By Lady Fenix
..one of the best traits that I love about Marcus is his flair for the unpredictable. Being around him makes me feel more alive than ever. I guess it has to do with that fascinating mind of his, most of the time trying to read his mind and his moves is like chasing rainbows.
From the journals of Sakura Hino
"What can you expect with a mother like that?" A voice sneered. Rei easily recognized the husky and the arrogant tone of Tory's. "You know what they say about rotten apples not falling far from the tree."
Rei scowled. Against herself, she felt her feet unconsciously move towards the doors where the voices were coming from. The wide double doors were slightly ajar, making it easy for her to listen in on the conversation.
"I would have thought that she could at least have inherited Marcus' good manners. But I suppose that is hoping for too much considering her background." Marcia sighed. "The sight of her standing there and watching her own father with those that cold expression. It made my blood freeze."
"If you want my opinion, I didn't find her behavior quite that surprising; she made it clear enough to us yesterday that she didn't hold any warm feelings for her father." There was a tapping sound of nail clicking against glass and then Tory continued. "Though if she was smart she could have at least pretended to be sad in front of everyone."
"If the girl had possessed some intelligence she wouldn't have picked a fight with Madame to begin with yesterday." Marcia told in her in a dry tone.
Tory laughed. "That's true, did you see the look on Madame's face? If there had been any chance of the old crone accepting her, the stupid girl blew it with that move."
"She probably figures she will get enough now that her father's dead."
There was an answering snicker. "You're not telling me she's actually delusional enough to believe that she will inherit something? With things the way they were between them? Even her mother wouldn't have behaved in such a scandalous behavior."
"On the contrary nothing the girl has done before or now surprises me. It's nothing more than what I would have expected from a daughter of Sakura's."
There was moment of silence.
"You know I never really did understand the animosity you had towards her. It would have been more understandable on her part considering yours and Marcus' past but –"
"Marcus and I only went out a few times." Marcia cut her off with steel in her tone. "It happened a long time ago, way before Sakura entered his life and it was nothing serious. I discovered very soon that Terrence and I were far more suited."
Shock rippled through Rei in hearing about her father's relationship with Marcia. At least this explained the nagging feeling her mother had had about the "something" Marcus had been keeping from her. Had her father kept silent because it hadn't meant anything or because it had? Every time Rei had heard Marcia speak of either of parents there had always been a heavy emotion in her voice that spoke of a far deeper feeling for both. Could Marcia even have had something to do with her parents' breakup?
No, Rei shook her head mentally. That was just ridiculous and yet… She wanted so badly to understand. People kept telling her that her parents had been too different and because of the friction caused by it, the love they once had disappeared too. And yet if that was the case, then why did her mother die with her father's name on her lips?
And so Rei stayed and she listened, not feeling the least of bit guilty for eavesdropping.
" – never fell for that goody act of hers." Tory said. "It was so obvious only the men were stupid enough to fall for it. Do you know that Glenn even gave me a good lecture once just because I wouldn't by her act? She's a sweet girl. It's hard on her having to adjust to all of this especially when she never had the schooling we did. You should try to be more supportive of her instead of jealous." Tory mimicked in what Rei presumed was her dead husband's voice.
"As fond as I was of Glenn, he never did have the knack of spotting the true characteristics of people." Marcia made a pitying sound. "As if there was anything to be jealous of that cheap woman. She was nothing but yellow trash who…"
As Rei listened to the colorful and not too pleasant description Marcia gave of her mother she began to see red. She clenched her fists so hard her knuckles were turning white. That was it. She had heard enough.
Rei reached out and pushed open the door. It hit the adjourning wall with a satisfying bang that had both women climbing in the air and giving out startled screeches.
"What's the meaning of this!?"
"Don't you have any manners at all, girl!?"
"No more than the two of you." Rei replied in a dangerous tone, that was even more prominent in contrast to their raised voices.
Tory sucked in her breath in outrage. "How dare you!"
"Oh shut up, you gossiping hag!" Rei snapped. "I dare a lot more than that and if you continue badmouthing my mother the two of you are going to find out just how much."
She bore her violet eyes into them. Tory moved her speechless mouth a few times, looking all the world like a guppy. Marcia on the other hand pulled herself erect, frost covering her person like an ice queen as she stared down at Rei with condemning eyes. "See, what did I tell you Tory? Bad apples don't fall far from the tree. This complete lack of breeding is just what one would expect from someone like her."
Rei growled under her breath and took a step closer.
Tory finally finding her voice demanded. "What do you think you're doing? Are you going to attack us? If you so much as touch us I'll call the authorities and have you deported!"
If she had said that with more authority in her voice, Rei might have given her some thought. But with a voice that barely went above a pipe, Rei ignored her like the annoying buzzing fly that she was and instead focused her attention on the woman that seemed to have been her mother's nemesis.
Stopping directly in front of her and appearing as if she was looking down instead of up at the woman Rei said with a dangerous undertone, "For someone who seems to give much consideration to good breeding, you don't show much of having that yourself."
Marcia met her eyes calmly. "And your point is?"
"Talking behind somebody's back and using languages as the ones you just used to describe my mother is hardly what a person with "good breeding", " She raised both her hands and hand and signaled the quoting sign with her fingers "as you call it would do. If you got something to say about me or my mother then at least have the guts to say it to my face not behind closed doors like a coward."
"A coward! And that's supposed to be coming from a little eavesdropper like you?" Tory sneered.
Rei threw her a glance that had her gulping and taking a step backwards. Turning her attention back to Marcia she said evenly. "I don't know why it is that you seem to hate my mother so much. Whether its because of my father or because of something else nor-" she added in a louder voice when it seemed like Marcia was about to say something, "do I find myself wanting to know. I know you are not happy with my presence here. I can tell you that I don't want to be here anymore than you want me here, but since neither one of us have any choice in the matter how about we just come to an agreement? Keep your thoughts about my mother to yourself while I'm staying her and I'll stay out of your way."
Their eyes met and clashed. A battle of wills took place. While her face was completely schooled, Rei could sense the emotions vibrating from Marcia. The woman's dislike of her was so powerful that it nearly felt tangible - an aura of negative feelings that she could almost reach out and touch.
"And why should I agree to that?" Marcia finally broke the silence.
While anger coiled around her like a snake, Rei was surprised to find her voice strangely calm when she said. "How would you feel if I started calling you all those names you just called my mother in front of your children?"
From the way she blinked her eyes, Rei knew that she had caught the woman by surprise.
"Very well." Marcia inclined her head regally. "Just make sure you stay out of my way then."
"With pleasure." Rei told her at the same time as Tory let out. "What?! Are you just going accept that?"
Marcia moved. "Come along, Tory."
"Why are we the one to leave for? She's the one who barged in on us. If anyone should leave she's- "
"Tory." Marcia cut her off. "We have other things to attend to. It's time." She gave her a meaningful look.
Tory's green eyes which were slightly vacant, darkened with understanding. She made a wordless O sound accompanied by, "Yes of course." Casting one last parting annoyed glance at Rei, she hurriedly followed after Marcia who had already disappeared through the door. Rei couldn't help but to compare Tory to a small poodle in hurry to follow her mistress on her daily walk.
After the left, she counted silently to ten before she let out a wordless sigh and shifted her stiff shoulders. She could feel the tension slowly seep out of her body.
Yet another ugly scene with her father's relatives. She wondered if this would be the last one she would have this weekend or if she could expect more, something told her the latter would probably be truer.
