"Mother, where are grandpa and grandma?" Ciel asked Andrea as they waited for Heinz to bring the car over. He wanted to have breakfast with the two of them, but they were not inside the manor.
Ciel loved his grandparents because they spoiled him a lot. They were also very kind towards Kate and treated her like their own granddaughter. This made Ciel extremely happy and Andrea was relieved as well.
"The two of them are out on a date," Andrea replied while suppressing a giggle. "Dad said that they won't be back before dinner, so we should go ahead and shop without them."
"How sweet!" Kate said dreamily from the side. Her parents came from a different country, and she never had the chance to meet her own grandparents. Her father and mother didn't talk about them as well.
Whenever she asked about her grandparents, her parents would always find ways to change the topic. Kate didn't know if her grandparents were still alive or not, but she hoped that she would be able to meet them in the future.
"Grandpa really knows how to keep Grandma happy." Ciel also grinned from the side. He was very impressed by how strong the feelings of his grandparents were for each other. Andrea secretly wiped the cold sweat on her forehead.
She was not a good liar, but she did her best in order to keep their surprise for Ciel and Kate a secret.
'I didn't think that a time would come where I could easily lie to the kids while smiling. This is Vincent's fault, that workaholic. I got infected by his poker face!' Andrea cursed her husband who was busy working in their company.
Heinz finally arrived with the car. Their destination was the newly opened Crawford Shopping Center. Since it was the weekend, he was expecting that there would be quite a number of people already shopping at this time. Andrea chatted with the children, and Heinz joined the conversation as well.
They were quite excited to explore this new shopping complex that was hailed as the third largest in the United Kingdom. Andrea didn't forget to curse her husband for the second time today for not being here in the countryside with her.
'Hmp! Just you wait when I return. I'll make sure to drag you to accompany me to shop--even if you're in the middle of a business meeting!' Andrea declared in her heart selfishly.
---------
Meanwhile, In the conference room of Lapis Lazuli, one of the major companies in the fashion industry...
"Vincent, is there something wrong?" a woman with light-brown hair asked the man sitting in front of her.
"My wife should be cursing at me right now," Vincent, Andrea's husband, and Ciel's father sighed helplessly. "She's been cursing me a lot for the past few days. If this was not a critical time for our company, I would have accompanied her in the countryside to visit my in-laws."
The woman chuckled. "I don't know if I should envy you, or pity you. Your intuition is always on point. It's something that runs in your family, correct?"
Vincent nodded in affirmation. "It does, and Ciel seems to have inherited something similar as well. Well, I'm not going to complain. Without this intuition, I wouldn't be able to know whether our business partners are laying a trap for us or not. How are things on your end, Eliza?"
There was a short pause as the woman picked up a report on the table. She skimmed it briefly before staring at the man in front of her.
"There were some minor problems, but they had already been resolved. We only need to close today's business deal so we can open our first flagship store in Korea." Eliza spoke with confidence. "Once we managed to gain a foothold, we will then be able to expand within a few years."
A smile finally appeared on Vincent's face as he heard her reply.
"It's been hard on you," Vincent said with sincerity. Eliza was their company's COO and she had been working really hard to make sure that the company's operation was moving smoothly. Vincent was the company's CEO, and his task was to make sure that they were able to expand internationally.
Korea was their first target because they believed that the fashion industry would soon have a massive boom in that country. They want to plant the seeds so they would be able to get a bountiful harvest after a few years.
"You're right, it's been hard on me." Eliza's lips curled up into a grin. "So you better make sure to close this business deal so I can take a two-week paid vacation and spend quality time with my daughters. I miss Chloe and Claire."
Chloe and Claire were Eliza's cherished twin daughters. She did her best to take care of them after her husband passed away in a car accident. She didn't receive any support from their relatives because both their families were against their relationship.
Even after her husband died, their relatives remained cold to them. Only Andrea and Vincent stood by her side during her darkest hour. Now, she's the second in command in one of the most successful companies in the United Kingdom. Lapis Lazuli, the brand name that was currently making waves in the fashion industry.
"Now that you mention it, it's almost time to send the kids to Saint Claire Academy." Vincent tapped the table with his index finger. "This year, Ciel will be staying at the school dorms. It's time for him to learn how to be a little independent."
"Oh? Are you not afraid that your wife will kill you for taking her precious baby away from her? Knowing Andrea's character, she will fight you to the death if that were to happen."
"If I told her that Kate would also stay in the dorms, she would have no choice but to agree. The children are old enough to stay in the dorms anyway."
Eliza propped her chin on one hand and gazed at Vincent. An idea popped into her mind and she immediately acted on it.
"Tell me Andrea's answer as soon as possible. If she agrees, I will need to reserve dormitory rooms for Chloe and Claire as well. I'll have to trouble Ciel to take care of Chloe. That girl is 'showing great improvement' because of her Big Brother Ciel."
Vincent tilted his head to the side. "I could understand if you plan to send Claire to the dorms, but Chloe? Are you not afraid that her illness would worsen if she went to school? Eliza, you should reconsider this. It would be best if Chloe..."
Vincent wasn't able to finish the words he wanted to say when he noticed Eliza making a gesture for him to stop talking.
"As long as Ciel is there, Chloe will be fine. My daughter's illness has improved ever since your son took the time to look after her." Eliza smirked. "What the countless specialists couldn't do, your son did with ease. Everytime I casually mention your son's name, she would immediately approach me and ask for news about him. Tell me Vincent, what did your son feed my daughter?"
Vincent smiled at her inquiry. He knew that Eliza was very happy with Chloe's improvement. She had been so busy handling the company's affairs that she didn't have the time to take care of her daughters. As for how his son did it? He has no idea. However, he was happy that Eliza's daughter found a new lease of life.
"You better ask him the next time you see him. Since you are taking a vacation, why don't you visit the countryside as well? I'm sure that my in-laws would be glad to have you and your daughters as their guests."
"I might take you up on your offer. It would be nice to breathe some fresh air from time to time. I'm sure that Chloe and Claire would be thrilled to stay in the countryside for a few days. Are you coming as well?"
"I can't." Vincent shook his head. "One of us has to watch over the company. I won't be able to rest easy if both of us took a vacation. It is not because I don't trust our personnel's abilities. This is just a crucial time for us and I don't want to take chances."
"Fair enough. I'll see you in two weeks then."
"Oi, you're talking as if we have already closed the deal."
"Oh, not feeling confident? I thought you already had this one in the bag."
"I am confident, not arrogant." Vincent corrected her. "I can only say that I will do my best."
"Fine. For the sake of my vacation leave, you better put your back into it."
"Mmm, leave it to me."