Page 14 of Neptune
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CASSIE
A fter our wedding, I have to live in Luke's house in New York. Even though it will only be for one year, I can't help but wonder how I'm going to survive that hell.
Since I'll be taking a break for a while, neither Oscar, Peter nor Paul comes with me. It breaks my heart to be apart from them because I'm used to having them during difficult times, and now I already feel like an alien even before I enter Luke's house.
And worse, Luke has chosen his own security around his house so he doesn't need Mike trailing me all the time—he wouldn't just allow someone whom he doesn't trust yet to enter his house.
However, he still allows Mike to be my bodyguard when I go out of his house, which, I suppose, I will have to get his permission for first.
My mind and body are extremely tired because of the wedding and all these worries that I can't help but fall asleep in Luke's private jet during our journey from LA to New York.
At least, I wouldn't see Luke in my dreams—that's better than having to look at his face for hours.
When we land in New York, I already miss my team. We walk toward the arrival gate, surrounded by Luke's bodyguards, and as usual, some people are already trying to catch up with our pace to snap pictures of us.
"Jesus, Cassie, I guess that I'll have to get used to this from now on," Luke mutters, and I just smirk in response.
Who says that I didn't warn him? I did say that he would regret his decision of marrying me, and getting his privacy ruined by strangers and paparazzi is just one of the things that he has to sacrifice.
We're getting closer to the glass door of the arrival gate, and I can see that a lot of my fans have gathered for me, waiting to see me. To my surprise, Luke takes my hand and laces his fingers through mine.
I glare at him, and now it's his time to smirk in return.
Damn it . I can't curse or yell at him for holding my hand in public, because in the eyes of all these people around us at the airport, we're a happily married couple, currently the most talked-about celebrity newlyweds.
"Might as well feed the paparazzi with our public display affections," he teases, while I'm trying my best not to growl in irritation.
The glass door of the arrival gate opens, and we step out, facing dozens of my fans screaming my name. I'm used to it, and I secretly wish that their loud screams would make Luke's ears deaf.
I wave at my loving fans and notice that the number of them has increased significantly compared to the last time I arrived in LA from Barcelona.
Perhaps, it's because all the false rumors have been clarified. But then, when I notice some girls staring at Luke like they're being hypnotized, drooling, I know that some of them are here to see Luke too.
They might be curious, wondering what my husband looks like and whether he's as good-looking as he was on TV. A small sarcastic laugh leaves my lips as I stand beside Luke, still waving and smiling sweetly at my fans.
Noticing the grin on Luke's face, I whisper to him, "Don't flatter yourself. You're not that hot. I would die in a heartbeat to let those drooling girls devour you so that I can live in peace for the rest of my life."
Luke chuckles in a way that makes me think that he's trying his best to prevent himself from howling with laughter.
"That's too bad. I'm taken . By my dear wife," he emphasizes the last two words and suddenly tightens his hold on my hand. "Should we remind them of that? Do you prefer a peck on the lips or a full-blown make-out?"
I stiffen in an instant. My instinct to protect myself makes me zip my mouth. My nostrils flare. Every time I try to get back at this man, he always comes out with a more lethal weapon.
Maybe I should call the CIA or FBI first before I attack him.
I scowl inside my heart until we reach his Rolls Royce waiting for us in the airport parking lot. Both of us sit in the back even though I'm tempted to sit beside the driver, just to stay as far away from him as I can.
But that will look hella strange to the photographers following us—I don't want them to assume that I'm his new maid. No way.
The journey from the airport to his house is silent. I keep looking out of the window, ignoring him, trying to enjoy the view of beautiful New York City on this bright sunny day instead.
Halfway through our journey, Luke breaks the silence, "You're going to meet my nephew later."
That makes me turn my head toward him.
"He wanted to attend the wedding yesterday but couldn't do so because he was sick," he says.
I frown. Nephew? That's surprising. I didn't know that Luke had one. I remember that my team fed me with information about Luke—during one of the meetings at my house—and they said that Luke is the only heir and successor of Klein Enterprise, so how can he have a nephew?
Does he have a sibling?
"Is he getting better now?" is the first question that I ask instead.
Luke gives me a small nod. "Yeah, it was just a cold."
