93 – Cypress Mosaic

“……”

But ​in ​the ​end, ​the answer that ​came ​from ​her ​mouth ​was desperate.

Elian’s hand, which ​had ​been gripping the ​edge of the ​counter, ​now ​covered ​his ​face. ​It felt as ​if ​his ​last shred of ​hope had crumbled.

“Why… why? ​You said ​you thought ​you could ​at least ​write ​an ​article raising questions.”

He ​barely managed ​to compose himself and ​asked a question to ​grasp the situation.

[I did. ​But as ​you ​know, I’m just a junior reporter. ​Just because I write ​a ​draft ​doesn’t ​mean ​it goes straight ​to print.]

The ​reporter ​explained the situation ​in ​a dry voice. Because of ​her expression ​and ​tone, she seemed ​bored ​at ​a ​glance, ​but she ​possessed ​a passion ​for the truth greater than any reporter ​Elian had ever ​met. That was ​why he had held ​such high ​expectations.

[It seems like ​someone ​is blocking it.]

“Blocking ​it…?”

[Not my immediate ​superior, but ​above ​that. It ​seems ​instructions came ​down ​from quite ​a ​high ​level. They’ve shut ​it ​down so ​that ​no ​related ​articles can be published.]

“How… how can that be…”

[Even if you contact other media outlets, the result will likely be the same.]

Even in the reporter’s monotone voice, a sense of frustration leaked through. Over the phone, he could hear the sound of her lighting a cigarette.

“Are you saying that even media outlets with no direct connection to the Lockhart Group are being affected?”

[Looking at the atmosphere, it’s unusual. It’s not just a case of our newspaper reading the room without any word from them. If the Lockhart family is truly behind that incident, they must have made moves in advance.]

“If they made moves…”

[Whether they paid them off or threatened them, they would have chosen the method that works best.]

“The media… shouldn’t be swayed by money or threats.”

Elian was aware of how idealistic he sounded. However, he couldn’t help but say it. Even if they couldn’t step forward to reveal the truth, he had hoped they could at least publish an article raising suspicions. He never imagined every single path would be blocked like this…

The reporter muttered bitterly.

[My direct supervisor, who scrapped the planning for that article… was once someone with a sense of calling as a journalist. Perhaps the boss above them, and the boss above them, were the same.]

Elian couldn’t hold on any longer. He slid down and collapsed against the counter. Now that the last spark of hope had been extinguished before his eyes, he felt utterly lost as to where or how to begin.

[Can you find truly decisive evidence?]

It was then that Maya Bennett shifted the direction of the conversation.

Elian, who had been burying his face in his knees, slowly lifted his head.

[Decisive evidence that either Lorenz Lockhart or Joshua Lockhart frequented that place. Or, try to [stolen content]find that crescent moon badge. See Read on Read BL Novelsif either of them [stolen content]has it. I need at least that much evidence to put my neck on the line.]

“Put your… neck on the line?”

The reporter, taking a deep drag of the filter, exhaled a long cloud of smoke over the phone.

[If you bring me evidence, I’ll publish the article on my own authority. And then I can just quit.]

Elian snapped his eyes open, groaning. He could hear his own ragged breathing, his entire body drenched in sweat. He sat up and wiped his face with both hands. His muscles felt stiff all over, as if he had been tensing his body throughout the dream.

Coming to his senses, he looked around to find himself in his room in Brooklyn. After swallowing hard, he got out of bed and opened the window. He wanted to breathe some fresh air.

“……”

Across the river, Manhattan was shining like a night sky full of stars. It was an unchanging landscape. The sense of distance, making it feel like a movie backdrop or a landscape in a frame, was the same.

Among the skyscrapers drawing the skyline, he could easily spot the Lockhart Holdings building.

As Elian rubbed his arms against the weather, which had turned from visit our sitechilly to quite biting, [Read on Read BL Novels]his hand unconsciously moved toward his neck. He [visit our site]stroked the skin where the marks left by Lorenz Lockhart remained, over and over.

The young Lorenz in the framed photo he saw on the second floor of the Tarrytown villa, stiffened from abuse.

The Lorenz who put gloves on Lucas’s hands and draped a cloak over his shoulders.

The Lorenz who repeatedly reassured him when he was terrified by a sudden Heat.

Elian, Elian.

