Silver~The car sped through the roads. I didn't ask where we were going. I knew without a doubt that Gaya and Co would deliver me safely to my family.My fingers brushed over the drawing of my father. It was better than the one I made for his birthday. It was less stiff and more alive. His shoulders had the right depth now and it pictures exactly how my father stood in suit. I didn’t need anyone to tell me. This one was him.“You like her, don't you?” Gaya asked from the seat opposite mine.I didn’t lift my head. I didn’t need to ask who she meant.Adele.I didn’t want to admit it. But I liked her.She was a good artist. That was undeniable. There were things I could learn from her. Unlike my West family who knew nothing about art. There was Mia, who squealed at everything I drew, even with glaring errors, my great grandma, who just went along with me but didn't know where the errors were. All she saw was the beauty like every non-artist.Then, there was my grandma who repeatedly to
Adele~“I didn’t mean to lie,” I whispered. “I’ve… met him. Up close. It was unexpected. But I didn’t know he was your father then.”Silver’s jaw tightened slightly.She closed the sketchpad with a soft thud and finally looked at me, not with hostility, but with a terrifying clarity that shouldn't be found on children like her.“You're in a relationship with my father.”I froze.She continued, voice flat. “My father doesn't get close to anyone unless he has a reason.” she paused. “You're not like Gaya and the others.” Her eyes roamed my face and upper body, “You're not his business partner either, so the only reason he'd take you to an auction and allow a photograph of you both on the internet is if you belong to him.”I flinched.There was no cruelty in her tone. No raised voice. Just brutal, unwavering logic delivered with the same cold accuracy as her father's. My mouth parted, but nothing came out.Silver crossed her arms, leaning her back on the sofa, still watching me. “He does
Adele~I forgot Silver! Lord! They must have left already. Glancing around the lobby, I couldn't find Gaya, nor the two men they came with. This is bad, I mused as I bolted to search for them, leaving Emily and the others baffled. However, when I rushed to the quiet section that was separated from the lobby by glass doors, I found Silver still focused on the sketchpad. But this time, she wasn't sketching. She was using colored pencils. Gaya sat on a different table. She was discussing whatnot with Elijah and Elias. I subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, seeing how none of them looked angry over my lack of hospitality. I approached her carefully and sat opposite her. The drawing was alive now. Detroit West – her father. It was no longer just a shadowy outline. The sketch now bloomed with deep reds and burnt oranges, warm brown undertones smudged beneath his cheekbones, and his eyes…those unmistakable, calculating eyes, seemed to stare right back from the paper.Heavens! T
Adele~ “Downgrade a fashion editor or an influencer with millions of followers?” Sarah hissed. “You want us canceled before sunset?!” I held up my hands. “Okay, okay, no downgrades. We’ll fix the hot tub. For now, assign that room to someone who looks like they hate water features.” Sarah and the female staff hurried away, leaving me rummaging my mind for the quickest solution. Mark was better in handling draining emergency issues like this, but unfortunately, as the manager, he had personally escorted some very important guests to their rooms upstairs and was currently giving a tour to a man with a last name that could probably buy everything we're worth. Which meant I was on my own. Great. A receptionist called from the reception desk, waving a notepad. “Two businessmen from the Capital just called and wants a five-day stay. Ms. Adele, what do I tell them?” “There are still rooms, are there not?” I asked, already walking toward her. “They want VIP suites, but we do
Adele~ “What's the matter?” The three of them were already in Mark's office. They were freaking out over something. Thinking it was because our launch flopped, I sighed, saying, “It's okay if nobody comes. We'll just do the launch next time. As for the food and drinks, I was thinking we could send them to the orphanage—”Emily shoved a phone into my hands. “Stop talking already, Ma’am CEO?”“L–look at that,” Sarah stammered, pointing at the screen like there was a ghost.I frowned. It was a well known influencer with millions of followers speaking excitedly. But upon listening closely, I realized she was talking about Gaya and a beach resort.It says that Gaya, the fashion queen, has dropped a photo after months of silence, while the public and fans she might not even know she had were begging for a glimpse of her next move.And this time, she delivered with a bang. The screen showed Gaya’s media post: she was wearing the same outfit from earlier, just that this time, her crazy bol
AdeleShe turned fully, facing me now. “How do you know that?” “The way you stare at things, it's more like you're studying them for art.” I paused, “I used to be like that when I was younger. People thought I was just zooming out, but in reality, I was replicating things in my head.” Her mouth twitched. She turned her gaze away and for a long while, none of us spoke. Then, after what seemed like forever, she asked, “Do you have drawing tools?” I beamed, “Of course,” I rose from my seat and went into my office. I'd been against having a personal office, but neither Mark, Sarah, nor Emily would listen. They claimed even though Mark was the manager, and I insisted on holding onto my previous housekeeping job, I still needed my own office as the CEO, even though I wouldn't be using it. At the time, I’d thought they were just being overly dramatic. But right now? I was beyond grateful for their stubbornness.I had the largest office in the building, designed to perfection with soft c