"That's why I called Jackson and coerced him to come and bring you and Kai to dinner!"

With the harmonious chuckle, the man ended his words, his face then settled on a smile as he stared at the girl with subtle elderly-affections in his stance and also held a tinge of pride. She'd have declined, like always, so, this time he accosted someone whom she had to compel and at last was able to make her attend his dinner -the middle-aged man was quite proud of his approach.

If someone to perceive his exhilaration and satisfaction over almost such an insignificant thing, then this would be enough to put them in the silence of shock, as it did to the nearby people who heard his words, and their eyes filled with bewilderment moved from the face of the man and the indifferent girl. Because the man was none other than, Nicholas Salvadge, one of the wealthiest and respected men in the world, to meet him for few seconds people have to book appointments months ago, and his own relatives were no exception to this. If not for the dinners every six months where he invites some close relatives, then, he would have hardly met them. To be invited by him, and above this including the fact that this man went such length to make someone come to his mansion for dinner, was enough to make someone lack words.

The girl to whom his words were said, perceived it as normal as a daily occurrence, except a trivial curve of lips, there were no expressions on her face. Her posture straight, with one hand was inside her pant's pocket and beside her stood the young boy reaching nearly her shoulders, seemingly her stance appeared informal yet observant. The ever so smiling Kai inside the walls of his mansion was now stood silently with his face also devoid of any emotions.

"Now I really feel Mr. Salvadge's a retired person, you sure have a lot of time to think of such ways," At her nonchalant words, the man gave a hearty laugh.

"Jackson sure taught you his ways, including retorting too!" His exclamation earned a little wider smile from Allea.

His eyes moved toward the boy, with the same warm smile he complimented, "How handsomely you have grown, and resembles so much to Odgen."

Expect the shine in his eyes enhancing, there was no change in Kai's expression as he answered, "Thank you, sir."

He smiled at the mannered boy and before he could chat further, the interruption came in the form of new guests arriving at the living area. Nicholas Salvage excused himself and with his wife, who after warmly greeting them was busy entertaining the ladies, also joined him to greet the incoming guests.

Seeing his retreating back, leaving them alone, Allea turned toward her brother, and looked down at him as she put forward her words, giving his fresh mind an image of the people he'll meet today, "He's one of the rarest good men in this field, he helped your father set the business and always have been excessively regarding toward us."

She's doing what Jackson did to her, he slowly and steadily made an image of each person they met, sharing his experience with Allea. Although she knew about them already, for Kai these people were new, to meet them he has to know a little about how to approach them. Telling only about those who mattered, within concise words, not rushed but casual, also leaving room for him to make his own views about them. Hearing her words, Kai nodded, and his gaze flickered toward the smiling face of the old man, who was now greeting the incoming people.

"Do you know him?"

Jackson's voice was heard, casual and inquisitive, as he steps halted and stood beside Allea and Kai. Before he retired from business, under the shadow of Odgen Allgaier, Jackson was quite known in the circle, and now after long years of absence, he appeared again. The members of the Salvadge family who are also in business, particularly Nicholas Salvage's younger brother, were pretty familiar with him, the moment they stepped inside, Jackson became busy sharing words of greeting with them.

At his statement, Allea met his gaze which was fixed on the faces of new guests, at first Allea didn't focus on them but now with a closer look, she recognized the old-aged man. Beside Nicholas Salvadge, stood his father and the man he was greeting was similar in his age, William Brown, on his side, stood a smiling young man. The one, Jackson directed his words of curiosity toward. Allea brows frowned a little, seeing the young man here, at such gathering was out of her expectations but she understood that the aged man beside him was the reason.

The arrived young man was none other than Robert Smith's eldest son from his current wife, Liam Robert Brown and beside him was his grandfather William Brown.

The time when Xit Company was once among the leading ones, all because of its owner who stood on par with the top businessmen of that time, until he abdicated, and gave his position to his daughter. He has only one daughter from his beloved wife, the daughter to whom Allea's biological father married and they already had a two-year-old son before official marriage. After that, his daughter, who as the CEO continue to push forward her husband in the company. That woman was known to have a good reputation in the business world, but it slowly shattered when she made her husband the co-CEO. And when this year her son reached the age of twenty, she retired from the business, giving her position to him.

