With Bloom's insistence, Sullivan waited for the arrival of the painter. Vito had told him that she found the painter herself and even wrote up a contract. She really put in a lot of effort; honestly, Sullivan found it weird. As a child growing up, she had lost her childish innocence long ago; Sullivan didn't hide the dark part of his world from her. He had a lot of enemies, and it would be best if she didn't grow up as a sheltered dove. But still, she was his princess. When had she ever had to do anything by herself? Because of this, he didn't dare take this lightly. What his baby wanted, she would have.
A knock sounded on the study door. It was pushed open, and a maid walked in. "Sir, Miss Powés has arrived."Sullivan nodded and followed her to the receiving room. The first person he saw was a large black woman. She was dressed in simple blue jeans and a red floral shirt; she wore no shoes and instead explored the room in gray and white polka-dot socks. Sullivan frowned in confusion."Miss Powés?" He called.The woman spun around to face him. A small figure shot up from the couch. He hadn't even noticed someone else was in the room. He walked in to get a better look at the person. She had raven-black hair, and bangs framed her small face. Her brown eyes seemed to stare at something behind him. He frowned even more. He really should have done a background check! Neither of these women looked artistic.Without giving anything away, he sat down on the leather sofa. "Miss Powés?" He called again."S-sir, good m-morning."He was surprised to hear the tiny woman answer. Of course, she wasn't exactly tiny, but compared to his height and build, she really was a small thing.He looked her over. She had tried to look professional with her black work pants, white shirt, and heels, and even though she was seated, he could see her feet bend awkwardly in them. Suddenly he wished he had been there when she walked in them. He stifled a laugh at the imagery."Good morning, sir. I am Miss Powés' agent, Friedrick Dahra."Sullivan nodded."I believe the terms in the contract are to your satisfaction?"The agent nodded. "Very much, sir. Our only concern is that the time period was not stated, and... my artist cannot possibly live here throughout the period of time it will take for the painting to be completed."Sullivan looked at Miss Powés; she had her head down and was breathing deeply. Was she having a panic attack? She pulled at the collar of her shirt and rubbed her eyes.The agent followed his line of sight and visibly panicked. She held Miss Powés' hands, squeezing it. Then she turned with a forced smile. "Aside from that, we're satisfied," she concluded.Sullivan had a good mind to ask her what was wrong with her artist, but he changed his mind. She was a person his daughter chose, so he really didn't care as long as she got the job done."She can have the weekends free, and she can leave if she has an emergency, all with due permission, of course," Sullivan consented.The agent nodded; she didn't even seem to be listening much. Instead, she shuffled uncomfortably like she couldn't wait to leave."Make yourself at home; that will be all." Sullivan stood and walked out. Outside the door, one of his men stood waiting with a parcel."Investigate that woman," he ordered. They were hiding something, and he will not allow anything to ruin his daughter's hard work. Besides, the painter gave him a vague sense of familiarity. The man bowed then held out the parcel.Sullivan looked at it. It didn't have a stamp and looked pretty plain."Open it."The henchman nodded and pulled out a knife. From the box, he pulled out something wrapped in brown paper and tied with a red string. Sullivan's face darkened.He hissed and thought, "It's been so long; they're finally contacting me again!"He collected the paper and dismissed the henchman. In his study, he slowly untied the red string and peeled off the paper to reveal a familiar invitation card. The paper used was so black it seemed to suck the light from its surroundings. And right in the middle was a blood-red diamond. The eye of the crow. The symbol of one of the Underground's most ruthless lords, Crimson.The Narok family had deep ties with the Underground, an off-web organization that dealt with all things illegal. But since Sullivan took over as head of the family, he had been working to slowly break these ties, and their closest ally in the organization, Crimson, has not been happy.The last time an invite came, Sullivan had almost lost his life; it had been a quiet two years, and another invite has arrived.He shoved the invite into a drawer without opening it; he knew the contents anyway, they never changed.'See You.'Is all it ever says. He knew the drill; three days must not pass before he honored the invite. He took out a packet of cigarettes and lit a stick. He pensively watched the smoke curl around his fingers. Half a year. He just needs half a year to finally break free!