Reverie Of Redemption

CHAPTER THREE- Duke HUMOUR ME

‘Mr.Langston, I have Ai on the phone for you’ a small voice came from outside my office door. I exhaled as I ran my right hand down my face

‘transfer her to me’ I stood up from my seat on the couch and walked to my desk to pick up the phone

‘Good afternoon Mrs Hollis, how have you been?’ I asked leaning against my desk

‘i am good dear, I just need a little favour from you’ she whispered

‘Why are you whispering Mrs Hollis?’

‘because I can, that’s not the point right now. I need your airline to track down a piece of luggage for me’

‘okay that won’t be a problem, just give me a name and the flight number and I’ll get it done for you’ I shifted the phone away from my ear and pressed the buzzer signalling my assistant, Penny

‘what do you need sir?’ she asked as she popped her head through the small opening of the door, ‘come and get this name and flight number so you can get this done. I need this ASAP’

‘yes sir.’she replied as she stepped completely into my office already bearing a notepad and a pen’

‘al-right Mrs Hollis you can go on, what is the name?’

‘mrrm’ she murmured, ‘I’m sorry I did not hear you clearly, what did you say is the name?’

She sighed then spoke again and I never expected the name she was going to call.

‘Aurora Hollis, the name of the passenger is Aurora Hollis and the flight number is 3689UKA’

I froze, the phone slipped from my hand and hit the side of my desk startling Penny, she turned to me with wide eyes ‘is everything all right sir?’

‘yes’ I cleared my throat and sat down at the edge of my desk picking up the phone, ‘. Yes, everything is fine, thought I heard wrong’

‘what was that sound?’ Ai asked from the other end of the phone reminding me that indeed this conversation was happening and she had really mentioned the name I think she did.

‘Nothing at all Mrs.Hollis, please could you repeat the name and flight number once again?’

‘Aurora Hollis, she flew in business class, the flight number is 3689UKA’

I rubbed my eyes with the heel of my palm, yes I did hear correctly. It wasn’t a hallucination or anything.

‘and when did this flight arrive ma’am?’ I asked, scared to get an answer.

‘lt arrived this morning from The US, she really needs those luggage because her handbag is all she got’

I smiled, Ai could’ve called anybody to help her with this. She did not need the CEO to find the missing luggage, she just wanted me to know that Aurora was back. Quite sneaky for a petite not-so-old woman.

‘Okay Mrs. Hollis, we'll get it down for you immediately’ ‘you’re a darling, thank you so much. Do have a nice day dear’ she said and hung up.

I sighed and ran my hand down my face, ‘is everything alright sir?’

‘Yes yes, everything is fine, did you get the information?’

‘yes sir’

‘good, the airport misplaced her luggage so just get it done’

‘but sir she could’ve called the airline directly why did she call you? It is..’

‘Penny’ I cut her off, ‘I did not ask for your opinion about that, just get this assignment done. That will be all’

‘yes sir’ she replied with her head low as she left my office.

I walked behind my desk and sat down on my chair, leaning on the back rest I closed my eyes. Aurora Mizuki Hollis, she is back, she came back after all these years. What was I supposed to think about that? Why did she come back? Why now?

A little introduction; my name is Duke Langston II, I came to Melbourne four years ago because my best friend and I wanted to expand our empires and it looked like the perfect place to do it but I wasn’t supposed to stay this long here…. I am the acting CEO of the Langston empire. The empire comprises various businesses and the Katson airlines is one of them.

I have been described as ruthless on many accounts by some news outlets and magazines but that was a good thing because no one wants to do serious business with a soft-hearted man, the business world is no place for feelings and sentiments. Mrs Aiko Hollis was an exception and it was not just because of my history with her daughter, hell I doubt she even knows the extent of my history with her daughter.

Ai has been a very important part of my life even when Aurora left, she was my mothers bedrock when she had nothing, she stood beside her and did not want her to be intimidated by my father and his influence in the business world. And that kindness and hospitality was extended to me. With the way she continued treating me after what happened between Aurora and I , I believe that she does not know the exact details yet.

Aurora… it will be really nice to see her, should I pop by and deliver her suitcases myself ? so I will get to see her, eight years is certainly a long time. She must have changed, grown…That will not be fair to her considering how I ended things with her that time. I needed to do that. I had absolutely no choice, yes, it’s for the best.

I’ll leave things that way, no need to reopen old wounds, and I don’t think she will be excited to see me either.

I was deep in my thoughts when the phone rang, I ignored it only for it to ring again after a few minutes, I groaned and picked up. ‘speak..’ I grumbled

‘Mr.Langston, sir, we have located the luggage, it was directed to Brisbane by mistake’ Penny’s small voice came from the other end of the phone.