The reason Allea recognized the young man because the image of her past self visiting their company flashed through her mind and the way she was given a 'good' welcome along with his father.

Grandfather Salvadge and old-man William are known great friends, and seems like as Mr. Salvadge decided to invite his friends, he also allowed this privilege to other members of his family, turning this dinner into a private get-together. And how could not someone takes advantage of such things, just like William Brown by bringing his grandson, who recently officially stepped inside this field. Allea's eyes reflected the young man's familiar face as she responded nonchalantly, "That's his grandson."

Jackson raised a brow and without care mercilessly ridiculed his arrival, "Oh, I have heard that William's daughter stepped down. No wonder leeching off his grandfather's connection to get some benefit."

Shaking her head a little, Allea didn't utter any response to his words, she was well aware that no one can stop Jackson from saying his mind. Stopping the server, she asked for an alcohol-free drink and handed it to Kai. Which he gladly accepted, while sipping it, his curious eyes continued to flicker around the area, taking in the rich interior and people with unfamiliar faces sending subtle glances in their direction. Allea's gaze also roamed around the living area, and an impressed smile tugged on her lips.

Following the main inspiration of the Medieval interior, the sufficiently vast living area, adorned with classic dramatic stone walls, varying in the design along with contrasting painted walls in between. The wooden work surrounding the open-beam ceiling gave a touch of delicacy to the stone-rocked surrounding. In the middle hung antique chandler, going exceptionally well with the impactful interior, along it was, from distance to distance were beautiful lanterns. The decoratives were also mainly wooden shelves, or antique wooden or mental pieces along with a modern touch of art hung all around the area. The stone wall that had the burning fireplace, divided the two at a side stained glass lancet window. In front of the fireplace were sofas -versatile in style and design yet not out of line along with the whole view.

The next second her gaze flickered toward the few people chatting and enjoying the gathering a few steps away from her. Nicholas Salvadge has two brothers, one older (who died a few years ago) and one younger. On sofas, mainly sat the ladies of the family, the elder brother's wife chatting with the younger brother's wife, where Mrs. Salvadge also occasionally contributed. Their children -the elder brother's daughter (who was around Allea's age sat alongside her mother) and a son stood a little far along with his cousin, the only son of Nicholas Salvadge's younger brother. Aside from these main family members and friends, also included some from Mrs. Salvadge maternal family, who were being entertained by Mr. Slavadge's daughter.

Allea's brows frowned, she didn't feel before coming here, but now that she was here, standing in between the environment and surrounding, everything seems foreign -she's feeling too out of the place.

With this thought, she narrowed her eyes on the old man standing in front of her and mumbled, "It's like their Thanksgiving, and I don't know what are we doing here."

Instead of his usual way of shutting the other, showing a rare understanding, Jackson stared at Allea, and calmly asked, "Nicholas put a lot of value to these dinners, do you know why?"

Both Allea and Kai looked at him, expecting a witty answer from him, but what he said, made them understand another aspect of the great man Nicholas Salvadge. As Jackson started, his gaze moved toward the man subject of their discussion, "In a world where relations are tainted, these moments give comfort to his aging heart. For him, this separates his own from others."

Following his eyes, Allea too looked at Nicholas Salvadge and realized something. She has seen this man standing between the most influential people of the world, signing away the billions of investments, surrounded by the more famed and big names than the family and friends present at his instant, but this shine and brightness of his face could be considered real and priceless. What happiness he couldn't find in the world and its exaggerations, he finds that in the essence of kinship and camaraderie.

Allea's gaze was still fixed on Mr. Salvadge when she heard Jackson continuing, unaware of the fact that the words he was saying were mainly directed toward the young figure reflected in his gaze, "Otherwise, who puts values into such relations, if not for someone's effort of holding them together."

Deep in thoughts, Allea nodded and when she turned to look at Jackson, her eyes narrowed when they halted on his hand, which held onto his whisky, "Kai, I told you to count his glasses, which one is this?"

Kai, whose observant eyes saw everything, broke his silence and with a mild smile sold Jackson out, despite the glare Jackosn send his way, "Almost Third."