***Bloom, for some reason, didn't join them for dinner. When Miss Powés walked in, he barely registered her presence. He wanted to tell Bloom he would be leaving soon, at the same time he wanted to leave without notice. Since the day she requested a family portrait, she had been busy and barely had time for him, although he hadn't been that free either. He sighed; he had hoped informing her of his destination and possible doom might soften her towards him.After dinner, he didn't know when the painter left, neither did he care. He got to Bloom's room and knocked. The door opened almost immediately, and a cute girl in a pink onesie, wide dewy eyes, and bunny slippers opened the door. Sullivan blinked. Had someone kidnapped a princess into his house?The little girl stared at him for a second, then scowled. The all-too-familiar scowl startled Sullivan."Baby?""Don't disgust me," the little princess said. She made to shut the door, but Sullivan wedged his foot, stopping her. The girl groaned and stomped into her room.Walking into the room, Sullivan cursed, "The fuck? Did a drunk unicorn throw up in here?"Bloom stamped her feet. "Get out of my room! I hate you."Rather than leave, Sullivan swooped in and easily picked her up. He spun her in circles while shouting, "Ohh who's a cute princess, you, yes you are, yes you are.""Ahh, put me down; I'm not a dog ahh." Bloom kicked and screamed, but Sullivan had no intention of stopping. She was so cute. Her hair was up in pigtails, and her face was flushed. Sullivan had no idea of the reason for her sudden change in aesthetics, but he loved it.Despite her protest, Bloom was soon laughing shrilly in his arms. When he finally put her down, they both lay on her princess bed, huffing. Bloom held her dizzy head."You are crazy!""Be nice to a dying man."Bloom rolled her eyes. "Heh, what now?"Her voice was bored; she was well aware of how dramatic her father could be. Sullivan smiled in dismay; it was his fault that his daughter rarely took him seriously."I got Crimson's invitation."He felt her stiffen beside him."When?""I got it today.""...when do you leave?"He turned to look at her face. Her pink cheeks were slightly chubby, and she had a faint dimple when she spoke. Her cute features twisted in a frown when he said, "Before dawn."The room fell into a heavy silence as Bloom processed the information. Sullivan watched her closely, searching for any sign of worry or fear."Bloom, I need you to be okay, I can't leave until I'm sure you are," he said, his voice softer.She looked away, avoiding his gaze. "It's not like you have a choice, just don't die"He grinned, running a hand through her hair. "Don't worry you're stuck with me"Bloom finally met his eyes, and for a moment, he saw a vulnerability that suited her age. "Just don't die" she repeatedThe next morning, before the first light of dawn, Sullivan left the mansion. Through her window Bloom watched him drive away.Esther's lips twitched as she read Dahra's text the next morning:"Your boss is hot!!!"Followed by a series of lewd emojis.Esther sighed and dropped her phone as she remembered the events of the previous night. During dinner, she had been nervous, expecting a few questions, but she was barely noticed. His cold gaze acknowledged her entrance, and that was it. He didn't notice when she dropped her fork or when she left the table.Returning to her room, which, by the way, was nearly the size of her studio apartment, she couldn't sleep. She lay in bed staring at the swirling curls of the ceiling.Unsure when she would start working, but assuming it would be tomorrow, she tried to get to bed early. But sleep was far from her.Her stomach grumbled. She sighed in resignation and stood up from the comfy bed. Pulling her room door open a smidge she peeped through the crack, the hall was empty and dark. Her room was on the second floor while the kitchen was on the first. She stepped out and g
Esther snapped out of her reverie when the girl, Phoebe, hissed in pain; her glare switched to a pained look. She raised big, teary eyes to look up at Mr. Narok. Esther looked between them in understanding.Mr. Narok's expression turned savage for a second. He glowered down at Phoebe. The girl gasped like a frightened rabbit and stood up. Her messy look made her ooze seduction, but before Esther could analyze any further, the door shut with a bang.The hall was once again quiet. The silence was palpable, and Esther shuffled from one foot to another while trying to ignore the furious girl behind her."Why are you here?" Phoebe hissed.Esther turned to face her, embarrassment coloring her cheeks. "I... nothing."Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Don't even think about it."Esther blinked in confusion. "Think... about what?"Phoebe grabbed her hand and pulled her down the hall towards her room. When they reached her door, Phoebe flung her hand away."Many sneaky little things like you have come i
It took over ten hours for Sullivan to arrive on the hidden island, which housed one of the Underground's many quarters. To get to the island, Sullivan was brought through several detours to ensure the island's location remained a secret. Sullivan wouldn't tell them it was of no use since he already knew.The island was called Crimson Island, named after its owner, Crimson. Crimson was, of course, not his real name, but no matter how deep Sullivan dug, no information could be found about his background or past. Stepping down from the helicopter, Sullivan surveyed the array of guards with narrowed eyes. Dressed head to toe in dark shades of red, they made quite the intimidating sight. But Sullivan was no ordinary man.He scoffed at the garish display and sauntered into the castle. That's right, Crimson's headquarters was a literal castle. Sullivan found it extremely tacky, but Crimson had a fondness for medieval times. The castle had everything it needed to be called one: high walls th
