He moved into where the main party was holding, where the elegant tables and chairs were arranged. Middle aged people talked in groups, very elegantly dressed so you could guess at once that they were rich. Most of the young people were in groups of two and three and their groups seemed clustered together to one side of the space from the supposed entrance.
“Oh, there's Mr. Wilde”, he spotted as his eyes moved slowly across the open space. He could see him with some elderly men of his age discussing in low volumes near the stage.
Alistair couldn't believe that he was in this very Voxx meeting - the first after twenty years of his parents’ death. What shocked him the most was his sharp memory of the faces - he could still tell and recognise the owners of some of the enterprises under the Voxx Group and some of his father's closest partners. As his eyes darted around, in search of a free seat, he hoped earnestly that no one would draw attention to him.
But how wrong he was.
“Isn't that Alistair Bane?” , was the first whisper he heard as he attempted to move towards the end of the space. He could feel the eyes of the head that turned to look at him and yes very much, could tell the expression they had on his face.
“Alistair Bane?”
“Alistair Bane, son of the owners of Voxx?”
The scoffs came almost together.
If Alistair thought that would be it, he was absolutely not prepared for what was coming.
“Didn't his parents abandon and betroth him?”
“His the one tying that poor girl down”
“Oh, poor thing. His parents couldn't even leave him the company”
“I heard he actually rejected the offer”
“Funny isn't it, he used to be something now he's nearly nothing”
Alistair's ears could burst with the numerous side talks, jeers and scoffs he was getting. He didn't even know how to handle. One part of him thought of fighting back but the other part just seized with undue anxiety, making it a load for him to even concentrate on getting to the empty seat at the extreme of the space. His mind gave different responses as he struggled to keep his ear from influencing his movement decisions. He bent his head, keeping his eyes to the ground thinking that would help. Without looking, he crashed into an incoming wine waiter.
“Woah”
Thanks to the waiters good grip, only a few glasses came off the tray. Alistair caught one.
“I'm so sorry sir”
“Keep your eyes up will you?” The waiter reprimanded as she walked away to where the bartender's space was.
“Just the kind of attention you were avoiding”
Now the whole place seemed to be boring into his past, present and future.
“Sorry, excuse me”, his quiet voice came, too loud for awkward silence that had rest on the crowd. Feeling to awkward, he stumbled and the contents of his wine glass spilled.
The sudden gasp in the crowd only made the situation worse.
For a moment, Alistair couldn't believe what he had done.
“Oh my God”
He quickly took out hisht
“I am so, so sorry sir. I…”
Before his sentence could end, Alistair received a hard slap across his face, almost sending him across the floor.
Another unified gasp was caught the silence
“Who let in this peasant of a boy here?! Huh? Who?!”, his uncle's voice thundered in the silent space.
“Peasant of a boy?”
“Oh my God! President sir, I am gravely sorry”, a certain lady said as she came running in. She ordered the boys with her to take off his coat.
“President? His uncle?”
“How did this happen?”, she whispered to one of the security guys near him. He pointed his hand to Alistair and the lady turned her head to see who it was.
Her expression couldn't have been more surprised. Without saying it, you could already guess what was on her mind.
“Alistair Bane?”
In a matter of seconds, another coat, that seemed to have been tailored specifically for him came.
“Don't just stand there! Get this thing out of my sight!”
“Uncle?”, Alistair said, his still voice loud enough in the cold silence. Charlie's eyes glared fiercely at him as if to say again - “How dare this peasant?”
“Where's the damned security?!”, Charlie said instead.
Security couldn't have been any faster as they came running into the scene.
“Uncle… Uncle Charlie.. it's me. Your nephew”
“Get this thing out of here!”, he declared, walking away angrily as he approached the inner room door near the raised platform.
The security approached Alistair but Alistair stepped back, not comprehending why his uncle didn't seem to want to acknowledge him.
“I'm Alistair Bane… I'm…”
“Sir, please.. you are going to have to follow us”, the security guys said, coming to either side of him.
“I’m Alistair Bane… don't…. Don't!”
“Sir…”
“Don't lay your freaking hands on me!”
Alistair resisted but that only made the situation worse. They grabbed him by his hands and he worthless tried to get away from their grip.
“Let me go! Let me go!”
They took him out and into the elevator. At the ground floor, he was thrown out of the hotel's gate.
“He's banned”, one of the security guys declared to the men at the gate.
“We shouldn't see him inside”
Kate clutched her small, fake gold plated purse, embarrassment washing over her as the murmurs grew louder, seeming to automatically switch their topic of discussion to the Wilde's.
“So much for adopting such a brat, Kate”, the lady besides her said. The lady was the wife of the director of Voxx Networks and Kate could have begged the ground to open up on her at that very moment.
