"Yes!"

"No!"

"You play rough!"

"And you cheat!"

"Oh, now that I won, I cheat, shut-it you whiny-child!"

"I'm not a child! Let's have one more game!"

I folded my hands over my chest and tapped my cheek with a finger pretending that I was considering Kai's suggestion of another game. I struggled to keep my smile inside, seeing his loser self when he turns into a querulous child, demanding to have another game with hopeful and determined eyes, gives me pleasure.

I crushed his hopes with a clear, "No."

"Yes! I want to have another game!" He yelled, grabbed my hand, and started pushing me toward the center of the yard and also grabbing the soccer ball in his other hand. I had an amusing smile as I saw him struggling to move my stiff body when it seemed a little thought, with a humph he went behind me to push us forward putting all his strength.

"Then, you say you're not a child, while you clearly act like one."

At my words, I realized his movements stopped and he took a step back then again came in front of me with sour eyes, and asked, trying to act like a sensible boy showing me one finger with pleading-cute face, "One more game, please."

Mirroring his cute expression with a little pout, I asked with a slight tilt of my head, "Now, why would I want to risk my already-won title?"

His face went blank and he just stared dead at me, knowing quite well that I won't be having another game with him, and he lost today's match, he has to accept this.

"When will you stop being annoying!"

He shouted irritatingly, throwing the ball toward me, he ran toward the mansion. I only laughed at his state and reminded him, "Don't forget our bet!"

Kai's movement halted and turned to look at me, his brows drew together and his expressions turned more ugly like he just now remembered our bet and again asked with and a questionable look, "You...deliberately cheated! You wanted me to lose, didn't you?"

A sudden grin warmed my face, which I wasn't able to suppress, and nodded shamelessly with a shrug, "A bet is a bet, you gotta win either by hook or crook."

"Allea, you know that you're not being fair!"

I raised a brow and placed my hands on my hips, asking him with a spoiled tone, "So?"

Not knowing how to retort he ran toward me and gave me a light push, I fell on my hips but seeing his face molded into hideous expressions, I couldn't control the amusement on my face. Seeing that nothing of his efforts were fruitful, he yelled, "You didn't win, and I'll surely not wear any such thing! I'll not!" and ran inside the mansion.

"We'll see about that!"

I also followed him inside laughing, Kai and I were having our usual Sunday soccer match, I was quite busy but he still insisted to play, so I agreed. Then to make the game more interesting, we also placed a bet. I still haven't forgotten how Kai had all the servants and Elijah wear shirts and hats with my face plastered over them, so for Elijah's race coming next week, we made a bet regarding it. If Kai won, I'd wear clothes with Elijah's faces printed over them and go to race wearing them, but if I won, Kai has to do that.

How could I let my reputation go to runes wearing such a thing, so I had to win by any means, just distracting Kai here and there -that he hit me too hard or something else- he got distracted and I had the ball, scoring more goals. It was still better for him to wear such clothes, it would be fun, I'll make sure to make it absurd and attention-grabbing. I know Kia's proud attitude, he'd die of embarrassment, and I'd love to watch him like that while enjoying the race.

I walked toward my room for a shower and to change out of these sweaty sports tee and trousers, as I stepped inside the room, once again my eyes dimmed while I stared at my same-dull room. This room and I have a strange relationship for the past years, in days when I'm happy I don't mind being here, but on days when I remember how ugly and quiet this room looks especially after dreams, my mood also gets worse. With years passing, the animosity I had for this room subsided, I tried to accept staying here and I got used to it, though I'm not sure to which I got used to, this room or these feelings.

I can also change decor but then again, I don't want to. I have realized I don't have to force myself to stay here, I have to remember that the things that happened won't even repeat, they died with the past-Allea. I want to move into a condo or some apartment but only Kai's stopping me. He grew up in this mansion, this place has his memories with his deceased parents and I don't want to force him to do something he doesn't want or have to for my happiness. So I just have to wait until Kai's big enough to live on his own, until then I have told myself to just bear this unsightly spectacle of the hideous room.

