Part 9

The faint sound of her granddaughter's laughter could be heard in the distance. Arthur Quirino rose from his seat and left Antony. He walked out of the study only to see Flavia walking in the arms of Altezza Quirino, Arthur's niece.

"Are you back?" Arthur asked his granddaughter.

Flavia and her sparkling golden eyes nodded cheerfully.

"Uncle, how are you?" Altezza came closer and hugged Arthur before kissing his left and right cheeks.

"Okay. I'm doing well." Arthur replied happily. "It's been a long time since I've seen you..." He complained softly.

"I've been busy working at the headquarters lately. So I haven't had time to visit Kansas." She explained briefly. "Where's aunty?" Altezza looked around for the middle-aged woman who was none other than Arthur's wife.

"Maybe she's in the kitchen." Arthur said again. Then without saying goodbye Altezza walked towards the kitchen in search of her aunt. "Did you have a nice outing?" Arthur asked his granddaughter. Flavia nodded enthusiastically and walked into her grandfather's arms, both of them following where Altezza had gone.

A few steps before entering the kitchen area, Flavia's cell phone rang. On the square screen was a photo of a girl Arthur recognized.

"From Abigail, may I take it?" Her polite permission was answered by the grandfather's slow nod.

Flavia walked through the kitchen and waved goodbye to her grandmother and uncle. She directed her feet towards the gazebo at the back of the house as she picked up the video call from her best friend.

"What took you so long to pick it up. What are you doing?" Abigail complained in greeting.

"I'm walking." Flavia replied innocently. "Are you going for a walk with Aunty?" She asked curiously. The screen showed Abigail nodding her head in response.

"If only you were here, I wouldn't be so upset." Abigail complained again.

"Why, you ended up being left alone again?" Abigail again answered Flavia's question with a nod. Flavia then laughed mockingly. "Then I'm better off than you." She said with deliberate bragging. "I just got back from playing with Uncle Al. And he bought me a lot of stuff." She continued with a deliberate attempt to stir things up.

"How arrogant of you, just because you have a rich uncle." She laughed.

Flavia laughed at Abigail's complaint. When she heard steps approaching, Flavia turned her head and saw her uncle walking towards her.

"Shall I introduce you to my uncle?" Asked Flavia pointing the camera at her uncle. "Meet, the man who is still happy to be single." She said as she pulled Altezza closer.

Altezza frowned at her cousin for a moment before turning her gaze to the screen.

"Hi!" Altezza waved his hand in a friendly manner.

Abigail looked wide-eyed at her best friend's uncle. They had never met in person, and this was also the first time they had made a video call. But Flavia had often shown her pictures of her uncle, Altezza Quirino. And still, talking to the handsome man in person made her giddy.

"Uncle, are you really single?" She asked after regaining consciousness. Altezza nodded his head behind Flavia's head. "How can a handsome man like you still be single? Aren't there any women who like you?" Abigail asked again in a mocking tone.

Altezza chuckled. "Who said such a stupid thing?" Altezza asked back. "I'm single not because no one wants me. But because I choose to be alone." Altezza replied flatly. "You guys are still little, so you won't understand what I'm saying." He continued in a mocking tone to which Abigail replied by rolling her eyes.

A moment later, Altezza's forehead creased deeply and looked at Abigail with a probing gaze. "Your face, why doesn't it look familiar?" Altezza muttered softly.

Abigail snorted. "No need to flirt with teenagers my age. I'm too young for you to seduce." She continued in her mature manner.

Altezza replied to Abigail's words with a soft chuckle.

"If you act like that, it makes you look familiar." Continued Altezza who was now reminded of someone.

"Who does she look like, Uncle?" This time it was Flavia who asked out of curiosity.

"Have you finished eating?" Asked another voice that was not visible in the camera.

"Aunty... !!" Flavia shrieked then. Then the screen rotated to reveal an older version of Abigail.

"Claire?!" That surprised voice just came out of Altezza's mouth.

"You knows aunty Claire?" Flavia looked back at her uncle with a surprised expression.

Although her current appearance looked different from the appearance Altezza was used to seeing, it was clear that the girl who did not realize she was on camera was Claire Hampton. One of her subordinates in the Kansas branch of his company.

