Sinclair sat back, enjoying his tea as sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled patterns on the garden. Just then, Eve strolled by, her steps brisk as she threw her things into her bag.
"Hey, old man! I'm off to school," Eve called. "Taking a day off from here, too. I'll be at my condo for the weekend, alright?"
Sinclair's brow twitched, but he closed his eyes, steadying himself. "It's
grandfather
, if you don't mind," he muttered, shifting his teacup. "And remember, the auction is this weekend. Don't be late."
Eve grinned, calling over her shoulder, "Don't worry, I won't be!"
With a wave, she was gone, and the quiet that filled the house was immediate and almost blissful.
Sinclair sighed, letting himself finally relax. "Ah . . . peace and quiet at last."
Just then, Victor appeared, balancing a tray of tea and biscuits along with Sinclair's medicine. "Where's Eve going?" he asked, looking toward the door. "Was that her heading off in that flashy car?"
Sinclair took a calm sip. "She's heading back to her condo for the weekend. Don't worry, she'll be back by Monday."
Victor's cheeks flushed, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"I—I wasn't worried," he quickly denied, though his expression softened a bit. Even if he wouldn't admit it, Sinclair knew he enjoyed Eve's lively presence around the house.
Sinclair cracked open one eye, watching Victor's reaction. "You seemed a bit concerned. Especially since you went through all the trouble to plan that Find adventures at empire
surprise
birthday party this weekend."
Victor's face immediately reddened, and he stammered, "W-well . . . it's just, as your adopted daughter, it'd be nice to celebrate her birthday properly. Nothing too fancy, just a little gathering here."
Sinclair smirked, setting his teacup down. "And I didn't say I was against it."
Victor let out a soft sigh, relieved but a bit flustered, knowing that Sinclair was fully aware of his intentions.
Although he hadn't said it out loud yet, Victor was planning to officially announce his wish to court Eve this weekend—subtly, of course, in front of both her and Sinclair.
Sinclair gave him a discerning look. "I'll just say this once, Victor. If you're going to go forward with what you have planned, make sure you're serious and sincere. You're fighting an uphill battle here."
Victor nodded, a determined look crossing his face. It wasn't like he didn't know that already. "I've never fought a battle I wasn't ready for, and I don't intend to start now."
Sinclair finally opened his eyes, glancing around the room. "Well, that's good to hear. Oh, speaking of company . . . Sebastian's about due for his morning snack. Where's that spoiled old dog run off to?"
Victor blinked, baffled. "Oh? I thought you knew."
Sinclair frowned. "Knew what?"
"Eve took Sebastian with her when she left."
Sinclair shot to his feet, nearly spilling his tea. "She did
what
?
=== 🤍 ===
[EVE]
"Looks like Jessica's moving to another country," someone nearby whispered.
"Can you blame her? Everyone's calling her a thief."
"Embezzling money—no wonder she could afford all those branded clothes and bags."
"What's the big deal? Politicians steal money all the time. They're in office just to start some billion-dollar project so they can siphon off funds!"
"Yeah, if you're going to steal, at least don't get caught."
While the room buzzed with gossip, I stayed focused on my laptop, keeping my eye on the stock market.
I'd lost a little today but managed to come out ahead, earning more than I'd lost in the day's swings. The short-term trades were paying off, giving me quick cash even though they were a bit of a rollercoaster.
Of course, I kept a few long-term investments as well, but these quick trades were my bread and butter, with enough profit today to congratulate myself—a hundred thousand in gains wasn't bad for a morning's work.
Sure, I might've made even more if I'd held on a bit longer, but in this volatile market, I wasn't about to get greedy.
Satisfied, I closed my laptop and took a deep breath.
Beside me, Daniel was lost in his own world, leaning over his textbook with his headphones on, completely focused.
I glanced over, noting his sharp jawline and the smooth, defined shape of his nose. He was good-looking, even from the side, and it was no wonder everyone had a crush on him.
My eyes drifted to the keychain dangling on the table next to his things. It was a cute little charm—a cartoon dog holding a small steel placard with "Hello Kitty and Doggy" engraved on it.
I chuckled softly.
It looked like the name of some pet shop. I didn't know that he was into animals with him being so serious and all.
Still, it was a cute touch on his otherwise serious character.
Thinking about pets reminded me of Sebastian, who I'd left back at my condo. That little guy was probably bored out of his mind by now.
I'd have to stop by somewhere and pick up some dog food and snacks on my way home.
I could already imagine Sinclair's reaction when he found out I'd taken Sebastian. Honestly, it wasn't my fault the dog wouldn't leave my side—it was practically a sign that he wanted to come with me, right?
"Hey, Daniel," I called out, but he didn't respond, his head buried in his notebook. His eyes were glued to his notes, and with those massive headphones covering his ears, it was clear he hadn't even heard me.
I leaned a bit closer and tried again, raising my voice a notch. "Daniel. Hey, Daniel!"
Still nothing. He was so absorbed, it was like he'd tuned out the whole world. So, with a small sigh, I reached over and gave his arm a light nudge.
Finally, he glanced over at me, then slid his headphones down to rest around his neck.
"Did you need something?" he asked, his tone unexpectedly serious, as if I'd interrupted some grand scientific discovery.
I hesitated for a moment, then gestured toward the keychain lying next to his notebook—a small metal dog with "Hello Kitty and Doggy" engraved on it.
"That keychain—is that a shop around here?"