The clapping of hands had the tension in her body returning in a heartbeat. Turning Rei faced the stunning looking blonde by the door. She was tall and slender, with tawny blonde hair that was surprisingly as long as Rei's. The large blue eyes, strangely familiar, looked at her with frank honesty and with a slight mischievous light.
It was the lack of distrust in her eyes that had Rei softening her tone instead of barking. "Can I help you with anything?"
Rei's breath caught at the blinding smile the woman gave. It was like staring directly into the sun on a beautiful summer day.
"Hi, I'm Mina Arlington."
She entered the room with an extended hand.
Rei recognized the last name and some of the tension left her body. She reached out and folded her hand into Mina's and was surprised to find the handshake startlingly strong. Like Ami, Mina's soft look was deceptive.
"Rei. Rei Hino."
Mina flashed her dazzling smile once more. "I know, I came here looking for you."
At that cryptic remark, Rei's inner defense came on alert once more. "Oh."
The look Mina's face clearly said that she understood what the 'oh' meant. "Isn't it wonderful when your reputation precedes you? No introduction is necessary then." She told her cheekily.
"It depends on the reputation." Rei disagreed. "If you are here to tell me my presence is not welcome then save your breath, I've already gotten the point."
Mina gave her a sympathetic look. "They gave you the third degree huh? Well don't worry I'm not here to do that. Actually I think you handled the situation quite well there. If I had heard someone give that kind of description of Gramps I would have punched them."
Rei tossed her hair over one shoulder. "The thought did cross my mind but she's not worth the trouble." Casting her a glance she said, "Now that you have found me, did I fit the description?"
Not the least affected by the rude tone, Mina's lips curved to the side as she gave Rei a once over. "I have to say you look kind of tiny. From what I heard I was expecting at least a six foot tall Asian woman with red eyes and horns, breathing fire."
"I'm in disguise right now, this appearance is more appropriate for a funeral." Rei told her dryly. So rumors were already flying.
Rei was caught off guard by the grin the blonde flashed at her. She would have thought her cheeky answer would anger the woman. She was even more surprised when Mina said, "I like your sense of humor, I have a feeling you and I are going to get along famously."
When she came over and linked her arms with Rei's, Rei couldn't help to keep her body from stiffening. Mina didn't pay any attention to it however as she dragged Rei with her out of the room.
"Where are we going?" Rei demanded as she followed Mina down the hallway. The woman didn't seem to be wanting to let go of her any time soon. The cynical part of her wondered if Mina wasn't playing a trick on her, trying to appear friendly so that Rei would drop her guard and all the while having something not as pleasant in mind for her. It was a ridiculous thought but then again when it came to the Holden's she really didn't know what to expect of them.
Unaware of Rei's growing suspicion, Mina threw her a surprised look. "Why we're heading to the study for the reading of the will of course."
Rei frowned at first and then her face smoothed out as she realized what Mina was trying to say. "Look," she said and halted. "I think you've got things all wrong here. Obviously you don't know a lot about my relationship with my father but I can assure you that there's no reason for my presence there."
Mina gave a lopsided smile. "Actually I think you're the one who got things wrong here. Uncle Artur asked for someone to fetch you seeming as he suspected you would probably be the only who didn't know Marcus' will would be read today. I would think that uncle Artur being Marcus' lawyer would know more than anyone else the content of the will."
Dazed by Mina's revelation, Rei wasn't aware of the other woman's skillful maneuver of her through the hallways and down the stairs until they stopped in front of a pair of wide oak doors.
Mina rapped her knuckled against the door once.
"Why don't you look me up once this is finished and we can gossip about it? I'm curious to know what the stone guy gave you." She whispered to Rei before opening the door and pushing her in.
Rei gaped at the winking face of Mina, a mixture of annoyance and amusement at her accurate description of her father. She didn't have time to give the blonde more thoughts however when a loud voice demanded angrily.
"WHAT THE HELL IS SHE DOING HERE?"
Turning, Rei faced the crowded room. Her eyes rested on Terrence first, the one who had made the outburst, his face was as dark as a thundercloud as he glared at Artur Kent. Letting her gaze roam over the rest of the crowd, Rei could see that Terrence wasn't the only who wasn't thrilled by her presence. Both Tory and Frederic were looking at her with resentment, Marcia's was a mixture of their feeling and apprehension. Drew was wearing a sneer while his twin was giving Rei a pitying look saying clearly Rei ought to know her place better. Rei didn't know whether it was due to their earlier conversation but Louisa was refusing to look at her. Trish was wringing her hands. Madame, Jay and the two servants, Bentley and Sarah wore expressionless masks. If it weren't for the fact that James had given her an encouraging look and nod, Rei would probably had turned around and left the room. The hostility was thick enough to carve and it created a sickening feeling in her stomach.
"Well, why the hell is she here?" Terrence roared once again when Artur continued to shuffle the papers in front of him. The shuffling ended when Terrence slammed a large hand on top of the papers. Artur wasn't the only one who flinched.
"Terrence, calm down." Martin, the only one in the room aside from Louisa who hadn't looked at, took a few steps forward and grabbed hold of his brother's arm in a restraining fashion.
"Calm down?! You're telling me to calm down? Why the hell should I want to calm down?" Terrence shook away Martin angrily. "Does this day look like it's a calm day to begin with?! We just buried Marcus, the press is hounding us and at the moment they're parked outside the gates waiting like vultures for one of us to step outside. Do we get any piece and quiet inside? No, because this geezer here insists on reading the will. It's a funeral! It's a private affair. It should be reserved for the immediate family only, for God's sake! But wherever we turn we're surrounded by outsiders. I've had it! When is it ever going to be just the family?"
A muscle ticked steadily on Martin' right jaw as he clenched his teeth together. His voice was surprisingly calm however when he spoke. "I know how you feel. You are angry right now and so am I. But now isn't the time for it. Don't take it out on others. There will be time for us to grieve for him. In private. Let Artur do his job."
"He can do his job, without her being here." Terrence pointed a finger at Rei.
"Actually," Artur cleared his throat and spoke up for the first time. "I can't. Miss Hino's presence here is just as required as the rest of you."
"WHAT?!" The roar came from three different places at the same time.
"You're not telling me that she's actually –"
"Are you claiming that Marcus left something –"
"You're joking!"
"Silence!"
Like the sharp command she made yesterday everyone in the room fell into grave silence as all eyes swiveled to the head of the family.
"Now that we are all gathered here, why don't you start the reading, Artur?" Madame ordered in a lower tone of voice, ignoring the rest of the people in the room.
"Ah yes." Artur cleared his voice once more and then began reading the will.
Rei was surprised when it turned out that her father had begun making his will over ten years ago. At about the same time that he started his political career. A will wasn't exactly something people rushed to prepare. Say what you want about Marcus Holden but one thing was for sure; he was never unprepared nor was he stingy.
As Rei listened to the amount of money that had been left for the majoron Bentley and his wife Sarah, she couldn't help but to feel impressed. Converting it to Japanese yen and she realized it was more than five years of wages for her. Obviously the couple must have found it generous also as Sarah burst into tears and hid her face behind the handkerchief. She kept murmuring Marcus' name over and over again.
Shifting a bit uncomfortably on his seat, Artur continued.
