There was once a quote Lucian blindly believed.
'Fear leads to more fear. And trust leads to more trust. '
However, one would wonder. What happens, when the ties that bind two people together got broken?
Then...
One person would be left behind, at the other end of the strings of those broken ties.
Wondering, 'What happened?'
----
A few days later, the day of the gathering came. The house of the Cohen's became lively, as four people prepared themselves for the occasion.
"Fix your necktie properly, Nicholas." Andra glanced at the man who was playing with his black tie.
Her hands were busy tying the ribbon to hold Imogen's hair together, but she didn't forget to check on the other two members of the family. And after she saw the state of one of them, she felt the urge to sigh in disappointment.
To reach your 30s, and still be unable to tie your own tie. Andra let out a sigh.
After hearing his wife's audible-for-everybody's-ears disappointment, the husband made a complicated expression, and stared at his irritating tie.
Nicholas's brows furrowed as he tried his hardest to arrange it. But with such unskilled hands, it only ended up entangled.
An utter mess.
"What a fuck--"
"Mouth!" Andra immediately cut in with a shout to stop him from swearing. She placed her forefinger in front of her lips, signaling him to hold his tongue.
Imogen shouldn't hear such words, or she might use them. Children can easily remember swear words nowadays.
She does not want Imogen, her dear child, to be foul-mouthed. Cursing would make a lady appear graceless.
Sherdan sat in the corner, watching them panic, as he remained silent. He's already well-dressed, all he had to to is wait for the other three to finish their preparation. The only time he would open his mouth, is when he would chime in to their joyful conversations.
The living room was soon filled with the four people's voices.
The maids around them didn't dare utter a single word, for fear of disturbing the harmonious family bonding. They would only quietly assist when ordered to do so.
"Sherdan! Help your father! " Andra's hands skillfully pulled the ends of the ribbon, and it tied itself around Imogen's dark flocks.
"Thank you Ma!" Imogen giggled with her chubby cheeks. The white lump made one want to pinch her so badly, and so Andra did.
"How cute! My baby is so cute. "
"You've grown. Don't leave your mother and be a baby forever! " Andra picked up Imogen and carried her. As Imogen sat on her arms, pulled up from the ground, she was throughly showered with soft and loving kisses.
The sensation brought tingles all over her body, and she giggled. Her cute face, earned her more kisses.
"Hon, my tie." Nicholas reminded Andra, who was gradually becoming engrossed in pampering Imogen.
It's almost time for them to go, and he still couldn't fix this god-forsaken tie.
Andra kissed Imogen's cheeks for the last time, placed her down beside Sherdan, and glanced at Nicholas for a moment to give him her answer.
"Alright, i'm coming"
She patted Imogen's hair before she speaking in a soft voice.
"Stay here with your older brother okay? Don't move around, or your clothes will have creases "
Imogen replied with a nod, and she sat down obediently. Sherdan pulled her up, and placed her on his lap.
"I'd take care of her mom"
Andra, seeing her children bond so intimately, couldn't help but feel happy, to the point of tearing up.
A smile broke out from her lips. To see her children close, to not see them fighting. That was all she wanted to see, as a mother.
"Alright, big brother"
With Andra's help, Nicholas' necktie was fixed in the blink of an eye, and the four of them left the house.
Sherdan's hometown is called BCU, a shorter term for Bonne Cre Unice. It was named after three famous emperors from ancient times.
Before, when BCU was in the era where emperors reigned, BCU was just a small village in a region unknown to a lot of people. There was no record in history books, that tells why such an isolated village was named after the emperors. But, several scholars assumed it must have been due to the villagers' devotion that led them to name it after the three.
The small village, after several millenia passed, eventually developed and became a thriving city.
However, the name 'Bonne Cre Unice' became a laughing stock of the youths of the new generations. After all, it sounds so formal and old fashion. Thus, it was shortened to BCU.
As to why they didn't change it completely? Sherdan did not know the answer.
"We're here. Where are you spacing at?" Nicholas waved his hands in front of Sherdan, who was sitting in the backseat.
