Elegance with Expense

56. Never Ending Damnation

'Can you please call me by my name?' After showing him a signal of gratitude, I made my request.

'I cannot.' He was short and blunt. 'Which topic are you looking over?'

'Financial approaches for economic stability within a welfare dependant culture.' I read over a few of the key terms again, then answered his question. 'Memorising it is quite simple, but applying and understanding is hard.'

'Your family went to Ivy League universities for their business master degrees, I'm sure they are willing to help you out.' He spoke, just as I heard the curved door being pushed out into a velvet carpeted staircase.

'They're always busy.' I mumbled just as I heard footsteps approaching from the front of the plane. 'Some are too old to understand.' 

'Please Alessa, don't offend me so early in the morning.' Santiano walked past me, sitting on the seat in front of me, glancing briefly over my work.

'Later on then?' I drowsily replied as I shuffled my topic sheet to the side, now focusing on structure.

'Which topic?' He tilted his chin up.

'I was on approaches. Now I'm on privatisations.' I muttered.

'The others studied Singapore, is that the same for you?' 

I nodded, turning the blank page to a highlighted one. 

'I see they haven't changed the curriculum.' Vince spoke.

'Why would they, the government embarked on a ten year privatisation process.'  

'Mhm, and what's the downfall of that?' Vince asked, making me wonder. Is he testing me?

'Public enterprises will continue to participate in business which disadvantage the economy.' 

'Why is it disadvantageous?' 

'Because private entrepreneurs are reluctant to venture in.' I sighed.

He raised his eyebrows at the quick firing answers. 'Well done.' He praised. 

My grandfather looked up from his newspaper and winked at me, nodding his head at the same time.

I looked up from all the work in front of me and leant back in my seat exasperated.

Vince was on his laptop, the other two indulged in an old times newspaper.

'Why have I got a bodyguard?' I suddenly blurted.

Vince looked up after a moment, as if expecting to hear this from me. He set his device on the empty seat next to him, as if getting ready to handle me. Surely what he says can't be that bad.

He then glanced behind me, suggesting that his icy eyes were locked on the young guard.

'You need one.' He minimally replied.

'You have already assigned me multiple, I haven't complained then. Are you trying to push a reaction out of me?' 

'Claude is someone you are going to be able to see at all time, because he will be with you at all times.' 

'You're joking?'

'No. It's for your safety.' He looked tired of this conversation already.

'There will rarely be a time when I'm completely out of danger. Adding unnecessary precautions will just overwhelm me, knowing that someone is always aware of my doings will just make me uncomfortable. Ever heard of demand characteristics? I won't be myself.' I huffed.

'Your concerns are understandable, but sometimes well-being is more important than comfort.' 

'And what do you know about comfort? Last time I checked, you are quite the sadist.' I silently referred to his involvement and management of illegal business and gang activity.