I apologize for not uploading in a while, well this story at least. I've been working on a few new ones and trying to figure out how I wanted this to end. I finally have an ending and will be picking up pace soon enough. Things are about to get darker and more complicated so hang in there. This chapter is a little short because I wanted to get this ball really rolling.

Enjoy,

Kuro.

Chapter 79: The Truth behind the Lies

The three nodded as they slipped into the building, Sebastian had provided them with the layout of the building ages ago, it wasn't until now that they were actually going to bother using the weak points to their advantage. They moved soundlessly through the building, leaving not even a shadow to be cast on the wall. Canterbury could remember the days when Claude had demanded that they infiltrate the Phantomhive manor to see just what Ciel was up to. Those were the more intriguing missions, usually they were left to handling lowly tasks. Now the only threat they faced was Sebastian realizing they were missing, which frightened them. After all they were now in the prince's employment which meant they had to serve him as though they were serving the king of hell himself. "I hope he forgives us," whispered Thompson as he leapt out of the vent and landed on the soft carpet of the office. Timber followed suit and looked around cautiously, they didn't sense another demon or angel, however, in response of events it wasn't a bad thing to be cautious.

Canterbury was finally out and looked across the office, the lights were off and clearly who ever it was had vanished, "Did you sense anyone leave?" asked Canterbury as he looked around, his eyes flickered from shadow to shadow in an attempt to catch who ever it was that was causing this mess. "No," Thompson and Timber replied in unison, which meant who ever it was, was still in the office. He nodded and slowly approached walked down the aisle, he paused when he noticed the light of one of the tablets was still lit. That would only happen if the Mac was simply sleeping, he had seen it before on the one which Sebastian used. "Allan Platt," he mused as he slowly took a seat in the chair, it was still warm. He knew in seconds he had the right desk, "I'm going to look out," whispered Thompson as he walked to the other end of the office. Canterbury's fingers flew across the keys once he had opened the Mac, he smiled when he noticed the application which had been created was still open. "I need a USB," he whispered as he held out his hand for the stick. Timber's purple hair swayed as he nodded and pressed the key into Canterbury's hand.

The demon swiftly slipped it into the port in the back of the Mac, for the fastest downloading speed and copied the application. "If we can get this to the courts, we might be able to save Claude," whispered Timber. Oddly none of the three wanted Claude to go to prison, he may have been a jerk to them at times, yet none of them felt that he deserved to go to prison. "Okay we have it," he commented as he ejected the key. "The only question is where the hell did the person who was causing trouble go?" asked Thompson as he walked back over to them. It was as though he were honestly confused; he hadn't expected this to occur. The three looked at one another and shrugged, Canterbury was about to say something when he heard a click on the bottom floor, "The silent alarm," he hissed. Timber looked at him and commented, "Looks like we've out stayed our welcome."

The sun leaked through a thin slit in the curtains of the hotel room, it was warm and welcoming. Nestled in soft sheets was a pair of tired lovers, Alex moaned as she opened her eyes, it was too warm. She stared at the man who had wrapped himself around her like a vine. Kei had snuggled into her as though she were a stuffed animal. It was a welcoming sight to see his sleeping face. His black hair was ruffled, and he looked peaceful, far more peaceful than when they had first met. His beautiful almond-shaped eyes were closed, and his soft hair brushed against her skin as she breathed. Alex smiled as she slipped her fingers into it, it was soft, and she loved the texture. He had long black eyelashes which she hadn't noticed before, and she felt this over whelming urge to draw a portrait of him. She watched his eyes lids flicker, "Uhn," he moaned. He opened his eyes and smiled, it was as though he hadn't seen her in years. Such a wonderful smile, she wanted to capture it on film and hold onto it for as long as she could. "Good morning," he greeted as his chin rested on her chest, his stubble prickled a little. "Good morning," she replied as she slowly caressed his face.

"So you were the one petting me," he commented as he looked at her, those gorgeous green eyes didn't leave her face. He looked more like a model than a CEO, noble features, beautifully colored eyes and proportions which knocked a woman out. He was the real deal, and she felt so odd around him. "What are you thinking about?" he asked as he slowly rolled off of her and leaned on one of his elbows. She got an eye full of his chest and realized he wasn't wearing anything, he was stark naked in bed with her. A blush crept up to her cheeks as she thought about what they did the night before. "I see you're reminiscing about our beautiful act from the night before," he commented as he stroked her cheek, his touch was tender and sweet. She paused and remembered what had occurred the last time she was in this position, with Rin. She slowly got up and held her head in her hands, "I'm so stupid, I'm going to take a shower and then I'll be out of your hair," she said quickly as she got out of bed and made a beeline for the bathroom. She was about to open the door only for it to slam shut and a large hand to be in front of her face. "Why?" he asked, "Why did you say it was stupid?" His voice was dark and filled with a dose of sadness.