Claire Hampton, with her long wavy black hair flowing beautifully, was seen having a serious conversation with a male figure. The girl who is usually seen wearing a neat shirt with polite pants or skirt, now appears to be wearing a bright red oversized sweater, with black skinny skirt pants. She looks casual, beautiful, and looks like a teenager instead of a quarter-century-old girl.

"Aunty!" Abigail called out. The person she called turned her head. Her face looked fresh with no makeup except for the cherry color on her full and adorable looking lips. She raised her hand to pause for a moment and went back to talking to the man in front of her. Then her attention was completely turned to Abigail, still unaware that she was being secretly filmed and watched by the two people on the other side of the call. "Do you know a man named Altezza?"

Altezza could see that the girl's eyebrows were drawn together. "Altezza? Altezza who?" She asked confused.

The camera then pans back to show a younger version of Claire's face before finally panning to an adult Claire so that she can see the figure her niece is referring to.

"Sir. What are you doing with Flavia?" Asked Claire Hampton confusedly as she saw Altezza and Flavia waving at her simultaneously.

"You know Flavia?" Altezza asked back. Claire nodded. "She's my niece." Altezza replied as he put his big hand on Flavia's shoulder. "So that girl is your niece?" He asked Claire. This time it was Claire who nodded. "No wonder I find her face familiar. And her stubbornness, I guess it's inherited from you." Altezza teased with his handsome smile. Claire laughed crisply at the insinuation, but Abigail spluttered while squinting at Altezza.

Long after the video call ended, Altezza looked at Flavia questioningly. "You and Claire, have you known each other for a long time?"

Flavia nodded her head. "Yes, Abigail introduced us first. Aunty Claire is a good person. Beautiful, kind and she treats me a lot too."

"It's a small world, isn't it?" Altezza said with a mocking smile. "Did you know that Claire was one of your father's employees?" Altezza's question came out as Antony and Arthur entered the dining room. "She works at your father's company in Kansas."

"Who?" Arthur asked curiously.

"You know Abigail?" Altezza asked, to which Arthur nodded in response.

"We knew her very well. That girl comes to the house often. What's wrong with her?" Arthur asked curiously.

"Her aunt, Claire Hampton is one of Antony's employees. She's Shelly's girl."

"I know." Arthur replied flatly. "And I also happen to know who Abigail's father and grandfather are."

"How so?" Altezza asked in surprise.

"Abigail's grandfather, or Claire's father, used to be my partner." Arthur informed. "He's one of the raw material suppliers to our company. You know CH Cement? The owner is named Christoper Hampton. He's Leonard Hampton's father, Abigail's father."

Altezza frowned. "That Leonard? The cement, brick and tile supplier?" Altezza asked, to which Arthur nodded. "For God's sake. What a small world this is. Maybe this is the destiny that God made for me." Altezza looked at his nephew again with a big smile.

"What fate?" Flavia looked at her uncle in confusion.

"Fate made it easier for me to get Claire." Altezza replied with enthusiasm on his face. "Later, when I come to Kansas, I swear I'll approach her even harder."

"No!" Flavia shrieked loudly, startling everyone in the dining room. Including her grandmother who had just walked in with dinner.

"Why?" asked Altezza in surprise.

Flavia shyly glanced at her father. "That's... mmm... that’s...." The girl stammered.

"Already, you take it easy. Don't you like Claire?" Altezza asked again. Flavia nodded enthusiastically. "If she becomes my wife, that means she'll also become your aunt. And if that happens, I promise I'll share her with you. Share her affection, I mean." Altezza joked with both eyebrows raised up and down in a seductive manner.

Flavia even spluttered at that

While at the same time, Antony chose to listen to his daughter and cousin's interactions in silence.

Claire? Aunty?

Instantly, the name made him think of the girl in the black shirt, black skirt with her nonchalant gaze that Antony was attracted to.

Has it been a few weeks since that name disappeared from her mind? And now when the name was mentioned again, the figure came back into her mind's eye.

Somehow Antony was able to breathe in the fragrance of the girl's body again and suddenly his pants felt constricting again.

One word, one name, one image, made his mind wander to things that only existed in the minds of grown men.