CEO's Runaway Mate and Her Cubs

Luther visited Norwich, remembering the places he used to frequent. Over twenty years, the city had changed.

Some companies had closed, and new ones had opened. New buildings had appeared like mushrooms after the rain, and an old park he loved to stroll in had been replaced by a mall.

The bar he and Robert liked was still there. The owner was older, so much that it was difficult to recognise him. But it was the same man.

Luther had lived in Sheton all his life, but he also used to have a permanent room in a hotel in Norwich. His business was flourishing there, but he also wanted to be close to his family.

As such, he had spent his life travelling from one city to the other. If only they were closer, it would have been easier.

But he was young, at the time, and full of energy. At his current age, travelling was out of the question. He needed a place where to stay for good, and Norwich had many more perks than Sheton.

Many more reasons to stay.

«What luck,» he thought while sitting at a table next to the window.

Not just that he had found some of his past in that city, but he also had the perfect excuse to meet with the woman he would love for his whole life: grandchildren! What sheer luck that they shared the twins.

The man he was waiting for arrived a few minutes later.

«Am I late?» he asked.

«Perfectly in time,» Luther chuckled. «I was early. I wanted to see how this place has changed.»

«And?»

«And it's the same, more or less. I can't wait and check whether they still make the worst coffee in the whole city.»

«Let's find out,» the man said.

He sat in front of Luther and waved at the barman, ordering two dark coffees and some snacks. Then, he took out a cigarette and offered the package to Luther.

«No, thanks. I don't smoke anymore. They say it's unhealthy.»

«Ah, news,» the man muttered, rolling his eyes.

That bar was one of the few places where he could light a cigarette without trouble. There was a sign on the door saying forbidden, true, but no one had ever stopped him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Every other place, especially those a little exclusive, had stern policies regarding smoke. Some had separate rooms while most didn't leave any choice but to go out, smoke, and return in.

It was the most shocking for Luther, but the man in front of him had lived in the city while the changes happened - little by little. Still, observing the other's stupor was entertaining.

«Do you still work in the same place?» Luther asked when the effects of shock faded away.

He had needed days to get used to not having anyone smoke all the time at the table nearby. Now, he had to return back in time to when it was allowed.

«No,» the man in front of him said.

He was wearing dark clothes and thick glasses, and his pocket was swollen as if full of stuff. He had taken his elegant hat off and left it on the back of the chair, on the edge.

He was calm and observed the surroundings like a lazy cat, but Luther knew nothing would get past his gaze. As for the swollen pocket, it surely wasn't a gun. Likely, just a notepad.

«The old place closed,» he said.

«So, who do you work for now?»

«Daily papers. I'm a serious journalist now. I've been a freelancer for a while, but that kind of job doesn't pay the bills. I needed something more stable even if less exciting.»

«You were just at the beginning of your career last time I saw you. I'm honoured you hadn't forgotten about me,» Luther said, laughing out loud. «Thank you for answering my call.»

The man smirked, moving his head by a few degrees.

«I'm not as ungrateful as to forget who believed in me,» he said, simply.

Luther Clayton and Robert Woods did believe in his skills and helped him find his first good job. Even if the news company had closed, he had been there for years thanks to them. It was the start of his career, and just the first step to becoming one of the most cited reporters in Norwich.

His chronicle articles would sell thousands of issues, and his name would sign the first page more often than not.

«What would you do if I asked for help?» Luther inquired, scratching his chin.

He had thought about the matter for a long while. At first, he didn't want to involve his friend. But then, things were more difficult in the new world than they had been in the old one.

Everything moved faster; everyone had an opinion. He couldn't succeed alone.

«I will help you tell your story, of course. But I won't sign my name under anything I don't see proofs for.»

«After all, Gabriel Collier's name can't sign under unverified information,» Luther added. «I know. That's why I dare ask. Only with your name, my story will have some value. But it won't be easy.»

«Give me something to work on,» the man said. «Let me see a trace of what you've told me years ago. Then, I'll proceed alone. That's the most I can do.»

«I heard you refused to write the piece about my sentence,» Luther said. «Twenty years ago. You didn't want to add mud to my name.»

«It's the most I could do without going against my ideals. I couldn't redeem your name because I couldn't find a single proof of what you've told me. But I didn't want to add more dust to it. Not when I knew it was all a mistake.»

«Not a mistake, my friend. Not a mistake.»

«Was it intentional?»

«Oh, yes. I needed months to figure it out. Years to accept. But now I know.»

«And whose intention it was?» Gabriel asked, curious.

«Oh, that's the part of the story I haven't told you yet. Not just that I was innocent. I was set up for the fall.»