ASTRID closed the door to his apartment and sank onto the couch. Xiao Lan hopped onto his lap and greeted him. He stroked the catās soft fur while opening his Terminal to check the messages heād missed during his busy day.
The first thing that caught his attention was a message from Reas. He clicked it open and began to read.
[Aster, I wonāt be home tonight. Iāll be staying at Laurenās place. If all goes well, I might just head straight to school from here.]
Astrid raised a brow as he read the message. He knew Reas was meeting Lauren today, but he didnāt expect it would end with him staying at Laurenās place. And āif all goes wellā? Was Reas suggesting that things might take a moreā¦ personal turn?
Was their relationship already at that stage? Astrid shook his head. It didnāt matter either way. They were both consenting adults and free to handle their relationship however they wanted. Even if Reas was technically still a teenager, he carried himself with a maturity that often surpassed those older than him. Besides, if it came down to it, Astrid had no doubt that between Reas and Lauren, it would be the latter who was ābulliedāāregardless of their position in bed.
So, he simply responded to his brotherās message with a casual, [Have fun! ^_^].
The next message was from Kiran.
[Aster, Iāve decided to sign with Mr. Atkinsā agency. Miss Rose asked her lawyer friend to review the contract with me, and there were no issues at all. In fact, the lawyer said itās very advantageous for me. Mr. Atkins mentioned that heāll assign an agent to handle everything related to my career, so I can focus entirely on creating music. Iām really excited to start this new chapter of my life!]
Astrid felt genuinely happy for Kiran. Knowing Kiranās reluctance to be in the spotlight, it was a relief to see him embrace an opportunity that allowed him to focus on what he truly lovedāmaking music. There was something deeply satisfying about being able to make a living doing what you love. He could only hope that Shir Atkins would prove worthy of the trust Kiran was placing in him.
He typed back with a smile: [Thatās amazing, Kiran. Iām really happy for you. Just let me know if you ever need help or advice. Iām rooting for you!]
The next messages were from his uncles and Nicol. Thomasā message was straightforward, asking how he was and checking in as usual. Caseyās, on the other hand, was more casual, venting about mistakes his employees at EMMA had made. Nicolās message was lighthearted, narrating his day and asking when they could meet again. Astrid took his time replying to each message one by one.
Next, he opened his motherās message. It began with the usual questions about how he was doing, followed by an update about his grandfather.
[Would you believe it? Your grandfather is actually taking to farm lifeāand doing it well, no less. Itās like heās been at it his whole life. Heās even gone and made friends with the other farmers. Honestly, Iām not sure how to feel about it.]
Attached to the message was a picture of his grandfather, standing in the middle of the field, a snall smile on his face as he worked under the sun.
It was understandable that his mother felt conflicted about his grandfather being there. While she had chosen to forgive him, that didnāt mean she could simply forget everything that had happened. A part of her was likely still angry over the past. But forgiveness had been her way of moving forward with her life. Still, as the saying went, forgiving was one thingāforgetting was something else entirely.
Well, if his grandfather really wanted to be a part of his motherās life again, heād have to work hard to prove he deserved it.
Astrid replied: [It sounds like heās settling in. How are you holding up with all this, Mom?]
He didnāt get an immediate reply, so his mother was probably asleep. With that in mind, he moved on to the next message, or rather, several messages, which were all from Wulfric.
[Good morning, Aster! Have you had breakfast?]
[You mentioned youād be observing auditions for your next film today, right? Donāt overwork yourself, and make sure you eat on time.] Enjoy more content from empire
[Are you busy? Of course, you must be. If you werenāt, youād have replied to me by now.]
[You still havenāt read any of my messages. Is everything okay?]
[Are you still at the auditions?]
[It must be evening already in the capital, and youāre still at the auditions?]
[You really should ask that director for a raiseāheās making you do work overtime!]
[Aster, please tell me youāve eaten dinner. Donāt forget to eat, okay?]
[Asterā¦]
[I miss you.]
Astrid chuckled softly as he read through the messages. It felt like something a clingy boyfriend might send, yet instead of finding it annoying, he found it oddly endearing.
It was definitely because they were from Wulfric. If anyone else had sent messages like this, he might have found them overbearing or even irritating. But coming from Wulfric, they felt different. There was a sincerity to them, a warmth that made Astrid smile instead of roll his eyes. It wasnāt just the wordsāit was knowing they came from someone who genuinely cared for him.
He resisted the urge to call Wulfric, knowing exactly how the conversation would go. Theyād start talking about something simple, and before he knew it, hours would have passed. As much as he enjoyed their conversations, he couldnāt let that happen tonight. There was another audition tomorrow, and he needed to get a full nightās rest to be at his best for it.
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So, he could only reply to his messages.
[Donāt worry, I ate on time. And Iām not overworked, just busy with the auditions earlier. Iām already back at my apartment and about to get some rest. Stop stressing so much. Iām fine. (..āį“ā..)]
He looked at his reply, and then added.
[I miss you too.]
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