Elara on the other hand was busy taking pictures with Glockeran Michelle and could have chosen to act like she didn't care if her group of friends didn't stop her to ask. Call them frenemies at that.
“Isn't that your betrothed husband Elara?”
“Claire please. Not today”
The others laughed lightly and Claire giggled because she knew she had done it on purpose.
“What? What's the harm in asking?”
“Nothing really, is there?”, Elara replied sarcastically.
“And how's our friend Caleb?”
Claire's mood suddenly dimmed. “I don't know what you are talking about”
“Oh I have pictures Claire”, she said, taking her phone up. Claire's face suddenly turned white with fear and shock and she tried to quickly cover up so the others wouldn't notice. Elara shifted closer to her.
“And you had better pray to God that I don't post them”, she whispered, walking away with an annoyed expression on her face. She put her phone to her ear, dialling her mother's number.
“Let's leave. I wanna go home”, Elara said dictactively.
“What do you mean honey? The event just star…”
“Hasn’t your little orphan boy disgraced you enough mother? Let's go before we become the headlines of tomorrow's news!”
She hung up rudely as she made her way to the elevator. She soon got to the car which had come round to the front of the building to pick them up.
“I shouldn't have to say it you dumb thing. Get out of the car! You couldn't have chosen another way to embarrass could you?!”
Alistair came down from the limousine and Elara got in, slamming the door shut without the chauffeur's help.
The car zoomed off and so did the Wilde's too. Kate's side eyes were enough to tell him that he'd probably have to take a cab to get home. He got outside the building premises, only for the rain to start drizzling. This, coupled with what awaited him at home, he probably considered this one of the worst days of his life.
Smack!
He hadn't even finished closing door as he walked in.
“What was that foolish stunt you pulled up at the Voxx meeting? Huh? What was that?!”, Mr. Wilde thundered, his voice echoing throughout the house.
“Everyday, you discover new ways to be more and more of a disgrace. Just look at the embarrassment you caused us! It's like you are cursed!”, Kate added, her words cutting through Alistair like a knife.
“I don't even what to do this anymore”, Elara said.
“Sign the papers”
Alistair looked at the document shoved into his hands. He was confused.“What… I.. I don't understand”“Sign the freaking papers, Alistair!”, Elara shouted, glaring angrily at him.“I don't understand, Elara. What.. are … are these divorce papers?”Smack! That was the third time he had been slapped in a row.“Have you suddenly lost your ability to read? Or is it your ability to comprehend that's the problem?” , Elara insulted, casting her wicked glares on him.But Alistair's mental faculties didn't want to comprehend at that moment. They were blank, they remained blank and that was how he wanted them to remain.“I have had a whole year. A whole year Alistair! A whole year of putting up with your… your stupidity! And… and … with the …. disgrace… and with the … the… Urghh!”, She shouted in frustration, tugging furiously at her hair.“You see what you are doing?! Do you see what this bastard has caused for this family, Gerald? And I warned you, didn't I? And you didn’t fulfil all the pla
“Alistair”, Nathan said, getting to his feet as soon as he saw him. He walked over more briskly than Alistair entered the room, engulfing him in a hug. Surprised but not shook, he slowly hugged back, memories flooding him all at once.“Nathan”, he said slowly, in a raspy, loud whisper.“It's been… so long”“Yeah like fifteen years”, Alistair said, disentangling from the hug.“Still can't believe it's you”“I….me neither”“Ahemm”, the lawyer's deep cough brought both young men to reality.“Oh… ummm.. sorry. Back to business please”, Nathan said as he unnecessarily adjusted his suit, leading Alistair to where the fairly long conference table was.“Take a seat please”, Nathan instructed as Regan walked up to pull out the chair.“Thanks”, Alistair said to Regan, taking his seat slowly.An awkward silence filled the room as Nathan signaled all the men in the room to leave, except Regan of course. Nathan cleared his throat, obviously a little nervous to start.“Umm… Mr. Alistair, this is y
“What’s the meaning of this Nathan? Huh? Why didn't you inform me that this was what this meeting was about?”“I’m sorry sir. I was only acting on Mr. Voxx final instructions.”“Mr Voxx is dead! And I adopted his son. I am closer than a next of kin. I should have been told about this!”The elevator doors swung open. Mr. Wilde stepped out angrily, headed for the building's exit door. The automatic doors slid open and Mr. Wilde came to out where his car was parked.“I want a copy of that contract document, Nathan”“I'm sorry Mr. Wilde but you don't get a copy. But you will get to sign in consent as a voluntary adoptive parent to Mr. Alistair's inheritance.”“I'm not asking you Nathan. That's an order. And if I don't get a copy, forget my signature being in that consent.”“Oh you will sign it Mr. Wilde”, Nathan said, his tone suddenly raspy and dangerous.“You have too much to risk. After all, isn't he still the bastard son in law of yours?”“What … what are you talking about?”Nathan sm
