Lucas and Kellan were seated in the office, the wide desk between them littered with maps, files, and digital tablets glowing with schematics. The room smelled faintly of coffee and gun familiar masculine scents, grounding. They were already planning a week ahead, voices low, precise, dangerous.
"The shipment comes in from the east," Lucas said, tapping a marked route on the map. "Dockside transfer at exactly 02:40. We'll have eyes on the perimeter, snipers positioned here and here. No civilian overlap."
"Security's tighter than usual," Kellan added, scrolling through another file. "At least twelve men on watch, rotating every thirty minutes. They're expecting trouble."
"They always are," Lucas replied calmly. "That's why we don't give them what they expect."
They continued mapping positions entry points, exits, fallback routes until Lucas paused. His fingers stilled on the file.
Kellan had gone quiet. Too quiet.
He'd zoned out twice now, eyes unfocused, attention drifting somewhere far from weapons and bloodshed.
Lucas leaned back slowly. "What's on your mind," he asked, dropping the file onto the desk, "that has you this distracted?"
"Nothing," Kellan replied quickly.
Lucas raised a brow. "Don't lie to me. Not you."
A beat passed.
Kellan exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's Aiden," he admitted. "We… um. We had a moment."
Lucas waited.
"It wasn't exactly a kiss," Kellan added, eyes avoiding Lucas's. "But it also kind of was."
Silence filled the room.
Then smack.
Lucas flicked Kellan on the forehead, not hard enough to hurt, just enough to make a point.
"I told you not to go overboard," Lucas said, a smirk tugging at his lips.
"I didn't plan it," Kellan shot back. "It happened fast. I lost control."
Lucas laughed softly. "You? A whole-bodied control freak losing control? Sounds like love to me."
"No," Kellan said immediately. "I'm not in love. Don't start."
"Relax," Lucas said lightly. "It's normal. Two people liking each other it happens."
Kellan leaned back in his chair, arms crossing. "Funny. Coming from you."
Lucas glanced at him. "Meaning?"
"What about Neo?" Kellan asked. "You won't tell me you haven't been messing with him too."
Lucas didn't deny it. "Of course I have," he said smoothly. "But I won't lose control the way you did."
Kellan scoffed. "Keep telling yourself that."
Lucas waved it off, then shifted the topic with intention. "Anyway. I'm making them official."
Kellan straightened. "You are?"
"Yes," Lucas said. "I already told them to be here soon. From there, we head to the boardroom. There'll be an interview clean, controlled."
Kellan nodded slowly. "Mm. Makes sense."
But even as they returned to the files, both men knew this wasn't just about strategy anymore.
Something had shifted.
Neo and Aiden were already in the building, yet neither of them made a move toward the elevator.
They stood there too still.
"So," Aiden said finally, eyeing Neo, "why aren't you moving?"
Neo didn't look away from the closed elevator doors. "I should be asking you the same question. You're also rooted to the floor."
Aiden studied him for a moment, suspicion creeping in. "You did something," he said slowly. "Didn't you? Tell me what you did."
He stepped closer, one step at a time, until he was standing right in front of Neo. "I told you what happened between me and Kellan, so I have every right to know what's going on between you and Lucas."
Neo scoffed. "And how are you so sure something happened between us?"
"Well," Aiden replied, tilting his head, "normally you'd be all giddy about going up there to see your future man. But today? You look like you want to work from the lobby."
"First of all," Neo said, finally looking at him, "he's not my man. And second, something did happen but nothing physical stuff."
Aiden blinked. "Eh… meaning?"
"Meaning that's exactly why I'm nervous."
Aiden frowned. "Why? Look at me. I don't even know what to say to Kellan. I can't even look him in the eye."
"That's because," Neo said dryly, "you almost traumatized the man."
"I did not-"
"Okay, maybe not traumatized," Neo added quickly, "but what if you'd taken his first kiss?"
Aiden paused, actually thinking about it. "I mean… it wouldn't be that bad. And honestly, do you see that man? I refuse to believe he hasn't done anything before."
Neo rolled his eyes. "Deflecting. Show me what you did." Aiden said still pressing on
Neo hesitated, then pulled out his phone and handed it over.
Aiden scanned the screen once… twice.
Then his face split into a wicked grin.
"Arghhh," Aiden groaned dramatically. "You said you want him. And look at his reply wow. He ate that up."
"Stop it," Neo snapped, snatching the phone back. "It was just the heat of the moment."
"In a maths class?" Aiden teased.
"Oh my God, don't start," Neo groaned. "I don't know what to do. What if they look at us differently now?"
Aiden shrugged. "We avoid eye contact. Act normal. Like nothing happened."
Neo eyed him skeptically. "You can do that?"
"Absolutely not," Aiden said with a grin. "But we'll try."
Neo sighed, then nodded. "Deal."
They bumped fists lightly, hyping each other up like they were about to walk into battle instead of an elevator.
Neo finally pressed the button.
The doors slid open.
Together, they stepped inside.
The boardroom was already set up, cameras aligned perfectly, bright lights hanging overhead, and reporters seated with their devices poised. Paparazzi crowded just beyond the glass walls, flashes going off endlessly as anticipation thickened the air. Everything was ready. Waiting.
The elevator dinged.
Neo and Aiden peeped out first.
Their mouths dropped open in unison.
"What the-" Aiden whispered. "Neo… maybe we're on the wrong floor. Did you press the right one?"
Neo glanced back at the panel, panic flickering across his face. "I...I did. I swear I did."
Before the bickering could spiral, a familiar calm voice cut through the noise.
"You're both on the right floor," Lucas said, stepping forward. "Come in."
Neo swallowed hard as they stepped out fully, the weight of the cameras hitting him all at once. "Interview?" he asked, stopping short. "Hold up we didn't rehearse anything. At all."