I decide to dig in a little bit more—I'm going to live with them anyway. "So, you live with your siblings? ”
Luke shakes his head, signaling that the answer is false. “No, my elder brother and his wife died in an accident, and since then, he’s been living with me.”
My heart sinks. So, Luke has lost a brother.
But the boy must have been hurt even more, losing both of his parents.
I didn't have a chance to see my mom because she died when she gave birth to me, but I still remember the pain of losing Dad when he had a heart attack—it was too painful, enough to make me turn to Morgan.
"I'm sorry," I say softly.
Luke goes silent, still looking to the front.
"I hope that you'll be good to him. He's..." he falters. "He's a big fan of yours."
That startles me. I feel mixed emotions inside me.
Does the boy like me? That makes warmth sip into my heart.
I’ve always had a special connection with children. During the early period of my career as a singer—when my songs weren't dominated by romantic love songs—it was easier to connect my lyrics with them.
It wasn't a surprise when the first award that I got was a Kid's Choice Award.
A soft smile touches my lips. I feel a sudden hope in my heart.
Luke might irritate me 100% of the time, but I feel like I can be friends with this boy. I already like him even before I’ve met him.
"What's his name?" I ask.
"Aiden," Luke says.
I smile again. Aiden . It's a beautiful name.
I notice the difference after hearing Luke talk to me about him. Luke won't look at me, as if he's nervous. He looks tense, and different. It's quite a sight because I haven't seen him like this, not even on our wedding day.
"I hope that you'll be good to him."
Even the way Luke said that sentence is so not him, who's always bossy. Aiden must hold a special place in Luke's heart. I can see that he's really important to Luke .
Since we've entered the topic of his family, another question pops up in my head. "What about your parents?"
I don't expect his parents to live with him, because we'll be dead if that happens. Weren't his parents forcing him to marry someone else?
"They're not here," Luke says in a flat tone. "They're in Hallstatt, Austria."
Well, that's a relief. I still have so many questions in my head, including one about the ruined arranged marriage between him and his former fiancée, but the sudden coldness in his expression as he keeps staring at the road ahead makes me think twice before asking another question.
It's none of my business, anyway. He's supposed to take care of that matter alone. He's the one who dragged me into this problem.
The journey continues until we finally reach his house. Correction. Mansion.
Luke's estate overlooks the Hudson River, Tappan See Bridge and Palisades Hills. The view is breathtaking. On the way to the castle-like mega-mansion, we pass a basketball court, and when we finally come into the driveway of the house, I can't stop staring at it.
The house is grand but doesn't give the same coldness and lifeless atmosphere that I found in his office. The house, although expansive, radiates warmth.
The servants open the car doors, and I step out of it. I sigh. Whether I like it or not, I have to live here.
Luke walks toward the entrance, spreading his arms, and a little boy runs toward him. When Luke catches him, the little boy hugs Luke tightly, and Luke lifts him, spinning him around. Their laughter rings in the air.
Am I looking at the same person? Because here, I see Lucas Klein laughing with a little boy who looks at him like he's some kind of angel.
And right now, anybody would believe that. Luke's cold exterior and ruthless personality suddenly melt away like ice into water as soon as he sees the boy.
I rub my eyes to make sure I don't have any problem with my sight.
Luke puts down the boy, whom I assume is Aiden, onto the ground. Aiden turns to me, and now I can take a good look at him. From what I'm seeing, he's probably around six or seven years old.
He's brown-haired and has a pair of big and beautiful eyes, the color of which is close to Luke's hazel but more brownish. No, it's not hazel—it's amber.
When he smiles at me, I think that he has the most adorable smile in the world. Well, it seems that good looks run in the family's genes.
Aiden approaches me, and I bend down. To my surprise, he hands me a drawing, and it takes my breath away.
No, it's not a drawing. It's a painting of a brown-haired lady wearing heels in front of a house, which imitates this exact house—whoever painted it has done a really good job.
In the picture, smaller figures stand by the house—a tall man, a little boy, a woman wearing a maid uniform and another man wearing a driver uniform.
Above the house, there's a writing that reads, Welcome Home.
My lips form into a soft smile even when I don't remember moving them. I look up from the painting and gaze at the adorable boy. He looks so happy, smiling from ear to ear.
"Welcome to our home," Aiden says.