Lucifer's Heart

CHAPTER 4 - DELIVERING THE MESSAGE

The towering doors to Lucifer's office were polished to a gleaming shine, reflecting Ari's faintly irritated expression as she approached. She adjusted the strap of her leather bag, already bracing herself for the encounter,she was also glad it wasn't one of those days when he was at his own business building. If only Cal has the balls to start up his own business. Of the three Barrett siblings, Lucifer-Junior—Luc, as he hated being called—was the most intense, his moods sharp and his temper infamous. Delivering their father’s demand for mandatory family dinner in person would be an exercise in patience.

She knocked firmly, waiting a beat before hearing the clipped, "Enter."

Ari pushed open the door to find Lucifer standing near his desk, a grimace twisting his otherwise perfect features. Before him stood a trembling assistant clutching a coffee cup that had clearly been rejected. Lucifer’s impeccably tailored black suit only enhanced the aura of control he radiated, but the daggers shooting from his cold black eyes made it clear someone was in trouble.

“Do you know what this is?” Lucifer asked the assistant, his tone calm but laced with venom as he gestured to the cup in his hand.

“S-Sir, it’s your coffee,” the assistant stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.

“No,” Lucifer said, his voice cutting. “It’s a disgrace. I said no cream, only one sugar. Is that complicated? Are my instructions unclear?”

Ari stopped just inside the door, folding her arms as she watched the scene unfold. Typical Luc, she thought. Always the tyrant.

“I-I thought—”

“Don’t think. Listen,” Lucifer interrupted, his voice rising ever so slightly. He placed the offending cup on his desk with a deliberate, disdainful motion. “This is the third time this week you’ve gotten it wrong. Do you even want this job, Michael?”

The assistant’s lip quivered as he struggled to reply. “Y-yes, sir. I do.”

“Then you should’ve gotten it right the first time,” Lucifer said coldly. “But since you can’t seem to manage a simple coffee order, let me make it easy for you—you’re fired. Collect your things and be out of here in an hour.”

Michael looked as though he might cry, but he nodded quickly, muttering, “Yes, sir,” before retreating from the room with as much dignity as he could muster.

Lucifer turned back to his desk, muttering, “Incompetence everywhere,” as he picked up his phone. Only then did he notice Ari standing silently by the door, one brow raised in mild amusement.

“Did you enjoy the show?” he asked dryly, placing his phone on the desk and leaning back against it.

“Immensely,” Ari said, striding forward. “Though I’m surprised you didn’t have security haul him out just for the drama.”

Lucifer smirked faintly, though his eyes remained cool. “I don’t need theatrics to make a point. Now, what do you want, Ari? I doubt you came here to critique my management style.”

“Dad sent me,” she replied, letting the weight of those three words hang in the air.

Lucifer’s smirk vanished, his expression tightening. “Of course he did. What does he want this time?”

“Family dinner. Tonight. Mandatory attendance.”

Lucifer pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing heavily. “Why do I feel like I’m being summoned to a tribunal?”

“Because you probably are,” Ari quipped, dropping into the chair opposite his desk. “Dad didn’t say why, but he was very clear about all of us being there. No excuses, no exceptions.”

Lucifer gave a bitter chuckle. “No exceptions? You should remind him of that next time he decides to stay in Paris for three months without so much as a phone call.”

Ari tilted her head. “Are you going to show up, or should I tell him you’re too busy terrorizing your staff to make it?”

Lucifer’s eyes narrowed slightly, but his lips twitched in amusement. “You can tell him I’ll be there. And if you see Cal, remind him this isn’t optional. Last time he tried to skip one of these, Dad threatened to pull his funding.”. Ari was already making her way to the door.

“Oh, I already told Cal,” Ari lied, rising from her seat. "So I'm the last one to know?"he questioned, Ari rolled her eyes, pulling open the door. “See you tonight, Luc. Don’t be late, or Dad might actually explode.”