The tender whispers of that day continued to linger in his ears like tinnitus.

Was it really that person?

Elian shook his head, as if trying to shake off emotions he should not harbor.

He closed the window and drew the curtains, blocking out the lights of Manhattan. It was time to make a decision.

■

Lucas, Lorenz, and Elian.

The three of them gathered on the living room sofa on the first floor. The location of the ’30 minutes every day,’ which had previously taken place only in Lucas’s drawing room, had expanded. This change was based on Elian’s suggestion to gradually vary the environment, as long as Lucas didn’t show any aversion.

“I’m a bit late today. I couldn’t leave work any earlier.”

Loosening his tie slightly, Lorenz looked at the two people opposite him.

“It was because of work. It’s okay, right, Lucas?”

Elian looked back at Lucas, who was sitting beside him. The child nodded vigorously with a wide smile on his face. Lorenz also gave the boy a glance and let out a short, soft chuckle.

The young Lockhart’s clock-out times were irregular.

On days when his schedule cleared quickly, he would return home around 4 or 5 PM, and on days like today, it would be well past dinner time. However, no matter what happened, he returned home before Lucas’s bedtime. To date, he had not missed the ’30 minutes every day’ promise a single day. Whether it was due to a sense of responsibility or affection for the child, he was undoubtedly a very diligent guardian.

“Did you have a delicious dinner?”

Lorenz, now in a vest and shirt after taking off his suit jacket, asked the two as he picked up a glass of water.

Elian looked at Lucas and pointed to the cards spread out on the table.

“Lucas, do you want to answer first?”

As usual, soft brown eyes moved over the cards with caution and seriousness.

The three of them had recently expanded the way they played with cards. In addition to the diary where they expressed their daily emotions with three cards, they added a game where they answered various questions using cards. It was a method that reduced the burden by making it like a quiz game while enabling more communication with the child.

“Now, let me see. Give it here.”

When the child picked a card, Lorenz reached out.

“Hmm… a lemon…”

Holding the card, he sank into thought, stroking his jaw. The visit our siteunauthorized copycard Lucas had chosen depicted a boy holding a lemon with a heavily scrunched-up face. It was a drawing that naturally evoked the sourness of a lemon.

A faint, barely visible smile appeared on Lorenz’s lips.

His green eyes, radiating confidence, glanced over at the child.

“It seems there was some food you didn’t want to eat?”

The child and Elian looked at each other and laughed softly.

It was the correct answer.

“There were mushrooms in the gratin.”

Lucas generally had few picky preferences compared to children his age, but there were a few ingredients he struggled with. Mushrooms were one of them.

Elian added, gently stroking the child’s glossy, fine hair.

“Even though I told him it was okay not to eat them, he ate [unauthorized copy]them all Read on Read BL Novelsuntil the end stolen contentwithout leaving any.”

“That’s a very brave thing to do.”

At Lorenz’s words, the child smiled brightly, openly showing his joy.

Since returning from the Tarrytown villa, Lucas’s condition had improved noticeably. Although he still couldn’t go outside the mansion, his range of movement within the mansion had widened. If he was with Elian or the childcare provider, it was now possible to spend a short amount of time in the garden.

Above all, three major changes were evident in the child.

The obsession he showed during lessons had weakened significantly.

His expressions had become brighter and more abundant.

And, he had become much more comfortable around Lorenz than before.

“How about Elian? Did Elian eat all the mushrooms too?”

Lorenz’s question turned toward Elian this time.

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“Of course. I’m not particularly picky.”

“Hmm… didn’t you say you didn’t like warm apple cider?”

“That’s…!”

For a moment, Elian’s cheeks flushed red. Lucas blinked his large eyes and looked up at Elian. He looked slightly shocked by the fact that Elian also had foods he didn’t like.

“That’s… a matter of preference; it’s not that I don’t want to eat it or can’t eat it.”

“I see.”

Lorenz nodded in agreement and seemed to back off obediently. But that wasn’t the case.

“How was the taste?”

“Pardon?”

“Couldn’t you barely taste anything?”

“……”

Lorenz’s gaze, neither rushed nor anxious, continued to stare at Elian. More accurately, at the scarf wrapped around Elian’s neck. Right there, where the traces of that night still faintly remained.

Unconsciously, Elian fumbled around his neck.