☘︎ Lʏᴋᴀs Vɪᴛᴀʟʟɪs ☘︎

There are moments when a person gets an out-of-body experience.

For me, it so happened to be when my eyes drowned in the sight of my business rival in a scandalous nightgown.

Don't get me wrong, I'd seen my fair share of woman in next to nothing. But. . .seeing Jennifer Ryson wearing anything other than her signature business suits, it was like the first time I saw her in a red cocktail dress at a fundraiser. I'd been completely enthralled then, except this time my blood increased ten times it's temperature.

Because there she was, in that silk nightgown, looking like sin incarnation itself. There was so much of her smooth, silken light tan skin in display, that my thinking process had short circuited. Hell, she was fucking gorgeous.

The warmth creeping up my neck was uncalled for. I didn't believe myself to be a blushing man, but seeing her like that, it'd been disturbing yet so. . .enchanting. Hence, out of body experience rest in case.

I shouldn't be feeling so disoriented about it, but I did.

So much so that when my aimless footsteps make it to the dining area in all its pristine white, shiny marble-y confines, my mind is still in a heated haze to notice my surroundings.

"Lykas." The voice addressing me with welcoming cadence is a splash of cold water to my burning soul.

With a slow blink and a sluggish shake of my head, I bring my focus to Samuel Davidson.

The real estate business tycoon in his late forties seated at the head of the table, struck a striking profile. His face a mask of cutting features, straight angled nose and sharp green eyes. Salt and pepper hair gelled to perfection atop his head.

Moon sat to his right, looking elegant and poised. She passes me a smile in greeting before diverting her attention to the numerous maids in black and white uniform setting up the table.

A warm smile graces Samuel's face, "It's good to see you, Lykas. Have a seat. How have you been?"

It had always been a wonder to me how father and Samuel were best pals, they weren't similar in any sense. While David Vitallis believed woman were meant to look pretty and play house, Samuel was a feminist. Father was a reckless force, Samuel had always been the calm and collected one.

Somehow it reminds me of Jennifer and me. She's the calm storm and I'm the reckless force.

Settling myself on the dusk brown velvet chair next to Moon, I return his smile, "The usual boring life. Nothing exciting. I heard you were on a relaxation trip though."

Samuel sighs, an expression of fatigue coloring his features, "A trip I would've rather not gone to. Mia was in critical and I regret not being here for her surgery. The jets had gone to pick up the two surgeons from Miami and Canada, so I couldn't make it in time. In conclusion, it was no relaxing trip."

"Mia is fine now though. I'm sure the doctors were best at their job. You have nothing to worry about." I offer words of consolation, because the man truly looks aggrieved about not being here for his daughter.

Well, step-daughter. But for Samuel, Mia meant a lot.

"I suppose." Samuel nods, his shoulders visibly relaxing before a gleeful glint shines through his eyes, "Your father and I discussed your and Mia's engagement, Lykas. He wanted me to ask you if you were fine with the date we decided. You have no idea how ecstatic I am to have you as my son-in-law."

A sudden weight lodges itself on my chest, but I manage a forced smile, "When is it?"

"Two weeks from now. Everyone will be there for Davidson Group's 50th annual anniversary party. The HR suggested you propose to Mia at the party and we'll anounce the merger a week after. David believes it'll benefit both our firms with increased share prices if we make the proposal a public event the media could feast on. They always go wild over a romantic proposal story." Samuel pauses, a furrow forming between his brows as he sets his gaze on me, "But if you're uncomfortable with it, I could convince David to consider otherwise. It's yours and Mia's choice at the end, Lykas. Mia said she was fine with it. Are you?"

If it were upto me, I wouldn't be climbing up that aisle, taking wedding vows with someone I could only see as a friend and nothing more.

A pair of greenest green eyes haunt my mind but I push past the lump in my throat. All of this, it's wrong.

But what choice did I ever have?

"It works fine for me." The words feel like sand on my tongue but I gobble it down and let it burn my soul, "Why the merger?" I ask out of nowhere.

Although it had always been a poking question in my conscience.

Father is after being the best in the technology, fashion and luxury industry that Vitallis Group dominates in. He wants to outdo Jennifer who is the rival in the exact similar fields.

But Samuel, he's always been the top-most best in real estate world. He didn't have anyone to outdo, anyone who would ever reach his level and compete him. He particularly didn't seem like someone who would marry his only daughter off on a merger business deal just to make his company more richer, even if Mia hadn't been forced. Samuel didn't need the merger as much as father did.

