Lucas enters Marlene's Corner approximately twenty minutes after Alexander's departure.
I know this because Kevin has been timing it on his laptop and announces the exact duration the moment the door chimes. Lucas's expression is composed and professional—the careful mask he wears when he's feeling too much to show. His suit is impeccable, his posture is perfect, and his face reveals absolutely nothing about what he's thinking.
But his ears give him away. They always do.
They're white. Not pink, not red, not burgundy. White. The color I've only seen once before, when his mother asked if he was my gigolo. The color of pure, cold, barely contained rage.
Sophie notices immediately. She leans toward Kevin and whispers, "I've never seen that color before. Is that new? Please tell me you're documenting this."
