บท 81: Kidnapped

Due to his busy schedule, Michael had not managed to meet up with Lucia in the past week. Most of their conversations had been through text messages, light and brief. As far as the world knew, he was probably dating her, but it was not a certainty. He did not care what the world thought. He had not been oblivious to the darker part of the speculations and the conspiracy theories. He wanted to ask her if she had seen them. He wanted to hug her if she had, so he did not ask. He did not want to bring worries to the forefront of her mind when he was not there to soothe them away.

So what if her father was exiled for treason? He did not think that Dominique Handhoff was guilty of that crime, but even if he was, he would love Lucia anyway. The people who spoke ill of her were the same people who were envious of what she had and could not see good in anyone because their glasses were stained with their own crimes.