Pictures

Lucien stepped out of the bathroom after wetting himself with water. He stepped into the mirror to look at himself, who until now sometimes still finds it hard to believe that he is no longer human.

His phone rang, he was surprised when he saw Ruby's name on the screen of his cellphone. He doesn't remember ever saving Ruby's cellphone number. But if the woman contacted him like this, of course it was because there was a specific purpose.

"Hello?"

"Good afternoon, Mr. Levi. Sorry to interrupt!" Ruby said in a nervous voice.

For some reason Lucien felt a little happy that Ruby called him first. It made him think back to the first moments they were close before finally deciding to live together.

"You need anything?" Lucien immediately asked about Ruby's need to call him and that made Ruby remember the figure of Lucien who knew her.

In the past, after Lucien saved her from the men who wanted to rape her, Ruby always tried to thank and show her gratitude to Lucien for helping her.

He even came to the casino when Lucien was working just to deliver the cake he made. At that time, Lucien was very annoyed and annoyed that Ruby's attitude seemed tacky and embarrassing. But now he misses those moments.

"N-no, I just wanted to ask how you were. I suddenly thought of you after I met Miss Seraphina at the shopping center."

"Seraphina?"

"Yes, we talked in the cafe and he told me a lot about you. I'm sorry about what happened to you. I'm sure you are a good man and you will definitely meet a good woman soon." He said sincerely.

Lucien tried to digest what Ruby really meant. But when he heard that Sofia had told Ruby about herself, it annoyed him.

"What did he say to you? And how can you two talk to each other like that?"

"Not much! He just told me about how you two used to be lovers before you separated for years and you married a woman who eventually betrayed you and left with another man. We met by accident, but I met her once in casino when you played a while ago."

"Oh, I see?"

"A-are you mad, Mister Levi? Is something wrong?"

"No! There's nothing wrong. I'm glad it looks like you two can become friends!"

"Are you in a relationship with him again now?"

"Hmm?"

"S-sorry for being presumptuous! I shouldn't have asked such a thing. I'm sorry!" Ruby immediately corrected her sentence after she boldly asked about Lucien and Sofia's relationship

Lucien could feel a hidden anxiety from Ruby who seemed to be starting to get curious about the figure of 'Levi Mayr' the man who made love to her a few days ago.

Women are always curious about men who have given them sexual satisfaction and look forward to meeting them and getting to know them better.

Four years ago, Ruby's wish to be close to him was a form of reciprocation because Lucien had helped her. He tried to pay attention to Lucien, even though Lucien always refused the attention he gave and often showed a cold attitude towards him.

It was Ruby who fell in love with him first so that she tried very hard to melt Lucien's frozen heart. There were times when Lucien purposely pointed out that he had slept with several women to get Ruby away from him. But Ruby persisted in her stance and it made her feel very upset.

However, what did he expect from the figure of Levi Mayr who never saved his life? What made her fall in love with this man?

"Ruby, do you want to see me this afternoon?"

Lucien realized something he shouldn't have done like he had done in the past, namely rejecting Ruby. He didn't want to repeat things like that again because right now his goal wasn't to make this woman fall in love with him again. But how can he infiltrate deeper into Victor's life and destroy it. Just like how Victor ruined his life, by using Ruby.

Ruby is surprised that Lucien asked her to meet. It felt too sudden because at first he just wanted to be close enough to her. But for some reason he was reluctant to refuse, his feelings were so strong for the figure of 'Levi' that he didn't want to ignore him.

"I-I don't mind, but it was so sudden. So-"

"You don't want?" Lucien didn't want to mince words. He wanted Ruby to decide quickly.

"A-alright! Meet up where?"

"In my apartment!"

"Your apartment?"

"I'll cook dinner for you, if you don't mind we can talk. I have a lot of free time tonight, want to accompany me?"

Lucien's face-to-face invitation made Ruby extremely nervous. He didn't know how he could go to see Lucien at his apartment without telling Victor? Victor probably wouldn't allow it if he asked him to.

Ruby was getting restless, she knew Lucien was waiting for her answer. But he couldn't decide quickly without considering Victor.

"You refuse?"

"N-no! Fine, I'll come this afternoon. Tell me your apartment address on the message. I'll come!"

"Are you sure? Can you just leave without your lover's permission?"

"I'll go even without his permission! All right, see you this afternoon?"

"See you? I'll be waiting for you, Ruby!"

***

Lucien smiled when he saw Ruby actually came according to his promise even though it was a little late. He asked Ruby to come in so they could chat inside.

