"Why don't you invite your friends this time?"

"David and Mike?" He looked at me with wide eyes, the fork in his hand titled in an odd direction, as he stared at me with -how-did-I-even-suggest-such-a-thing. When I didn't respond and just rolled my eyes with a hum, he yelled, "No! They are a nuisance."

"Kai." I voiced with an edgy scolding tone, "You don't talk behind someone's back and then also associate yourself with them. Where did you get this conceitedness?" I turned to look at him, he had a sheepish look, as he stuffed his mouth with bacon so he didn't have to answer but I still heard the 'you' he mumbled under his breath.

"Let's get this clear, are they your friends or not?"

At my question, he raised his eyes to meet mine, and seeing that I was expecting an answer from him, he reached for the glass of juice to gulp down the mouthful food. Shaking my head at his silliness, I focused on eating my breakfast, giving him time to swallow the food.

"You know how they are, so sticky and just..." He paused, his eyes moving between me and his breakfast plate, on later his gaze paused and I heard him whisper, "Yeah, they are, I guess."

"So, don't be like this, okay?"

"Okay," He mumbled meekly and proceeded to ask or more like changed the topic, "When will Jackson come?"

"Next week, hopefully before your birthday. "

Kai isn't like how he's with me or even Elijah toward others, I know Kai finds it hard to make new people a part of his life, he's afraid of attachments but in previous years he started growing out of his shell and tried to make friends. David and Mike were the first ones who approached him, I could see that in the beginning, he was closed off but through years they stuck with him, and even joined the high school with him so that Kai wouldn't be alone. I have met them, and (excluding the background check I did on them, which I'm guilty of) I could observe the pureness hidden behind their actions, they truly considered Kai their friend. Still, after all these years I could feel that Kai was still wary. Yet at rare moments I could sense his subtle effort in trying to open himself to them, through the way he talks about his friends.

"Don't change the topic. Invite Mike and David to your birthday, okay?" Facing away from me, he gave a slight nod. Earning a positive response from him, I nudged him to eat breakfast, otherwise, he would be late for school.

I don't like to push Kai for anything, but I think five years are enough for him to feel comfortable with others. I agree with what Jackson said last night, seeing me behaving distant to everyone, Kai's picking some of my personality traits. I have tried to educate myself, to teach him proper things and have a good influence on him, I have tried to change myself, my thinking. I have stopped doing and saying a lot of things so that this child wouldn't have those bad habits because of me, but how I deal with the outside world wasn't one of those things and he has to pick this one particular thing. For a long time, I wanted him to invite his friends to the party and tried to say subtly every year but he refused bluntly and insist on having just me, Elijah, and Jackson. Finally, he agreed this year even if it was the result of my push, I hope he just doesn't pull any dumb excuse later to avoid inviting them.

With a sigh, my lips curved into a slight smile, as I peeked at Kai, who was now like myself done with his breakfast as we both made our way out of the mansion. He didn't forget to make me conscious of the experience -once again for the hundredth time- that how bad he still, to this day, was being ridiculed in the school for wearing the custom-made dress with Elijah pictures on race. I, of course, knew he was feigning, just to gain a point of consolation, after building his image of beating up the bullies no one ever again dared to make fun or stand against him.

Kai walked toward his car, the driver was waiting for him, and I turned toward mine before I could even step toward it, Kai abruptly turned and yelled, "Allea, all the best!"

"Huh, you know?"

"Of course I do, all that yummy cakes and above all the yelling you have done on your poor assistants during the calls, and how could they not reach my ears!"

"Don't make things up, well, thank you."

Stepping inside the back seat of the car, a sudden confusion rose on his face, and sticking his head out, he inquired, "By the way Allea, what if you lose this project?"

I shrugged with an unbothered look, I moved my eyes away from him and gestured my driver to start the car, "Nothing, It's not like we are lacking in contracts, will move on to the next one."

"Yeah, but all the hard work, wouldn't it go to waste?"

"One can't do business without such risks, Kai." With a soft smile, I walked toward his car, he nodded at my words with a thoughtful look, closing his door I gestured the driver to start the car, "Now, your majesty, are you done? If so, then drive off please."