Drew and Frederic were each given a car. Rei wasn't very informed in the matters of cars but from the way Drew's eyes lit up she suspected it must be a good sports vehicle. Trish and Louise were given his cabin in Vermont along with the message to make use of it. The message might have sounded cryptic to Rei but Trish seemed at least to understand enough to give off a wistful sad smile. Charmaine was given his art collection, a surprising news to Rei who never knew her father had been into arts. Marcia's children were each given a hefty trust fund with Marcia as their appointed trustee. Martin was given the chess pieces and Jay the golf clubs. Both men received their gifts with wry smiles as if contemplating on some inner jokes. Judging by the looks on Terrence's face when Artur spoke about him, he didn't quite as impressed or as satisfied with the gifts that his brother had given him. James listened to his name without showing any emotion.
The tension in the room grew as there were only three people left in the room that had not been mention. From where she stood, Rei had a good view over the room and she could see several shifting and looking nervously at each other.
"And to my daughter," Artur looked up and met her eyes across the room. The whole room seemed to hold its collective breaths as the members waited. "I leave her my condominium on Battery Park."
Rei blinked in surprise at the news as well as the way the whole room seemed to heave a sigh of relief. It was surprisingly enough that her father would leave her anything but why a condo? What could she use a condo in New York for when she lived in Tokyo? And yet from the way the main part of the Holdens reacted it was obvious that they had expected even more. The whole thing seemed very strange.
"To Louisa, I would like her to have the Black Pearl necklace to match with the earrings she received from grandfather."
For the first time Rei was shown a speechless Louisa as the elderly woman's jaws just dropped. The news seemed to have caught her completely by surprise. Surprisingly enough or maybe not, Madame's lips pursed slightly in a sign of disapproval; her first sign of emotion since the meeting started. She didn't say anything though, instead she focused her attention on Artur in expectation waiting for him to announce the last of the will.
The tension in the room seemed to have lessened considerably by now. It was as if everybody already knew what the lawyer was going to say. While some didn't appear to be that thrilled by the outcome at least they appeared to be resigned to it. The moment Artur finished announcing Madame as the soul heir to all of Marcus remaining assets, the people in the room started to shift and move and making signs of leaving.
Not in any mood to stay, Rei was already resting her hand on the doorknob before she caught Artur's voice calling them back.
"Before you all start to disappear on me, I'm afraid there's something else I need to clear up first."
Rei couldn't have said she had ever experienced the atmosphere change in a room faster than what just happened. It was like the whole collective room tensed as all attention reverted back onto the lawyer.
Artur feeling the pressure shifted slightly and wiped his forehead with a linen handkerchief. He purposely didn't look at Madame who was drilling her sharp eyes into his skull as if attempting to read his mind.
"With the exception of a handful of you, most here already heard the will being read to you on the day Marcus had it made. The slight changes had pertained to the addition of a few people." He glanced at Rei, Jay and the twins. "There is however a major change that took place recently, in fact the day before Marcus' accident."
Several glances exchanged in the room.
"What kind of change are you talking about?" Martin asked carefully.
"Marcus added a codicil on the will. Unfortunately even I am not aware of the content of that."
"Then who is?" Terrence demanded with annoyance.
Artur gave him a pitying look that said he thought Terrence ought to do something about his lack of manners.
There was a knock on the door.
"Finally." Artur muttered then in a louder voice he said. "Would you please let our guest in, my dear?"
Giving a mental shrug, Rei opened the door and came to face with a wiry looking man with a sickening pallor on his face. Sweat coated his face and he was puffing for breath as if he had run for miles. The man gave one look at Rei and nearly jumped out of his skin. Recovering quickly he fumbled with his briefcase as he entered the room and joined Artur at the desk.
"Everyone, I would like to present to you Derek Ridgeway, the youngest lawyer in the firm. Mr. Ridgeway helped Marcus in writing the codicil and will read its content to us."
The younger man gulped a breath and nearly knocked over the cup on the desk in his nervous state. Papers went flying when he took out the legal documents. Several eyebrows rose in speculation and derision at the man's competence. Clearly most wondered how Artur and his partners would hire a man like that to work in such a prestigious firm as Kent & Johnson.
Their doubts vanished when Ridgeway starting speaking however. The moment he sat down on the chair and took on his glasses, a change of personality seemed to take place in front of them. Sharpness entered his eyes and he spoke with an air of authority that outstripped Artur.
"I'm going to read to you the following that has been stated on Mr. Holden's will." Ridgeway cleared his throat and began reading. "I, Marcus Holden declare this to be a first Codicil to my will dated August the third in the year nineteen eighty seven. To my mother Maxine Dumont Holden, I give all my assets with the exception of my ten percent share of Holden Inc."
There was a collective gasp from the room but Ridgeway continued on as if he hadn't heard anything.
"Due to the changed circumstances and the age of the person I have in mind I would like to ask the following people for a favor. In consideration to their friendship to me and my family, their loyalty and their wisdom I would ask them to act as trustee and advisor for my heir. Should the first person decline the job, then the offer will go to the second one. My first request goes out to…"
Ridgeway paused dramatically. Strangely enough Rei was keeping her eyes not on him but on Marcia and she was not even surprised to see the slightly smug look on her eyes. The woman seemed to have expected this.
"…James Arlington –"
"What?!" Martha's face turned chalk white, the pallor enhancing the rich blueness of her eyes.
"With his seniority and experience," Ridgeway continued ignoring Marcia's exclamation. "I find he is the one most suited to take this role. Should he decline then I ask Artur Kent to grant me my request. I trust in their friendship and loyalty to this family that one will be there for charge. As for the identity of the person they are to help, I hereby give and bequeath my ten percent share of Holden Inc -"
More than a few were sharing expectant looks among themselves.
"- to my daughter Rei –"
The rest was drowned out in the roar that literally shook the room. The Holdens had jumped up on their feet, angry voices shouting in outrage. Rei could barely hear what they were saying through the roaring in her own head. Shock stabbed her like a lightning bolt, traveling through her numb systems.
He made her his heir. He gave her his share of the company. The most important and valued possession that he owned. The heart of the Holden's. And he gave it to her.
Through her dazed mind, Rei met the calm eyes of the man who had just turned her world upside down. Unlike before he seemed completely in control now, calm and collected; completely ignoring the angry shouts and looks from many in the room, the tall lanky man approached her. He said something but she couldn't hear him through the roaring in her head, and then he took her hand and put something there. Before she could look down someone forcefully grabbed her arm and yanked her away.
"Just what the hell did you do to change his mind?" Fred snarled.
Rei stared up at him. While her mind recoiled at the naked anger in his look, her body didn't seem to react at all to the signals that her brain was sending out.
"Well why aren't you answering? Don't pull the stupid I-don't-know-what's-going-on act on me. I can see right through you. Spit it out or do I need to shake it out of you?" To make his point he tightened his hold on her painfully and shook: once, twice.
"All right that's enough." Jay appeared beside her and grabbed hold of Fred's wrist just when he was about to shake a third time. "Let her go."
"Mind your own business." Fred ordered and slapped his hand away and added it with a push. The force behind it would probably have sent Rei all the way to the wall but thanks to his larger and heavier built, Jay only stumbled back a step before gaining is footing.
"Not if you're going to harass her like that. You seem to forget that this is Marcus' last wish. At least have the decency to respect a dead man's wish." Jay told him grimly.
The room had turned deadly quiet as every pair of eyes were reverted to the trio.
