Chapter 5 Don't Pin It On Me

"My sleep was interrupted by three loud knocks on the door, which pierced my eardrums. I remembered that I was staying in a man's penthouse, and my eyes snapped open. I almost flinched when I realized I had slept naked all night.

My thoughts raced as I glanced at the duvet, and a loud shout escaped my lips. I recalled that he had mentioned installing CCTV cameras, which meant... my nakedness was likely flashing on the CCTV screen, being recorded!"

"Lucas, did you watch me naked on the CCTV footage last night?" I asked, clutching the duvet to my chest. But he remained silent and unresponsive. I waited for his answer, but it seemed like he was intentionally ignoring me. Lucas was always so casual and insensitively dominant when it came to things like this. My hand tapped blindly on the nightstand, searching for my phone. I needed to file my report for yesterday and catch up on the news feed.

"I got ready for the online broadcast, quickly putting on my black turtleneck shirt, brushing my hair to tidy it up, and adding a light lip gloss to look professional. I turned on my phone's database, and the news headlines caught my attention. The shock and fatigue were evident in my sagging eyebags. Then I saw it: Luna had pressed charges against Cleo Davis. I read through the whole story and was left frozen in shock."

"Lucas!" I called out, exiting the room with urgency. "Oh, I see. You've been standing on my doorstep, eavesdropping on my conversation, right? Come on, Lucas, a simple 'good morning' won't kill you," I said, slamming the door to my room and standing face-to-face with him, my eyes locked on him in a challenging gaze. "Your aunt just pressed charges against me, Lucas."

"Why would she do such a thing?" Lucas asked, his voice laced with frustration. "We've discussed this before, Cleo. Can you please call her and find out what's going on?" He leaned against a nearby seat, his eyes fixed on me.

"I'm not going to call her Lucas," I replied, shaking my head. "Can't you see she doesn't like me? It's obvious. Besides, I need to focus on making breakfast for us right now." "Breakfast? You think breakfast is more important than sorting out this mess with my aunt?"

I stood my ground. "Yes, I do. We need to eat and think clearly if we're going to figure out what's going on and how to deal with it."

"I'm not ready to deal with that yet, Lucas," I said, stalling for time. "Plus, the police need to investigate the unknown person behind that threatening letter. Going to the police station requires energy, so let me just prepare breakfast for us first, okay? I need to fuel up before facing all that."

Lucas sighed, his expression impatient, but he nodded reluctantly. "Fine, but make it quick, Cleo. We don't have all day."

I nodded and headed to the kitchen, relieved to have a temporary reprieve from the drama that was unfolding. My fingers scrambled across the stovetop, hastening my pace to prepare breakfast. Just then, I heard a voice from the intercom that almost made me jump. "Hi, I'm Alaska, Lucas' assistant. He loves oatmeal when it's prepared well and tastes great." I gave her a thumbs up for understanding, even though she couldn't see me.

"What? Lucas uses a smart home system to secure his place. What a jerk!" I muttered under my breath, cracking the eggshells gently. I couldn't believe he had a high-tech system and didn't even bother to tell me.

As I continued cooking, my mind kept wandering away from the task at hand, preoccupied with the stress of meeting my boss's demands for secrets to secure my promotion. My thoughts were so consumed that I didn't even notice Lucas' approach until he tapped me lightly on the shoulder. "If you burn down my penthouse, your forgiveness will be behind bars," he said, his voice low and serious.

My breath caught in my throat as I realized the stove's heat was turned up too high, capable of burning down the multimillion-dollar penthouse. "Whoops, mistake!" I exclaimed, quickly turning down the heat and accidentally brushing my shoulder against Lucas' in the process.

"Watch it, okay?" he cautioned, his eyes narrowing slightly as he left the kitchen.

I let out a sigh of relief as I finished preparing the meal, and then I pulled out my phone to check the time. A smile spread across my face as I saw a message from my cousin, a top model and secret investigator. She had sent me some details about a dramatic scenario that had unfolded at Lucas' family house the previous day.

My cousin was a force to be reckoned with, known for her relentless pursuit of the truth and her ability to distract even the most vigilant of targets. I couldn't wait to hear more about her findings, and I knew that her investigation would be a game-changer in uncovering the secrets that Lucas' family were hiding.

I quickly typed out a response, asking my cousin to meet me as soon as possible to discuss the details. Then, I hurried to get dressed, grabbed a small bite of egg, and hastily prepared Lucas' food. I took the tray to the dining room, my footsteps echoing through the corridor. As I was about to leave, Lucas called out, "Aren't you going to eat?"

I shook my head and said, "No, I'm not. I have to report to my office immediately." I clenched my fist, feeling a sense of oppression.

"Did you drug me? Because I don't understand the sudden rush," he said, his words stripping me of my composure.

I felt a surge of defensiveness. "What are you talking about? I didn't drug you!" But Lucas' accusing gaze made me wonder if he was onto something. Was I feeling a little too anxious to leave?

"Drug you? Lucas, I'm not even thinking about something that would make me consider drugging you," I hissed, my annoyance evident as I stalked back to my room. "You're so frustrating!"

"I just need to meet up with my cousin; she has more information to share," I muttered to myself. "I hate being underestimated and messed with, especially after his aunt reported me to the police."