~Niklaus's POV~
I drive through the quiet street of Valtry, another estate which only the affluent can have assess to just like where my house is at. Meeting with the witch isn't even what is on my mind, I can't stop thinking about the girl who boldly sneaked out on me. The situation is one that I haven't experienced before and it's still baffling. I stop my car outside the huge golden low carbon steel gate in front of my mother's glass mansion. Within seconds, the gate squeaks open and I slowly drive my Lamborghini into the circular driveway which is encompassed by beautified grassplot and spotless gardens. This is where I grew up, this is supposed to be my home where I can come and visit whenever I feel like it but that's not the case with my family.
I always have to be threatened unless I will not come here. This house brings nothing but sad memories and hurtful feelings for me. I step out of my car and make my way over to the entrance.
"Welcome, Sir Niklaus." The head butler, Ronald, who has been working for our family for the past 10 years, stands in front of the entrance with a smile on his face.
"The madam has been waiting for you. She's um, she's really pissed." He informs me.
I roll my eyes inwardly, he doesn't have to tell me, I already know.
I nod my head before I walk into the house. I climb up the stairs and make my way over to mother's room. I poke my head inside the room and see her standing close to the window. As usual, she's wearing a black dress with her usual stern expression. I turn my head and I see my 16 year old sister, Diana, sitting on the chair beside her with a frightened expression on her face.
I heave a sigh and slowly walk into the room. As soon as I step inside she turns around to me and her already stern expression becomes sourer.
"And look who finally decided to show up." She says in her voice which can send chills down anyone's spine but since I'm already used to hearing it again and again, I can manage.
"I was busy." I say curtly.
"You were busy?" She scoffs. "Just when are you going to grow up, Niklaus? You are 24 years old for Christ sake!"
"I am 23." I correct her. Yeah, it's not shocking that she does not know my age. I bet she would even forget my name soon.
She pauses before she frowns harder, "What's the difference?! You are still not a child anymore! If you can't act like a proper adult at such age then when would you?"
I heave a sigh and roll my eyes. "What exactly have I done to prove that I am not an adult?"
"Listen to me, Niklaus. I don't care about how you live your life or how many girls you sleep around with. The only thing I care about is our family's reputation and over my dead body will I allow you taint it! You had better act right and present yourself in the company."
"I am trying here, mother! You forced me to pull out from what I loved doing and I did. Now, you want me to play the perfect role of a CEO all of a sudden?"
"All of a sudden? Did you say all of a sudden? How the hell is this all of a sudden? You are supposed to have fully resumed your duty as CEO at the company two weeks ago but instead, you kept partying around and sleeping around with every cheap girl that you see!"
"I am just trying to adjust!"
"How long will it take you to adjust, Niklaus?! Noah would never do this if he was here!"
My hands start to tremble at the mention of that name. My legs become heavy and I stagger backwards, my chest tightens and it feels like I can't breathe. She knows how much it affects me whenever his name is brought up but she keeps doing it anyway, just to blackmail me.
"Don't bring Noah into this, mother!" Diana says loudly as she stands up to her feet.
I can feel sweat already gathering on my forehead and I clench my hands tightly in a fist, trying to keep calm but my body is still shaking badly.
"Your brother would never hesitate to take care of the family business but you! That's not the case with you! It's your entire fault. Noah would still be with us if not for you! Why can't you just do this one thing? At least, he would be at peace..."
"Stop using Noah to blackmail him, mom! That's not fair!" Diana says loudly again.
"Shut up, Diana! I haven't still decided if I will let you keep your credit card or not, so shut up!"
At the mention of her credit card, Diana stops talking at once. She does this all the time, using him to blackmail me and it ends up working always.
"I did not say that I would not take care of the family business, mother."
"But you are not acting like it!"
"I have everything under control okay? Is it compulsory for the CEO to always be present at the office?"
"You will take over the company one day, Niklaus. It is important that you take it seriously."
"That is exactly what I'm doing."
"No..." She shakes her head. "That's not what you're doing. What you are doing is wasting your time in clubs and with women."
Oh fucking Jesus! I'm about to lose it.
"You have to go to the company at once, check what has been going on during the times that you were absent. Organize the board meeting and do things the way your brother would have done them."
I gulp hard, "Do you have to bring him up all the time? Do you have any idea how that feels like?"
She walks away from me and closer to the window. "You should get used to it. I didn't become weak after your father died, instead, I became stronger. If I was weak, I wouldn't have been able to keep the family together this day."
I scoff, "Keep the family together? You think you have done that?" I shake my head. "No, you have done the complete opposite. You have turned this family upside down! You are partly at fault for Noah's death!"
"I am at fault? Was I the one who took his brother to the cliff despite being aware that he's scared of heights?"
I bit my lower lips, "Fuck you mom."
And that earned me a hard slap on my cheek.
"Don't you dare talk to me like that! I am only doing this for your own good, why can't you see that?!"
I bit the corner of inside of my mouth which hurts from the slap. "Is that all you have to tell me? If that's all, I will take my leave then." I turn around and start walking away.
"And you had better stay away from that friend of yours who disobeyed his family just to become a good for nothing writer!"
I don't bother turning back to talk to her because I know it will only end up in a more serious fight and I don't have the energy for that at all. The good for nothing writer she's talking about is no other than my best friend, Lester. To my mother, he might just be a good for nothing writer just because he's not managing his family's business but he's one of the top writers in the country and so many editing companies are begging for him to partner with them. Yes, he went against his family and even got disowned by his father just because he refused to take over their family business but at least, he gets to do what he loves and if it gives him good money and even fame, what importance is his family's approval?
Talking about that asshole, he's been in LA for a fan signing event and will be back tomorrow. He should hurry up and get his ass here real quick or I might eventually lose it.
XOXO