"That's easy for you to say. You're not the one who's just been cheated." Fred told him bitterly. He cast a glance at James, who had started to approach them before halting only a few feet away, and then back at Jay. Giving off a sneer he added, "And then again, why should you mind. After all this just fits right into your plan. How convenient that he," he jerked his head towards the elder Arlington, "just happened to be the trustee and she the beneficiary. You two probably had it all worked out and then used this bitch to sweet talk her daddy into it. What did it require to talk her into it? Did you sleep with her? Or did send your old man to –"
The rest was cut off as the first punch flew. Rei was released so abruptly that she stumbled back but no one paid attention to her as everyone focused on trying to separate the two snarling men that were currently rolling on the floor, intent on beating the life out of the other. Curses rained. Fists flew. Tables crashed. Exclamations burst out and cries went.
Watching the scene with detached eyes, Rei slowly backed away from the chaos that reigned in the room. Her fingers fumbled over the door knob a few times before she managed to get a real hold on it. Wrenching the knob, she pulled and gathering the last dredges of willpower to force her body to move and fled the room.
Once her feet started to move, they seemed to gain life of their own as her legs quickly took her farther and farther away from the chaos she left behind. She didn't know where she was headed, but let her legs do the deciding. All she knew was she needed to get out; she needed to get away.
Her legs were starting to ache and her breathing to hurt. All out of breath, Rei slowed down, continued a few more feet until she came to a complete halt. With dazed eyes, she looked at her surroundings. The bushes, the flowers and the pavement telling her she had somehow ended up in the garden.
Except from the faint chirping sounds of birds in the far background, the place was completely quiet and strangely serene.
Spotting a stone bench not far away, Rei headed towards it and sat down.
Questions spun in her head. Why? Why? Why did he do it? Why did he leave her with the stocks? The apartment was enough of a shock, never in her life would she have expected him leave her this and from the reactions in the room neither did anyone else. So why? Why did he do it?
There was a rustling sound and looking down at her right hand she saw the envelope that was clutched there. Slowly she lifted her hand and stared at the crumbled piece of paper. It felt heavy in her hand, telling her that it contained more than just a sheet of paper. She easily recognized the handwriting of her name on the front. She had seen that tidy precise note plenty of times outside the cards of the gifts her father had supposedly bought for her her.
Moving like a zombie, Rei broke the seal and pulled out the thin sheet of paper from the envelope. Her eyes scanned the content.
Rei,
If you are reading this letter then it means I didn't get the chance to finish the task I set out to do. You, I believe, are the only one who can finish this task for me.
I'm going to entrust you with the most important thing in my life. Take care of Holden and don't let your anger towards me cloud your judgment in deciding its future. Prove to me that you have inherited more than just the bad traits of your mother and I. Save the company and finish the task I was never able to.
This will be my first and final request as your father.
Dad
P.S. Trust no one. And…I'm sorry.
Rei tipped the envelope upside down and a small key fell into her palm. The key was simple and plain, gleaming as it caught the light. There was nothing attached to it, no key ring, no notes; nothing that could reveal where the key would fit.
Rei stared at the key but in her mind, questions of other kinds whirled.
Sorry. Sorry for what? For pushing her into this role and making her the mortal enemy of practically everyone in his family? For being absent throughout her life? For never being there for her as a father should? Or worse for simply not being able to love her?
And why, why couldn't he have the courage to say this to her face to face? She didn't want his apologies. What she wanted were some explanations. She wanted the truth. She wanted to know why.
For someone who had just received a great amount of fortune, Rei felt considerably cheated, even more so after she read his letter. For as long as she could remember, Marcus had never once revealed his true feelings for her. He never once acted like anything aside from a distant uncle. But now for the first time he was speaking to her as a father and it was through a letter. A letter that clearly indicated that if he hadn't died so untimely she might never have gotten it in the first place.
Rei balled the key into her hand, the sharp edges cutting into her flesh. But no matter how hard she clenched her fist, the pain there still did not compare to the one she felt in the region of her heart.
Her eyes started to sting and a lump formed in her throat. She tried to swallow the lump but it only created a burning sensation that spread downwards to her chest.
Fighting hard to control her feelings, Rei stared down at the letter in front of her. She tried to read the content once more but the words seemed to move on their own, squeezing themselves together and moving in waves as her vision blurred. Blinking her eyes, she tried to clear her vision but the stinging sensation just grew. The first sniff came even as the first tear fell from her lashes. A crystal drop that shone in the crisp noon air as it fell and got soaked up in the fragile texture of the letter.
She reached up a hand to brush away the tear in her eye, but just as she did another one fell from the other eye.
Loneliness wrapped around her like a blanket of hurt. While she knew she had people who loved her, somehow the knowledge of that still couldn't fill the empty vortex inside her; it could not subside the aching sorrow that was gnawing at her.
Rei closed her eyes to block out the pain as she wrapped her arms around herself to keep the chill at bay.
She wanted to feel the love of a parent. She wanted the comfort of a parent. She wanted to know what that feeling felt like, to be held close, to be cherished. To be able to know in your heart that no matter what, they were your parents and you could always count on them. She knew her mother had loved her a lot but for the life of her she could not remember what her mother's embrace felt like. As for her father… For once, just for once she wished she could feel the real embrace of a parent.
Strong arms gathered her close and she was enveloped in a tight hug. She felt the faint scent of cigar the kind that her father used to smoke. For a brief silly moment, Rei actually thought her father had heard her wish and returned in spirit to grant it to her. Because unlike some people, Rei knew spirits did exist, having seen them around the temple that she grew up in. Then she realized the embrace was warm, spirits were never warm.
Stiffening, Rei looked up and found a pair of sympathetic angelic eyes look down on her. If father Christmas did exist, Rei thought absently, his would be the face he'd have. Strong, friendly, understanding and loving.
"It's okay child. Let it out. Let it all out. You'll feel much better afterwards." James Arlington told her gently.
It was softness in his voice, the gentleness in the way he looked down at her, the kind of gentleness and caring that she had always secretly hoped her father would gaze on her, that broke the last shred of control.
Her eyes pooled over and giving up, Rei leaned against the old man's strong chest and let the dam break. She let go of her control. She let go of the tight bubble in the region of her heart where she buried all the hurt, anger, sorrow, disappointment and even the love that she had felt for her father come out and let them all come to the surface. All the emotions crashed upon her like waves of stormy sea.
And she wept.
Her father was gone. She would never see him again. He would never turn up for her birthdays. There would never be anymore impersonal presents with notes that didn't match the content. She would never hear his terse and aloof tone of voice talking on the other end of the line, giving her one of his many excuses of why he had to cancel the meeting.
She wept even harder.
The arms holding her remained strong and assuring. They offered comfort and sympathy at the same time. There was a gentle understanding there but something still lacked in the embrace. And when Rei realized what it was, she cried even harder.
It wasn't his negligence that she had resented. Deep down she admitted, she would have forgiven him that if only he had once, just once embraced her in his arms and offered her the kind of comfort and love a parent would show his child. Everything would have been fine with her, if only for once she didn't have to doubt his feelings for her. But it was too late now. She would never know if her father had really loved her.
James found her in the Music Room; pacing like a caged panther.
Having just left a distraught young woman grieving for her father, the sight of Maxine's determined face and ready to chew rock attitude brought a fleeting smile upon James' lips.
"Finished your work as an advisor?" Maxine asked with a sneer when he closed the door behind him.
Undaunted by the unfriendliness in her tone, James calmly entered the room. "Aye, for the time being."
The reminder of his current position brought fire into her eyes. "Explain." Came the terse command.
James shrugged and fished out a cigar from the inner pocket of his coat. "At the moment you know as much as I."
