Ewan tapped his black stylus pen on his large wooden oak table, deep in thought, his eyes concentrated on the pile of freshly printed comic books lying in a brown carton just beside his desk, which he had bought this morning.
He had even added the ones with female-thed heroes for Kathleen, as he had noticed during their little hangout that she seed just as invested in the comics as her brother, seeing as she rembered most of the nas of both the heroes and villains in the comics.
Would they like this new collection?
He believed they would. As a matter of fact, he couldn’t contain his excitent at the prospect of their happiness upon seeing the books.
But the problem that had him strung up was that it wasn’t yet his visitation ti. As a matter of fact, it was so far from it. It was just four days after their last hangout.
Four days since he had seen them, and it felt like it had been a whole year, like he was missing his own arm.
He sighed and dropped the pen on the table. How would he convince Athena to let him see the kids again?
No matter how long he had thought about this, answers seed to run away from him, as if they had envisioned Athena’s face when she had made her decision and didn’t want to get on her bad side.
He didn’t want to get on her bad side either, but he needed to see his children. They were a bundle of joy he didn’t have often. Over the past few days, he had cursed and regretted his past actions like it was no man’s business. If only he had just listened to Sandro or maybe stayed calm for a day to push away his feelings of anger, he would have been living a different story today.
"Honestly, Ewan, I am scared that you are working too hard today, that you are pushing yourself so much. I am tempted to make a call to your doctor and inform her that you are not taking the recovery process seriously..." Sandro stepped into the room, dragging Ewan away from the confines of his thoughts.
"Three business etings in different countries over the past couple of days, and more local etings than I can count... Don’t you think you are pushing it? Do you have a death wish or sothing?"
Ewan shrugged his shoulders, collecting the stack of docunts Sandro was handing over to him. "I am fine, Sandro. Besides, I don’t think my doctor has any say in my health anymore. She has done her best for ; from here on out, it’s my job to take care of myself." Ewan answered, skimming through the first page of the docunt.
Athena wouldn’t care if anything happened to him, only that it would affect the kids.
He looked up at Sandro when the latter mimicked his voice and earlier reply. "That wasn’t the story when you were blue in the face and almost dead. Have you taken your ds?"
Ewan frowned, giving Sandro the stink eye. "I took them thirty minutes ago, Dad."
Sandro chuckled heartily, putting his hands inside his pockets. "You can’t bla . I am just doing my job to the latter."
His eyes found the stack of comics beside the table. A wide smile spread across his lips. "I see you’re taking your father duties seriously. Do you want to deliver them?"
That would be the next option if he didn’t find a way to get Athena to agree to let him et the kids, Ewan thought, gazing at the carton keenly as if the carton would give him the answer he was looking for.
"Maybe," He finally replied. "You should transfer your disturbance to the docunts I sent you to proofread and check."
Sandro scoffed, knowing this was a dismissal. "See you around, old man..." He sauntered out of the office.
Ewan sighed, saying nothing, his eyes returning to the box. His friend had asked him why he seed to have thrown himself more into his company; well, it was so he could have more ti for the kids should any situation arise.
So he cramd many days work into one day, more determined to fit a month’s work into a week or two so that if any situation arose, if any opportunity at all ca up to spend ti with the kids, his work wouldn’t hold him back. He was working ahead now.
Just as he was ruminating on this, he received a ssage on his phone.
Quickly, he picked up the gadget, sighing in relief when he saw the sender of the ssage: Spider.
Imdiately after Ewan had returned from the mission four days ago, he had sent so information needed to Spider, along with the latter’s usual paynt collected from clients, including a generous tip. Spider had only replied with "Okay."
Ewan hadn’t been bothered at the curt respone, only needing Spider to do his job.
Now skimming through the detailed reports with references, dates, and pictures, he acknowledged again that there was only one Spider; no one like him.
He paused when he saw a certain incriminating picture, tagged with a date and a title. A satisfying chuckle escaped his lips. He had finally seen sothing to convince Athena with. Feeling confident, he relaxed properly in his seat for the first ti in four days and drafted a text.
