5.3.X

25♣︎♣︎

She is still his mother. It hurt to see her that way.

"I'm not causing a rift, mom. I worked for this to help dad", Daryian said with a tiny smile and Callix cut his eyes through him like he can see the future. "Dad's workers are not to be trusted so I tested them to see their loyalty"

"Bull. You've never done that before, so why now?"

"I'm a businessman, dad. I didn't do that before because I never worked with you directly but now..", Daryian shrugged lazily. "I'm getting 70% of the outcome of these apartments and the shopping mall. I have to get the best for the betterment of my company, no?"

Really convincing.

Callix knows how a businessman's mind works and that was really it. What his son just said, is how it works. "So?", he asked. His tone was doubtful and wary.

"So, dad, be rest assured that I will help with everything"

Callix laughed. He laughed. "Daryian, you must really think I'm a fool?"

Maybe. Just take the bait. Whether you are or not.

"You can't do something without getting something in return"

Daryian snapped his fingers together. "Who says I won't gain something?", his parents were flabbergasted. "70% of the profits for six months. That's all I need"

"No", Callix said.

Did he catch on?.

"That's a deal already between our companies. You lent us stocks for that. I'm talking about you taking care of everything like you just said. That's about a 19 billion worth. You can't spend that for free even if we are family"

As expected. My dad is smart.

"Let me invest in the apartment projects you own, personally"

A big weight was relieved off Callix. "Just that?. Really?"

"Yeah. Just that, Dad. I'm too kind right?"

You think.

"I'm sure you are", Callix shaded. He hugged his wife, patting her back. Brenda held him tight. Her son really had no ulterior motives.

Or so she thinks.

Daryian glanced at his daughter, chuckling to himself. "I'm so sorry you had to sit through that boring talk of stocks and investments", he smiled at her, taking the seat beside her.

"It's okay. I will work in the company one day"

Daryian was elated to hear that. "Definitely, princess. You will"

♧

Archie placed her long slim metal rod on Amelia's back and she straightened it immediately, not for once faltering in her catwalks.

She is a pro-model quite alright but it's been so long since she had to be on a runway. About a year and half?. Taking pictures, covering adverts and just looking pretty in them was a different thing altogether from walking on the runway in different dresses under the eyes of a crowd of prominent people.

Archie has helped a great deal these past 2 days in getting back her lost touch with her walks. They did a lot of practices in the company and decided to come over to Amelia's home and round it up there.

It was actually Archie's beautiful idea to put a practice runway room in the model's house and it has helped and saved them the stress of going to and fro to the company, greatly.

"Let's call it a wrap, Ami", Archie said, pushing her rod to a shorter size.

"Oooooh", Amelia drawled out. "That's a first, my lady", an amused smirk. "Are we this close..", she pinched her fingers together. "..To dropping formalities?"

"Were we ever formal?", Archie asked rhetorically, leaving the room first while Amelia cackled behind her. Archie smiled to herself. Yeah. She is going for it, to drop the invisible barriers between them.

Amelia walked out, wrapping her black locks quickly in a low bun. "Cola?", she asked, passing Archie.

"Iced, please" Archie requested.

Amelia nodded. Going behind the kitchen's counter, she opened the long fridge and brought out a big plastic can of Coca-Cola. Two glass mugs set. She filled them up, adding more of ice cubes in one. "Your order, ma'am", she placed the one with more ice in front of Archie.

She chuckled, wrapping her slender fingers around the handle. "Thank you", she took a sip. "Iced. Definitely"

Amelia laughed, drinking hers. Didn't she say iced?.

The house bell went off and the two ladies looked at each other.

"I will get it", Archie said, since she was not behind the counter. Amelia nodded, sipping more coke.

Archie raised the lid off the home camera. "Yeah, who is it?", she spoke into the voice intercom underneath it, when she saw no-one on the screen.

"Daryian"

Archie glanced behind. "Amy, do you know a Daryian?!"

Instead of an answer, Amelia rushed out. Her eyes big yet wide. "What?"

"Daryian is at the door". Archie looked at the camera again. A tall man with sharp defined features, full black curly hair, with black doe eyes stared at her. Archie bit back a gasp. She knows him. She has worked with Amelia for 10 years and she knows him. But..

"I will get it", Amelia said. She pressed a button, granting the person access. Daryian's blue sneakers showed first before his frame. He paused at Archie. The door shut, enclosing three of them.

Well, another person did answer his bell.

♣︎.♧.♣︎.

#Mirian.