Chapter 97: I am finally getting the recognition I had been craving for 20 years...

"Good night, Lucian."

Evelyn smiled back, she stared at him for a second longer, then she entered her suite.

From what he was told, the mission was about movement, lights, cameras and stuff during the day, at night, it was more about rotations, keeping watch, and being alert in silence.

Honestly, night was easier than the day since the protection target wasn’t moving and the building itself was well protected by many things, it was difficult for the enemy to attack here.

And since he was off active movement anyways, he could rest a little.

He walked around, he was told that a small lounge was set up on the protected floor for the security team. Lucian walked in and found no one there, that made him sigh in relief.

"Finally~"

He dropped onto the sofa, lazily stretched his body and picked up the file Clara had left on the table earlier.

EVELYN STARLING.

It was about Evelyn, her public information, then the not-public information, the attack that happened three days ago.

Lucian started reading with a serious look on his face.

For a few minutes, the room was silent until—

"Wow, you can read?"

Lucian heard a voice.

"I have many talents, this is merely one of them."

Lucian answered without looking up.

Sarah shook her head at those words as she walked closer.

"Hallway watch?"

Lucian questioned.

"First rotation."

"And you abandoned your post already? How rebellious."

"I can see the hallway from here."

Lucian looked toward the open door and nodded.

"That works, I guess."

He shrugged as he turned back to his file. Sarah, on the other hand, leaned against the wall instead of sitting and continued to observe Lucian instead of keeping her eyes on the hallway.

For a while, Lucian didn’t say anything, but as Sarah continued to stare at him for more than thirty seconds without saying anything, he nodded.

"Yes, I am single and free this Tuesday. We can go on a date."

Sarah’s mouth tightened at those words. Honestly, she wanted to punch him but... that wasn’t what she was here for.

Instead—

"Is it true?"

She questioned.

"Oh gosh, yes it is true. I really am single. Why does no one believe me? 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Handsome guys have it difficult too, you know?"

Sarah’s mouth twitched again. She clenched her fists, using all her willpower to not punch him.

Then—

"I am talking about what Evelyn said."

And for the first time, Lucian reacted.

"She says a lot of thi—"

"You know what I am talking about.

You saved her life, is that true?

She said something about you going against orders, then there were reports that you went against direct orders in your last mission, is that what this was about? Did you go against orders so you could save her?"

"Well, things happened."

Lucian answered as he turned the page.

"That is not an answer."

Sarah didn’t back down.

"You told me you got this mission through connections."

"Well, I wasn’t wrong, Evelyn did request me specifically."

"It’s different if you saved her life."

"Why do you care so much?"

Lucian was still mostly focused on the file, he wasn’t even looking at her properly but then—

"I do not like being wrong."

Sarah spoke honestly.

"I pride myself on my sharp instincts and I do not like it when I judge someone inaccurately."

Those words made Lucian look at her, he looked into her dark, serious eyes and he—

"What do you want to know?"

He finally placed the file back on the table.

"What happened in your last mission?"

"Evelyn’s life was linked with a machine that held important data, if that link was broken, the data would be erased.

The orders were to protect the data and find a way to save Evelyn’s life, but there was no time, Evelyn was dying, so I went against orders and broke the link, ultimately destroying the data."

He answered honestly and Sarah narrowed her eyes.

"The captain decided to... let her die?"

She couldn’t believe it, the Enclave she knew didn’t work like that.

"Well...

She wasn’t exactly dying."

Lucian defended the captain, but then, a disgusted look appeared on his face and—

"But I believe what was happening to her was far worse than death."

He clarified and Sarah’s expression changed as she recalled what Evelyn said before.

’I may not know what exactly was happening to me, but I do know that if whatever it was had succeeded, I would have lost myself in the worst possible way.’

Lost myself in the worst possible way, those words had stuck with Sarah for a long time.

"What was it? What was happenin—"

She tried to ask but—

"I won’t say that."

Lucian shook his head and for a rare moment, his smile disappeared and a serious look appeared on his face.

"Not to you, not to her. No one needs to know that."

Sarah looked at him, at how... different he looked from his usual, casual self and...

"So this is why she trusts you more than any of us, huh?"

She understood.

Sarah was a good observer, she had always been one.

And she had been observing Evelyn ever since she saw her. The Superstar acted calm and graceful, but she was scared, lonely, and suspicious of every single person around her, even they were no exception.

Other than Lucian that is.

Sarah noticed how she interacted with Lucian, at how calm she was around him and that wasn’t an act. She truly was calm around him, as long as he stood next to her, her shoulders were always relaxed.

And after hearing everything, after seeing Lucian sitting in front of her with that look on his face...

She understood why.

And the moment she did—

"I am sorry."

She bowed her head and apologised in a genuine, meaningful tone.

"...huh?"

Lucian blinked.

"I was wrong.

I thought you only got this mission because of your connections and treated you wrongly and I apologise for it.

Miss Starling was right, for her, no one here is more trustworthy than you. You are not a useless addition who joined because of his connections.

You are a necessity."

Sarah spoke in the most genuine tone possible and Lucian...

He placed his hand on his chest and with an exaggeratedly touched look on his face—

"Recognition...

I am finally getting the recognition I had been craving for 20 years..."