After getting fresh, I again went back to doing my work, the moment I got comfortable, my iPhone started ringing.

Seeing the name, I picked it up, "Yes, Ben."

"Boss, we are done with today's work, the staff's also done with arranging the data, I'm sending you the reports."

"Okay, thank you, Ben. Once this project confirms, I'll make sure to give you some days off."

"Ah, no need to mention," Earning a positive response from me, he hung up the call.

There's a co-joined project with the world's sixth-best International Inc: goes by Carlocle Brands (CB) about the world's one of the finest and luxurious cafe's brand, they want to establish & expand throughout the countries, a single cafe can be considered less important but not when it turns into a billion-dollar brand and can spread throughout the world. I have looked into it both profit and success-wise, no doubt this will be a huge hit, but because it's supported by a quite big corporation, so there were many competitors and I too decided to take part. Fortunately, they short-listed our company along with some other top ones and would finalize among us after we represent ideas. As time's short and we only have about two and a half months for such a high-scale project, my team and I hardly have time for other projects as I don't want to lose this one.

But no matter how busy I'm, I have never missed any of Elijah's races, to support him, I can always take a day off.

...

When a cojoined working & relaxing Sunday ended, I reached the office the next day, coincidentally another invitation was waiting for me, and more coincidentally, it was also from a Salvadge.

But this time -Aris Salvadge.

I just simply stared at the card, with it two passes were attached, and underneath from, his name was written. For a second I was at a loss, what should I think of this? If I may presume, these passes are of a private lounge - a highly doubtful statement was the conclusion; Aris Salvadge sending me passes for his private lounge. This was not the first race he's attending, there were quite a lot of races on which both of us were present but being a high-five big-shot he always stayed in his secretive private lounge, away from the eyes of media and people, no one was ever able to have his glimpse.

Slowly an obscure smile formed on my lips, this surely is strange & confusing but somewhat...funny.

I would have thought Nicholas Salvadge pushed him for this, but why would he force his son to do this futile thing, moreover, Aris Salvadge's not the kind of man to be pushed around by anyone this easily, even by his father.

Another mocking chuckle left my lips as my thoughts wandered toward the fierce expression of Lisa Delton when I disregarded her existence at the party, I don't mind her presence, not even the -you're-nothing-in-my-eyes look but who told her to bother with me. If she thinks that she again can use me the way she did, then she truly has some problem in her mind somewhere. I have no problem reminding her where she stands in front of me. Ah, I wonder what she will think of this I dare call- a date invitation.

Besides me, Lisa Delton was also one of the girls obsessed with Aris Salvadge, through her brother's connection she also tried to capture the heart of that man. We went against each other -like two dumb women- and she always won from me. At that point when we were on the same boat, she still was much more elegant and self-respectful unlike me, even if this time I'm out of the picture, at the end I know she will still lose because time will tell that man's heart could only be captured by that one girl and she's yet to appear.

In this life, I don't have an ounce of interest in whatever kind Aris Salvadge's into, and this useless invitation -I can assume a lot of theories and overthink this, but why should I? Nothing of this will bring me any good. I doubt this was sent by him, still, if he did, whatever this invitation means, I don't care, it's not like I was going to accept this. Kai likes to be a part of the audience, like others, he too wants to enjoy race along with fans and shout like them, so we just go with the usual ones which Elijah sends us, he chooses the best ones, and the ones where we can enjoy like others and wish him well, that's how tabloids always picture us enjoying Elijah's races.

My past-self has been an amusement thing for a lot of these rich people, this must be another two-face trap shit, even if it's Aris Salvadge himself -for me, he's no different, just one among thousands. Also, if I have to be a part of their cat and mouse chase, this time I definitely won't be the rat but a fierce cat, so, they better think twice before cutting my way.

Shaking the vile thoughts off, I once again dived into my work.