Update June 3 2006. Okay, I have started to re-write this story. Finally. After a year of promising myself to do it, I have finally started! Problem is, I re-wrote chapter two before I did this one, so if I repeat myself a bit in the next chapter, pay no mind. I was just running out of ideas. Kinda. This chapter was a bit hard to write, which is partly why it is so short. It would have been longer, but like I said, I already wrote a lot of the important beginning things in the next chapter. Oh well! But I haven't done chapter three yet, so that part wont make any sense really at all yet. And chapter four is done, but I don't think I should post it until chapter three is done. Better get busy!

Chapter 1

I shouldn't have to introduce myself to you. You should know my name already. I mean, come on, everyone knows my name. But I guess I should do it anyways, for all of you who have been living under rocks for the past ten years. My name is Kai. Kai Hiwatari. And if that doesn't ring any bell in your head, you have serious problems, my friend.

I am a model. A really good one, too. My parents are dead, and my grandfather is Voltaire Hiwatari, one of the richest men on the earth. He owns hundreds of companies all around the world, called Biovolt. It's really just another huge game company, but for some reason has become more successful than any other.

I really wasn't too involved in it until just recently. We started to get letters that we were losing money, not gaining it, despite continued high sales. After a few long phone calls, and a couple of emails, my grandfather figured out that the whole problem was coming from one of the companies in America. New York, to be exact. The man my grandfather had placed there to run it wasn't exactly doing the best job, to say the least. I first discovered it when I walked into Voltaire's office to find him yelling on the phone. Trust me, I tried to escape quietly, but he spotted me anyways. It was done as quickly as that.

Now I am sitting in the back of the limo across from my grandfather, on the way to the airport, with four bodyguards surrounding us. Did I get a say in this? Not at all. Never mind that I was going to fly to France next week for an important shoot. Never mind that I really don't want to do this, and he knows it. I still have to go.

New York. New. York. Newwwwwwwww Yooooooooork. I can't wait. Really. I'm not being sarcastic at all.

"Sit up, Kai."

I scowled at Voltaire. "No," I muttered, slouching down further in the seat. "I don't want to."

"Help him, Brian," said my grandfather, not glancing up from the papers he was reading.

I scowled. "Don't you dare, Brian. I'll fire you if you do."

Finally Voltaire looked up, and amused expression on his face. "You won't fire him Kai. You can't. You aren't the one who pays him, and unless you want to start, he stays with you until I decide otherwise. Now sit up. I don't want to have to tell you again."

"No," I said, determined not to give in.

Voltaire sighed, and waved his hand. "Go ahead, Brian."

Beside me, Brian shrugged. "Sorry Kai," he said, and pulled me up, forcing me to sit straight.

I glared at him. "Thanks for your support," I snapped. "I thought you were supposed to listen to me."

"You can't fire me," said Brian simply, "but Mr. Hiwatari can."

"Whatever," I muttered. "This is stupid. I shouldn't have to do this. What's the point?"

Grandfather had gone back to his papers. "The point is," he said, flipping a page, "to stop us from losing more money, and give you experience handling a real job."

"But I have already had lots of practice! And I have a real job, remember. One that you got for me in the first place!"

"And I have regretted it ever since," he murmured. I could tell he wasn't really paying attention to me, and that just got me angrier.

"You just don't like that people like me better than you. I am way more popular than you. People look up to me. I am a role model for people everywhere! You are just another business man to them, and you know it."

Voltaire rolled his eyes. "If that makes you happy, Grandson, keep on believing it. Better than knowing the truth, I suppose."

Only Brian's hand on my arm stopped me from retorting. I hate him. He is always like this, treating me like I'm a little kid. Like he's so much better than me. It's always been like this, ever since I can remember. I don't think he has ever treated me like a grandson. Like family. Like an equal. He never wanted me, just like I never asked to be placed in his care. I would have been fine going to some other poor, insignificant relations. The only reason he likes me around is because he gets almost all the money I make, and because I'm smart he can send me on jobs like this for free, instead of hiring expensive professionals. Of course, it's all to 'improve my business skills.' And I'm stuck here until I'm eighteen. Then I can finally leave. Unless, of course he finds another way to trap me.

Wouldn't put it past him.

With a sigh I pushed Brian's hand off my arm and turned my head to stare out the window. The airport was already in view, and I knew it would only be minutes until we arrived. The only good part about this trip was it would get me away from Voltaire. The bad part was I could have escaped him just as easily by going to France. I could have relaxed for a few days, relieved some stress. Something that wasn't going to happen in America.

The car pulled off the highway and into the airport parking lot.