Alistair woke up rather too suddenly, his seemingly pleasant yet nightmare of a dream stirring his consciousness. For a moment, he was bewildered, stirring at the suite he was in, confused. The chandelier lights, though dimmed, seemed to bright for his eyes. He squinted, his realization first of his non-aching body.Moving around, his soon found the bathroom and washed his face. Then realization dawned him. The events of last night.Anyone who'd known him and witnessed the previous night could have given him an award for composure. Apparent composure though. No one knew or rather, he should say no one knew yet the things he already had set in motion in his imagination.But his sudden wealth had shook him. Even Nathan knew that at some point, he'd drop the nonchalant, indifferent attitude he was wearing. He was beyond awed. And the irony of events as well? Hadn't it been few moments away from his utter embarrassment and divorcement? A smug smile appeared on his face as he wondered the
“Good morning, Mr. Nathan”, his secretary greeted as he passed by her office.“Morning Kathy”She got up quickly, gathering her files as she attempted to catch up to him.“Sir…the…”, she stopped a little to adjust the files in her hand.“All our shareholders and partners, are they seated?”“Yes sir but …”“The directors of the Voxx groups?”“Ye..yes”, she said, distracted by the task of keeping the tipsy files in place.“But sir…”“And the Heads of departments?”“Yes sir. They are…”“Great”, Nathan said, as he took a turn to the left. He was about push the conference room door open when Kathy finally caught up to him to stop him“But sir…”, she said in a rather exhausted tone. A file slipped off the pile on her hand.“Yes Kathy?”“Mr. Charlie…”“What about him?”“He's arrived.”“Is he in?”“Yes”“Perfect”Kathy handed her boss his work phone.“Escort him to the conference room. Meeting starts in fifteen minutes”“Yes Boss”, Regan's deep-voiced reply came through the speaker. The call t
Alistair walked over to the large window in his office, watching the reflection of those behind instead of the breath taking view of the city below. The lower office staff were arranging the office, a silent yet stuffing activity for him. He wanted them to distract his thoughts, but they pretended not to notice him, a character they played out too well and so unknowingly, it seemed so normal.Back to the thoughts. He looked down, finally acknowledging the beautiful view of the city from his window. A speed boat breezed through and it seemed funny to Alistair how the big companies always had their headquarters situated on the island part of the city. Alistair blinked, and suddenly he could see the younger version of himself in the reflections instead of the cleaners. He could see himself walking, the awkward and unusual memories he had of his first day at his father's office.“Alistair”Till that day, he wondered if he was actually meant to have been there. His mother never took him any
“He's here sir”“You ******* dumbass, what do you mean he's here?”“De Capuedo”Charlie groaned inwardly. How the **** did the idiot get through security. And what the *** is he doing here?!“No, no, no. The ****!”The door swung open suddenly and all the guards were alert, gun raised up and bullet bulked, with their fingers to the trigger. For a moment there was suspense and Capuedo's men gave way for him to emerge.“Signore Charlie … He he he…”, Capuedo's croaky, Italian coated words waved through the tense room, his usual intimidating, Italian laughter following. Laughter that was never intended to induce happiness.“Now, this isn't so much of a warm welcome, is it? Ei? Come on now. Sorely, you can do better than this, Charlie”He moved to the couch at the center of the room, taking his seat as he occupied almost half of the curved sofa.Charlie snapped his fingers as a signal to his men to put their guns down as Capuedo simultaneously did the same with a wave of his own hand.“Wha
“Woah..”The slippery trunk handle slithered through her hand, hitting the ground rather gently than harshly. But not gentle enough for Mrs. Moore. As usual.“Layla!”“Oh .. sorry Mum”, Layla apologized rather too hastily, a distracted apology as her eyes seemed glued to the magnificent building in front of her. She could see the inside already through the glass or rather she could see through the glass that framed half of the building, living room upward.“Get the other things from the car, Layla”, her mother's strict tone lashed at her, snapping her mind out of captivation. Layla's small, quick feet went down the stairs.“Welcome Madam”, the doorman greeted Tricia as she stepped in.“Thank you.”He offered to take her bag from her but she declined.“Oh dear, that wouldn't be necessary”, she said, smiling kindly at him.“Thank you”“Yes ma'am”. He nodded in approval and dashed outside to help Layla.Just then, Alistair came out of his room, headed for the stairs. When Tricia saw him