Silence stretches for a minute as Samuel ponders over my question with a strange haunted look, "I've worked hard to build Davidson Group, Lykas. It was a company at the verge of bankruptcy and I put all my blood, sweat and tears to bring it where it is now. I worry when I'm no more and my group passes to my daughter, I just want to be sure that if she wouldn't take it over, I have someone to look after it."

His words confuse me. Mia had majored in business. She knew her way around it and she's fond of the company too. Why wouldn't she want to take over?

But before I can voice out my puzzlement, Samuel's eyes snap to something behind me.

Surprise coats his deep voice, "Jennifer?"

My head whisks around so fast, I worry for its intactment with my neck.

Jennifer stands at the doorway dressed head-to-toe for work, looking like she'd seen a ghost. There's anger and resentment in her eyes, but she shuts all emotions down in a matter of seconds, concealing them behind her icy veil.

I pause with a start. Huh?

"Samuel." Jennifer retorts coldly, in the way I've heard she scares people away in her board meetings.

Samuel observes her for a moment too long, something akin to regret flashing in his irises before he shuts it all down just the way Jennifer did a few minutes ago.

"It's a surprise to see you here." Samuel continues hesitantly, "Have a seat."

"I appreciate your offer, Mr Davidson. But I'm afraid I have to leave. I have a meeting in an hour." Jennifer inserts, stoic as ever.

It's almost scary seeing her cold demeanor. But. . .I couldn't shake off the feeling there was a rigidness to her shoulders.

Samuel sighs, "I underst-"

"No, Jenna! You're eating with me!" The chirpy, melodious voice states a haughty command.

Then Mia is entering the dining room in a wheelchair, a nurse guiding her in-all the while seeming like she wanted the earth to swallow her whole.

Jennifer turns to the nurse with an intimidating raise of her brow, "She's supposed to be on complete bedrest for two days."

Before the poor nurse could faint from the nerves alone at being under Jennifer Ryson's drilling gaze,

"I told her to get me here! Jesus, it felt like I already went to heaven being confined to my room. It was suffocating. Don't blame her." Mia chides, her face drawn into a very negotiating expression, "Wouldn't you want to give me some freedom?"

She blinked like a puppy at Jenna, then diverted that cute convincing face to her father and mother.

Moon let's out a exasperated sigh at her daughter's theatrics, exchanging a look with her husband.

Samuel smiles, "C'mon child, eat with us. But you're returning after breakfast back to bedrest."

Mia groans but nods, her pleading eyes then meeting her best friend's, "Jenna Jen Jen?"

Jenna Jen Jen?

I internally snicker at the nickname.

There's a crack in Jennifer's icy countenance. She narrows her eyes at Mia, a rare flint of softness in her green irises and nods.

"Fine. But I won't linger." Jennifer states, taking the seat adjacent to mine.

Mia's wheelchair is replaced with the chair right on the left to the head of the table. Thus her settling to Samuel's left, opposite to her mother.

Uncomfortable silence follows as the food gets served and everyone dig into their meal.

Mia's the only one chattering and making conversations with all of us. I should be paying attention on my fiance-to-be's words, but my sole object of attention seems to be on my business rival.

Jennifer tip-toes around her steak with the folk and knife. A big frown between her brows, she seems uncharacteristically silent even for her usually silent self. The rigidness to her shoulders is like a permanent mark at this point.

It bothers me. How uncomfortable and edgy she looks.

Slowly chewing on a piece of nepalian momo I'd ticked off in the menu list this morning, I avert my gaze to Samuel and see the similar discomfort in his body language even though he smiles and engages the most in his daughter's conversations.

My head tilts in curiosity when I notice him steal a glance at Jennifer, a strange guilt glinting in his eyes before he sighs and focuses back on Mia.

"....so I'll be fit and fine for Irene's funeral next week." Mia's latest conversation drones in my head.

If I'd thought Jennifer was rigid before, it reaches a whole new level at those words.

Mia pauses midway, something like alarm brightening her soft vietnamese features as her eyes widen, "I. . ."

Jennifer rises from her seat, the steak forgotten, "I'll be leaving now."

This is getting weirder and weirder. . .

Jennifer is almost at the exit door of the dining room when Samuel speaks,

"Vi-" His shoulders slump when he glances my way, as if he suddenly realized I'm present here. It was the same way with Mia. Moon, on the other hand, looked stricken and pale.

"Jennifer," Samuel addresses in a controlled tone, "I would be happy if you could attend my late wife's funeral."

"And his elder daughter's." Not knowing why I'd blurted it out, I shut my mouth.

From what I recall, Irene and Violet, Samuel's first wife and his biological daughter, had both died in a murder case. Someone had intruded inside the Davidson Villa in the guise of security and shot down both of them in Irene's room. It was one of the reasons Samuel despised security guards to be let in inside his villa.