"I'm surprised you actually came! I thought you'd text and cancel! Have a seat!"

"I said I would come, didn't I? What a nice apartment. Do you live alone?"

"Yes, I live alone!"

"Miss Seraphina?"

"He doesn't live here! I'll get you a drink. What would you like to drink? Wine? Champagne?"

"Tea if you have any!"

"Tea? Ok, I'll be right back!"

Five minutes later, Lucien returned to the living room with a tray of two cups of black tea and set them on the table.

"Please drink! You don't like alcohol?"

"Not really, I just rarely drink it! Thanks for the tea!" he said. Ruby tried to contain her nervousness at this time.

She was in an apartment with a man who looked so much like her husband who had disappeared. No matter how hard he tried to deny that they were not the same person. Still, her heart couldn't lie, she still hoped that the man who was near her at this time was Lucien, her husband.

"What if one day he returns to you but you are already living with another man? What will you tell him?"

He thought back to the question Sofia asked him this afternoon when they were chatting in the cafe. That made him start thinking about the possibility. Lucien had been missing for a year and the police said that it was most likely that Lucien had been killed by a professional hit man and his body was buried somewhere.

Although there is not enough evidence yet, the only suspicion that shows what happened to Lucien that day is kidnapping. Never saw pieces of CCTV footage on several streets showing how a black car followed his motorbike from behind. Although there is no suspicious movement throughout the recording, the car is the only thing that suspects.

All kinds of ways have been done by the police to investigate the mysterious car, but still to no avail. The car was never found even the license plate was declared fake.

"Is it possible he will come back to me?"

"What?"

Ruby suddenly muttered about what she just thought. A possibility that a few months ago for him was just an empty hope. But now that hope suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"Sorry, I mumble!"

"Are you thinking about something? You look depressed? If you feel uncomfortable, don't push yourself. You can come home any time!"

"You want me to go?"

"I don't want to hold you back if you want to leave. But if you stay it will make me feel good."

"You know what? Until now I feel that you are someone I've always waited for. I'm sorry if you felt uncomfortable with my attitude at that time. But I can't deny that you look too much like my husband who disappeared one year ago-"

"Lucien Sanders?"

"Yes-"

"A year ago when I was still living in Canada, I had seen the news about him on TV and also on the internet. To be honest, I was also very surprised because the missing man was very similar to me. My friends even thought that I was a man who was declared lost by the American police. It took me a long time to be able to walk freely in a public place. Wait a minute!"

Lucien got up and walked to his room, a few minutes later he returned carrying a photo album and several documents such as passports, ID cards and driver's licenses.

"You can see it!" He said while showing his documents and photo albums to Ruby.

"Levi Anthony Mayr?"

Ruby read the name on Lucien's ID card, along with his Canadian passport and driver's license. All written Levi Antonius Mayr. Ruby's heart trembled, she began to feel hopeless again.

He opened a photo album which showed pictures of Lucien from childhood to adulthood, even a photo of his parents and family. But Lucien, whom Ruby knows, doesn't have any childhood photos let alone family photos because he lost his mother when he was five years old and he never met his father.

It seems that the life between Lucien and Levi is very much different in Ruby's eyes. Levi seems to have the perfect life. Rich father, beautiful mother and harmonious family. Something he knew Lucien never had. Even though he felt disappointed because of the evidence that was right in front of his eyes, on the one hand it made him feel sick for Lucien who seemed to have never been able to feel happiness in his life.

"What do you think?"

"I see, thank you for showing me all this!"

"That's why I invited you here! I wanted to show you that I am not the man you were looking for or waiting for. I have nothing to do with him."

"You're right! I understand, sorry for making you feel uncomfortable with my attitude that time. It's because-"

"No need to apologize! I'm glad you finally understand!"

"Yeah, I hope we can still be friends."

"You want to be friends with me?" He asked with a gentle smile. Seeing his smile made Ruby awkward.

Both Lucien and Levi that he knew, for him these two men were too charming. She didn't know how she could fall in love with a man with the same appearance so quickly.

"Would anyone be mad if we were friends?" she asked. He doesn't want to be too aggressive by not thinking about others.

"I'm single! Yes, I was married once. But within a few months my wife sold our house while I was away and when I came back I saw her with another man." He said while looking at Ruby with a cold face.

Ruby felt that what happened to Levi was very familiar to her. He couldn't say anything but to sit and listen.

"You must be very disappointed,"

"I felt so hurt that I really wanted to kill my wife and her new boyfriend who turned out to be someone I knew."

***