Focus
Daddy, Loke, and Sting went to my condo for a visit when I got home at nine PM that day. My flu is not that bad anymore so they allowed me to go home. Sting played with Beau before I prepared myself for this conversation.
"We really didn't know it's necessary, Lucy," daddy started, "Three years ago, the only thing in my mind is to protect you and your child and at the same time is to make the criminals pay for what happened."
I didn't ask dad but it seems like Virgo was the one who told daddy to explain. Half of my mind is telling me that it doesn't matter. The other half wants to know everything.
"Did you have enough evidence to file that case?" I asked.
Sting accompanied Beau inside his room. My son is sleepy. His eyes were heavy. I wanted to carry him earlier but I'm scared that he'll catch flu too. I crossed my arms. I'm sitting in the sofa while dad is standing in front of me.
"He's the head of Drakes, that's enough evidence," daddy slowly said.
All of us went silent. Loke's eyebrows are furrowed while staring at me. His hand is clutching a stress ball.
"By the way, you're working for him, Lucy? I thought you'll avoid him?"
"I didn't know that he's one of the board members, dad," I said.
"You don't need to work anymore. I put some shares in your account annually and that should be enough for you and Beau for the next three years. You don't have to overstress."
"You're just really hardheaded," Loke muttered while blankly staring at the kitchen's direction. I looked at my brother. Sometimes I feel like he's older than me. Well, he's even more responsible and mature than me even before... but that's not enough reason. He's still younger than me.
"I am trying to be independent for the past three years. I can do it... I just really slept late for these past few days," I explained before standing up. I got scolded many times by daddy about working even before. He didn't dwell much on Natsu being my client though.
Loke and dad followed me in my room. My brother told me that he'll stay the night with Beau so I can rest now.
Instead of resting, my brain decided to float because of the information I got earlier. Natsu got jailed for months. Didn't he resist when they arrested him? Of course, he's injured that time. But didn't his relatives able to do something? Not that I think they can manipulate the law.
"Lucy," dad started. The bed made a dent as he took a seat beside me. "The real mastermind of what happened three years ago is Senator Alabaster. I didn't know it before. The only one who we could blame that time was Natsu Dragneel since he's there and he's the head of Drakes."
I nodded, "I understand, dad..." I understand why Natsu's angry with me. I understand why he treats me that way.
"You stopped the case when you gathered evidence that it was the Alabasters?" I asked.
"Yes," daddy nodded, "If we thought of that first, I wouldn't have filed a case against him. He's my grandchild's father after all..."
I don't know what to feel. I understand what daddy wants to say. If you're clueless about what happened and there's no evidences against them, only Natsu's the one to blame. Dad only wanted to protect me and Beau.
It was the next morning when I decided to go to the companies I failed to visit yesterday. It's a good thing that my condition is getting better so I woke up early to finish my tasks.
"Miss, is this Mr. Connell's office?" I asked the secretary manning the desk outside the office.
"Yes, ma'am. Do you have an appointment with Mr. Connell?"
"I was about to ask for one. I'm Lucy Heartfilia. I called him last week about some furniture for a design..."
The secretary stared at me for a while. Like she's trying to remember something important that she forgot before gasping and replying, "Is this for the Infinity Towers in Malyi, Miss?"
I got shocked when she knows the project. An idea started to form inside my mind. Don't tell me...
"Mr. Natsu Dragneel informed Mr. Connell about this, Miss. He also told us that if someone came here for that, we should tell that everything's settled as he already talked to Mr. Connell."
My throat dried. Don't tell me he did all the work?
"O-okay, thank you..."
I wasn't contented. I don't believe that because I didn't give him the list of companies who would produce the furnitures for the tower. Although it's in the clearbook I gave them, I hope he didn't waste his time making a list of all the companies through browsing every design and detail in my presentation.
"Hello, Miss. Is Mr. Hammitt inside? Can I set an appointment?" I asked the secretary of the company where I'll get the sofa beds.
