Red Princess

67. Step over to my side

I decided to head back inside as well and take a shower. It was the day Sey would get discharged finally.

Kaidon, Griffin and I were seated in a cafeteria right outside the hospital. Seydon had a couple more tests to complete before he could finally be released. Uncle Leander stayed with him while Alex accompanied Rihanna to her University for her registration for the new semester.

"Stop working and get yourself something to eat," I asked my brother, who sat there with his laptop, several bar charts and excel worksheets open on his screen. We had left early in the morning to pick Sey up, and when we learned it would take some time, we decided to pick up breakfast outside.

When he didn't respond to my words, I spoke up again in a stern voice, "Griffin."

"I heard you the first time." He absentmindedly waved his hand in the air, dismissing me. Kaidon looked up for a glance, his eyes still avoiding me, and then returned to his phone.

"Close it before I spill this lemonade on your keyboard," I threatened as I took a sip from my cup.

He continued typing without glancing at me and replied, "When have I ever not returned your favours, little sister?"

I flinched. Even though we were in our mid-twenties, we never missed an opportunity to pull each other's legs. Nothing had changed in the last five years. I didn't remember anything or anyone back then, but Griffin's annoying behaviour felt just like home. He never let me feel like an ill patient.

Griffin was not the head of the family yet since our father hadn't stepped down, but he was groomed to be one. He was trained in all our secret arts, in diplomacy, in management, in strategy and every other skill needed as the head. He was already handling the family business. On the surface, we worked as an investment group, having a stake in a multitude of fields, from technology to arts, food to heavy machinery. However, despite being blessed with a sharp mind, Griffin could never be convinced to dedicate himself to the business wholeheartedly. He loved to travel around. This was when father made a deal with him. He was required to work for a month, after which he was allowed a month off to travel.

When he continued to ignore me again, I decided to unleash the most potent weapon in my arsenal.

"Griffin, get your ass up and order some food before I call up mom and let her deal with you."

As soon as the words left my mouth, he shut his laptop screen and bounced up from his chair. He pushed it aside and gave a playful tug to my ponytail before heading off to the main counter.

I glanced down at my phone to check my texts. There was one from a teacher of the Academy. She was the homeroom teacher of the daughter of the man who had died earlier. Just like Kaidon had said, I couldn't get the man out of my mind, so I decided to be the "daddy-long-legs" for his child. The academy sponsored all kids' education and daily needs, but I wanted her to have a little more. I wanted her to receive presents on her birthday, cards on New Year, new stationery when she graduated a grade, and new clothes for a field trip. Most of all, I wanted her to have someone she could boast to about everything she achieved. I couldn't make up for everything she would be missing, but this was the least I could do.

I smiled when I read she loved the watch I got for her. Her teacher relayed her thank you to me. In her eyes, I was an old friend of her father's who lived overseas.

My eyes then darted to Kaidon's plate, which had a half-eaten omelette lying on it. He seemed too occupied with his phone to take another bite. I was tempted to throw a sassy remark at him for wasting his food, but then I decided otherwise. It already seemed like I had done something to piss him off, and I didn't want to go around making it worse.