Lancaster Estate.
At 10 in the morning, the Lancaster family was sitting together in the dining table. Jonathan sat at the head as always, flipping through a paper quietly while sipping his hot coffee. He wasn’t as busy as he was in the past weeks.
On the right side of him, Chloe was eating a piece of bread. She was silent and was focusing on eating. It was the same with Emily, who was also eating her own share of the meal for their brunch.
The three of them were doing their own things when suddenly, Jonathan folded the newspaper that he was reading and set it down.
"That boy... Gray," he said after a second of silence. "He handled himself well yesterday."
Chloe looked up immediately at the mention of Gray’s name. She nodded, her lips curving into a small smile. "He did."
Jonathan nodded once, thoughtfully.
"He wasn’t showy, but I didn’t expect him to be that good."
Chloe glanced at her father, a bit of surprise flickering in her eyes. Jonathan wasn’t one to offer praise easily, especially not twice in a row.
"He also didn’t pretend to know everything," Jonathan continued, picking up his cup of coffee again but not drinking it yet. He stared into the steam for a second before going on.
"But he knew what was important. He was also able to read the reports, understand the numbers. That’s rare."
Emily kept her eyes on her plate, quietly slicing into her scrambled eggs, but Chloe could tell she was listening.
"Father, he was my tutor. Of course, he would know that. If not, then what have I been learning from him all this time?" Chloe reasoned out.
"I know. I was just pointing it out." Jonathan set the cup down again. After that he went back to reading the newspaper again.
On the other hand, Chloe’s eyes turned to Emily instead.
"Sister, why didn’t you come yesterday?" she asked casually, reaching for another piece of toast. "I thought you’d show up."
Emily looked up at Chloe.
"I was busy."
Chloe tilted her head, watching her.
"That’s unfortunate, Sister. Gray was nice."
"That’s good," Emily replied as she put down her utensils on the table.
"Did you tell him that it was your suggestion to hold the ceremony at the company office?"
Chloe blinked and was frozen for a second.
"How did you know that, Sister?"
Emily gave a faint smile as she reached for her glass of water, her expression unreadable.
"Marcus mentioned it," she said, taking a sip. "Did you forget that he was also working under me? He said it was your idea."
Chloe blinked once more, then slowly sat back in her chair.
"Oh. Right." She looked away, a little caught off guard.
"Well... yeah. I thought it’d be good for Gray. The board’s there anyway, and the environment’s more formal. It would help him make a better first impression and help him build a connection with others."
Emily nodded slowly, her fingers lightly tapping against her glass.
"You know," she added after a moment, "a small grocery like that should be independent. Technically, there’s no real need to bring it into the main office."
Emily sighed and folded her hands neatly on the table.
"That’s why you shouldn’t mix business and personal interests, Chloe," she said, her voice still calm but firmer now. "It might have worked out this time, but not everyone will see it that way. You’re a Lancaster. You need to be careful about how your intentions come across."
Chloe’s shoulders stiffened slightly, but she didn’t argue. Instead, she lowered her gaze and nodded once.
"Yes, Sister."
Emily watched her for a moment longer, then returned her focus to her plate. "I’m not saying you did anything wrong," she added, voice softer now. "Just be mindful next time."
"I will," Chloe said quietly.
Emily took another bite of her toast, and a small second of silence hung between them. Chloe poked at the edge of her bread with her fork for a moment before glancing back at her sister.
"Sister, how have you been these past few days?" Chloe asked, her tone gentler now. It’s been a few days since she last saw Emily.
Emily didn’t look up immediately. She took her time chewing, dabbing her mouth with a napkin before replying.
"Busy, as usual," she said, finally meeting Chloe’s gaze. "Two departments are being restructured. We’re moving forward with some changes in procurement, too."
Jonathan gave a quiet grunt, clearly listening even as he flipped through another page of his paper.
Chloe nodded.
"That sounds... exhausting."
"It is," Emily admitted, "But that’s how it goes. The higher you climb, the more responsibilities wait at the top."
Chloe tilted her head thoughtfully. "Do you ever think about... slowing down?"
Emily raised an eyebrow, amused. "Slowing down?"
"Yeah. Not quitting or anything. Just..." Chloe trailed off, struggling to find the right word. "Breathing a little more."
"I breathe just fine, Chloe," Emily said, a faint smirk tugging at her lips.
Chloe laughed lightly at that.
"Okay, fair. But still."
"I don’t think I’m wired for slowing down," Emily said. "Not yet, at least. Maybe when I’m older. Like Father."
Jonathan, still behind his paper, scoffed at that.
"I’m not that old."
Chloe laughed again, the moment lightening further. She watched her sister for a second, her smile lingering before curiosity pulled her back to something she hadn’t forgotten.
"Oh right, sister," she asked suddenly, setting down her fork. "Were you the one who sent the suit to Gray?"
Emily blinked, caught off guard.
"What?"
"The suit," Chloe repeated. "Gray got a designer suit the day before the handover. No note, no name. He wore it to the meeting. It looked like something from Lanford & Holt."
Emily tilted her head slightly, a thoughtful expression passing over her face.
"No," she said after a pause. "I didn’t send anything."
"You didn’t?" Chloe’s brows furrowed.
"I didn’t," Emily confirmed. "Why would I? I’ve barely spoken to him."
"Huh..." Chloe nodded slowly, thoughtfully
"You really don’t know who sent it?" Emily asked, her voice more curious now.
"Nope." Chloe leaned back in her seat, arms crossed.
"Did you send it, Father?" Emily turned to Jonathan.
"No." Jonathan’s forehead creased. "Why would I do that?"
"So, if not me, and not you, then who sent it?"
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A/N:
It’s the start of a new month!
I would like to say thank you to all the readers who have dropped Golden Tickets and gifts into the novel.
Gary_Anderson_7206, oliver1901, alvaro17, Sky_Hunter23, heavyde050.
Thank you also to all the silent readers who have been buying privs and unlocking Chapters.
I really appreciate it all of you.