"I…"
The next few words made Caleb's heart jolt.
He suddenly coughed—hard. The last bite of sandwich he'd been chewing got stuck in his throat.
"Kkhgh! …kghak!"
He turned slightly, trying to steady his breath, but his eyes never left Lucy.
She didn't move.
Just stood there, calm—like she'd seen that reaction coming.
Once the coughing subsided, Caleb finally managed to speak, voice raspy, "What…?"
Lucy looked at him, and with a soft but steady voice, she said:
"I fell in love with your mother, Caleb."
[Ding!]
[+1 Secret Acquired]
[Reward: +10 Exp, +10 Hijack Points]
[Time Remaining: 09:06]
Caleb froze. His eyes widened. His fingers tensed. His mind scrambled to process…
But the system had already confirmed:
It was real.
Not a joke.
Not a glitch.
"You… mean—?" Caleb barely whispered.
Lucy gave a slow nod. For the first time, she looked down, eyes fixed on the faded tiles beneath them.
"Your mother… she was strong. Firm. Sometimes cold. But when she truly smiled… it felt like the cruel world shut up for a second."
She let out a small laugh.
"Even so, she was a woman of solid principles," she added, her smile flickering—mischievous, bitter.
"She turned me down.
Even when the moment I'd been waiting for finally came.
Even after I'd built up the courage.
Even after I let go of the 'best friend' mask I'd worn for years…"
That smile faded.
Lucy lowered her head.
"She still didn't accept my feelings."
"Moment?" Caleb asked. He swallowed hard, still feeling the sting from earlier.
"Yeah," Lucy whispered.
"Right when that foolish man hurt your mother, Caleb…"
Caleb said nothing. His heart was still racing. His jaw tightened.
That sentence… felt too unfamiliar. Too strange.
But Lucy's gaze wasn't playing around.
Caleb tried to change the subject.
"You… ever been married?" Caleb asked softly, still trying to balance logic and emotion.
Lucy slowly shook her head. "No. I… only ever wanted your mother."
She lowered her head, her shoulders dropping slightly, and… her eyes started to tear up.
"I just… wanted to be with her. But she didn't even want to see me as anything more than a friend." Her voice was hoarse.
Then suddenly—without warning—she stepped forward and hugged Caleb.
Caleb froze.
The hug was warm… tight… and felt sincere. But that was exactly the problem.
This… wasn't the kind of love that was easy to talk about.
Especially when it was about… my mom? Shit.
But in the middle of all that confusion, Caleb's thoughts drifted.
One more secret… bonus EXP… more Hijack Points…
The mission was almost done.
But Lucy's hug got tighter. Pressing her soft, sensitive cushion against Caleb's chest until he slightly lifted on his toes.
And Lucy was beautiful. Too beautiful. Caleb could feel the soft weight of her chest pressing into him, and that alone was enough to wake something primal.
The animal impulse inside him… ignited.
Shit… he cursed internally. This is the worst time to get horny… fuck!
He cursed himself, but his body only got hotter.
Could he pull away? Sure.
But his brain… froze.
What do I do? One more secret, and I get bonus EXP and points. Not bad, but... he thought. But it feels wrong to keep going.
At this point, there was no more doubt that he might be schizophrenic.
He could feel and see everything like it was real.
Just as he panicked—
Luna.
Luna's face appeared in his head. Her voice. Lucy's sharp tone when she heard her name.
Caleb bit his lip. "Lucy," he said quietly. "Why did your expression change earlier when I mentioned Luna?"
The hug stopped.
Lucy slowly pulled herself away from Caleb's chest. Her face still wet.
But now, her expression… wasn't sadness.
"That bitch…" she muttered. "She was whiny and so young when she first started working. Always helped by your mom. Never able to stand on her own."
Caleb just stared, listening.
"And the worst part—she knew Maya was a manipulative woman. But she… still brought Maya into your father's company."
That sentence stabbed.
Lucy clenched her fists.
"Even though Luna quit after your dad divorced your mom… everything still started with her."
Lucy's breathing quickened.
"Luna was the one who brought disaster into your mom's life, Caleb."
Lucy went quiet for a moment. Her breathing was still a bit shaky, but her tone shifted—calmer now, yet heavy with meaning.
"And… one more thing," she said softly, almost whispering. "It's about Luna."
Caleb narrowed his eyes. "What?"
Lucy didn't answer right away. She glanced at the door, made sure no one was around, then lowered her head.
"She's… kinda weird," she said. "Not just because of Maya. But because of you."
"Me?"
Lucy nodded. "She's got… a lot of pictures of you, Caleb. From way back. From when you were a kid. From all kinds of angles. And some of them? I'm pretty sure your mom didn't send them."
Caleb froze. His chest tightened.
"Pictures…?"
"Yeah," Lucy looked him straight in the eyes. "Not just keepsakes. More like… obsessive. I don't know what her goal is. But I saw it myself. On her laptop. Hidden files. There's even a folder named 'C.'"
[Ding!]
[+1 Secret Acquired]
[Current Secrets: 3/3]
[Bonus Gained: +20 EXP, +20 Hijack Points]
[Time Left: 08:17]
"…Shit," Caleb whispered.