Neo didn't wake up gently.
He woke up to violence.
His door flew open with a loud bang, the force so hard it rattled the picture frame on his wall, and before his brain could even register morning, Pia's scream tore straight through his skull.
"NEOOOOOOO!!!"
He groaned, half-asleep, half-dead, dragging his pillow over his head like it might save him.
"If this is about chores, I swear on my life—"
"GET. UP."
The mattress dipped as Pia climbed onto the bed, bouncing like a lunatic. "YOU'RE EVERYWHERE."
That single word sliced through the fog.
Neo frowned, pulling the pillow down just as Pia shoved her phone directly into his face, the brightness burning his eyes.
"Pia—what the hell—"
"LOOK."
His vision cleared.
Headlines.Clips.
Paused frames of him sitting beside Aiden in the boardroom, jaw set, eyes steady, answering questions like he'd been born into it.
LUCAS LUTHER INTRODUCES HIS NEW ASSISTANTS AND THE INTERNET CAN'T LOOK AWAY
WHO ARE NEO AND AIDEN? THE MEN BEHIND THE PRESENCE
CALM. CONTROL. AURA.
His phone chose that moment to betray him.
Buzz. Buzz. buzz.Buzz.
Then again.And again.
Neo sat up slowly, heart thudding as he grabbed his own phone off the bed. The screen was chaos.
Instagram notifications stacking on top of each other.
New followers. Hundreds. Thousands.
Mentions. DMs. Tags.
Clips ripped from the interview already reposted everywhere.
'Who is he??...Why does he look like he knows something we don't?
The quiet one is scary and I love it.
Assistant? Be serious.'
"What the hell…" Neo muttered, voice rough, almost distant.
Pia screamed again. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHAT THE HELL?! You're trending! Aiden is trending! You both are TRENDING."
She snatched the phone back, scrolling like her life depended on it.
"Neo. You have fan accounts. FAN ACCOUNTS."
She turned the screen toward him again.
@NeoLutherAura
@NeoAndAidenUpdates
@QuietMenClub
Neo blinked once.Twice.
This wasn't real. It couldn't be.
Before he could even form another thought, soft but hurried footsteps approached down the hallway.
"Neo?"
His door opened again, this time slower. Careful.
Maggie stood there.
One hand pressed to her mouth. The other gripping the doorframe like she needed it to stay upright. Her eyes shone, already glassy, already full, as she looked at him like she was memorizing his face all over again.
She took a step inside. Then another.
"Oh… my baby."
She crossed the room quickly and sat on the edge of the bed, arms wrapping around him before he could react, pulling him into her chest like she was afraid he'd slip through her fingers if she didn't hold on tight enough.
Neo stiffened for half a second then broke.
He hugged her back, burying his face into her shoulder, breathing in the familiar scent of home.
"I'm so proud of you," Maggie whispered, voice trembling, cracking under the weight of it. "The way you spoke… the way you carried yourself. You looked so sure. So strong."
Her hands trembled against his back.
"You didn't look lost. You looked like you knew exactly who you were."
Neo swallowed hard, throat burning.
"But please," she continued, pulling back just enough to look at him, tears finally spilling free. "Whatever world you're stepping into… whatever this is be careful, okay?"
The tears fell then. One after another.
Neo nodded, lips pressed tight, eyes stinging. He pulled her back into him, arms tightening as a sob slipped out quiet, unguarded.
Not fear.Not regret.Release.
Behind them, Pia sniffed loudly. "Okay wow. Now I'm crying too."
She wiped her face dramatically, then immediately lifted her phone again.
"And yes, I'm recording this. This is generational content."
"Pia," Neo laughed weakly through tears.
"Don't 'Pia' me," she said, voice shaking anyway as she squeezed into the hug. "My brother just became a public menace overnight."
They stayed like that messy, emotional, tangled together while Neo's phone kept buzzing against the mattress like it refused to be ignored.
Buzz.Buzz.Buzz.
Neo finally pulled back, wiped his face, and glanced down.
Aiden:
Please tell me your sister hasn't assaulted you yet.
A breathless laugh escaped him.
Too late, Neo typed back. I think we're famous.
The reply came almost instantly.
Yeah, Aiden sent. Lucas already warned us. Said this is just the beginning.
Neo stared at the screen a little longer this time.
His smile faded just a fraction.
He looked around his room. At his mother dabbing her tears. At Pia still sniffling while checking likes. At the familiar walls, the quiet safety of home.
Outside, the world was buzzing. Watching. Talking. Deciding who he was going to be.
And somewhere far away from this house, plans were already shifting into place.
Neo locked his phone and leaned back against the headboard, heart still racing.
Fame had come knocking.
And it hadn't come alone.