Maxine watched him light the cigar with the ever present gold lighter, the very same one he received from his wife twenty years ago, with a negligent and easy move - resentment bubbled up her throat.
"Don't tell me this all came as news to you. He must have said something."
James took a slow drag and exhaled slowly, his blue eyes calm as he studied her. "You know as well as I that nobody has ever been able to predict Marcus' moves. It's one of the reasons he was such a good politician."
"We're not talking about politics right now. We're talking about my company!" Maxine snapped him and slammed her palm against the smooth surface of the piano.
The act revealed just how agitated she was by the whole situation. That musical instrument was one of her most cherished possessions. Knowing that, James softened his tone. "Marcus must have had his reasons, he loved the company too."
"Obviously not enough to make him want to work for it." Maxine added bitterly.
James' lips curved slightly to the side. Now she really sounded like a petulant child. "And why should he, when there are far more capable people than him that can run the business? You didn't raise a fool, Maxine."
"I always thought I managed to do a good job with him. But right now I'm starting to doubt that." She reached up and brushed her hand against her sleek hair. It was an impatient gesture on her part, rather than necessity.
James shook his head. "You are far too harsh on them, they are fine men, each in their own way." His tone clearly said this wasn't the first time they've conversed around this topic.
He got the same reply as he always did: a decisive snort.
James frowned. "They might have their faults but then again when has any one of us been perfect?"
At that statement both thought of their past; the decision they made and the consequences of them. Their trips along memory lane did not take the same route but both ended in the same place and that was their relationship. But since the ship had sailed a long time ago, neither spoke up about it.
"Where is the girl now?" Madame cleared her throat.
"Mina gave her a ride back to town."
"Well she was in an awful hurry to get back." The tone was snide; she knew it and couldn't help it. Something about the girl rubbed her the wrong way. Every time she met those eyes they seemed to look at her with accusation. Granted she had been glad when her son finally got his senses back and ended his marriage but she had nothing to with the breakup. "Couldn't wait to spend her fortune? Or –"
"Stop." James cut her off before she could continue saying things that she would later regret "She's not as cold as she appears to be. In fact when I found her in the garden she was devastated."
By the way Madame looked at him James knew his sharp tone had caught her by surprise. He didn't usually talk to her that way and he probably would not have either if it weren't for the fact that he could still feel the wetness that clung to his shirt where the girl in question had left her tears as evidence of her feelings.
Hurt that her oldest friend would take the side of a stranger over her, Madame snorted. "I don't believe that for one second. She certainly hadn't shown any evidence of having a compassionate heart." She gave a decisive laughter. "In fact she fits right in with the rest of the out there." She nodded towards the door where the members of her family where scattered. "Rock solid money bleeder all waiting for me to draw my last breath so they can fight over my money."
Her tone was hard and bitter but James knew her well enough to see through the brave façade she was holding up and recognize the hurt she was hiding.
"Frederic might have behaved foolishly down there but he was only acting out of outrage on your behalf." James told her gently, easily finding the source of her pain. "Just like Jay acted on mine."
Madame wrapped her arm around her waist and stared out the window. It was a protective gesture, a show of vulnerability that she only did when she was around him. Feeling his heart stir, James moved to her side and gently put his hand on her shoulder. She looked strong and capable but he was probably the only one alive now who knew just how frail those shoulders were.
"You really should try to be less hard on them. If you for once stop trying to keep them out of your life, you would realize that they truly care about you." He pointed out gently.
Maxine looked up at him, her gaze frank and direct. It was a look that many men found disconcerting but that he appreciated from the very first time they met.
"I have my reasons. You of all people should know that, James. You've seen what trust has given me. Even my son stabs me in the back."
"Marcus must have had good reason for doing what he did."
She met his eyes steadily. "Yes, obviously you were it."
He was silent. Her accusation hung heavily in the air between them.
When he finally broke the silence, his voice was controlled, far too controlled. "After fifty years of friendship I really thought we knew each other well enough so that there was nothing either one of us could do that could surprise the other. Obviously I was wrong."
He let go of her. It was either that or wrap his hands around her neck. It still surprised him how a peaceful man like him could have such violent thoughts when she was concerned. Then again that has always been her appeal to him. Where his wife had brought out the goodness in him, the woman in front of him always brought out the wilder part.
"What do you expect me to think when instead of returning the shares I gave to him, he ends up giving them to a daughter he barely acknowledges and a man who hasn't paid any attention to the wellbeing of the company for the past ten years?" Madame demanded.
Her eyes searched his, desperately trying too seek the answer that would ease the suspicion in her heart; suspicion grown out of decades of self-preservation and too many betrayal from those she had considered were her friends and family.
James looked back at her coolly. She secretly held her breath as she waited in fear. When he finally did reply, it was not the answer she'd expected.
"You ought to be ashamed of yourself. After so many years, I would think that you would have learned to trust in people more, if not me then at least in your family."
She blinked. To her it was as much reaction as someone who received as slap in the face.
"What do you mean by that?" She demanded.
"Just listen to yourself. Do you honestly believe either Marcus or I are capably of doing something that can hurt you, knowing how much the company means to you?"
"I really don't know what to believe in anymore." Madame told him honestly. "If you had asked me yesterday which two people I could trust in, I would have named the two of you and yet today I'm informed about this arrangement made between the two of you." She looked him in the eyes. "What am I to believe?"
He saw the vulnerability in her eyes. Unlike most people he had always been able to see it. It stirred his heart, as always, but he didn't act upon it. Instead he deliberately made his voice hard.
"I'm only going to tell you this once. I don't know what Marcus has planned but I will trust in his judgment and do my best to help him by fulfilling his last request. If that means supporting his daughter then that is what I will do."
"And what if supporting means going against me? Will you do that too?"
"I don't believe that day will ever come." He told her with conviction.
It wasn't the answer she had been looking for but pride refused to let her show the disappointment.
"You sound very sure."
"That's because unlike you I believe in Marcus." He stated simply.
Her eyes became distant. "I did believe in him. Once. It was when I gave him my shares."
James shook his head. "No, you wanted to control him." He corrected her and there was as a sad note to his voice. "That, Maxine, has always been one of your major flaws. You've always wanted to control everyone around you. That is also unfortunately part of your tragedy since people tend to react differently when they are being controlled. It as also part of the reason why everyone in this household never managed to achieve any true happiness
Color drained from her face.
"Are you claiming that I'm the one who brought misery to this household?"
"Both yes and no. They each brought it upon themselves, but to a certain extent you are not completely out of fault either. You claim there's no sense of family and yet have you ever thought about your behavior? You are the head of this family and they all look upon you to set the example, even Louisa. But what do you do? You keep them at arm's length. Never letting them get too close and never letting them get to far either. They are allowed to live their lives just as long as they live them by your decree. How much space does that give for love, for trust or for happiness?"
"I'm only trying to save them a lot of hurt. I won't stand by and watch them run when I know it's a cliff right ahead. If I hadn't stepped in all these times there wouldn't be a Holden left to begin with."
James smiled, recalling the many times she had come to the rescue of her family, from her parents to her siblings, to her children and to her nephew and nieces. It was that fierce loyalty, the unwavering courage and the flaming passion that he had been drawn to from the very beginning. "You always did say that. But have you ever thought about the fact that there are times when you can step in and help and times when it would be better to step aside and let them make the mistake? If you insist on holding their hands forever they will never learn to walk on their own. It is by making mistakes in life that we learn to become wiser."