Pulled out of his thoughts, the latter looked out of the car window, and saw a humongous mansion. The familiar structure, the blooming garden, and the rows of maids, rekindled unpleasant emotions hidden deep within him.
"Ah yes," Sherdan replied, before he followed and went outside. Imogen and Andra had also gotten out, and he didn't even noticed it earlier.
After he stepped out of the confines of the car, he was welcomed by the view of the mansion. It was not an exaggeration, as it was truly a mansion.
Sherdan, after he lost his parents, lived in this mansion with his other relatives for a considerable time. But he could not stomach staying too long with those people, so when the chance to leave appeared, he immediately grabbed it.
There were no good memories he could think of when he lived here, so when he seized all the companies under the Cohens, he sold this mansion without regrets.
"Waaa it is so big!" Imogen couldn't help but gape at the beautiful scenery. This mansion, reminded her of those she often sees in princess cartoons.
Since she was still just a child when she was brought here for the first time, this is the first time she's able to admire the place.
"Ma, can I live here? I want to be a princess too!" Imogen became lively and too energetic that the usually disciplined maids raised their heads just to take a peek.
"How cute" One maid couldn't help but whisper. And the other maids followed suit.
The head butler glanced at them, with a look that shouted 'remain professional!'
It was only now, that he regretted why he brought these new maids rather than the senior ones. To greet the first son of Jelo Cohen, The Eldest's first son, is not such a task to be taken so lightly.
But, despite his glances that could pierce a hole, the newly hired maids shamelessly gawk at the family. They were so good looking that they would probably stand out even if they were placed in a crowd of people.
The woman, who appears to be the lady of the house, still had her elegant beauty despite being older than them. The man of the house, isn't any less in terms of appearance.
It was no doubt their children look this way.
The young girl, with her white flowing dress, wavy dark flocks, and cute face, made several onlookers wish they could pinch her cheeks.
And the young man with his hazel eyes, looks exceptionally outstanding. If only they could have such a man as their lover!
Andra heard the whispers of praises from the maid, and smiled, although a little restrainedly. Amidst obviously being proud.
Nicholas could only laugh at his wife's siliness. Although he had already marked those maids who forgot their professionalism.
The family of four entered the humongous door, guided by the butler who had dismissed the misbehaving maids earlier.
He should have done so earlier.
The butler led them to the second floor of the mansion where the large hall was located. For a man who is about to die, this gathering seems more like a party, rather than a pre-funerial.
Sherdan could still remember what awaited them inside that grandiose hall; that man.
The Eldest Cohen. A man he refused to cross swords with.
"Welcome! Aha! Nicholas, Andra, dearest! " Janna, Nicholas' mother, was the one who greeted them the moment they entered.
Her voice resounded inside the halls, despite the noise of conversations. And like a scene in the movies, everyone turned their heads towards the entrance. And those familiar eyes, filled with hidden malice, stared at them like a predator does at its prey.
The hall turned quiet, but just like it was a mere hallucination, the noise came back again, and everything went back to normal.
"Same old" Nicholas muttered to himself. Janna heard it, and laughed loudly.
"Right, same old"
Her eyes that swept past Sherdan and Imogen, returned to their figures almost instantly upon realization. Her hands rose, and she covered her mouth in surprise.
"Oh my goodness! Are they my grandchildren? Oh how exquisite! " Her usual high tone of voice, turned unusually higher from excitement.
Nicholas smiled, and gestured for the both of them to come forward. Sherdan held Imogen's hands, and walked toward Janna without further adeu.
Janna Jabrica, the daughter of the Jabrica family that held power over several restaurants nationally, was arranged in a marriage to the Eldest's first son, Jelo Cohen.
Soon after, Jelo Cohen and Janna Jabrica, produced a son, Nicholas Cohen.
Jelo remained in the neutral faction before, and never really tried his hands at managing the companies again after he had his son take over. And even after Nicholas died, he never did anything to help, with the company and with his son's grandchildren.
Her grandmother, Janna, however, desired to help, but held no real power over the company of Cohen's. Thus, she was unable to help.
It wasn't as if Sherdan's relatives were all vile. It was just that most of them were.
And those that weren't, were soon buried six feet underground.