"From what company are you, Miss?"
"I'm Lucy Heartfilia, spatial designer of Infinity Towers..."
The secretary stopped writing and drew a long line like she eliminated something from her notepad before lazily looking at me.
"Oh, Miss. Is this about the sofa beds you'll order? One of the heads of Infinity Towers already called and booked an appointment with Mr. Hammitt. We were told not to entertain if someone came for an appointment from the same company since it's already done..."
I quickly returned to my car and drove to the fifth company. Natsu really did it! I tightly closed my eyes and massaged my temples. I know. Natsu is true to his word. It's a fact I established even before we just started our arrangement. I just thought this time it's going to be different.
It was already nighttime when I got home. I was tired and spent my time going to companies for nothing.
My phone rang. Ashley's number flashed on my screen. I lazily clicked the car alarm before entering the lift of my tower.
"Hello..." I greeted.
Ashley's squeal filled my eyes. I don't know what for but I needed to distance my phone from my ear because of the loudness of it.
"Lucy!" I heard even if my phone's slightly far.
"Ash..." I said in an asking tone.
I don't know why she's so happy that she's squealing like this to em. She's not normally like that. I can't even remember a scene when she called me for something happy. It's always about business or when she needs me.
"Thank you!" she said.
"Thank you for what?"
The lift opened and saw that it's my floor. I continued talking to Ashley.
"Thank you... Didn't I tell you about Natsu? You told him, right?" she sounded so positive. It's like I'm the reason why she won the lottery.
"W-why?"
I was still outside my unit when I stopped. It was when I remembered what she wanted to happen. She asked me to tell Natsu about the ConFAP event. I haven't told Natsu yet because of what happened before.
"He said yes when I asked him about it! He'll go with me! He'll be with me on the event, Lucy! Thank you very much! Thank you!" she said that to me repeatedly before cutting the line.
I stared at the door absentmindedly before dropping my phone from my ears. I didn't tell Natsu about that. Natsu's willing to be with Ashley. My chest tightened. She doesn't really need to ask me do the her favour. Ashley thought that she'll have a hard time making Natsu agree but it turned out to be easy.
I opened the door to my unit and the sight of Beau on his mat greeted me. He quickly stood up and ran to me.
"Mommy!" he exclaimed before hugging my legs.
I'm so... so tired. There's so much things going on inside my mind. But one look at my son and everything just vanished. All the havoc in my system that other people caused, all the exhaustion that I felt earlier. All of those disappeared after seeing him.
I bent a little and carried him. He hugged me and kissed me on the lips. He laughed at what he did.
"Kiss!" he said and moved his face to kiss me again but paused when he was about to do it. He laughed after that. I chuckled and walked to the kitchen.
"Baby, are you hungry?" I asked, looking for anything to eat inside the fridge. Aries followed shortly upon seeing me.
"Miss, do you want me to cook? Do you have any requests?" she walked to the cabinet to see what she can cook.
"Aries, I'll cook the dinner. I want pasta. Please prepare everything. I'll just change."
I was about to go to my room with Beau when Aries talked, "M-Miss, someone called earlier."
"Hmm. Who?"
"She said she's from Infinity Towers, Miss..."
My stomach almost churned at what Aries told me. Why here at home? Who called? What for?
"Who? What's the name?"
"She said she's Ikagura. She told me that one of your clients wants to book for an appointment but your contact number wasn't on the files so they called here since it's the one provided there."
I let out a relieved sigh. The nervousness was about to eat me alive upon hearing Aries inform me about Natsu's company. Crap! What if he calls? He wouldn't, right? He thinks I'm with Sting!
"Okay. Thank you, Aries..."
Aries nodded before turning to the cabinet to prepare the ingredients when I continued, "By the way, Ries... If someone called to ask for details about anything concerning us and this house, don't tell anything, okay? Just get their number and tell them I'll call them back same day, okay?"
