"Fvcking Hell, Why didn't you wake me up early? Keteki will be so mad about this." Faridah said, looking at the time, and they were almost late for their flight.
"I'm sorry I slept late last night, too, looking at you," Kyle said as he blushed, while Faridah just glared at him. "Why are you staring at my sleeping face like some old type of creep?" she asked as Kyle Anthony laughed.
"We should drop off for some coffee. My head's spinning," Kyle said as Faridah sighed. "We shouldn't drop off for some coffee; we will be very late if that's the case," Faridah said as Kyle gave her a puppy-eyed look.
"It will be just a minute. Come on now, Faridah! " he stubbornly said as Faridah sighed and agreed.
The airport buzzed with the chaos of hurried travelers, but Keteki sat on a sleek black bench, his arms crossed, a look of utter boredom etched on his face. The surrounding frenzy untouched his neatly pressed suit.
Faridah and Kyle came rushing into view. Faridah tugged her scarf back into place as Kyle clutched his backpack, panting as if he'd just run a marathon. Faridah glanced at Keteki, her cheeks flushed from embarrassment and exertion.
Knowing Keteki, he must have been mad at their late arrival since they already delayed their visit to Alaska because of Kyle's music festival.
'Faridah had never been late on any flights, not until this guy came tagging along.' Keteki thought, looking at them from head to toe.
"We made it!" Kyle gasped, dropping his bag onto the floor.
Keteki raised a single brow, then pointed at the large departure board behind him. "Oh, did you? Because last I checked, your flight to Alaska departed—" he flicked his watch pointedly, "—thirty-five minutes ago."
Faridah groaned, slapping her forehead. "I told you we shouldn't have stopped for coffee, Kyle!"
"Hey!" Kyle protested, wiping sweat from his brow. "You were the one who couldn't decide between a caramel macchiato and a double espresso! I'm not taking the blame for this."
Keteki let out a long, exaggerated sigh and stood up, adjusting his tie. "Luckily for you two walking disasters, I anticipated this very outcome and booked another flight. It departs in two hours." His tone was dry, his sharp gaze flickering between them. "You're welcome."
Faridah blinked at him, then gave an awkward laugh. "Wow. Keteki, you're amazing. You knew we'd screw this up."
'I didn't think Faridah would be late either, but knowing that she stayed at Kyle's house for the night, I kinda have the gut feeling that this would happen. I should have just fetched them both when I had the chance." He said as he looked down and sighed.
"Oh, I didn't know," Keteki replied with a faint smirk, grabbing his briefcase. "I calculated. The odds of you two being punctual were—let's say—astronomically low." He gestured for them to follow him. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find a quiet corner and enjoy my uninterrupted coffee. Try not to lose your boarding passes this time."
As he walked away effortlessly, Kyle turned to Faridah, whispering, "Does he ever not make us feel like complete fools?"
Faridah shook her head, still catching her breath. "No. But honestly? We probably deserve it."
When they arrived in Denali, Alaska, a man approached them and introduced himself as Devi Mellen, the leader of the research project. Then, he went on his way to meet Faridah personally.
"Nice meeting you, Devi. I am Faridah Hamilton. This is Keteki, my assistant, and Kyle Anthony, my person," she said as Kyle and Keteki looked at her.
'Faridah's person? Does she mean lover?' Devi thought as he cleared his throat and showed her the way to the car.
Faridah looked through her phone and saw tons of emails and messages from her grandparents.
'Tch, what is it now.' she thought and gave them a call.
"Fvck it, Faridah. What did you do with Anthony?!" Her grandpa asked as Faridah raised her eyebrows. "What about him?" She asked as her grandparents showed her the empty seats in the auction house.
"Not even a single business partner arrived at the event! They said that Anthony held another auction in Hawaii, and that's why everyone went there hoping to see another blue diamond!" Her grandpa added.
"Fvck him. Is this because I rejected his proposal project?" Faridah said as Keteki looked at her, knowing that she wanted some information from him.
"Anthony held another auction to provoke Hamilton's Auction. This was a sudden change of plans since their upcoming auction was supposed to be this December, yet he moved it to the same date as Hamilton's Auction. After the release of the blue diamond, everyone was obsessed with seeing another gem," Keteki said as Faridah sighed.
"I'll take care of this. Move the auction to next week after Anthony's event," Faridah said as her grandparents listened to her words.
"I'll kill Anthony for making this move. He should have known his place, " she added, as Kyle kept his mouth shut since he could not help Faridah with this.
"Are you even sure? After Anthony's auction, people won't have the money to go to another auction like ours," Mrs. Feliz said, looking worried about Faridah's plan.
"Yeah, I am sure. After all, it's the blue diamond that they want to see, " she said as she glanced at Kyle, who had been quiet the whole time.
"How sure are you that Anthony doesn't have any blue diamonds in his hands? If he does, then it would be a big loss for us-"
"You might forget who you are talking to, Grandpa. After all, I didn't come to Alaska just because I wanted to, " she said, smirking as if she knew what she was doing and dealing with.
"Then we will trust you, " she said as Faridah nodded. You should, after all, I am Faridah Hamilton, " she declared as she turned off the call.
"Are you going to sell out the blue diamond in my hand?" Kyle asked as Faridah looked at him. His eyes showed sadness.
"What about your blue diamond?" she asked, acting confused, but she knew what Kyle meant by it.
"I was just asking if..." Faridah leaned onto his shoulder and closed her eyes. "It's yours to begin with, but I'm not taking it away from you. We're here in Alaska to confirm if the fragments that the researchers found are the exact element of the Blue Diamond." Faridah explained.
"Then you should have just borrowed it on my hand in the first place, " he said as Faridah smiled. It's fun going to places when I'm with you. Besides, you don't have school today, and you should also take a break from work sometimes, " she said as Kyle blushed and grabbed her hand.
Faridah didn't say a word and slept throughout the drive.
They arrived at the hotel where they were about to stay, yet Faridah was still in a deep sleep. Kyle didn't bother waking her up; he just carried her to their hotel room.
Keteki didn't bother offering him help. After all, Kyle was more substantial than he looked. He might look like a puppy wagging his tail on Faridah, but he is someone capable of standing next to her.
Keteki leaned back in his chair, the faint glow of his laptop reflecting on his glasses. He typed the address of Anthony's private auction site, a platform only accessible to the elite or someone with Keteki's skills.
The webpage loaded, revealing a sleek black interface adorned with gilded accents. His fingers navigated with precision, scrolling through items listed for the upcoming auction. Antique weapons, rare paintings, and exotic artifacts filled the screen. But then he saw it, a single image that made him pause.
The Heart of Avaris.
The high-definition photograph showed the ruby in stunning detail. It was massive, its blood-red surface catching the light in a way that seemed almost alive. Below is a brief description:
"A rare gemstone of unknown origin. Estimated at over 400 carats. Bidding starts at $50 million."
Keteki's brow furrowed as he zoomed in on the image. He had seen that gem before, in an old, classified file. It had been reported stolen from a private collection nearly a decade ago.
"Anthony, you've outdone yourself," Keteki muttered under his breath, pulling up another window to cross-reference the ruby's details with his records.
That he went so far as to provoke the Hamiltons without knowing that Faridah herself was on the move.
As he dug deeper, a faint smirk tugged at his lips. This wasn't just any gem. It was a key to a larger mystery; one Anthony might not even realize he was holding.
Keteki straightened in his seat, already forming a plan. This auction was about to get a lot more interesting, after all. Gab and Solis were in Hawaii to check the auction themselves just like how Faridah wanted, She sent those two to avoid their meeting with Anthony.