Royally Kissed | ✓

17; the brothers

—seventeen—

the brothers

OWEN CALLED HIS assistant to take over for awhile at work that Sunday morning, as he would tend to Paige since it was the day of her surgery. Had he not been off work last Friday, he could've gotten so for today to watch over Paige for hours longer.

If he were being honest, being a manager wasn't the right fit for him, considering that he wasn't inclined with the hotel operations, to begin with.

Well, sex operating in the hotel was far more suited to him. But that was beside the point.

But his parents, his father particularly, thought he'd reached a critical point in his life where he sorely needed to get his shit together. It was as if that would rather absolve him from all the fuckery he did in the past. He was no changed man−not even close, but he was already in the midst of his adulthood that he realized he had to man up.

Senator Mike Callaghan had talked with Isolde of him taking office into any of the Cadwyn's business organizations, only to appoint him as the new manager of the Hawthorne Avenue's branch of Manor.

It was better, though, having to manage The Manor Hotel, one of the twenty-two branches from this country alone, rather than being involved in politics. He'd been practically labeled as Senator Callaghan's pratfall and the thought of him following his father and brother's shadow would make him seem like a practical joke.

Besides, he'd eased into the position which didn't even take six months or so, thinking that it was a lot less unsweet than engaging in politics alone. And even if simply being a manager of a hotel didn't appear him to be someone as daunting as he'd like to be portrayed, it was better than nothing.

Although it was rather cute of him hanging out with his buddies who were executives while some were running their own large-scale businesses. The good thing was, most of them were his long-time friends and they never made him feel like he was under the heels of any of them.

Ending the call, Owen tossed his phone to the passenger's seat, wheeling the car to the right, the outlines of the hospital just meters off brushing against the blue skies.

It didn't take him long enough to get to Paige. The Cadwyns were already there by seven-thirty in the morning; Paige had finally gathered the courage to give notice to everyone at home the night before.

"Where's she?" he asked one of the guards who was stood outside her hospital room as soon as he got there, not quite able to hold back the urgency in his voice. The man gestured inside. There was no second wasted; he rushed to her bed, hardly caring about niceties, seeing that Isolde and Paige's parents were there. "Hey, how're you feeling?"

Barely restraining the pain, Paige's face crumpled but made an attempt to tug up a smile. "Not so good but I'd be kicking your ass once I'm released."

Owen heaved a quiet laugh. "Did you follow Doc's orders?"

"We made sure she ate the right foods yesterday before fasting," Isobel, Paige's mother, answered for her, sitting on the other side of the bed next to her daughter. "I would've tell her off when we learned she's been feeling sick lately−but it doesn't matter now, does it?"

While Isolde stayed as passive as she ever was and simply eased back into the lush royal blue settee at the corner, Vincent, Paige's dad, let out a gargantuan sigh, a look of equal worry flooding down his face.

Owen gave off a tight smile. Not rueful. Not quite sad, either. Mr Singh taught him how to manage his emotions and it wouldn't help if he'd let his worries get the best of him. "She's going to be fine, Isobel. She's one of the strongest people I know."