Lucas checked the time again.
Then again.
And again.
"…Relax," he muttered under his breath.
But nothing about this felt relaxed.
His phone rested on the desk in front of him.
The screen dark.
Yet somehow… it felt like it was watching him.
Because tonight—
Everything could shift.
He leaned back, exhaling slowly.
Was this a mistake?
Letting Lina in…
Letting Michael agree to this…
He ran a hand through his hair.
"Too late now."
Michael.
Lucas sat up immediately and answered.
The screen flickered—
Then Michael appeared.
Calm.
Composed.
But Lucas knew him enough to see it—
That slight distance behind his eyes.
"Hey," Lucas said.
"Hi."
Same tone.
Then—
A third screen appeared.
Lina.
For a second—
No one spoke.
Three people.
One secret.
"…Michael," Lucas said carefully, "this is Lina."
Michael gave a small nod.
"Hi."
Lina smiled softly.
"Hi…"
Awkward.
Real.
Lucas cleared his throat slightly.
"Um… thanks for agreeing to this."
Michael didn't look at him.
"I said I would," he replied.
Lina noticed that.
But didn't push.
Instead, she spoke gently—
"I'm sorry if this feels uncomfortable," she said. "I didn't mean to put you in a difficult position."
Michael looked at her properly for the first time.
"It's fine," he said.
A pause.
Then—
He added quietly—
"I just… don't want this getting out."
That shifted the air instantly.
Lucas' eyes moved slightly.
Because that—
Was the real fear.
Michael continued—
"I'm not ready for people to know. Not like that. Not yet."
Silence followed.
Then Lina nodded.
"I understand," she said.
Her voice was calm.
Steady.
"You have my word," she added.
"I won't tell anyone."
Michael studied her for a moment.
Not fully trusting.
But not rejecting either.
"…Okay," he said finally.
Lucas let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
The silence lingered for a moment longer.
Then Michael spoke again—
"So… how are you handling everything?"
Lina blinked slightly.
"Everything?"
Michael nodded.
"The companies," he said. "Especially the automobile one."
That caught both Lina and Lucas off guard.
Lucas leaned back slightly, watching.
Michael continued—
"It's not easy managing something like that. There's always pressure… decisions that affect more than just profit."
Lina's expression shifted.
From curiosity…
To interest.
"You understand that?" she asked.
Michael gave a small shrug.
"I understand responsibility," he said.
A brief silence.
Then Lina smiled.
"That's rare," she said softly.
Lucas watched the exchange carefully.
Because this—
Wasn't what he expected.
Michael wasn't defensive.
He was… present.
They continued:
Talking about the automobile company
Market risks
Expansion decisions
And for a moment—
The tension eased.
Lucas didn't interrupt.
He just watched.
Listening.
And realizing something quietly:
Michael could stand in his world.
He just wasn't allowed to.
"Michael—"
A voice came from off-screen.
Michael turned slightly.
"Oh—Daniel."
Lucas' expression shifted slightly.
"Come here," Michael said. "Say hi."
Daniel hesitated for a second.
Then stepped into view.
"Uh… hi," he said.
Lucas gave a small nod.
"Hey."
Then—
Daniel's eyes shifted.
To Lina.
And Lina's—
To him.
A brief pause.
Not awkward.
Just…
Noticed.
"Hi," Lina said softly.
Daniel smiled slightly.
"Hi."
Something subtle passed between them.
Nothing loud.
Nothing obvious.
But enough.
Lucas saw it.
Michael saw it too.
Neither said anything.
But both felt it.
As the conversation settled again—
Lina spoke.
More carefully this time.
"Can I ask something?"
Michael nodded slightly.
"What scares you the most about all this?"
Silence.
Lucas looked at Michael.
Because that question—
Wasn't simple.
Michael leaned back slowly.
Thinking.
Then—
He answered.
"That one day…" he said quietly,
"…it'll stop feeling worth it."
Silence filled the space.
Lucas felt that.
Deeply.
Because maybe—
It was already starting to.
No one spoke for a few seconds.
Then the conversation slowly softened again.
Lighter.
Easier.
But not fixed.
Never fixed.
The call eventually came to an end.
"Thanks… for this," Lina said.
Michael nodded.
"Yeah."
Daniel gave a small wave.
"Nice meeting you."
"You too," Lina replied.
Lucas didn't say much.
He just watched.
As the call disconnected.
The screen went dark.
Silence returned.
But it wasn't the same silence as before.
Across the world—
Michael leaned back in his chair.
Daniel sat beside him.
"That was… interesting," Daniel said.
Michael let out a small breath.
"…Yeah."
And for the first time in a while—
He smiled.
Meanwhile—
In another part of the world—
Lina stood still.
Phone still in her hand.
Thinking.
Not about Lucas.
But about Daniel.
That small moment.
That quiet connection.
Unplanned.
Unforced.
Real.
And somewhere between all of that—
One connection struggled quietly to hold on…
While another—
Had just begun.