Criticism wasn't something she took easily and she proved that now by firing her own accusation. "If this is how you felt then why haven't you spoken up sooner, why speak up now?"
James shrugged. "What is it that they say? Better late than never?"
In truth he didn't speak before because while he always thought Maxine was a bit too controlling of her family, he never realized her behavior might have been one of the major problems. He supposed in a way, like the rest of the family members, he had unconsciously begun to differ to her too. But with the appearance of Rei, or more precisely her show of rebellion last night, had him realizing that, that might be one of the things lacking in their life. Rei being the only one not brought up in this household or lived in it for so long, could question her the way the rest of them had stopped doing. Everyone did things Maxine's way, whether they liked it or not even to the point of when they knew it was wrong.
"Well you know what you can do with your advice." Maxine snapped angrily, yanking him abruptly back to the present.
James inwardly sighed. "If you don't change your attitude soon you might find yourself not loosing just your son but everyone else as well. Let go of your fears, Maxine. Let them in to your heart before it's too late."
"Oh really? It hasn't stopped you from loving me."
The room was suddenly covered in silence; a heavy awkward silence at her sudden hurl of accusation.
While they were both aware of his feelings for her it was a mutual silent consent on both parts never to speak of it.
Shame filled her but it was too late to regret what anger had made her do. She had a temper, it had been renowned even when she was a child. Over the years she had learned to control it better, at least enough to never allow herself to let it loose on those dearest to her. Or so she thought.
"Yes." James said with a low voice. "I do love you."
Until now she had not realized how much she had wanted to hear him say those words. Though somehow she had not pictured him looking at her quite that way. His blue eyes, the color of the Pacific, looked at her with the same cool quality. There was no tenderness there, nor any other warmth that would give credit to his feelings. And the next thing he said made it even worse.
"And that is probably also the most foolish mistake I have ever made. Unfortunately for either of us, I'm unable to do anything to change that now. You might however want to think about your attitude towards the members of your family or one day you might just find that there's nobody left around you."
With those parting words he turned and left the room, leaving her to mull over what he had just said. He knew he was harsh towards her, but sometimes it was the only to get her to listen. That stubborn streak, which was like a mile wide, was one of her not so endearing qualities. It made it very difficult for a person to try and talk sense into her.
He was hoping that she might reconsider and maybe cut Rei some slack, if not for the girl herself then maybe for Marcus' sake. After all, that boy has not been happy ever since his marriage broke up and to a certain degree Maxine had been partly involved in that too.
"You know the reason we stopped for food was so that you could actually eat and not play around with it." Mina's voice cut through Rei's thoughts, bringing her back from the memory lane.
Rei blinked her eyes and the vision of the dark study with its mahogany walls, angry people and flurry of activities vanished to be replaced by the serene sea food restaurant with white walls and spectacular view of the ocean. She shifted her gaze to her companion, who was sitting across the table from her.
Mina had insisted that they make a stop on their way back to the city and eat. Since Rei was very grateful to her for giving her a ride and ending her hellish weekend, it would have been churlish on her part to disagree. The problem was however she really wasn't hungry which she also told her hostess.
Mina responded by giving her an understanding smile. "You still have to eat sooner or later. It's already half past two and by the time we reach the city it'll be nearing four o'clock. Trust me you are going to feel hungry then. Just try out the salmon it's really good."
She gestured to her own plate where half of the pan-seared salmon was already gone.
Rei blinked. The plate was large and the salmon had filled nearly the whole plate and she was pretty sure her mind hadn't wandered off for more than ten minutes. She looked at the slender woman across from her.
"You must be hungry." She murmured.
Mina grinned and took a sip of Evian. "You haven't seen Serena eat yet. Now that's a girl who's always famished."
Briefly Rei wondered if Mina was referring to Serena Kent. But she quickly dashed those thoughts away. If the woman did eat constantly there was no way she could keep that form of hers.
"Come now, take a bite or two. You're going to make me look bad in front of those two hunks over there. They've been watching us ever since we came in." Mina cajoled.
Not that she was very much interested but because Mina's attitude seemed to indicate that she wanted Rei to check them out, she obliged her by discreetly shifting her eye to her right. Two men dressed casually in what were most probably designer wear, were sitting two tables away from them. They looked and dressed enough alike to be either mistaken as twins or brothers.
"Aren't they cute?" Mina's eyes shone with a secret delight.
Rei cast another glance at the pair. Young, eager looking faces with sandy brown hair and soft brown eyes they looked like puppies to her.
"They look like they're hardly old enough to shave." She murmured under her breath.
Mina lifted her napkin and discreetly muffled the reflexive laughter. "Yes but puppies can be adorable too." Mina pointed out as if reading her mind.
She caught the look of one of the guys and gave him a slight smile and a nod with her head in a gesture of hello.
"Until they start hanging around you twenty four seven." Rei muttered with annoyance and recalled those pesky admirers back home that always seemed to hang around her with flowers, chocolate, balloons or love letters and never getting a hint that she wanted to be left alone.
"Hey if he's adorable enough I don't mind." Mina told her with a grin and popped a piece of carrot into her mouth.
Rei rolled her eyes. "Well if they do decide to work up the courage to come over," there was some activity in the background that told her that the guys were debating their next move, "then you can have both of them."
Mina was quiet for a while and looked all the world like she was actually toying with the idea before shaking her head with a slight regret. "Nah, I think I'll just settle for the blonde one. He's cuter with his dimple."
They both looked brown haired to her. How Mina could claim one of them was blonde was beyond her comprehension but Rei refrained from voicing her opinion. The last thing she wanted to talk about right now was men. She had enough problems as it was.
Thinking about her father brought an unconscious scowl to her face. She glanced at the purse which was lying next to her. Her father's letter was in there along with the key. She stuffed them there but she had no idea what to do with them later. Maybe she would know more when she visits Ridgeway's office on Monday. The man had informed her there were some formalities involved that they needed to clear up.
"Ok what exactly did Marcus give you to put a scowl on your face?" Mina demanded suddenly I can't bear the suspense any longer. Surely it can't be that bad."
"Tell that to the Holden's." Rei muttered under her breath.
Her arm was still stinging from Frederic's grip and no doubt it was going to turn into a lovely bruise later.
Mina's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Ok now you really got me hooked. What did Marcus give you?" She asked.
Curiosity was eating at her. When Gramps had asked her to give Rei a ride, her mind had been too busy with the shooting she was going to have in a few days to pay much attention to the reason behind the request. She figured Rei probably got sick and tired of the place and wanted to leave and who could blame her? The Holdens were very nice people once they accept you but they could also be very unpleasant too if they put their minds to it. Obviously there was more behind the request than she had initially thought.
"Well." She demanded when Rei kept quiet.
Rei clenched her teeth. She looked like she was struggling with something.
"Come on, the suspense is killing me here." Mina pleaded.
Rei shook her head. "I'm not so sure. After all you're close to Holdens and I still need a ride back." She tried to make it sound like a joke but there was a certain truth it behind it too.
"Oh come on." Mina nearly wailed, frustration clearly laced in her tone. "That's not fair. I'm giving you a ride after all. Besides," she added with a sniff. "I always keep my promise."
Rei was silent for another moment and eyed her suspiciously. "If I tell you, you promise you won't give me grief about it later?"
"Yes. Yes. Yes. Now tell me." The blonde looked like she was about to jump on her chair any minute now.