Lucifer gave her a mock salute, his usual cool demeanor back in place. As Ari stepped into the hallway, she couldn’t help but smirk. Between Cal’s antics and Lucifer’s iron fist, tonight’s dinner was shaping up to be a circus.

And knowing their family, the chaos was only just beginning.

By the time Ari left Lucifer’s office and headed toward Cal’s, she was already formulating an escape plan for the inevitable drama. If Dad had a bombshell announcement, she’d need a strategic exit strategy. After all, the Barrett family never did anything quietly.

Her heels echoed through the corridor, her mind drifting to their father. Lucifer Oliver Barrett was a force of nature—an imposing man whose very presence commanded attention. Whatever tonight’s dinner was about, it would undoubtedly be important. And if her brothers weren’t on their best behavior, it could easily descend into chaos.

Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something big was coming. As she approached Cal’s office, the muffled sounds of passion hitting her ears, she steeled herself for yet another confrontation. One thing was certain: the Barrett family was anything but ordinary.

---

The muffled sounds of passion hit Ari's ears even before she turned the corner leading to her brother Cal's office. She froze, her brows knitting together in both confusion and irritation. Cal's reputation for mixing business and pleasure was well known, but this was supposed to be a professional space. She adjusted her blazer, taking a deep breath before pushing the door open without knocking.

What she walked into left her momentarily speechless. Cal was on top of a woman sprawled across his polished mahogany desk, her brown hair cascading over the edge. One of her breasts was in his mouth, the other cupped in his hand, and his hips moved rhythmically as he thrust into her with abandon. The woman's moans echoed through the room, mixing with the faint hum of the air conditioning.

Ari blinked, her shock doubling as she registered the woman's appearance. Brown hair? she thought incredulously. Cal had a very clear type-blondes, exclusively-and this deviation left her momentarily stunned.

"Jesus Christ, Cal," she muttered under her breath, her voice drowned out by the woman's cries of pleasure.

She stepped further into the room, clearing her throat loudly. The woman froze, her head whipping around, her cheeks flushing a deep crimson as she realized they weren't alone. Cal, however, didn't immediately stop, his movements slowing before he finally looked over his shoulder, his expression a mix of annoyance and disbelief.

"Seriously?" Ari deadpanned, crossing her arms.

The woman scrambled to gather her clothes, clutching her thong and blouse to her chest as she dashed toward the adjoining bathroom. The door clicked shut, leaving Cal and Ari alone in the now tense office.

Cal stood, buttoning his pants and smoothing his rumpled shirt, his expression hardening. "You ever hear of knocking?" he snapped, running a hand through his tousled hair.

"I did knock," Ari shot back, her tone sharp. "Maybe if you weren't so busy with..." She waved a hand toward the bathroom door, "...whatever that was, you'd have heard it."

Cal rolled his eyes, muttering a curse under his breath. "What do you want, Ari?"

Ari took a step closer, her heels clicking against the tiled floor. "Dad sent me. He insists we all have dinner tonight. Mandatory family dinner. His words, not mine."

Cal rolled his eyes, muttering a curse under his breath. "What do you want, Ari?"

Ari took a step closer, her heels clicking against the tiled floor. "Dad sent me. He insists we all have dinner tonight. Mandatory family dinner. His words, not mine."

Cal's irritation deepened. "And you couldn't wait to tell me?"

"He said to deliver the message personally," Ari said with a shrug. "No room for excuses. I've already told Lucifer-Junior," she added, emphasizing their older brother's name with a hint of mockery. "He didn't have a brunette moaning on his desk when I walked in, though."

Cal glared at her, his jaw tightening. "Are you done?"

"Just about," she replied, spinning on her heel. She paused at the door, glancing back over her shoulder. "Oh, and you might want to sanitize your desk. Not everyone wants to see what kind of business deals you're making in here."

With that, she strode out, her expression cool but inwardly seething at her brother's antics. Behind her, she heard Cal curse under his breath again, likely more annoyed by the ruined mood than her interruption.

She didn't care,all she wanted to see was the drama unfold at the dinner.