Alex turned to him and smiled, "Simple, you probably have a fiancée, you should call her," she replied. Inside she was on the verge of tears; she didn't want to feel that pain again, not after Rin. His gaze softened as he slowly lifted her chin, "Who said I was engaged?" he asked curiously. She paused and looked up at him, a smile formed on his face as he gently leaned in and kissed her. His lips were just as hot and soft as they had been the night before, they moved slowly, tenderly and seemed ever so gentle. He pulled back and gently shipped his hand into her hair, "I'm not engaged, there is no one except my secretary to call and several attorneys," he responded. He pulled away and reached for a pair of boxers, apparently it was only then that he realized he was standing before her without a stitch on his person. She giggled as he slipped into his boxers, "Why the attorneys?" she asked after a moment.

Kei hummed as he pulled them up and looked at her, "Simple, I promised I would help Claude, with or without the sex. This is the way that I can," he stated. Alex stared, she hadn't expected him to say that, to say that he would help her. "You will?" she asked as she gaped at him. He nodded as he walked over to her and kissed the top of her head, "Of course, Alexandra I am a man of my word," he stated. She grinned with delight as she wrapped her arms around him, "Thank you, Kei," she breathed. Perhaps now they had a fighting chance, Kei hummed as he wrapped his arms around her. "Alexandra, other than Sebastian and Claude, has there been anyone else to protect you?" he asked after a moment.

Kei watched as she pulled away, there was a look of sadness on her face, it was as though she had been abandoned in the rain. "No," she responded softly before shivering. This hurt him, he didn't like the fact that this beautiful rose was so busy protecting herself with her thorns that she never had the change to bloom. He smiled as he opened the bathroom door and asked, "Shall we bathe together?" He watched a delicious blush spread across her cheeks as she nodded. "The phone call can wait, let's get you warm," he whispered as he followed her into the hotel bathroom.

The morning was quiet at Shadowpont, it was different without Claude, lonesome and sad. The emptiness was slowly eating away at Sebastian; he had locked Claude's office and threw everything which reminded him of the golden eyed spider into a closet. He couldn't bear to look at it. To see what was left of the man he loved and trusted, he had his tome again, but that didn't change the fact that Claude had committed a crime against him. Lucifer had stayed the night and was now sitting in the kitchen, "Finished?" he asked slowly as he looked up from the paper he had gotten that morning, along with groceries. Sebastian had only woken at 1 pm, "Yes," responded the raven as he took a seat on the stool across from his father and looked at his hands. Every room had a memory of Claude, it had been their home for over a century. Joy, smiles and laughter were now sour memories, "Dad, I know I have a company to run, but did it hurt like this when mom betrayed you?" he asked after a moment.

Lucifer folded the paper and looked at Sebastian, it was clear he was attempting to come up with a way to explain what had happened between his wife and himself. "No," he finally responded, "it did not." The words were cold and distant, which made Sebastian looked up at his father. They sounded nothing like the words of affection that fell from his lips not too long ago. "I knew she would betray me, she married me for my position," he responded, as he looked at Sebastian face, "Never for my affection." He sighed as he moved the paper out of the way and looked at him, "It was different for us, we married out of necessity, at one time we satisfied each other sexually. But, that was long ago, she had a number of mates which I wasn't supposed to know about," he stated. There was a moment of silence, adultery was nothing new to a demon it was a reoccurring thing which many mates accepted. However, to have the demon lord's wife guilty of this was different, "Sure I beheaded her first lover, but eventually it became a nuisance, so I ignored it," he stated as he tilted his head to the side and looked at his hands.

"I was happy the day she told me she was pregnant with you," he commented, "ecstatic actually." Sebastian stared at his father, he knew his father loved him in the past, there were very few instances where this affection was displayed, though. His father swept one of his long black hairs behind his ear and continued, "I thought that even if she didn't love me, that you would. She wanted to terminate you before birth. I wouldn't allow it. I wanted you and promised to allow her all the lovers she desired as long as she had you." Sebastian's eyes widened, that explained his mother's cruelty toward him, she was forced into having him. Lucifer drew a deep breath and looked at Sebastian, "You were one of the greatest gifts to me, I tried to protect you from her when she fell into depression. Yet, there were times I could not. When I heard of a butler who had treated your wounds and worked to keep your mother away, I wasn't sure what to do," he confessed. Sebastian felt as though he were looking at a very different person, one which was soft and affectionate. The polar opposite of what the king of hell was supposed to be. A side of his father he had only seen when he played violin. "He was the same one you had picked up off the street and brought to the palace. I was alarmed at first until I realized that he could protect you when I couldn't. So I assigned him to you. I never knew that you would fall in love with him. I was ashamed and embarrassed that I wasn't there to guide you to a woman," he paused, his crimson eyes met Sebastian's, "however, I knew I messed up when a decade had passed and never heard from my son. That night when you asked me to save him, I knew he was the one who brought that smile to your face."