Rei took a deep breath as she mentally steeled herself and told her. The fork clattered on to the plate with a ringing sound from Mina's limp fingers. Blue eyes stared at her.
Rei felt her heart plummet to her feet. She knew it was a mistake to tell her. Why hadn't she listen to her instincts and just kept her mouth shut?
She mentally went over how much cash she carried. She wondered if it was enough to pay for a cab to take her back to the city. Either that or she would have to be forced to use the cell Nate gave her and call for the driver to pick her up. She really hated taking advantage of her friendship with Mako like that. Nate might be loaded, but it didn't feel right to make use of his property just because she was his wife's friend.
Rei let out a soundless sigh. Then again she didn't suppose she had a choice now.
She eyed Mina, who was still sitting like a statue. Well the acquaintance had been pleasant even if brief. It was really too bad. She had begun to like the woman and for her it was a rare thing since she didn't normally open up to strangers that quickly. But there had been something special about Mina, the way they had connected that had told her that given time they might have become good friends.
"Well." Rei cleared her throat. "I suppose it's time for me to leave now."
Her voice seemed to bring Mina back from whatever place she had mentally gone to. Blinking her eyes owlishly, she breathed. "Wow, he must have really felt guilty."
The hand that had been reaching for her purse stilled. "What do you mean?" Rei asked quietly.
Mina looked up and met her eyes. There was a different quality in those blue eyes now, instead of merriment there was a seriousness there that caught Rei by surprise. The look in her eyes, gave a totally different depth to her character, suddenly she didn't seem like a bubbly and slightly ditzy blonde.
"He gave you the company, didn't he? Well ten percent if you must be technical and all, but it's all he had. And he gave them to you. The only reason I could think of was that he must have felt bad about the way he neglected you." Mina's eyes turned soft. "He must have cared for you after all."
Rei wanted to tell Mina about the letter but anger made her say something else instead. "Guilt is not the same as caring."
"Actually I think it is." Mina disagreed. "You see guilt is just another manifestation of our feelings. If you don't care then you won't feel guilt either. It's a simple as that. Somebody who lacks those feelings wouldn't even bother to feel guilt. It might not be love, but trust me it's better than nothing." She wore a slight lopsided smile on her face but there was a certain sad quality in them that made Rei wondering if Mina was speaking out of some personal experience.
Rei never did get the chance to ask her since Mina's next comment made the question disappear from her mind. "At least that explains the picture."
Rei frowned. "What picture?"
Mina smiled and picked up her purse. She pulled out a small picture from her Fendi and handed it to Rei who took it slowly. The picture was only five by ten inches in size but she recognized it immediately. It was the picture her grandfather took of her on her high school graduation. She hadn't realized her grandfather had sent the picture to her father. The latter had been in busy preparing for his election for Congress to attend.
"Martin found the picture above the mantle piece in the cabin in Vermont. Marcus loved the place." Mina murmured. "He often used that cabin when he wanted some peace and quiet. It was like a second home to him."
He kept a picture of her. Rei didn't know what to make of it. She told herself it was nothing to be so happy about but she couldn't help it. The news did make her happy. Could Mina be right? Did her father really care?
"Anyways, since it's obvious you're not going to be finishing your meal how about we hit the road again?" Mina suggested.
Rei nodded her head in agreement. Mina signaled for the waiter.
They were just getting to leave when the two men that had been eyeing them finally worked up the courage to make their move and approached them.
Rei groaned inwardly and even more so when she saw the glee in Mina's eyes.
"Hey there. My cousin and I were just wondering if you would care to have a drink with us." One of them, the one with the dimple that Mina had been eyeing said.
Mina glanced at the table where they just left their half empty glasses. "I think the evidence speaks for itself."
He gave a sheepish smile. "Well then how about if we make it tonight then." He suggested. "The names Travis, Travis Milbank and this is my cousin David Milbank."
The other man in question gave a goofy smile. The way David was eyeing her, Rei had a suspicion that they both already made arrangements on who was to hit on who before they approached them. Great, just what she needed another pompous ass sniffing at her. It was easy enough to see that these two came from privileged backgrounds and most probably never had a greater worry in their life than what to entertain themselves with the next day.
Well if Mina was going to waste her time on these fools, she could do it on her own.
"Mina, I'm going to get something at the store next door. I'll meet you by the car." Rei told her after the introduction has been made by Mina. With a parting nod towards the two men, Rei left the restaurant.
It was windy outside and feeling drawn to the water, Rei decided to take a detour by the wooden walkway that had been built alongside the beach. The air was crisp and alleviating. The sound of the rushing sea and the cries of the seagulls above were soothing. Despite the fact that the wind was pulling at her hair and clothes, she took her time as she walked along the path. There was hardly anyone outside, partly due to the darkness in the sky that promised rain if not even storm. The situation suited her, since she preferred solitude to a crowd. A picturesque place like this no doubt drew a lot of tourism on a sunny day.
Rei glanced down at the photo which she was still holding in her hand. It fluttered in the wind making it seem like the girl on the picture was winking back at the gazer.
She still didn't know what to make out of all of this. He gave her his most prized passion. He kept her photo. Was she supposed to look upon it as good or bad? Any other father would have kept his daughter's photo in his wallet, home or office, which he obviously didn't. Yet the place it was kept wasn't just any place either. According to Mina it was his second home. Was his disinterest in her just a show? One he kept to please the members of his family? Could a small part of him really care? Was that why he apologized to her?
Rei leaned against the railing and stared off into the horizon. Of everything that has happened today, the thing that bothered her the most, was his apology. She couldn't help to shake away the feeling that he wanted to say more but he couldn't.
Rei didn't get the chance to delve into those thoughts as Mina decided to call her then. She hurriedly returned to the car where Mina was waiting with Travis and David. Mina was already sitting behind the wheel and while the engine was on she and Travis seemed to be in deep discussion it didn't seem like they would leave anytime soon.
David gave Rei a wide smile when she came nearer.
"Hey." He said and smoothly moved to block her from opening the door on the passenger side.
Rei gave him an annoyed look.
"Yes?"
Undaunted by the lack of encouragement on her part he gave off a confident smile. "Say, Travis and your friend are making plans for tomorrow. If you give me your number we can make it a double date."
Rei tilted her head to the side as if contemplating the thought. "How about we do this instead? You call me in about ten years or so when you've learned to shave without nicking yourself first?" She suggested silkily and stared pointedly at his chin, before smoothly sidestepping him and disappearing into the car.
Mina was staring at her with her jaws falling but at one pointed look from Rei she quickly loosened the handbrake, flashed Travis a winning smile and drove off.
"I can't believe you just said that to him." Mina said in amazement after a few minutes of driving in silence.
Rei gave an indifferent shrug "Why give the poor boy any false hope?"
"Yes but did you see the way he looked? You totally crushed his pride."
"He'll live. Trust me male with egos like his always bounce back in seconds and moves on to another pair of legs with a skirt."
"You don't seem to have much of an opinion of men." The amusement lacing her voice took away the edge of her statement.
Rei flicked a strand of hair over her shoulder. "I just don't believe in wasting my time with losers." She eyed Mina under her long lashes. "So are you really making friends with the cousin?"
Mina shrugged. "I haven't decided yet. He did have contacts to get him into the Vulcano, which is like the hottest place on Manhattan right now. The queue line is minimum 4 hours, plus he's cute in a puppy sort of way."
Rei rolled her eyes. "If you're so fond of puppies then why don't you get a real one?"