Breakfast came and went in a blur for Neo.
He barely tasted anything, his mind still buzzing louder than his phone ever could. Notifications kept lighting up the screen beside his plate mentions, tags, follows but he ignored them, pushing the device facedown like it might explode if he looked too long.
By the time he was done, Aiden was already on his way.
Neo had just finished tightening the strap of his backpack when the knock came, familiar and lazy. He opened the door to find Aiden leaning against the frame, dressed and ready, hair still slightly damp like he'd rushed.
"You look like you didn't sleep," Aiden said, stepping inside.
"And you look like you enjoyed the chaos," Neo shot back, grabbing his keys.
They were halfway through hyping themselves up to leave routine motions, muscle memory when both their phones buzzed at the same time.
They froze.
Neo groaned. "Ignore it."
"Definitely ignoring it," Aiden agreed immediately.
Another buzz.Then another.
Neo sighed dramatically, snatching his phone. "Fine. If this is another fan account"
He stopped.
Aiden leaned over his shoulder. "What is it?"
Neo read aloud slowly.
Lucas: Stay home today. Do not come to school. Paparazzi are already stationed around the campus.
Aiden blinked once. Then twice.
"…Wow."
Neo dropped his bag on the couch. "So that's it? We're just prisoners in our own houses now?"
"I mean," Aiden shrugged, trying not to smile, "I'm not mad about skipping classes."
Neo flopped backward onto the couch, arms spread wide. "I am. I'm bored already and the day hasn't even started."
Pia, who had been pretending not to listen while scrolling through her phone nearby, perked up instantly.
"How about we go to the estate?"
Both heads snapped toward her.
"We?" Neo repeated slowly.
Pia raised a brow. "We as in me too."
Aiden snorted. "Bold."
"Duhh," Pia said, already standing. "Did I stutter?"
"Since when do you get to decide things like that?" Neo protested.
She ignored him completely, grabbing his phone straight from his hand.
"HEY-"
Before Neo could snatch it back, Pia had already dialed.
"WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?!" Neo yelled, panic flaring.
Pia slapped a hand over his mouth. "Shhh!"
The call connected.
"Hello, Mr. Lucas," Pia said sweetly, switching tones so fast it gave Neo whiplash. "Sorry to disturb you. It's Pia."
A pause.
Neo's eyes widened as Lucas's calm voice came through the speaker.
"Go on. I'm listening."
Pia beamed like she'd just won something. She put the phone on loudspeaker and spoke clearly.
"I wanted to ask for a favor, if you don't mind. Since Neo and Aiden can't go to school today and we're all stuck at home and bored, I was wondering if we could come to the estate or the office. Anywhere really."
Silence.
Neo held his breath. Aiden crossed his arms, watching the phone like it might bite.
A few seconds stretched into eternity.
Then-
"A car will be sent to pick you all up," Lucas said evenly. "Be ready before it arrives."
Pia screamed.
"ARGHHHHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH, SIR!"
"You're welcome," Lucas replied calmly, and the line went dead.
Neo stared at his phone in disbelief.
"You just called a mafia boss," he said slowly, "and yelled in my house."
Pia grinned unapologetically. "And it worked."
Aiden laughed, shaking his head. "I think she scares him."
Neo groaned, rubbing his face. "This day is already out of control."
Outside, a black car was already turning onto the street.
And whatever sense of normal they had left?
It was officially gone.
Lucas had barely looked up from his screen since morning.
Files were spread neatly across his desk, digital and physical shipment routes, revised schedules, risk assessments. Since school had resumed for the boys, most of the real work had shifted back to the office. Quiet. Controlled. Predictable.
Kellan sat across from him, jacket discarded, sleeves rolled up, pen tapping absently against a file as he scanned through numbers. The room smelled faintly of coffee and ink.
Then Lucas's phone lit up.
Neo's name flashed across the screen.
Lucas picked up immediately, already expecting the familiar voice on the other end casual, careful, polite in that way Neo always was when speaking to him.
Instead
"Hello, Mr. Lucas… sorry to disturb you, it's Pia."
Lucas blinked.
He straightened slightly in his chair and, without thinking, tapped the speaker button. Kellan's head lifted instantly, attention sharpening.
"Go on," Lucas said calmly. "I'm listening."
Pia's voice came through clear and earnest, just a little breathless.
"I wanted to ask for a favor, if you don't mind. Since Neo and Aiden can't go to school today and we're all stuck at home and bored, I was wondering if we could come to the estate or the office. Anywhere really."
Lucas leaned back, eyes flicking up to Kellan.
For a brief moment, they just looked at each other.
Kellan raised a brow, then shrugged lightly, like the decision was obvious.
Lucas hummed once, already deciding.
