in one gulp, Lorenz finally spoke, still with his back turned.

“Were you Joshua’s lover?”