‘Brisbane? Did I hear that correctly?’ ‘yes sir’

‘How did a suitcase that boarded the plane to Melbourne end up in Brisbane?’

‘i don’t know sir but I am trying to fix it’

‘I do not like that answer, fix it immediately!’ I said raising my voice, ‘Take the private jet or whatever resources you need but I need that luggage to be back in Melbourne by dinner time. Do you understand that?’

‘yes sir’

‘And find me the person responsible, mistakes like this do not occur on their own volition. Someone is to be blamed, find me that someone. If not find me the person in charge over there’

‘yes sir…’

‘don’t just stand there repeating that phrase, get it done immediately. Then you can take the rest of the day off.’

‘yes sir… sorry, I will get it done immediately’ she said, I could feel her anxiety from over the phone.

‘good’ I said and hung up. Penny really needed to work on her confidence and toughness if she wanted to get comfortable with working for me. But I liked her either way because amidst the whole shy and clumsy personality she always gets the job done no matter what.

Just as I was about to place the phone back on the receiver Levi comes waltzing into my office

‘What is this I’m hearing, lover boy?’ he smirked, his eyes shining with glee. ‘Your better half is back to our very city, and you did not tell me? I’m hurt’ he said fake pouting as he put his hand to his heart. ‘See, I’m hurting right here, thought we were buddies?’

I groaned, great. Another lovely bastard to spice up my day

Levi Sheffield, my childhood best friend and honestly my only friend the rest are just leeches that attach to me for money or any favour of some sort. I was not scared of Levi befriending me because of money because he was a prince and honestly his family was a lot more loaded than mine. Levi was definitely not your prince charming, he was a charming d**k-head. Yes he is my friend but that is the sad truth, his brother abdicated the throne putting him as next in line to the throne if something happens to his father. So he bolted, he was the one that came up with the idea of bringing our empire to Melbourne. And believe me when I say our businesses are not the only thing that has been around town.

Levi ran the night-life, clubs, casinos, bars, hotels you name it and he is not a stranger to that life either. Quite surprising how he does not have children around town, that would be quite problematic seeing as each of the children will have a claim to the throne. I don’t think the British will be happy with being ruled by an illegitimate Aussie.

‘What are you doing in my office at this time of the day?’ I asked glaring at him, ‘Unlike you “king of the night”, I run my business in the daytime. How are you even up? You were just going to sleep by 8am this morning’

‘Well I had to wake up, the ladies needed me. And boy am I thankful I did, I could not afford to miss this interesting development’ he said still grinning like a Cheshire cat as he got comfortable on my office couch

‘did you know she was coming back?’ he asked

‘No I did not, I just found out. How do you even know about this?’

‘are you kidding?!’ he looked at me incredulously like I had just sprouted two heads.

Everyone, and I mean everyone knows she’s back. I heard she ran into Dotty at little bourke’.

That was when it all clicked, Dorothy Campbell who’s generally known as Dotty was the town radio and her caretaker Agnes was the same thing. Anything they knew, everybody knew, everybody.

‘That explains it’ I said as I sighed again, god knows Aurora would not like the fact that everybody was in her business, she had always been a very private person. Even when we were..

‘ooh, I know that look. You are thinking about her aren’t you’ Levi exclaimed as his smiled widened

‘of course not!’ I scoffed, ‘I was not thinking about… never mind that, what was she doing in little bourke anyway? I thought they moved’

‘yeah they did, but she was not around then. There is a possibility that she did not know that’ Levi said still looking at me with a very wide grin

‘quit looking at me like that and get the hell out of my office’

That only made his grin wider,wide enough to see his gums. He picked out a cigar from his suit jacket and lit it. No matter what, dude still wore suits like a proper business man.

‘whatever you say lover boy’

‘cut that out, and no smoking in my office’

‘Oh would you loosen up a little bit, maybe her return will get the stick out your ass’

‘that would…’

By the way, where is your hot assistant? Did not see her on my way in and I could not have missed her. I could spot that rack from outer space’ he said looking around

‘Stop making such comments about my PA, Leave her alone and for the love of god put out that damn cigar!’

‘give me a break lover boy, you have to admit that she is hot. Boy were you always this uptight?’

I rolled my eyes, there was no getting through Levi's thick skull. I stood up and walked towards him to put the cigar out myself.

‘Penny is out getting some things done for me. now leave’.

Before he could complain again his phone rang

, he swiped so fast but I saw the caller ID

‘Levi, why is my sister calling you?’.