Public had thought it was a planned attack by a rival company to terrify Samuel, since at that time he'd been in a legal fight with Ben&Bill Group. But later, the FBI found out it was a laborer who'd attacked Irene and Violet in a petty act of revenge against Davidson Group. The murderer claimed he had lost his wife and children on a construction site accident during one of Samuel's building construction. And he wanted Samuel to feel his same pain.

It was a sick punishment to Samuel for something he hadn't done. He couldn't stop an accident from happening. He'd looked so lost and devasted at Irene and Violet's funeral. Father had known Irene too, he'd been as devastated with the news as he could get.

I was young back then, around the age of fifteen, but I remember Violet. We hadn't been friends or even close to it. But I'd seen her a few times during her birthday parties. She was a haughty, spoilt heiress with an air of intimidation about her. But she was soft hearted too and every one of my friends liked her. I just. . .never approached her for some reason. . .

But Irene, she was so welcoming and good. Fierce but warm. I'd been sad too when the mother and daughter had been murdered. I could only be somewhat relieved that the person responsible was rotting behind the bars under a life sentence.

Jennifer's bitter chuckle snaps me out of my reverie, disrupting the drop-dead silence, "Right. They're both dead, aren't they?"

I blink in confusion at how brazenly cold Jennifer appears, her eyes are frozen lakes but there's something so. . .sad in them.

Samuel's jaw clench and his eyes drop downwards.

Jennifer stares at Samuel, then averts her eyes to a pale Moon, "I'm leaving." She declares with finality.

But again, before she could make it out, a voice stops her. This time Mia's.

"You're still staying here, right?" Mia asks, her whisper so low and soft.

Jennifer's fist clenches, she goes still as a rod. Over her shoulder, Jennifer peeks at Mia, the hope edged on her friend's face.

"I need my best friend." Mia asserts, staring straight at Jennifer with so much pleading.

I notice the way Jennifer's shoulders slump, I see how tired she seems all of a sudden and how she does not want to stay. But. . .

"I will." Jennifer assures Mia defeatedly.

Then she's storming out without waiting for anyone.

I finish the last bits of my momos, set down the fork and knife. As if the universe is in my favor, my phone rings at the exact moment.

I get up without wasting a second, "I have to pick this call. Thank you for the food, it was amazing."

Samuel and Moon are too in their own heads to respond but Mia gives me a small wave of bye.

Waving back cheekily, I run outside the dining room but Jennifer's already gone. Damnit how'd she go so fast?

That look on her face, the complete conflict, the deafeat, the tension in her shoulders. . .omething in my chest tightens in an ugly way.

I don't want that hopelessness to wander anywhere near her. I face it everyday, it's not the best feeling and I hate that she has to feel it. I shouldn't be so bothered, it shouldn't matter to me. I'm supposed to despise her. . .

Before I knew what in the world was wrong with me, I cut the spam call and dial the starred number on my contact list.

"Morning, Sir." Geet greets instantly, the robo-like tone of her voice intact.

Not beating around the bush, I start with my concern, "Geet, I need you to do something. But you can't let father know about it."

There's a pause, then, "Did you kill someone from the board of directors, Sir?"

"What, no!" I shriek.

"Is there a case of sex scandal then?" Geet lists on.

"Geez, woman. You know I'm not the disloyal kind of person. And I'm not even married to have a sex scandal, Geet." I sigh exasperatedly.

"So is it a c-"

"Look, I didn't do anything. I just want you to find information on someone and I want you to keep it a secret from my father. Can you do that?" I run a hand through my hair, Jennifer's defeated face pricking at my conscience.

"What information, sir?"

"Everything. I want you to find out if there's any dirt on this person that the world doesn't know, if there's someone he's wronged or if there's some secret no one knows and their connection to Ryson Group. . .just the usual stuff Prarthana is best at with all her hacking."

"You want the I.T. specialist of the elite team to create a blackmail file on this person, without elder Mr.Vitallis knowing about it."

"Yeah. . ."

"Got it, Sir. It will be done. What is the name of the person?"

I spot my future father-in-law leaving the dining room, his shoulders as slumped as Jennifer's were. My sixth sense had never been wrong and I knew, I knew something was not right here.

It wasn't my business to meddle. I should distance myself the hell away from whatever it is between Samuel and Jennifer. But I remember the flash of sadness in her eyes and. . .

My resolve solidifying, my gaze on my father-in-law-to-be, I say the name, "Samuel Davidson."

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Literally a hella long chapter but hey, we got to know a lot too, right?🤧

What do you make of the chapter? Theories theories, anyone?

Your views on Samuel Davidson👀