"Food is ready."Aviva stretched her arms, leaning against the kitchen island, and called out to her brothers. She craned her neck, waiting for them when Arnold walked up to her.
"Where's Jake?" she asked, her eyes still searching, not finding him around.
"Lounging on the bed," Arnold replied, moving to take the dishes out.
"Leave them for now. Go and call Jake. He's tired and must be hungry." Aviva gently pushed Arnold out of the kitchen by his shoulder.
"I didn't know sitting on a charter plane was that exhausting," Arnold scoffed, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
Aviva chuckled at his comment as she watched him leave. Then, she set the table with steaming hot dishes, ceramic plates, and bowls. The aroma of freshly baked bread and spiced stew filled the room, but Aviva's mind was elsewhere, the scent almost lost on her as she worried about Jake.
After a while, they both arrived and took their seats. Jake hugged Aviva from the side and greeted her, "Good morning, Evie!"
"Morning to you too," Aviva lightly tapped the back of his head as she saw him reaching for the sweet dishes first. "Don't eat sweets as the first thing in the morning."
Jake glared at her, clearly showing his displeasure. However, Aviva ignored him and continued serving the dishes and passing out juices.
"Take him with you to Nexa," Aviva instructed Arnold, pointing at Jake. "He's just lazing around at home. Big brother also returned from his trip yesterday. Look at his behavior. Why are you so indolent?" Aviva raised her eyebrows at Jake, but he continued devouring his food as if he hadn't eaten in days. Aviva shook her head and focused on her own meal.
Arnold peeked over his glasses, which were now fogged up from the steam. "Come with me anyway; we have a lot to talk about." Arnold put down his spoon, stood up, and left the room.
"Evie..." Jake dragged out her name in a pleading tone, "I didn't expect this from you. Why are you throwing me into a lion's den?"
"I'm not," Aviva denied, her tone firm but softening at the edges. "I can't take you with me. I have an important meeting ahead. Go with Big Brother. You haven't been to the office in ages."
"But—"
"No ifs or buts," Aviva cut him off. "Listen to me. I can't spoil you anymore if you're going to be so disobedient."
This meeting was crucial, yet here she was, distracted by Jake's antics. Jake put on a long face, lowering his head and not even glancing in her direction. Aviva sighed, not expecting him to play the emotional card. She couldn't harden her heart against him, so she relented at last, "Fine. Just come with me."
Jake's face brightened like a bulb: warm and elegant. "I'll take care of cleaning. You can rest," Jake chirped, happy that she had saved him from his strict brother. He refused to learn under Arnold because of his stern and fault-finding nature. But as the youngest, Jake knew he had no choice but to lean on his soft-hearted sister to bail him out.
### AT OFFICE
Aviva reviewed her files while Jake was immersed in his phone, playing games and scrunching his face regularly as if something dire had happened. James entered the office, observing the siblings with a peculiar gaze, but they didn't even notice his arrival.
"Boss, we should go now," James said, gaining their attention. Jake glanced at James once before returning his gaze to his beloved screen. Aviva, however, raised her hand to check the time before speaking. "James, why are you slacking off? We'll be late. You should have told me earlier."
The upcoming meeting was crucial—her first major project since joining the office. With the annual shareholder meeting looming, she needed to prepare meticulously, ready to face the seasoned stakeholders' scrutiny.
James mentally sighed. Oh, so now it's his fault. He had already sent her today's schedule and even reminded her in the morning, but he couldn't voice his grievances. He loved his fat paycheck at the end of the month. "Yes, Boss! I'll keep that in mind."
Aviva took her blazer from the hanger, headed for the door, and turned to Jake. "Jake, are you coming?" Jake lifted his head, fixing his gaze on her, and waved his hand in negation. "No, I'm busy."
Aviva moved toward Jake and snatched his phone away. Her jaw was tight, and her eyes narrowed in anger. "You're coming with me," she said in a harsh, stern tone, devoid of emotion.
Aviva felt her frustration surge as she watched him, his nonchalant attitude only adding to her stress about today's meeting. She couldn't keep coddling him every time he acted irresponsibly. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself down.
Jake could see the worry lines deepening on Aviva's forehead, a silent reminder of how much she cared, even when she was frustrated with him.
Jake realized he had offended her, and without wasting time, he jumped from the couch and straightened his creased sleeves like a good boy obeying his sister's instruction.
'Uff! Life is so tough. I can't even play my games in peace,' he mused as he followed Aviva, his shoulders slumped as if someone had snatched his reason to live.
Aviva sat in the car, and Jake settled beside her. "Where are we going?" He turned his head, looking at his sister, who was busy with her laptop. "I see you'll only talk when your phone is taken away."Aviva didn't look at him. Jake noticed she was reviewing documents about land agreements, highlighting a few points.
"I wasn't playing; I was reviewing the beta version of my latest game," Jake grumbled, feeling misunderstood. He turned his head to look out the window, annoyed that no one seemed to get him.
Aviva put her hand on her temple, rubbing it slowly, her brows furrowing. "I wasn't angry with you for playing on your phone, and you know that. But you were so engrossed that you forgot I wouldn't be back after the meeting," she sighed, putting down her laptop. "So stop sulking."Her hand massaged her neck, stiff from lowering her head.