There was silence in the room; all the things which had not been said were now out. Those days when Sebastian questioned whether he should even attempt to live, if there was someone out there other than Claude who loved him. "Shouldn't you run and see the other person who brightens your day?" asked Lucifer after a moment. Sebastian was still for a moment and suddenly realized he meant Alex. He nodded before slipping into his blazer and heading for the door, "Another morning, it's just another morning," he whispered as he walked through the foyer and collected his things from the triplets. Sebastian looked strong but inside he was breaking without Claude's support. He had to walk this alone, "No I have Alex as well," he breathed. Somehow having her at his side he felt comfortable again. Soothed, it was unusual; Ciel had made him feel on edge. He was always looking over his shoulder to ensure he acted human enough, while as with Alex he didn't have to worry. He sighed and realized he was over thinking things once again, yet oddly in the back of his mind he knew he may have to contract her. He didn't want to, he couldn't he had grown too attached to her. Every part of his being was at war with its self as he attempted to understand what his relationship was to her.

Lucifer watched his son vanish before picking up his mobile and calling one of five numbers in the phone. In two rings there was a response and he chuckled, "Lau Fan, I was wondering what you could tell me about the activity of angels," he stated. There was a pause and he could hear the giggling of stoned girls in the background, this man was very much like his ancestor who ran the opium dens in London. "How many times must I ask you to call me Lau?" he asked after a moment, he could hear the distant jingle of the girl he always had with him. "I apologize, Lau. I'm looking for someone who's been buying a lot of stock from Sterling," he stated after a moment. He had spent the morning reading the news paper and figuring out how humans worked companies. It was complicate and made him confused some times. He had seen demonic contracts which were easier to follow, and they were the masters of law. He had a new-found respect for Claude who attempted to make this mess into something coherent.

"Ah, there isn't much going on here in Hong Kong, however, Kei's rise to power hasn't gone unnoticed," he commented. Lucifer sighed and rubbed his temples, Kei was Sterling's only decadent, which meant he had a great deal of power. Now the question seemed to be if he could wield it like his father had, that same iron fist which made demons obey. He had little to no interest in the way Sterling handled things, in fact half the time the man even broke demonic law. "It appears that an unknown user has hacked systems and reeking havoc, I was tracking their IP when it vanished. However they left a mess in their wake, someone is attempting to bring down Sterling's empire as well as Sebastian's," Lau responded, Lucifer could hear the clicking of keys as the man went to work. It was ironic that the ancestor of one of London's most powerful Chinese bosses and owners of Opium Dens was running around hacking and selling information.

"I heard an interesting roamer," commented Lau and Lucifer sighed, he knew he was in for it. Lau always had a priced. Lucifer waited for him to continue, "That Sebastian's tome was touched by the lamb. Does he realize what that will result in?" Lucifer slipped his hand through his hair and looked at the grain of the wood on the island, "No, he has no idea what I've done or who she is," he stated. There was a pause, he knew he should have never done this, yet he couldn't resist them. The Campbells were powerful, dark and made even demons worship them. "And does he know about her parents, that they aren't dead?" Lau pressed. In truth he didn't want to hear this from the Chinese man, he knew well enough that this was all going to collapse and end in pain. He was the one who had forged her fate in stone, "He knows that her father is alive, no one else does," he replied after a moment. Lucifer had known Lau and his family before Sebastian came in contact with his ancestor.

"Lucifer, Undertaker is attempting to keep a lid on this, but it will blow eventually. Zion is after you and Angela Blanc is assisting in every way she can to slaughter you," stated Lau, he heard the symphony of keys pause as the Chinese man leaned back in his leather chair. "She touched the tome and before that Sebastian could feel her, don't you think that he's going to realize what you have done and who is the reason behind her pain?" asked Lau after a moment. Lucifer's red eyes closed, he finally had his son again, the heir to all his power and now he was risking it all over something he had done so long ago. "I know what I am doing Lau, human's shouldn't meddle," he stated harshly before hanging up. He paused and looked at where his son had sat, he was beginning to question his moves now more than ever after watching Sebastian's relationship fall apart. "Secrets are what tear us apart," he whispered, "They tear us up until there is no truth left."