The Rise of Lucas

Chapter 74

The city outside the window appeared to reverberate with the busy rhythm of life, but behind the walls of Lucas's apartment, a heavy quiet crept. The events of the day had left him with a weight on his shoulders that felt insurmountable. As he closed the door behind him, the gentle click echoed like the last chapter of a narrative that had taken an unexpected turn.

Lucas strolled into the dimly lighted hall, the familiar surroundings now clothed in a gloomy tone. He slid into the sofa, the pillows apparently affording little relief. His memory repeated the scenes—the café, Isabella's worried countenance, the hurry in her leaving. The tacit tie that had characterized their relationship suddenly seemed like a frail thread, ready to unravel.

The weight of Isabella's reality, of her engagement to Trump and the intricacies that surrounded it, pressed down on Lucas like a thick cloud. It was a fact he hadn't expected, a discovery that had broken the fragile illusions he had created in his