Rise Of The Orphaned Student: Eddie Is An Aviatux!

Chapter 7: The Meeting

Eddie was lost in the moment, swirling the expensive wine in his glass and gazing out at the city below that he didn't hear Damien speak.

The drink was unlike anything he’d ever tasted…smooth, rich, and refreshing in more ways than one.

His mind wandered, weaving fantasies of how his life could change from this day forward if he successfully landed a job in the hotel.

"I don't mind being a security guard in this place. The monthly pay for a security guard should be nothing less than a thousand dollars." He smiled as he thought to himself.

He didn’t hear the soft footsteps behind him or notice the door opening.

"Son," Damien repeated, his voice echoing through the room, jolting Eddie out of his thoughts.

The glass in Eddie’s hand trembled as he nearly dropped it. He turned abruptly to see Damien Aviatux standing a few steps away, flanked by three stern-faced men, their hands resting on their holstered guns.

Eddie’s breath caught in his throat as his eyes darted between Damien, the men, and the chair he was sitting in.

Realization hit him like a freight train…he was sitting in Damien's chair, sipping what was undoubtedly Damien's wine.

He shot to his feet so fast that he almost toppled the glass, his face flushed with panic.

"Sir… I.. I’m sorry! I didn’t know when you entered," Eddie stammered, his words tumbling over each other.

He quickly placed the glass on the table with shaky hands and took a step back. "I… I didn’t mean to sit in your chair or drink your wine. I’m so sorry, sir. Please forgive me."

Damien studied him for a moment, his piercing gaze unwavering.

The silence that followed was suffocating, and Eddie could feel the weight of the three armed men’s eyes boring into him.

To Eddie’s surprise, Damien’s lips curled into a faint smile. "Relax, son," he said, chuckling. "It’s just a chair, and it’s just wine. You can order some more if you want."

Eddie swallowed hard, still standing stiffly by the chair. "Thank you, sir. I… I didn’t mean any disrespect."

Damien walked over to the desk, his movements fluid and deliberate, and gestured for Eddie to sit back down.

"You’ll need to learn to be comfortable in seats like that if you want to succeed, Eddie," he said, his voice calm.

Eddie hesitated but nodded, lowering himself back into the chair cautiously, as though it might bite him.

Damien sat across from him, steepling his fingers as he leaned back in his chair. "Now, Are you sure you don't want more wine?" he began, his gaze locking onto Eddie’s, "because I would like to know where you got those bracelets on your wrists."

Eddie’s heart raced, stealing glances at the three men with the guns, fearing being shot from behind.

Damien noticed Eddie's hesitation and turned to the three guards, "Skarr, you all should go to stay at the entrance. I don't want any disturbance." He ordered and the four men bowed and left.

"Now, son. No one is here to shoot you." Damien turned his gaze back to Eddie. "Tell me where you got those bracelets, I would love to know."

Eddie shifted uncomfortably in his chair, glancing at his wrist where the bracelet rested. His mind was racing, trying to piece together what seemed like an innocent question but felt loaded with significance.

"I… I got it from…" Eddie began, his voice trembling, but he trailed off when his eyes locked onto Damien’s wrist.

"Gasp!"

Damien was leaning back, his hands resting on the armrests of his chair. On his wrist was a bracelet identical to Eddie’s.

The intricate design, the unique interwoven pattern of silver and green gemstones…it was unmistakably the same.

Eddie froze, his mouth slightly agape. "Sir… the bracelet…" he stammered, pointing hesitantly at Damien’s wrist. "It’s… it’s the same as mine."

Damien’s expression shifted slightly, a glimmer of acknowledgment flashing in his eyes. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk.

"Yes," Damien said, his voice calm but laced with a mysterious undertone. "We have the same bracelets on our wrists."

"See, Eddie. I really need you to tell me everything you know about this bracelet and yourself." Damien pestered, his countenance screaming restless.

Eddie nodded, not wishing to stress the aged man further. "Ever since I've grown as an adult and started recognizing things. I knew this bracelet on my wrist and I do not think I was being gifted the bracelet because… no one has spoken to me about it."

"Do you have any idea where your parents are? How did you become someone who grew up and lived in the Orphanage?." Damien asked, frowning interestedly as he clamped his fingers.

"Errmmm, sir. I’m sorry because I don’t really know much about that." Eddie replied. "Just that Lady Suzan, the nanny that took care of me when I was rescued from a car that fell off this bridge…. ermmm…. I seem to have forgotten the name of the bridge again."

Eddie smacked his head, trying to recollect the name of the bridge.

"The Uphalene bridge?" Damien interjected, interfering with Eddie's thoughts.

Eddie’s eyes widened in unbelievable shock as Damien muttered the name.

"Yes, that's the bridge! How did you know, sir? I'm starting to think you ran a test on my brain, sir. How could you get it correct when I've never spoken about it to anyone?" Eddie chucked, his mood contrasting Damien's.

Eddie noticed Damien's change of countenance and summoned the courage to ask him, "What's wrong, sir? I hope I didn't say anything wrong, sir. Please, forgive me, I didn't mean to."

"Did your nanny tell you the year it happened? Did she mention that it was 22 years ago?" Damien asked further, squinting his eyes at Eddie.

Eddie's heartbeat paused for a moment. Why does the richest man in the country know personal information such as that about him?

"Sir, did you get all this information from the Orphanage while I was being registered for the free scholarship your conglomerate offered." Eddie retorted, now starting to feel uneasy. "I didn't know you people had to take our personal infos without our permission."

"Just answer me, son. Did the nanny tell you that you were rescued, 22 years ago?" Damien repeated, his tone unwavering.

"Yeah," Eddie scoffed. "Everything the Orphanage told you about us is true."

Damien sighed heavily and stood from his chair, pacing slowly around the room. His movements were deliberate, his hands clasped behind his back as though trying to hold himself together.

Eddie's eyes followed him nervously, unsure of what was coming next.

Finally, Damien stopped in front of Eddie, towering over him. He leaned down slightly, his piercing gaze locking onto Eddie's confused eyes.

"We didn't take anything, Eddie," Damien began, his voice calm but filled with an unmistakable tension. "Not names, not personal details. The scholarships were granted anonymously through the Celestial Orphanage without any exchange of information. Zero records, son."

Eddie furrowed his brows, his unease growing. "Then how… How do you know so much about me, sir? It’s starting to scare me, for real," he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Damien let out a long, weary sigh and placed a hand on Eddie's shoulder. His touch was firm but tender.

"I'm your biological father, Eddie Aviatux," Damien said softly, his words carrying a weight that sounded like thunder clapbacks in Eddie's ears.