Lucas didn't even blink. "No need. I'll do most of the talking. You just answer simple questions when asked. Alright?"
Neo hesitated, then nodded. "Okay."
Without thinking, he reached out and tugged Aiden closer to his side, grounding himself. Aiden didn't protest. If anything, he leaned in slightly.
"Alright," Kellan said, coming into view, sharp and composed as ever. "This way."
They walked together into the boardroom.
The doors closed behind them with a soft but final click.
They took their seats Lucas at the center, Kellan beside him, Neo and Aiden positioned just slightly behind but still very much in frame. The cameras adjusted instantly, lenses zooming in, red lights blinking on.
A hush fell over the room.
"Five… four… three…"
The interviewer smiled into the camera.
"Good afternoon. Today, we're here with Lucas Luther renowned CEO and business mogul alongside his right-hand man, Kellan. And joining them today are two new faces that have sparked quite a bit of curiosity."
Neo felt his chest tighten.
"And the rumors," the interviewer continued, "have been circulating nonstop."
Lucas smiled calmly, hands folded on the table. "Rumors tend to do that."
"Let's address them directly," she said. "Is it true that Mr Neo and Mr Aiden are now working under you?"
"Yes," Lucas replied smoothly. "It is."
The room erupted with flashes.
Neo felt Aiden's knee brush against his under the table. A silent we're in this together.
"They'll be serving as my personal assistants," Lucas continued, "as well as assisting Kellan directly."
"And this isn't just temporary?" the interviewer pressed.
Lucas glanced at Neo just for a second but it was enough to make Neo's heart stutter.
"No," Lucas said. "It's official."
Neo inhaled sharply.
Aiden's jaw clenched, eyes forward, posture steady but inside, everything was shifting.
"And what qualifies them for such close proximity to your operations?" the interviewer asked, turning toward Neo this time.
The microphone angled toward him.
Neo froze for half a second.
Then he remembered Lucas's voice. Simple questions.
"I'm capable," Neo said calmly. "And I learn fast."
Lucas's lips curved slightly.
Aiden was asked next. "And you?"
Aiden didn't hesitate. "I don't fail."
That earned a murmur from the room.
The interviewer smiled, clearly pleased. "Sounds like a powerful combination."
Lucas leaned back slightly. "They are."
More flashes. More whispers. More attention.
Neo's palms were sweating now. His life their lives were being pulled into the spotlight, piece by piece.
And somewhere in the crowd, unseen eyes were definitely watching.
This wasn't just an interview.
It was a declaration.
The interviewer laughed softly, clearly enjoying the shift in energy. "You both sound… confident," she said, glancing between Neo and Aiden. "Were you always planning to end up here?"
Neo tilted his head, pretending to think. "Planning? No. Prepared? Maybe."
That earned a ripple of laughter across the room.
"And you?" she asked Aiden.
Aiden shrugged casually. "I just follow opportunities that don't bore me."
That one landed harder. A few reporters chuckled. Even Lucas let out a quiet breath through his nose, amused.
"So," another interviewer chimed in from the front row, "how did you two even meet Lucas Luther in the first place? Most people don't just run into him."
Neo opened his mouth but Lucas beat him to it.
"They were recommended," Lucas said smoothly. "By people whose judgment I trust."
Kellan nodded once, confirming it without adding anything.
Neo relaxed a little. Good. Controlled. Safe.
A hand shot up from deeper in the crowd. The voice that followed was sharper, less playful.
"Isn't this just nepotism dressed up nicely?" the reporter asked. "Two young men suddenly placed next to one of the most powerful CEOs in the country what exactly are they bringing to the table besides loyalty?"
The room stiffened.
Aiden's smile didn't falter, but something cold slid into his eyes.
Neo felt it too the shift. The line between lighthearted and dangerous.
Lucas didn't interrupt.
Aiden leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on his knees, posture relaxed but deliberate. "With respect," he said calmly, "loyalty isn't something you dismiss. It's something you earn. And if we weren't qualified, we wouldn't be sitting here."
The reporter scoffed. "That's not an answer."
Neo spoke before the tension could climb higher.
"Actually, it is," he said, voice steady. "You just don't like it."
A murmur spread across the room.
Neo met the reporter's gaze without blinking. "We're not here to convince anyone. Mr. Luther saw value in us. That's enough."
Silence.
Then unexpectedly soft applause started from one side of the room. A few reporters nodded. Others scribbled furiously.
Lucas finally leaned forward. "Let's keep this professional," he said, tone calm but final. "Questions about competence will be answered by results. Not speculation."
The interviewer quickly jumped in, smoothing things over. "Alright moving on. Neo, Aiden, how do you balance work and personal life, especially with this level of exposure?"
Neo glanced sideways at Aiden. Aiden raised a brow, daring him.
"We adapt," Neo said. "Same way we always have."
"And what about pressure?" another voice asked. "You're young. This world isn't exactly forgiving."
Aiden smiled this time slow, confident. "Neither are we." That did it.
Laughter broke out, louder now. Even the earlier tension dissolved into something almost electric. Cameras flashed nonstop, reporters exchanging looks like this is gold.
Lucas leaned back, satisfied.
The interview wrapped up shortly after, the energy high, the room buzzing. As the cameras shut off and the reporters began packing up, Neo finally exhaled.
Aiden leaned closer, whispering, "You good?"
Neo nodded. "Yeah. Weirdly… yeah."
Kellan approached them, arms crossed, studying them both. "You handled that well."
Lucas followed, eyes sharp but approving. "Very well."
Neo swallowed. Aiden straightened.
Tomorrow's headlines were already writing themselves.
Not just assistants.
Not just names.
But presence.
Aura.