"Danial, a word please." shocked to see his father waiting for him when he came through the door, Dan had no choice but to follow his father into the study. He sighed as he heard his full name, it's not that he hated it, it just he got so much grief from school and peers about the pronunciation of it and why didn't he just have a normal 'Daniel' name.
"Have a seat son." raising an eyebrow Dan sat across from his father in one of the two leather seats before the large dark wood desk. His father had his back turned towards him, hands clasped behind his back as he looked out the window for a few moments. His father was a tall man, not too broad but still wide and lithely toned. Only slighter by a small degree compared to Dan's football playing physique of broad shoulders and thick arms and legs.
"I have a delicate situation to discuss with you." Turning, Vlad Masters took a seat at hi desk and looked across at his son. Taking in his young features, the square jaw and strong countenance. The fire behind blue eyes and dark hair he demanded be kept shaggy, much to his father's annoyance. "Our head housekeeper has come to me with a difficult situation."
"Is something wrong with Aggy?" Dan suddenly asks, worry clear on his features and Vlad ticked his eyebrow at being stopped midsentence.
"Yes, she has discovered late term cancer, it does look good for her."
"Oh my god, does Mina know?" Vlad rose an eyebrow. He hadn't counted on his son knowing the woman's teenage daughter.
"I am not sure. However, there is more, with how badly her condition is deteriorating, he had no one to take custody of young Marina," he paused and narrowed his gaze to his son, hating how the youth of today didn't take on their birth names. "She has asked me to become Marina's legal guardian, until she is eighteen, graduated high school and has a safe place to stay on her own."
Dan sat up straighter and blinked at his father. This was something... He never would have fathomed his father capable of kindness to this degree in his own home. Offering to care for a teenager, one of his servants' children. His father stood once more and came around the desk to face his son.
"I will be talking to her mother in the next few days, signing documents and to tell Marina what is going to happen. Should her mother fall prey to the disease faster than expected." his father crossed his arms and looked at his son for a moment. "I wanted to know your opinion on this situation."
Dan sat back in the chair and narrowed his gaze a fraction. His opinion had never mattered before. In fact, it was the very last thing that Vlad Masters ever cared to acknowledge in any situation. He wasn't sure what to say or how to say it. He just knew that Mina was a sweet girl and her mother was a damn good woman, he'd known her for years. But he'd never grown close to Mina, he was almost always busy with some sort of lesson or school his father was forcing on him as he grew up. Though Mina wasn't there at the mansion very often, just every now and then when her mother couldn't find a sitter. Even now, him helping her with her truck, was the first time they'd spoke in probably months. They just weren't close.
"I... I'm sorry to hear about Agatha being sick, she just... Hasn't shown any signs, I guess." Dan sighed and rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, a nervous tick he had. "I'm not... Very close with Mina at all, but... her mom, that's all who Agatha talks about sometimes." Vlad wanted to roll his eyes at his son, getting attached to the hired help like he obviously had been.
"When Agatha does pass, her daughter will stay here until she's of legal age to make her own choices and live on her own. I wish to know if there will be any goings on between you two while my back is turned." Dan whipped his head up and glared at his father. He wouldn't... No, that was sick. Her mom was dying…
"No." Dan said simply and stood, grabbing his bookbag and slinging it over his shoulder. "Permission to be dismissed," he grits out, eyes glaring at the windows across form him and not the man that was his father.
"Granted." Dan was surprised he hadn't tucked tail and just ran from his father's study, but he calmly turned and left the room, closing the door with a soft click and then made his way into his room.
