ALICIA watched her son's receding figure walk outside the manor. After a few minutes, he had not returned. Her maternal instinct was telling her to follow him outside. She stood up and discreetly left George beside Albert.
When she got outside, she witnessed how her son got down from the second-floor balcony using the vines. "Lucian," she muttered.
Startled, Lucian hadn't had time to speak when his mother marched towards him, seeing the bandage on his left hand and the tear on his suit jacket. Alicia frantically asked, "What happened to you? And whose room did you come from?"
Caught in the act, he could only tell her the truth. "Oh, Lucian. I'm happy to hear you want to apologize to her, but this is not the right time. The Ripley family is still grieving."
Lucian could only lower his h