Mina shook her head. "Tried that once but they're overly fond of chewing my shoes or baptizing them. It was a choice of the puppy or my shoes."
Rei glanced down at the electric blue sandals Mina wore. The strap was thin and there were some feathers and glitter in them. Mina had managed to change from the chic looking black ones she had worn earlier today.
"So where shall I drop you off?"
"If it's not too much bother just drop me off outside Grand Central. My hotel isn't that far away."
Mina waved her hand dismissively. "Nonsense. Just tell me which hotel you're staying at and I'll drop you off outside. If I can give you a ride from Greenwich a few hundred feet or so won't matter."
Rei smiled slightly. She didn't know why but there was a cheerfulness in Mina that was contagious. When talking to her, she could actually feel her spirit lift.
"Very well then. I'm staying at Caesar's."
"Nice choice. I've never stayed there myself since the only one in this country is situated here but I hear its one of the best. Then again for a minimum of three hundred dollars a night it has to be."
Rei let out a small squeak. "Three hundred dollars?"
"Yeah. It's a five star hotel."
She was going to kill Nathan. Comfortable and recently priced indeed. No wonder the service was so good. If she had to pay three hundred dollars a night it had better be serviceable to a queen! She's already stayed for four days that was twelve hundred dollars! That was over hundred and thirty thousand yen! It's approximately as much as what she made a month and she blew all away in less than a week!
"Maybe I should try it out one of these days. I hear their food is exquisite and maybe I'll get a chance to get a glimpse of the owner. I've never meet Nathan Maxfield personally but if he's anything like the magazines shows I'm sure I'm going to enjoy it. Talk about yummie." Mina continued talking not noticing Rei's shocked silence.
Nathan owned the place! No wonder they had reacted so weirdly at the reception during check-in. Mortification washed over her to be quickly replaced by anger at the realization of her being outmaneuvered by a man. That… that slick arrogant pompous rich ass! How dare he go behind her back and arrange things like that when she specifically told him she wanted to make it on her own.
Rei scowled darkly.
"Mina," she interrupted Mina as she continued to describe all the wondrous things she had heard about the place and the man himself. There was a certain light in her eyes that told her she was slightly infatuated. "Do you know any cheap hotels with reasonably good quality? Like say fifty to maximum hundred dollars a night."
Mina frowned. "Well that's a little beyond my location of expertise. Price has never been the deciding factor when I stay at a place."
No of course not, Rei should have realized it too. Considering what she wore and drove in, Rei could see that money was never a matter of concern for Mina. She sighed inwardly. She'd have to deal with it herself then. Maybe Ami could find something for her through the net.
"I'm sure I can ask around. Though why do you want to know?" Mina looked at her curiously.
Rei blew out her breath. "It seems my friend and I had a little misunderstanding about the price. When I asked him for a reasonably priced hotel he seemed to have gone after his own standard. Our opinion of expensive, shall we say, differs greatly. All in all, I can't afford to continue staying in a place like Caesar's."
"Well I don't see any problems with that." Mina pointed out.
Annoyance flickered in Rei's eyes. No of course not, she had plenty of money so she never had to worry about.
"Why don't you just use the condo Marcus gave you?" Mina suggested.
Rei blinked. Shame filled her for the nasty thoughts she had about Mina and shock staggered her as she realized what Mina just said.
"But I can't do that."
"And why not?" Mina gave a pretty scowl and turned to face her.
Rei's eyes widened. "Mina look out!" She cried out.
With a vague look Mina turned her attention back to the road and quickly swerved to the side to avoid crashing in to the car in front of them. She had to quickly brake and swerve back again to avoid the approaching car. It took a few minutes before the angry honking, shouting and tires screeching quieted down and they could continue with their journey.
"Well, I'm still waiting." Mina demanded.
Rei still patting her racing heart after the incident glanced at the blonde. She was looking cool and serene like nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Rei was getting a nasty suspicion as to the identity of the person Jay had been talking to earlier; the one who had her car towed away.
Because Mina was tapping her foot rather impatiently, Rei decided to please her quickly before they ended up in another near death experience.
"I don't feel comfortable moving in there."
"But why? Marcus gave you the place so obviously it was meant for you to live there if not permanently then at least partially whenever you're in town. What good will it do to have a condo lying around empty? The place is yours, you have every right to use it."
Rei shook her head. "I don't think the Holdens would agree with that."
Mina waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "You shouldn't bother too much of what others think."
Looking at her Rei couldn't help but to give off a small laugh.
"Now you sound just like your brother."
This time it was Mina who was caught by surprise as she blinked her eyes. "You've met Jay?"
They passed a place where a car accident seemed to have just transpired. Curious at the scene, Rei craned her neck to get a better view while she absently answered.
"Mmm. He gave me a ride to the church today."
"Oh did he..." Mina said cryptically and eyed her with a speculative look which Rei missed.
The phone rang several times. For each signal the man held his breath and waited in suspense.
It was quiet in the house, everyone had gone to sleep and night was slowly creeping away to be replaced by the first rays of sunlight. The old grandfather clock ticked ominously by the corner.
When the other end finally answered, relief flooded through his body as he nearly sighed.
"Yes." Came the curt answer.
"I'm afraid things didn't go exactly as planned." The man spoke softly into his cell phone to keep his voice down..
There was as short harsh curse on the other end. "What do you mean?"
"A slight miscalculation." He quickly went over the details of what had transpired earlier today.
"Why weren't I informed about this? You were supposed to make sure that any changes made in the will were to be reported to me."
The man winced slightly, there was no mistaking the threatening tone in his voice. Cold sweat slid down his spine. Along with the dread came also the anger. "You tell me. I wasn't supposed to be the one following him."
"Do not worry about that." The voice on the other end had said in a dismissive tone. "I'll deal with him later. Just make sure she doesn't find out anything."
"I've already had his place searched thoroughly. If he had some kind of proof. It died with him." The man pointed out. It required some effort on his part to hide the annoyance from showing in his voice. He had learned a long time ago that when dealing with his contact any show of emotions got him nowhere.
"I'm not about to take my chances on that. There's too much at stake here. Find out what's in that letter and if she shows signs of being as interfering as her father then we'll send her to join him."
The audible click on the other side and the dead tone told him that his contact had hung up. Slowly he let the arm holding his cell phone slide down to fall limply to his side. Sweat was beading his forehead and he never sweated.
Then again he has never been in this kind of situation before either. Things were becoming more and more complicated. Now they were talking about murdering people too. And from the sound of things it wasn't their first either. Murder had never part of the deal to begin with.
He made silent groan when he realized that Marcus' death had indeed not been an accident. He had now turned from traitor into murderer. The worst part was he knew if he didn't find a way to stop the girl from continuing with her father's inquisitive digging, there was no way he could stop them from getting rid of her too. He was already too deeply involved. If the truth got out it would be his downfall.
His hand shook slightly as he reached out to open the door and headed back to his room.
It was time to make some plans.
Author's note: Yepp even more intrigues coming. So who's the traitor? And was Marcus' death really an accident or murder? Well I guess you won't find out until we reach the end of this story. =) We're one third through now so I hope you'll have the patience to stick with me 'til the end.
My warmest thanks to all of you readers and especially the reviewers. I'm glad you're enjoying the story.
And to Lady Mischief and icicle7, good guess! I ought to award you with the next chapter but unfortunately I've only managed to type one page so far. =( As for Zoicite I'm afraid he'll probably only make a brief cameo role in this story. Don't worry he'll have a larger role in the Mina's story.
// Fenix