Crimson, leaning onto his fist, sighed, "Leaving so soon? Oh, I'll miss you."Sullivan could no longer hold back. "Don't disgust me," he spat.Crimson burst out laughing. The maids serving the food froze, staring wide-eyed at their master. The laughter lasted for a full minute. When it finally subsided, Crimson dismissed the maids with a wave.Before the maids could exit, the doors were pushed open again. This time, a beautiful woman entered. She had bright red hair, which unlike Crimson's, looked natural. Her hair was styled intricately, and tiny white flowers scattered across her braids gave her an otherworldly look.She was dressed in a long white gown. Her big brown eyes widened when she caught sight of Sullivan."Sulli..." She called out. Her voice was small and sweet. The excitement that brightened her features made her look even more like a delicate angel. However, she seemed hesitant, even fearful towards Sullivan.Sullivan's cold aura in front of Crimson didn't change with he
When Bloom woke up from her siesta, she noticed the room was empty. She rubbed her groggy eyes and got down from the bed. When did Esther leave? Bloom walked towards a big teddy bear in the corner of the room. She tapped its red nose, and the teddy's eyes glowed before a projection was sent to a small white screen across it. Using her remote, she fast forwarded the security footage.Her eyes widened a little in happiness when she saw her father walk in. Her glee barely lasted five seconds when she saw him kick Esther out. She frowned in annoyance. This man will be the death of her! At this rate, even if she stretched the painting period to a year, he would still end up single.Slowly pushing them together and allowing their feelings to naturally blossom was a stupid plan! The best way to make two people fall in love is to trick them into it, and the best person to start with is her old man.She turned off the teddy bear projector and entered the bathroom. After washing up, she met wit
Esther laid out her painting equipment and rubbed her eyes. She still felt sleepy after having stayed up all night worrying about Mr. Narok's sudden lunch invitation and what it was for. They really had nothing to talk about that he couldn't email her or send a message. Today is her first day on the job, and if the image she saw in the mirror was any indication, then she looked like a hobo on drugs.The studio's door was pushed open. Esther took a deep breath before turning with a smile. While expecting it to be the Narok family members, she was surprised to see the familiar maid, Phoebe, scanning her head to toe."Oh my gosh, you look like shit," the maid laughed. Esther subconsciously tugged at her faded blue knit sweater. Dahra had told her it brightened up her gloomy features; that's why she wore it.Not having anything to say, Esther turned around and began rearranging the supplies she already laid out. The door shut behind her, and she tensed, knowing Phoebe was still inside."Y
Bloom pulled Esther up the stairs and into a luxurious room. She let go of Esther’s hand and wrote on her pad, “This is my granny's room.”Esther's eyes widened, and she stepped back towards the door. “I don't think it's right to bring me here.”Bloom shook her head and wrote on her pad again, “It’s okay, she's hardly ever here.”Esther felt uncomfortable as she looked into the room. It had dark purple furnishings: dark purple velvet drapes adorned the tall, arched windows; a large four-poster bed complete with a canopy of the same rich purple fabric; and the floor was covered in plush deep purple carpet. The dark mahogany dresser and armoire added to the opulence of the room. Despite what Bloom said, the room didn't look like it was rarely occupied.Bloom tossed her pad on the couch in the corner and pulled a reluctant Esther towards the dresser. Just then, the door opened, and about four women sashayed in. They wore bright makeup and stylish dresses, also carrying several bags. Esth
It had been a while since her anopsia acted up; she’d nearly forgotten how it felt. As a matter of fact, it had only turned up once since she started living with the Naroks. And now…Bang. Bang. Bang.“Come out now or so help me, I will break down this door,” Phoebe sounded pissed. Even though there was a hardwood door between them, Esther could hear the venom in the other girl’s voice.She walked towards the door and twisted the lock even further to make sure it was closed. Phoebe heard the lock click and gave the door a hard kick. Esther heard her mutter a few curses before stalking away. She slid down with a sigh and rubbed her eyes. The edges of her vision had turned blurry, and squiggly shapes danced around her view. She stood up slowly and made her way to her bag, taking her pills. She paused a second before popping two into her mouth; the bitter taste made her wince. But when she reached into the bag, she didn't hear the familiar crinkle of her strawberry-flavored candy. She si