In the glass's reflection, a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind, pressing against his waist and stomach.
The warmth of her touch seeped through the fabric.
Cate rested her cheek against Lucian's back, her pale blonde hair spilling over his shoulders.
"What are you thinking about?"
Lucian turned around. Cate's complexion was much rosier than it had been at Godolkin, and most of the gloom lingering around her eyes had faded.
Lucian reached out and brushed the stray hair off her forehead.
"Now that you've had a chance to recover, how about we pick out a house?"
Cate tilted her head up, her eyes gradually widening.
"We need a home, after all." Lucian looked into her eyes. "I hardly ever go to my room in Vought Tower myself. You won't be living at school anymore, either. We need somewhere to stay."
Home.
Ever since her powers had gone out of control at nine and accidentally hurt her younger brother, prompting her parents to force gloves onto her hands, she had never experienced the warmth of home again.
Now, Lucian was putting that word back into her life.
Cate bit her lower lip, her eyes glistening, and nodded hard.
Lucian took out his phone and called Ashley.
It rang seven or eight times before she answered.
In the office at the top of Vought Tower.
Ashley was hammering frantically at her keyboard in front of her computer. On the screen, Vought International's stock price was plunging straight down.
Online opinion had spiraled completely out of control. Topics such as "Stormfront is a Nazi," "Vought International shelters a war criminal," and "Homelander massacres civilians" dominated the top trending spots on every social media platform.
The office door swung open, and the head of public relations rushed in, drenched in sweat.