"Hey! Get off me man.. It hurts!", Lucifer's hoarse voice was heard minutes after Ethan engulfed him in a tight hug.
Ethan laughed pushing him slightly, his face was bright unlike the gloom that had been shrouding him since years.
The heavy weight that's been mangling his heart to pulp has finally being lifted after whole five years. Especially after Mia's last words that were nudging his conscience day and night, Ethan at last was feeling regenerated with a new vim and vigour to life.
"I'm glad that it hurt!", Ethan told him with a cheeky grin for the first time in the few years. That reminded Lucifer of the good old times, it made him smile in content. His sister could now rest in peace.
Ethan's cellphone buzzed dividing their attention, Lucifer looked at the time, it was 6 in the morning.
Shrugging, he gave a pointed look to Ethan and walked towards the Magnolia tree a few meters away from the wooden bench.
He stood there under the tree watching the view atop the little hill.
Ethan took out his cellphone and lazily darted a look at the screen.
"CEO, I have informed Miss Lu and Miss Xia. The meeting has been successfully postponed to Wednesday"
It was a message from Assistant Chen in regards to the Sera's art gallery's meeting with Xia Ruo Lan.
Ethan sighed softly before locking his cellphone. He stuffed it inside his pocket before looking at Lucifer, he was gazing at the bed of Magnolia flowers on the ground.
"I'm hungry..", Ethan growled lightly. Lucifer heard him and turned around with a puzzled expression.
"What? Cook for me!", he mumbled looking at the man who was laughing, nodding his head Lucifer turned around and walked away.
"Hey! I'm telling you something.. bastard!!", Ethan growled loudly this time in hopes that Lucifer would wait for him.
However, he was in for a disappointment when Lucifer didn't stop in his tracks rather started to run away in huge strides with no intentions of waiting for Ethan.
When Lucifer didn't turn back Ethan too ran after him muttering curses loudly.
Finally after catching up with him Ethan jumped on his back, Lucifer fell with a thud and the two rolled down the hill.
After sitting back up straight, they looked at each other's faces in shock.
Their clothes were crumpled, the hair were a complete mess akin to a birds nest with twigs, leaves and flower petals while their faces were smeared with dirt.
It was very dangerous, they could've suffered injuries from the fall and landed in hospital. But the two grown men were laughing with glee like teenagers, overcome by euphoria.
As though someone had put the clock back in time, the two friends seemed to have retreated to their childhood days with the only exception of Mia in their life.
- - - - -
Lu Mansion
Sera was woken up by a phonecall, it was the efficient Assistant Chen informing her about the meeting. It was being postponed due to their CEO's personal reasons.
Looking at the dark phone screen Sera quirked a brow, it was very rare for the young master of Lee's to postpone any business meeting for personal reasons.
Though Sera wasn't an old hand in the business world, she had heard about the workaholic CEO Lee from her father, brother and even Su Yin. Who were constantly reminding her to keep a strict professional front while working with him. So, she was quite confused by this sudden development.
*ring* *ring*
As the disturbed soul within Sera was looking for answers her cellphone rang jolting her awake from her thoughts.
She jumped to answer the call thinking that it was Lucifer. Alas, she was utterly disappointed when the caller id flashed on the blinking screen.
It was Maya calling.
Sera was happy even though she was really missing Lucifer and had wanted to hear his smooth vibrato like voice. And see his face that looked like one of best works of a craftsman's life with sparkling gray eyes.
Sighing, she smiled and shook her head in embarrassment.
Quickly answering the call on the last ring, she was excited to hear her best friend's voice after a long time.
"Hello gorgeous!", Maya flirty greeting was what fell on her ears as soon as she picked it up.
"Hi.. What's up! You seem to be in a great mood..", Sera looked at the time.
It was half past six in the morning right now and very, very early for the sleepy cat, Maya to call Sera first thing after waking up. Unless, she didn't sleep at all. Which wasn't possible given how much the girl loved to sleep.
"Yeah.. kind of! You know what.. Let's meet today! I have something really awesome for you..", Maya laughed awkwardly before rattling on and about several things at once.
"Oh! Sure, I was free anyway..", Sera agreed in a heartbeat, she wanted something to divert her attention from Lucifer and the meeting with Xia Ruo Lan.
"That's done then! I'll see you later..", Maya was in a hurry much to Sera's surprise. She hung up before Sera could reply.
Looking at her phone in her hands that was now quite and black Sera shook her head laughing sprightly. Maya was so unpredictable that she might even ditch her later. Thinking about that made Sera giggle.
- - - - -
The knock on her hotel room made Maya jump out of her skin, that's what made her end her call with Sera on such a speedy note.
Opening the door with a cautious stance Maya first poked her head out to check who was knocking on her door so early in the morning. She wasn't the early bird types.
It was Xav, smiling in relief she invited him in.
Maya's eyes went wide seeing a steel briefcase in his hands that was the size of a portable stereo system for cars. She scrunched her nose in confusion with a cute pout that was so not like her feisty self.
"Bro?", she followed the man inside the bedroom. Xav was mute throughout, his face was normal however his behavior was anything but normal.
A huge grin soon appeared on his blank face, Maya almost fell back on the couch in shock. What was wrong with Xav?
"Here it is!", he mumbled, revealing the treasure inside the briefcase cuddling between layers of soft silk.
"Brother! How, From where did you get this..?", Maya was in a state of denial. Disbelief!
She was looking at the golden hued marvel of incalculable value in front of her eyes. Her brown eyes glimmering from the golden light emitting from it.
Xav chuckled at her reaction, his lips curled into a smirk.
"How's this for an explosive gift for Sera?", he closed the briefcase and looked at the agape Maya.
Xavier Martinez, the man could do anything and everything beyond your comprehension with ease.