"Okay, Miss..."
Because of what Natsu did, I got time to rest and ready myself for the launching of their company. I'm invited as a guest in that extravagant event.
I've seen the guestlist. Almost all huge real estate companies would be there. All the suppliers and manufacturers too. I actually don't want to come but this would be a great opportunity for me to meet and expand my contacts with the suppliers. I need more affiliates and connections. Especially since what I wanted to enter is freelance work.
"Hmm. Don't tell me Natsu would bring that Ashley to that event?" Levy said when they visited my condo a day before the event.
Both of them got worried because of what happened the day before yesterday. Their schedules just got free today because of their work so they grabbed the opportunity to visit.
Both of them are invited too. Well, Cana is invited since her father, Gildarts Clive, is an owner of a real estate company, Clive Lands and Crush but formal parties aren't really Cana's cup of tea, or beer, if using her vocabulary.
Levy, however, can go since Gajeel Redfox is invited but she said that Gajeel doesn't plan on going because he doesn't want to see, quote unquote, Natsu's stupid face.
"I don't know. I just want to meet suppliers, anyway..." while showing them what I'm planning to wear. The event is formal. I just have gowns as my choices. I'm torn between wearing a nude dress or a bloody red gown. I bought two because I both loved them.
"Don't you think Natsu remembers you in Ashley?" Cana said.
I turned to my drunk friend who's in front of my son.
"And because he thinks you're married, it means that he no longer has a chance for you. So he would settle for someone who... looks like you? Nah! You and Ashley don't really look alike."
Levy hit Cana's head, "Ouch!"
"Lev!" I scolded because Beau got shocked at what my petite friend did.
"Close your eyes, baby. Aunt pipsqueak is bad!" Cana said.
"That's not it, Cana..." Levy turned to me. "Lu, I don't really know much about what happened three years ago. But what I've heard from Gajeel and Cana here, Zeref Dragneel did everything for the court to allow Natsu to bail but the judge didn't allow him."
I nodded, "I know that. Dad told me. He stopped the case so he got out."
Levy also nodded, "The only thing that General Dragneel and Cana's dad was able to do is to transfer Natsu to another jail. Somewhere safer. You know... but..." she grimaced, "I think the one who really made the case bailable was your mom and your Uncle Apollo."
I frowned, "The case was bailable?"
"I'm not sure. This is what I heard so far. From our friends, well... actually, I need to ask since Cana here is too stubborn and too angry at him to get the details and Gajeel's too prideful, he eventually gave in so I confirmed everything I heard. They bailed... weeks before your dad stopped the case."
"How is mommy and Uncle Apollo involved then?"
I placed the gowns on my bed. I already muttered the question but already managed to put the puzzle together inside my mind. Uncle Apollo has two siblings who are both judges!
"Your mom and Uncle represented ConFAP. And ConFAP personally petitioned for Natsu's innocence. Your mom asked Judge Luna for help. That's what I know. Maybe you should ask your father about this..." Cana muttered defeatedly.
The puzzle pieces of everything that has happened in the past three years slowly got together. Is that the reason why Natsu is close to Ashley? Maybe in those months while mommy's helping, Ashley got close to him? Ashley was the one who was there with him while he's suffering inside the jail. It was my sister who's there for him during the times we accused him wrongly.
"No... That's okay. It doesn't change anything. I know now that he's not guilty. He suffered already. He's gone through many things. That's enough. Going back to the past won't serve any purpose now. I need to focus on Beau now," I said.
"You still don't think he has the right to know his son?" Cana frankly asked.
I looked at the smiling Beau. Beau will know him. When he already has a mind of his own. When he can understand the situation. I don't want him to expect a complete family when it's not. He'll only get hurt. I can give him love. More of me. I can give him everything. I can protect him from anything. And if I already explained the situation to him, if he understood, that's when I'll prepare myself to introduce him to his father.