~ Past separated them, now pain will bring them together.~
A teenager Sofia Hayden, experiencing her falling apart family isolated herself slowly from everything that she held dear, especially from her best friend Max Wilder who had just realized hi...
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"Dinner is served, grampa, come to the table."
Sofia's voice seemed to startle the old man out of a world full of thoughts. She noticed with worry as he blinked open his eyes, looking quite tired reclined there in his armchair.
"I'm not hungry, Sofia."
Sofia walked in the semi dark room of his grandfather more concerned than before. "What is it, grampa? Are you not feeling well? Do I need to call an ambulance?"
Grampa smiled but she could tell it was forced. "No, I'm quite alright. Go, have dinner and then come back here. I need to talk to you about something very important."
And Sofia knew by heart that something terrible would at last come out of this talk. She could very well sense that, it was that much palpable in the suffocating air of the room.
"I don't feel like eating as well. Had a little bit too much snacks in the diner earlier." she said, walking closer to him. She sat down on a rickety old chair just a couple feet away and to the left of his armchair.
Grampa just stayed quiet.
"Is it about aunt Marla? You know, I've already enrolled her in the rehab, she won't have to stay over there though, that will be a bit... ah... costly," she said uncomfortably, ashamed that she could not provide the needed money. "Aunt Marla's going to be in their outpatient course. She will have to go over there to the center to attend counseling every evening."
"That sounds pretty good," grampa said, sighing. "But it's not about Marla."
Somehow, Sofia could already guess, it was far more life-altering whatever it was.
--
After the meeting ended, except Max and Neil all the other people shuffled out of the room. They waited patiently to know the reason why the senior Wilder, Robert, had asked them to stay back.
Robert Wilder had his eyes set on the files before him as he flipped one file after another in furious speed.
"Neil," Robert said glancing up. "You and Max will be working on the Concord builder's case. It's going to be hard because we've next to no evidence to break their defenses."
While Neil said a firm and confident, "okay," Max sat up straight in alarm.
"But the next hearing of this case is after about two weeks, dad."
"Yeah, I know." Robert muttered uncaringly. "So?"
Max frowned. "I'm going back to London by the end of next week. Obviously, I won't be able to help you on this case."
Sighing, Robert straightened from his slouched position and leaned back against the leather chair. "I've already told you, Max, that I want you to settle down here in Asthel. You're not going anywhere."
