114 STRAINED APOLOGIES LUKE’S POV Lucifer had left me, and here I was, my head being flooded with heavy thoughts. The party continued, and people were still joyful, except for me. I stood still, outside the mansion, my hands fixed on my waist, my eyes narrowing down, heavy sighs escaping my lips. The song playing at the moment was enough to soothe someone, bring the tranquility right into your soul, and make you be at peace. It was melodious, the tune was really heavenly. But guess what? I was not at peace here, after what that man had mentioned to me. It was a good thing to be rich, silk–stocking, prominent, known by the people. Not by all, but by most. Good relationships, bad relationships, they were all present. Envy, hate, bitterness, were still counted right here. And I could see what these were translating into. A death wish, planning to put me in the grave, taking my soul away, a scheme to send me to the other world. Confusion was still over me, my brain was still cracked each minute, trying to get a clue of the person bringing out all these schemes. There were tons of conflicts, and many haters. But I swear, I was too laborious to store the foes in my head. Facing moments like this, the terror gets worse each day, and the anxiety might shackle you, leaving you with nothing left to say. Only the fear of losing your life, and the people around you. But this fear wasn’t a new thing, since I had lost the people most precious to me. And I could only blame myself for Riley’s death. The little one would have still been here, smiling today, if she had not come to live with me. Life was quite unpredictable, and there were regrets for making certain decisions. But right now, who was left to lose? What was left to be gone? My life? I couldn’t care less. If I could back in time, I’d do it. I’d sacrifice my life, just to make sure Riley’s legacy goes on. “Luke Reynold,” someone mentioned my name, and I had to turn around. It was Andre, he was moving closer to me. “It’s actually a nice thing to see you at the party.” He shook hands with me, with a smile on his face. “Glad you made it. I thought you weren’t going to show up.” I smiled back, knowing why he said that. “Well, I did. And I came here to say sorry. “Sorry for what?” He asked, as our shake came to an end. 114 STAINED APOK 273 “You know, for what happened this morning, around my house,” I reminded him. “Oh, that? I wasn’t mad.” “Are you sure about that?” I queried, raising an eyebrow. “Yes, of course. You had every right to be upset, seeing the two of us that way. After all, Ariel is your wife. I should be the one apologizing.” I gave him a baffled look, cause man, I was exceedingly surprised with his words. I had to laugh slightly, taking my face downward. “Look, I understand the fact that you’re trying to be nice around here. But come on, you don’t really have to say all those things, and we just got to face the truth. I spoke hurtful words that didn’t even make sense. And I regret that moment. Trust me, I totally do.” Andre laughed, and then he held my shoulder. “Luke. These things I’ve spoken are nothing but the truth. If I were in your shoes, I’d do the same. Or even worse, I’d beat the hell out of the man I see holding hands with my wife. You don’t have to worry about anything now, I promise it won’t happen again.” I couldn’t help but give Andre a wonderful smile. His thinking was just kind of remarkable, and at this point, I could say I was envy of his demeanor. But we need to be real around here. I was really stupid this morning, just talking nonsense. I knew Andre was only trying to be nice. It was clear that he was a man of peace. “So, why don’t we go inside, and have a few drinks?” Andre suggested, patting my shoulder. “Thanks, but I’m good. I don’t think I’m in the mood for drinks right now,” I told him. I was still thinking about what Lucifer told me, wondering if it was true. He told me to be very careful, but how the hell was I supposed to? I didn’t even know who this for of mine was, if what Lucifer brought out to me was true. “Come on, Luke. We’re at a party. This is the time to celebrate. Be extremely happy, and forget about anything else. Forget about business, forget about all sort of problems. Just forget about everything, and enjoy every moment of this party.” I exhaled deeply, my mind still not soothed. “I wish it was that easy.” “Of course it’s easy. You just need to get yourself some drinks. Chat with people, have all sort of conversations. Laugh to the fullest, joke around. You know, stuff like that.” “Andre!” A man with mustache approached us, wrapping his arm around Andre’s neck. “Where have you been?” Andre grinned at him. “Mr. Humphrey. Wow, you came to the party?” “Of course. I couldn’t miss this special event.” “How come I didn’t see you?” Andre kept on with his smile. “Probably because there are thousands of people around here. Especially the beautiful ladies,” the man responded in a playful tone. He glanced at me. “Good evening, sir.” “Good evening,” I greeted back. “Hold on a minute,” he furrowed his brows at me. And then I found his finger pointing at me. “Aren’t you Luke Reynold?” I nodded. “I sure am.” “Wow!” He opened his mouth widely. “It’s actually an honor to be at your presence.” I smiled slightly. “Please don’t.‘ “What do you mean by that? You are one of the most greatest businessmen in New Haven. Everybody knows you. I mean, who doesn’t want to work with The Reynolds?” “A lot of people,” I teased myself in a whisper, only heard by me. “What was that?” Mr. Humphrey asked, raising an eyebrow. “Oh, it’s nothing.” I grinned shaking my head. I was just being honest with myself. Because after that situation between Harriet, Ariel, and me, years ago, a lot of companies decided to withdrawal their partnership. It was quite fucked up, embarrassing, and painful. But as the years went by, people came back to their senses. Well, not everyone. Some people still had that stuck in their head, up till now, never ready to let go. And it wasn’t like they were the ones who lived in those moments. Mr. Humphrey moved closer to me. “You lost your grandfather, and cousin. I didn’t have the chance to tell you this. But here I am now, standing before you. So, sorry for those terrible moments. It’s such a sad thing to lose the ones that are dearest to us, the ones who we cherish the most.” I took a deep breath, since this man had me harking back to the moment when Riley was shot. I felt speechless, as the dark event moved within me.