Mikael stood paralyzed, hidden by the shadows of the evening, as he watched Emily disappear into the apartment building across the street. The groceries she carried seemed like such a mundane detail for someone who had just shattered his reality again.
"Why is she here? How long has she been here?"
The memory hit him like a physical blow—the day he had watched the movers from his window while on the phone with Ken. He hadn't realized then that he was watching his past move into his present. After Emily had first left him years ago, the spiral had been so violent he had ended up in a psychiatric ward. His parents had moved the entire family to this estate specifically to help him heal, to put distance between him and the ghosts of his old life.
But why now? he thought, his chest tightening as he finally retreated into his own home. After all these years, why did she come back? And why right across the street? Is this fate at play, or is the past trying to ruin me a second time?
He walked through the living room like a zombie, oblivious to the grandeur around him. Like muscle memory, he found his bedroom door and pushed it open. As he flicked on the light, a small figure sitting on his bed made him jump back with a gasp of panic.
"You scared me, Michelle! What are you doing here?"
His younger sister giggled, holding up a colorful picture book. "I wanted you to read me a story, but I couldn't find you. Could you read to me?"
Mikael forced the terror down, painting a practiced smile onto his face. "Sure," he said softly, taking the book from her. He sat beside her, but his mind remained across the street, wondering if the walls of his room were truly thick enough to keep the past out.
The next day brought new mysteries. True to his word, Ken took Emily on a full tour of the university, pointing out the best study spots and explaining the campus layout.
To Ken's surprise, Emily was incredibly kind. Despite the strange, pale-faced encounter the day before, she was easy to talk to. They eventually retired to the cafeteria for lunch, both ordering cheeseburgers.
"How have you been coping these last few days?" Ken asked, taking a bite of his burger. "Have you made any friends yet?"
"Not yet," she replied, mimicking his bite. "You seem to be my only friend for now."
"Well, it's barely been two days. I'm sure you'll make plenty soon."
"I doubt that," Emily sighed, sipping her strawberry drink. "Most of the girls seem like party freaks, and the guys are only in pursuit of one thing. The system here is so different from where I came from."
"Really? How is—" Ken was cut off by his phone buzzing.
Mikael: Where are you?
Ken smiled warmly, his thumbs flying across the screen.
Ken: At the cafeteria... I am waiting for you.
Mikael: Alright... on my way.
Ken set the phone down and turned back to Emily, who was watching him with a curious expression. "Oh, sorry. Just a message. So, tell me—how different was your old school? And you must be stinking rich to be able to move across continents for college."
"Stricter rules, mostly," Emily said, but then she paused, looking at herself. "Wait, why do you think I'm rich? Do I give off that vibe?"
Ken took a moment to really look at her. He had grown accustomed to the effortless, polished wealth of Mikael and the cold, sharp luxury of Lucien. Emily looked nothing like them. Her clothes were nice, but her overall aura was one of hard work and struggle.
"Now that I think about it... you don't," Ken admitted. "So how were you able to pull off a move like this?"
At that exact moment, Mikael stepped into the cafeteria. His eyes scanned the room for Ken's silver hair, finding him within seconds. But the breath left his lungs when he saw who was sitting beside his boyfriend. Emily.
Mikael instinctively recoiled, ducking back behind the doorframe before they could see him. His heart raced until he could hear it in his ears. Why are they together? How do they know each other? Has Ken figured out who she is? Is that why he's there?
Terrified of a confrontation, he pulled out his phone with trembling hands.
Mikael: Hey Bae, something urgent came up. I have a meeting with a professor. I'll make it up to you later.
In the cafeteria, Ken's phone chimed. He read the text and then looked toward the doorway. He didn't see Mikael, but he knew instinctively that his boyfriend had bailed because of the girl sitting across from him. Whoever she was, her presence was enough to make "his boyfriend" run.
"Well... I didn't actually do anything to get here," Emily said, regaining Ken's attention.
"Wait, what?" Ken asked, dropping his phone.
"I got a scholarship from a massive company. They're sponsoring my stay, my tuition—everything. They said it's because of my grades and that I was chosen to represent them. That's how I ended up in this country."
"That's new," Ken said, his internal alarm bells beginning to ring. "I've never heard of a company picking a random student to represent them on another continent. Don't you suspect anything shady?"
"We're just middle class," Emily shrugged. "My parents aren't famous. I doubt it was a 'selected' pick... but..."
"But what?" Ken asked, sipping his juice.
"The cash price that comes with it is ridiculous. For a 'random pick,' they sure do pay well."
"Maybe it's luck," Ken said, though the word felt like a lie. If the last few weeks had taught him anything, it was that "luck" was usually just someone else's plan in motion. He dropped his straw and looked her in the eye. "What is the name of the company sponsoring you?"
"Oh... hmmm... I think it's... Luther Corp? Yeah. Luther Corp."
Ken froze, the ice in his drink feeling warm compared to the chill in his blood. He remembered Lucien's surname. Luther.
As soon as classes ended, Ken sprinted to the parking lot. He needed to find Lucien. He saw the sleek black car and ran toward it just as Lucien was getting in. Lucien watched him approach in the side mirror, a dark glint in his eyes.
"He is putting the pieces together," Lucien muttered to Sylvia, who sat in the passenger seat. "Hold on."
Lucien rolled down the window as a panting Ken reached the door. He looked at Ken with the same unbothered, cold face he always wore. "To what do I owe this visit?"
"Lucien, what exactly is your plan?" Ken demanded, clutching the car door. "What are you plotting this time?"
"Why do you think I am plotting something?" Lucien replied calmly. "I have managed to avoid you the best I can, but you... you won't let me be."
"Tell me, Lucien—why did Luther Corp sponsor a girl from a different continent to come here? I've never heard of such a thing."
Lucien's expression didn't flicker. "You said 'Luther Corp,' didn't you? Firstly, my father runs Luther Corp. Whatever he decides to do is his business; I don't have control over that. And lastly, I don't even know the girl in question. You shouldn't go around accusing people of things you haven't researched."
Ken stood there, stunned into silence. He hadn't even considered that Lucien had a father. In his mind, Lucien was a force of nature, a being that existed on its own.
Lucien wound up the window and drove away, leaving Ken standing in a cloud of exhaust.
Ken immediately pulled out his phone and searched for "Owner of Luther Corp." His eyes widened as the results loaded.
CEO of Luther Corp: Lance Luther
VP/Director: Sylvia Luther
Children: Lucien Luther
Ken stared at the screen. The "sister" and the "butler" he had seen with Lucien weren't his staff—they were his parents. The people he had seen acting as subordinates were the heads of a trillion-dollar empire.
"What kind of family is this?" Ken whispered, the mystery only growing deeper.