"A car will be sent to pick you all up," he said evenly. "Be ready before it arrives."
There was half a second of silence.
Then....
"ARGHHHHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH, SIR!"
The scream blasted through the speaker.
Kellan physically jolted, pen clattering onto the desk as he winced.
"Jesus-"
Lucas didn't even flinch. He simply waited for the sound to die down.
"You're welcome," he said calmly, and ended the call.
Silence returned to the office.
Kellan stared at the phone like it had personally attacked him. Then he leaned back in his chair, shaking his head.
"Wow," he muttered. "She's the exact opposite of Neo."
Lucas's lips twitched almost imperceptibly as he gathered the files back into a neat stack.
"So," Kellan continued, picking his pen back up, "where exactly are they going? The house or here?"
"The estate," Lucas replied smoothly, already standing. "And we're going home too."
Kellan frowned slightly. "Home?"
Lucas moved toward the cabinet, pulling out another folder.
"Pack up all the necessary paperwork," he said. "The ones we'll handle and the ones Neo and Aiden will handle too."
Kellan's mouth curved into something amused.
"So this is your idea of entertainment?"
Lucas glanced at him, expression unreadable but eyes sharp.
"They're our assistants after all."
And boredom, Lucas knew, was far more dangerous than work.
The car rolled smoothly through the estate gates, gravel crunching softly beneath the tires before it came to a stop.
Neo was the first to step out, stretching his neck as if shaking off leftover tension. Aiden followed, hands in his pockets, eyes already scanning the surroundings out of habit. Pia, however, barely waited for the door to open fully before she bounced out, eyes wide, energy bubbling out of her like she'd been cooped up for weeks.
"This place is still insane," she muttered, already walking a few steps ahead, turning in a slow circle like she needed to take it all in again.
"Pia," Neo hissed under his breath, grabbing her wrist lightly and pulling her back. "Behave yourself."
She shot him a look. "No, I won't."
Then, almost instantly, her entire demeanor shifted.
She slowed. Straightened. Smoothed her hair back nervously. Her cheeks warmed, color blooming there as she clasped her hands together like she was rehearsing lines in her head.
"Anyways…" she started, voice suddenly quieter. "Uhmmm… can I ask you guys a question?"
Neo and Aiden exchanged a glance.
That look.
The oh, here we go look.
"Okay…?" they both said at the same time, suspicion thick in their tone.
Pia cleared her throat. "That guy… uhmmm… the one that was with me during that supermarket incident." She hesitated, eyes flicking away. "He lives here, right?"
Neo's lips curved slowly.
Aiden didn't even bother hiding his grin.
"Yes," Aiden replied casually. "He does. Why do you ask?"
Pia mouthed something silently, testing it.
"Okay… what's his name? I didn't get it."
"Matteo," Neo answered.
She repeated it under her breath like it was something fragile. "Matteo…"
Aiden leaned closer to Neo. "She's gone."
"Fully," Neo whispered back.
Pia snapped her fingers in front of them. "Is he around?"
"Pia," Neo said flatly, giving her a look, "you're too young for all this."
She gasped, offended. "And what exactly do you mean by that?"
Aiden crossed his arms. "Exactly what it sounds like."
"I was just asking about him because he helped me," she shot back quickly. "And I didn't even thank him properly."
Neo raised a brow. "Hmm."
Aiden shook his head slowly. "I wasn't born yesterday, little girl. Your ears are burning. Don't lie to me."
She scoffed. "And so what?"
"And so," Neo said, deadpan, "you haven't even reached eighteen, and he's way older than you. Like way older."
Pia shrugged, unbothered. "What? Maybe I'm into older guys. Who knows."
Aiden choked on air, hand flying to his mouth. "Who is teaching you all this, missy?"
Neo pointed at her. "Exactly. Because it's not us."
She rolled her eyes dramatically. "Relax. I didn't say anything bad."
The bickering continued, overlapping voices, mock accusations, exaggerated sighs so loud and animated that none of them noticed the figures standing just a few steps away.
Lucas and Kellan.
Both watching.
Lucas's arms were crossed, expression unreadable but eyes sharp with quiet amusement. Kellan leaned slightly to the side, lips twitching like he was fighting a smile.
"Can we all go inside now?"
Lucas's voice cut cleanly through the chaos.
All three of them froze.
Neo stiffened.
Aiden straightened instantly.
Pia gasped softly, eyes widening.
They turned as one.
"Oh.." Neo started.
"Uh...hi," Aiden added.
Pia smiled far too brightly. "Hello, sir."
Lucas nodded once, already turning toward the entrance. "Come on."
They followed immediately, the noise dying down as they stepped inside together, the heavy doors closing behind them sealing them back into a world that was never quiet for long.