His time will soon come to learn all this, but, now he only had to focus on how to live his life to the fullest, I want him to accept everything at his own pace. With a smile I recalled his curious face as I saw Kai's car driving out of the gates, soon I too left in my car. The smile remained on my face until I reached the company, instead of walking toward my office, I entered my team's meeting room to once again go over the final presentation of the project. Today at ten, we have a meeting with Carlocle Brands (CB), for a co-joined project with them, for which we have been preparing for about the past few months, the day has finally come.

In the past, I couldn't even imagine having such a project, around this time our reputation was pretty much wasted because of my past self. And in the end, Salvadge Corporation, which now instead of Nicholas Salvadge, his son runs, got this project. With Aris Salvadge's abilities and personality, it's not hard for him to score any project he wants especially when he sets his eyes on it, and I know Carlocle's would gladly have any contract with the company standing almost on par with them.

Audaciously, I would like to admit, here comes the advantage of being reawakened.

This project in the coming three years expanded throughout the world. In three years, the Cafes' almost became a brand, spread everywhere in the world because of their reasonable prices compared to others coupled with brilliant and exquisite environment, another instance that proves, one can neither cross a man like Aris Salvadge nor reach his level, whatever he does, it's next to hopeless trying to find any fault in it. Although I have countless times visited these cafes' but what goes behind no one knew, including me, I have no idea what their strategic plans were, still, I'm well-aware of the layout and how it worked.

So, emptying my mind I tried to remember anything that I could find that would give me the benefit of doubt. I'm not stupid, when I have something that I can use for my benefit, I'll undoubtedly use it.

I used my knowledge of the past as much I could to benefit my ideas to find that one point where his perfect steps stumbled a little for me to take the lead. Although I'm confident about our ideas, I'm not sure whether we will score this project or not. I haven't stolen his ideas but have tried to create my own from that one point these cafes lacked: the originality. This also leaves a whole lot of space for doubt to arise, whether we will have this project or not.

Whatever happens, will happen. As I said to Kai, if we don't get this project, we will move to the next one.

"...Yeah, yeah, you're good at this we know. But don't you dare to feel nervous in front of them! Don't fuck this up, Via."

"I have been doing this for years, even Boss never doubted me. Why are you having twists in your panties?"

"You're just over-confident, and besides, I don't wear panties."

"Oh, thank you Ben for telling me, otherwise, I wouldn't have known."

My hands paused on the page of the file I was holding, although my eyes were trained on it yet my thoughts were somewhere else, which were now interrupted as I heard Ben and Olivia's whispered-bickering. This was not new, Olivia's the voice of my team, all the projects are presented by her in front of other companies or board meetings. If I have to summon up Olivia's character in some words then they would be: quickest mind and sharpest tongue. She knows how to handle any situation and work through it, that's why she was given this most important place. As a presenter of any project, it's her duty to shine the positive points while also making others aware of certain conditions with the mildest tone possible, and I can assuredly say, I have never seen anyone better at this than Olivia. But for some reason, Olivia and Ben are never on the same page, which I never found necessary to ask the reason.

Others' were laughing quietly, but I heard Nayla reprimanding them, "Oh, shut up you two, not in front of the Boss, she can hear your foul loud-whispers."

Without raising my eyes from the file, I also added, "Ben, don't fill her head with your pessimistic talks, Olivia knows what she does."

At words, silence fell in the conference room, which was then broken by Ben's 'Okay' and Olivia's 'thank you, Boss.'

All the nine members in this room have been together since the moment I made this team, they can act however they want in front of me or where we are alone, but the moment they step in front of the eyes of the world, it takes even less than seconds to change their demeanor. Almost all of them are older than me in age, but my position is way higher than them, still, they have never crossed any line. Like an unspoken rule, they just have to do their work and everything else will be forgotten. Each member of this team has a special position within, along with the company's main work they are also responsible for what happens underneath and ahead of the business, to which they answer none but me.

"Boss, it's time, we should leave."