"HelloAthena,goodmorning. IhadSpiderdosodiggingconcerningsoissues, and I think I knowwhothemole is.Doyouthinkyoucanfix aetingsothatwecouldtalk?"
He reread through the ssage and, satisfied with the short text, he nodded and sent it off, his heart picking up the pace as he waited for an answer.
He was actually hoping that the eting would be held at Old Mr. Thorne’s house. That way, he could see the twins. And even if she was adamant about eting in so café, he would have to strike a deal with her in order to see the children.
It wasn’t his best suit, and it might end up triggering her, but he wanted to see his children.
He sighed heavily monts later, tired of waiting for a reply and not in the mood to go through the docunt again. He got to his feet and headed to the window, looking down at the bustling streets below.
Before spending ti with his children, he had thought he could survive thirty days without seeing them, but as it stood now, he didn’t think he could. How would he live without seeing their bright smiles, without hearing their enthusiastic voices when they spoke about their passions?
He shook his head, finally understanding his cruelty and stupid ignorance when he had asked the council of elders to deprive Athena of the kids. She wouldn’t have survived it; she would have had it worse than he was having it.
Yet... he was ready to make any ands she would pose, just to spend ti with the kids.
Just then, Sandro walked into his office again.
"Are you really unable to live without , Sandro?" He teased, aiming to dampen the tiring atmosphere clogging his mind and office.
Sandro replied with a chuckle of incredulity. "Get off your high horse, Ewan. I am here to inform you of a visitor..."
For a full second, Ewan’s heart soared with hope, thinking that Athena had shown up instead of replying to the text.
"What are you thinking? You have a smile on your face?" Sandro asked, confused, his brow furrowed. "Are you that happy to et Madam Ruby?"
Ewan’s smile imdiately dried up as a scowl took its place, confusing Sandro even more. What had the man been expecting?
"What does she want?"
"Beats . She says she needs to speak with you urgently."
Ewan sighed and waved him away. "Send her in."
And that Sandro did, for in the next few minutes, Madam Ruby walked into his office, slling heavily of rosy perfu.
Ewan’s nose twitched involuntarily as she took a seat before him. Hadn’t anyone educated her on moderation? He wondered, picking up the stylus pen again.
"What brings you here, Ruby?" He started after they exchanged pleasantries.
Madam Ruby smiled coyly, placing her hands on the table, clasped. "I know you don’t like beating around the bush, Ewan, so I will just get straight to the point." She spoke confidently, causing Ewan to raise a brow.
Interesting, especially since the woman rarely t him for deals or whatever.
"Go on then. I don’t have much ti to waste."
"As you wish..." Madam Ruby muttered, a knowing smile still on her lips. "I know what went on in the elder’s council in your town. I know the story between you and Dr. Athena, including Fiona, including the rulings of the elders..."
"And?" Ewan interjected, brows still raised, stunning Madam Ruby.
The woman had expected anger, confusion, or so emotion—not this blandness. Or was he just pretending to be tough?
She smiled.
"And I know you wouldn’t want that scandal to be exposed to the dia. That would cause your stocks to plunge again. It would attract unnecessary attention too. I know you don’t want that. Hence, to prevent this, I want more shares in your company, seeing its growth over the past week, as a gift."
Imdiately, Ewan laughed boisterously. Then he stopped, his eyes trailing Madam Ruby’s cheerful face. Then he laughed again.
He didn’t know when he had lost his charm, such that people had the audacity to say such things to him.
"You can spread the rumors, Madam Ruby. And for the shares, I think it’s ti you returned yours. You threatening counts as a breach of the company agreent, right?" He asked calmly, amusent shining in his eyes.
Her shocked deanor had him laughing again. She had thought he would plead?
Puhleesee! He had been looking for a way all this ti to spread the news of Alfonso’s betrayal without upsetting the elders’ council!
Just then, his phone dinged with a text. He smiled when he saw it was from Athena.
"You can leave, Ruby. My lawyer will be in contact with you soon," He spoke, opening the phone.
Madam Ruby tried to plead, surprised at the turn of events, but Ewan rang the small electric bell on his table, and Sandro ca in.
"Take her away," Ewan ordered just as he read the ssage.
"etatDixon’sby5PM."
Reviews
All reviews (0)