Allea didn't tell him to stop drinking, just showed her disagreement in indirect words, "We haven't been here even for half an hour."

"Brat, you are the driver, not I!" He snapped, in a voice only they could hear, and stubbornly gulped down the glass in one go, and grumbled, "Blame that annoying man for making me wait for dinner."

Kai agreed and added, "We should have come a little later."

The instant his words ended, Allea turned to look at him and asked, "Are you uncomfortable?"

In response, he shook his head and pointed his finger toward Jackson and with a playful smile spoke, "Nope, but I think Uncle is."

Allea's lips also curved in a smile, when she understood what Kai was doing, with a fake sweet smile she looked at Jackson and asked in the mildest tone possible, "Of course Uncle will be," Extending her hand a little, she attempted to pat Jackson's arm, "Don't worry just bear this a little."

Jackson had a history of attending these events, so, the unwilling part of his has long gotten used to this foreign feeling, and he no longer feels awkward. The only thing that could make his expression distort in an unpleasant frown and pause his actions, with sourness visible in his eyes, is the word; 'Uncle'. Seeing the way Jackson was staring at them, both Allea and Kai smiled ambiguously and shared a look with each other, a smile of victory: successfully making Jackson feel uncomfortable.

The eyes that were peeking at the trio, noted the playful smiles and the air of harmony surrounding them. Being in the same society, they were well aware of the identity of them: the former and current CEO and the heir of Allgaier Corporation. They have long heard things, both positive and negative, about the few people left in the Allgaier family. Their eyes held curiosity when for the first time they saw its young heir, but just like his sister, he also overlooked everyone and refused to step away from her.

At first, one could assume that his sister must have so much control over him, but after a moment of observation, one could see that it's the boy who stuck alongside her, not willing to trust anyone except her, not willing to bother with anyone, just what they have known about Allea Ciarve. Seeing three of them together, one could guess from far away that how much they seemed closed to each other as a family, their smiles and eyes shined with softness & warmth. To say that an image of Allea Ciarve in front of them makes them question and even nullify the image of her created by talks of articles, would not be wrong.

Perceiving that, they were not going to stop calling him uncle if he drank another glass of whisky, showing resistance, Jackson didn't reach for another glass, but not without mumbling under his breath. To stop them from using their coated satirical words, Jackson was quick to change the topic, and casually stated, "I don't see Nicholas' son, did that annoying man forgot to invite his own son."

A look of slight realization dawned on Allea's face, as in another subtle glance her eyes move wound everyone, and without mentioning his attempt to change the topic, she went along, "Yeah, he's not here."

Listening to them talking about someone, Kai's subconsciously followed Allea's action and his roaming-watchful eyes caught the glimpse of a familiar face, his brows frowned as he looked at the figure walking inside from the pathway they came, "Is he the one?"

Aris Salvadge's tall momentous figure walked ahead, his casual steps seemed calculative and elegant, in his charcoal color suit; definitive from a single strand of his head to the tip of his leather shoes. As the people approached him, his dark eyes seemingly remained unfocused but they phlegmatically passed over each guest until they halted over a particular one, standing in the corner.

But when the girl turned her head, at the words of her brother, instead of the dark eyed-man her gaze flickered past him and momentarily paused on the pair of eyes belong to the last one among the three arriving men.

Allea's eyes filled with amusement as she saw the familiar face of amber eyes, the golden tint of his eyes shining in the similar glint as her light brown. Dressed in the casual black pants with a plain white shirt (leaving upper buttons open), someone who could be easily overlooked with his hair now cheaply styled and unshaved face successfully hiding his features. The total opposite of the man walking ahead of him. What made Allea halt her gaze on him was his unexpected appearance, for a split second she wondered curiously what identity he'll presume here instead of his real one; Zyair Ahlstrom.

As she turned her head away from the pairs of eyes, shrugging off the useless thoughts her indifferent mask was back on her face.

[Disclaimer: This work is only published on watt/pad under profile: itsrujihere. The complete rights of the work: Allea belongs under this profile and Ruji. If you're reading [Allea] on some platform other than watt/pad(Unless I, Ruji, say so) then, I'm pretty sure they are stealing my work (i.e, a site that starts with novel), please don't support the thief.]