Victor was going through some documents when Xander entered his office.
"Do you want something?" He asked without looking up.
"Yeah, well I just needed to talk about Lila's schooling."
"What about it? Is she not studying hard enough?"
"No, it's not like that but I thought it would be better if," Xander paused hesitantly.
"If?"
"If we get her enrolled in school again," Xander rambled it out in a breath.
"No," Victor firmly replied leaving no room for discussion but Xander was not giving up easily.
He wanted to do something for her and there was no way he was letting go the opportunity this easy.
"Homeschooling is doing her no good. And when we are at school, you guys are always busy with business. Don't you think she might feel lonely at home?"
"And don't you remember what happened that day she saw Daniel at school?"
"I still think that school is important."
"Her health is more important. And if you're so desperate to send her to school, I'll cancel the boy's scholarship and then you can happily take her to school."
"You can't do that. She'll hate you forever."
"She already hates me."
"There's still a chance of making up with her. But after you send away the only person she probably cares about right now, do you think she'll ever forgive you?"
"Those seizures are triggered. If she sees that boy again, she'll have go through everything again and I'm not letting that happen."
"Xavier and I, we both will be at school. We can make sure he stays away from her," Xander said, desperation evident in his voice. "Beside John is captured, I don't see any reason to keep her locked up inside this house."
"John is with us but the Russians are still out. Even if they have kept everything low for quite a while, we can't take any risk."
"That's bullshit. I still don't understand why we have to suffer for some old man's mistakes," Xander said dramatically throwing his hands in air.
"Those mistakes are the reason why we are here."
"We had to live away from her for ten years. And now you are saying that we are going to deprive our sister of a normal teenage life because of some pathetic lowlifes."
Victor thought for a moment. Of course, Xander had a point. But then it was Lila herself who was willing to be home-schooled.
"Did you forget that it was Lila who was willing to get out of school?"
"Yeah, I know. And it was Lila herself who had asked me to talk to you."
"Did she?" Victor asked suddenly interested in the whole ordeal. "Why?"
"As I said, she has to stay at home all day with nothing to do and no one to keep her company."
"But I've provided her with all other facilities."
"Facilities?" Xander scoffed. "Come on Vic, those things can get pretty boring after a while. She needs to go out."
Victor nodded his head slowly contemplating everything that his brother had said.
"Okay," He said after a while.
"Okay? Really?" Xander beamed. "Is it my persuasion skills are getting better or you have become a bit more understanding."
"I was always understanding. Now go away before I kick you out."
"Okay."
"But remember I'm not agreeing. I'll talk to Lila about it before saying yes. I need to know her views too."
"Just say yes already. Everyone knows you can never resist her demands."
"I guess you want to be kicked out."
"Okay, okay, I'm leaving."
Saying that he left Victor to read whatever file he was reading previously.
- l i l a -
Next day my mood for some unknown reason was amazing. I don't know if it was because of meeting Daniel again or the little conversation I had with Xander.
"Hey Damien, is Alaric coming today for the session?" I asked my brother who was busy cooking.
"He hasn't contacted yet. I'll give him a call in a while."
"Fine."
"By the way Victor was looking for you."
"Me?"
"Yeah, apparently there's something important to talk about."
"Where is he?"
"The usual," He answered laughing.
"Does he ever come out of his office?" I said shaking my head. "I guess I should leave before the devil comes here himself."
"Come in," Victor's loud voice came from his office even before I had the chance the knock.
"How did you that I was standing outside?" I asked entering his office.
"Xander informed me that you wanted to join school again. Any specific reason?" He said completely ignoring my previous question.
I just shrugged in response. I honestly had never imagined that Xander would act so quick. "I thought that staying at home would be interesting . Turns out I was wrong."
"Is that so or is it because you met a certain someone yesterday that made you so adamant on going back to the place you hate the most."
"H-How?"
"The restaurant you went to yesterday is one the many side businesses I own."
"You aren't going to do anything to him, are you?"
"When you came here, one of the rules you were told was 'no boys'. Since you've come here, you have been breaking all the rules, you swear, you talk back and you disrespect everyone. Just because I've been ignoring everything doesn't mean I'll ignore this too. I specifically asked you to stay away from that boy. "
"But he's not just any boy. Moreover the reason you asked me to stay away from him was because of the nightmares but see I didn't have any last night. I'm perfectly alright now."
"Still he can't be trusted."
"You're no one to decide that," I yelled standing up from my seat.
"Lower your voice Lila. And don't forget I'm your guardian. I decide what's right for you and what's wrong."
"I didn't ask for it. I didn't ask you to be my guardian. I'd been living a perfectly normal life without you all."
"A normal life? You mean where you were living under constant threat of a sociopath and were forced to change your name. Don't forget Lila, Daniel is his brother and he had been living with him for the past four years."
"But he's nothing like him," I shouted frustrated with the whole conversation. "He. . .he's my brother."
"He's not your brother Lila. We are. We know what's right for you. And the right thing thing for you right now is to stay away from that boy," Victor calmly replied. Not once during the argument he had once raised his voice. "Tell me Lila, when you'd first met John, did you expect him to turn out to be a sicko?"
I looked at him in disbelief.
Daniel was nothing like John. I used to live with him before he went to boarding and then we used to spend all the vacations together. I knew him very well.
But it was a waste to explain that Victor. It'll go in one of his ear and come out of the other. And at the end, he will only believe what he wants to.
"You are unbelievable," I stated. "And Daniel might not be my brother but he was more of a brother to me than you guys ever were."
I turned around to leave when his words stopped me.
"You're going to school tomorrow," He said. "But that doesn't mean you forget what I said earlier. When I ask you to stay away from the boy, I mean it."
I scoffed.
"Don't worry Victor. Just because you're doing what I wanted doesn't mean that I'll forget this conversation either."
And it looks like we were back to square one.
~