My father was my hero when I was a little child. I thought of him as a knight in shining armor, or a prince charming in fairy tales. He was like the sun, so bright and warm.
Our family was a happy one, filled with love and laughter. No matter how busy things may get, Mom and Dad would always make time for family outings. We would go to the beach, go fishing, vacation abroad, spend a day in an amusement park, or even just play board games at night—all the activities a typical family would do.
I was, of course, Daddy's little girl. He would often let me tag along, or take me to places with just the two of us. I remember him teaching me how to ride a bike in secret because Mom won't let me. He would often read me stories before bed whenever he's at home. And whenever Mom gives me a scolding, Dad would always come to my rescue.
Then one day, my little sister was born.
That was also the day my family was torn apart.
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Anya couldn't help but feel impressed as she looked around the anteroom. The atmosphere was warm and had it not been for the faint smell of disinfectant, she would have thought that they were in a hotel suite rather than a hospital room. Nothing was short of extravagance, from the carpeted floor to the luxurious leather couch she and Vic were sitting on.
She popped a slice of peeled orange from the platter of fresh fruits Gavin served them into her mouth as she looked through the pile of magazines lying on top of the coffee table. She noted how they were all about either entertainment or business.
"What?" she asked as she noticed Vic was watching her.
"You don't like grapes or apples?"
Her brows knitted. "Not really. Why?"
"Because usually, guests would go straight to the grapes or the sliced apples when served with a fruit platter."
She smiled before placing another slice into her mouth. She didn't like eating fruit peels. Whether it was apples or grapes, she would always peel them before eating. Since she didn't want to make a mess there, she didn't bother with them.
The door to the next room opened, and Gavin appeared. "The President will see you now."
The sight of an old man sitting upright on the bed greeted them as they entered the bedroom. For Anya, no amount of preparation was able to brace her from what she saw.
The Curtis Reinhart she knew was one of robustness and vibrancy, of strength and domination. The man in front of her looked old and gaunt.
"Come closer," he said.
Anya flinched when she heard his voice carrying the same commanding tone she was familiar with. As she and Vic drew closer, she saw that the man still had fire in his eyes. Steadfast and unyielding, like a tall mountain.
"You must be Anya."
Anya smiled and gave a small bow whilst hiding her clenched fist. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, President Reinhart."
Curtis nodded satisfactorily. "I am expecting great things from you. Queen of Hearts has been on a steady decline since my daughter, Caitlin, died. I hope that with you and Vittorio leading it, it will be back to its former glory."
Again, Anya smiled slightly.
"Rest assured, sir," Vic replied. "Anya and I will take good care of Queen of Hearts."
"Good. Good. You seem like a good pair." He smiled knowingly at Gavin. "Don't you think so? You're both single, no?"
Anya remained straight-faced while Vic coughed uncomfortably.
Curtis laughed. "Your father and mother are eager to see you settle down, boy."
"Thank you for your concern, President, but marriage is still far from my mind," Anya replied politely.
"Well, that's too bad. Vic here is a nice young lad."
"May I know why you called us?" she asked, barely hiding the impatience in her tone. "I'm sure the President has more important matters to tell us."
Curtis looked at her closely, his expression becoming serious. "I heard that the shortlist was rejected," he said. Gone was the jovial atmosphere they had in the beginning when the old man acted like a warm father figure. This time, Anya could feel it was the president of Reinhart Group talking.
"Yes, sir. As the new Creative Director, I wanted to see for myself—"
"So you decided to immediately go head to head with my wife," he said, cutting her off.
"That was not my intention."
"But that was what you did," he replied with an amused smile. "My wife came to me in tears, saying that you wanted to deny Venice the chance for a solo debut."
"I—" She wanted to defend herself, but Curtis raised a hand to silence her.
"Now, in order to pacify my wife and prevent further discord inside the company, I gave her a promise that Venice will debut solo by next year."
Anya gritted her teeth. "With all due respect, sir, you hired me to bring out the best of all your talents and trainees, and that is what I am set on doing with impartiality." Her eyebrow shot up at the last word.
"Yes, that is what we hired you to do. But let me remind you, Miss Delacroix, that I am still the president of Reinhart Group and you are still my subordinate," Curtis said firmly. "You're young. Hence, you still have a lot to learn about politics in the corporate world. In order to maintain peace and harmony, sometimes you need to sacrifice a few things."
Anya bowed her head. "Of course, sir. I apologize for acting too rashly."
Curtis nodded magnanimously.
"However, I would like to ask for a compromise," she said, raising her head again.
"How dare you bargain with the president?" Gavin said in disbelief, but backed down when Curtis raised his hand.
"Your decision meant undermining me as director. Being new in the company with only a week since I entered, if people hear about this, it would greatly damage my authority."
"What do you suggest?"
"I won't touch Venice Reinhart's affairs if you allow me to take one person of my choice to join the International Idol Competition, which takes place in two months, AND that Queen of Hearts will provide that person with the same support that their talents enjoy."
"Who do you have in mind?"
"I will tell you only after you agree to it."
"Fine. You have my word."
"While a gentleman's word is valuable, I prefer having it in black and white, Mr. President."
The room became silent. Vic and Gavin watched in bewilderment at the conversation that was taking place. They couldn't believe that Anya would be so courageous to bargain with President Reinhart. They feared that the old man might erupt in anger at any moment.
An unexpected sound interrupted the silence. Much to their amazement, Curtis erupted, not in anger, but in laughter.
"You are a feisty one," Curtis said, chuckling. "Of course, an agreement between business partners should be written on paper. Gavin."
"Yes, President." Gavin bowed and left the room. He came back after a few minutes with a couple of papers, which he gave to Curtis.
Curtis scanned through the page, nodded, then signed the document with a pen Gavin handed him. Afterwards, Gavin gave the document to Anya to affix her own signature.
"Now that your conditions have been met, pray tell us, who do you plan to bring to the competition?"
Anya smiled confidently. "Lizzie Fuentes."