The Outsider (Outsider #1) ✔️

Chapter 149 : Shanit Lidwig

Another 3 weeks had passed since Dusk returned to Ci'gazze.

A new pattern had formed in their lives. At 7 each day, Catherine, Dusk and Dawn went to the Parade Grounds for Military Training. Much to Dawn's horror, the Marshall had sent instructions to the Military Trainers in Uni-Viva stating that Dawn Hale's abilities, strength and stamina were at atrocious levels, unbecoming for a companion of Princess Catherine and Dusk Hale. Therefore, she was to be inducted into the Military Training exercises for 2 hours each morning as a Civilian Volunteer.

The training ended at 9 am and they rushed back to Apartment 285 for a quick shower. Lady Crystala had sent a permanent maid to the apartment, in spite of Dusk's protests. Therefore, at least they had breakfast ready for them.

Both Dusk and Catherine then ran off to the Academic Cluster for their classes and Imperial Security picked up Dawn and left her at Tech Morning Star Building. There she worked either with Arora or Susco for the entire day. Mostly, they sent her to Victor, who was never short of work for her.

On 4 occasions in those 3 weeks, Victor had sent her for inspection of subsidiaries of DHH, either to check physical status or to verify some financial matters. On all the occasions, she found discrepancies in the records as Victor expected her to find, and he seemed very happy with result.

Unknown to Dusk, their mother had contacted Dawn a number of times to check whether she and her sister were fine. Once she had come to Ci'gazze to meet Dawn at a time when Dusk was at the university. She did not interfere with her work or try to persuade her for anything. With Susco's approval, Dawn took her mother to lunch at one of the nearby malls and then she dropped her at the Maglev Station.

Dusk and Catharine would come to Tech Morning Star around 4 pm and they would work till 9 in the night. Catherine was now in charge of the newer interns, including those that had come from the Rojes family. She had started slowly moving into a new role to assist Susco and relieve some of her burden.

Most nights at 9, Luke would drop into the office and whisk Dusk away for dinner. Sometimes he asked others to join, otherwise Rosemary took Susco, Dawn and Catherine for dinner before dropping them home. On few occasions that Rosemary was busy, Susco took the teens to dinner.

Luke and Dusk were together every night of those 3 weeks. But Dusk could not figure out where Luke went after she left for Military Training. He was rarely there for breakfast with them. He did not use Tech Morning Star building, nor the office of Luke Jones AJP or even Micro-Mega. But he was back at night to take her from work.

At times, Dusk wondered if married life would be like that... Being picked up every night by your husband, dinner somewhere talking of what happened all day when they were not together, followed by intimate bedtime. Was it like they were in a rut? Definitely not, because it did not feel like a rut.

On that particular day, Luke informed Dusk that he had some work in Regis and would not be able to pick her up from office. And he would not be at the apartment at night. He would try to return the next day, or if not, definitely the following day.

"Ah! Today is the Ball being hosted by the Earl of Chargin. I was invited, but I managed to avoid it. I think dad is unhappy. But I told him Scarlet needed my help. And it was either the Ball or Jet Fighters for Uncle Sunjune. Scarlet, you better not expose me." Rosemary said.

"But why will a ball affect Luke? He never attends Balls. You are mixing up things." Dusk countered.

"Whatever..." Rosemary pretended to be unconcerned. "How about dinner plans? Shall we ask Dawn to make something at home then? The maid can help, but she is no chef!"