May Peace Grace Us

Chapter 25: Alfred Geroy

When Aila and Albert arrived at the office, the first thing they saw was the number of people inside. Aila could name most of them from her memory and from what she wrote. People she thinks the protagonist has gathered for the purpose of having the greatest force possible.

Alfred Geroy is a man with great ambition from what she wrote him. He struggled in the last days, step by step, before he became a prominent person above others. He is charming and a good leader, not to mention savvy and cunning enough to get what he wants.

As a writer, this man is her ideal hero in the world where everything is so bleak and desolate. Kindness alone is not enough to give humanity hope in the darkest time, it needs smarts, ability, and decisiveness for someone to survive. A person needs not to be a saint who will silently suffer for his people, he can be a devil if needed too. A survivor of these times need not have to see the world in black and white, instead they should be flexible enough to stay in the grey areas to make the best decision possible.

She imagined him to be someone of all of those. But as a lesson from her previous lives, she knew not to blindly trust what she knows. Reality always gives people a cold dose of water at the most unexpected times.

Aila immediately identified the man in the crowd. In this world there is only him who possesses those blood red eyes. Eyes that could strike fear into those who dare to provoke the beast within.

“Dad.” Albert called his father, who was busy entertaining Alfred at his side.

“Albert, you're here.” The man was full of smiles until he saw Aila behind his son. He might have thought that the friend his son meant was someone else, but it turns out the child he never liked for a reason.

As a mayor, he wanted his son to follow his official career. At a young age, he taught his child to choose his friends carefully and who they should be. Having a wide range of connections is the ideal for his smooth career in the future.

Albert mostly did not disappoint him. His friends were often children of quite prestigious people in various industries.

Only this Aila fits not.

Honestly, it is not a big deal if his son will be close to the not so privileged. Gaining people in this sector is also a good point for amassing a good number of votes during elections. Because even with so much wealth, it cannot overcome the sheer number of people who can trouble those on top.

But this Aila is different from those not-so-privileged who can help her son. Her family is a little better than average. Both parents are corporate employees. Not quite high up in the ranks, but good employees who have no bad records or any stain on them. It was very normal and mundane for him as he conducted an investigation of her and her family.

Aila does not have a great connection to others to build support to help Albert in his career. It would have been okay if she was some sort of a peerless genius or something, but she is not. For someone like him, this girl does not qualify to be his son’s friend in any way.

He does not know what sort of black magic this girl has and his son is unwilling to break their relationship. At some point, he thought they were in for romance, but he saw that his son was more focused on the daughter of the Grooves for that aspect. So it has always been a mystery for him how and why his obedient Albert gets to involve himself with her.

Maintaining his business smile, he ignored Aila’s presence as practiced. Not minding if his guests made a bad impression on the girl, he did so.

Aila was used in this treatment after being subjected to it so many times. With practiced ease, she found herself a space to wait for Albert in the office. Many times she came here to be a buffer for Albert and his parents. She already had a corner for herself, especially at some point. Fishing for her phone to see some things on her villa by the way. For sure, Albert would need her later in his inevitable temper after having clashing words with his father.

Albert gave her a glance to see how she was and was relieved that she was still acting normally. He is worried that Aila will have an episode here, giving his father a legit reason to cut Aila out of his life. They might often quarrel at any moment’s time. Both of them cherish their bonds in ways self-absorbed and selfish adults can never appreciate in their whole lives.

With a peace of mind, he faces his father, who refused to give him freedom of choice. Consoling himself that after a few months' time, he and his friends are to be free from the chains their parents and family bind them to. That he only needs to bear this for a little longer and he will finally have his freedom.

And with that, Albert, his father, and Alfred were doing their play in the midst of their subordinates. Aila was definitely a sore thumb in the bunch, attracting the attention of some to her being unknowingly.

The people of Alfred were curious about the girl’s presence. She was like a natural scenery in the room, someone who was meant in the place where she confined herself. To those quite sensitive to an outsider’s presence, she is a conundrum that calls upon their eyes on her.

There is definitely some silent communication among these people. As Aila is someone who is used to people’s eyes on her, regardless if they are friendly or not, she directly ignored them in favor of busying herself. Trying hard not to mind the lingering eyes of her protagonist falling into her form once in a while.

Brave and dauntless she was in her decision to face her fear, it cannot be denied that one cannot directly remove what terrifies them. She was literally killed by this man by accident. It is unknown if he was even aware of her death back then. Most of her reactions in regards to him are more instinctive than the urge she has to kill or cause deliberate harm to others.

As she was so immersed with her tasks, she failed to notice that the topic had subtly shifted to her. She does not doubt that her ‘good’ protagonist has skillfully done so. Even with the rebirth, this skill of his was a skillet inseparable from this guy's sense of self. She had equipped him to allow him more leeway in negotiations and gain more benefits for himself and people.

“May I ask who this friend of yours is?” Alfred asked, while he seemed to look at Aila with unknown thoughts.

Albert was more or less guarded to people who showed interest in Aila like the rest of their friends. They did not know if Aila was aware or not, but she was a convenient link that others used to get close to them. Most people who approach her are not sincere and have harmed her more than once in the name of doing the best for them. Framing her and worsening the already not so good reputation of Aila in the eyes of her parents and of upper society as a whole.

Other than that, Aila herself is more popular than she gives credit to herself. Though her popularity is not the most positive kind, Aila attracts a more dangerous bunch than that of a story's protagonist. Albert does know that those little darker specks in soul like them like to swarm towards her like moths to flames. It was a miracle in itself that Aila did not notice or did not give those bunch much attention or just regard the wind or passersby in her life.

Maybe it was just that her family made her too used to such attention for her to give care of those kinds of things.

They did only know to some extent how profound Aila’s family was and how wonderful Aila was as a person and as a friend. Aila’s parents were low-key, wealthy, and withdrawn people.For some reason, the other branches of their family is quite indulgent towards the family of three and they are quite well-protected for some undisclosed reason. Ordinary investigation will not reveal things about them as the other members of the Justine Family did their best to allow them to have as normal life as possible.

It was also very lucky that they are normally mild-tempered, that they do not seek the slightest grievances, else the other adults in the family will definitely do something for their sake. With how much they treasure each other, the Hyenas are sure that an economic depression is the least the family could do.

If that happened, he was sure that only so few could withstand the aftermath of two forces of big men and their budding descendants targeting those who bullied Aila's family. Among them, he is very certain his father cannot keep the career he was so proud of his whole life.

Aware that Alfred is looking forward to gaining him in some way or another, Albert is very concerned about his interest in Aila. He has yet to know if he meant harm to his friend. But as a son of the host, he had to be polite and introduce the two as the guest wanted now that he voiced it out.

Albert smiled as naturally as possible towards the red-eyed man. He approached Aila and carefully touched the other’s shoulders to introduce her. Using gestures to warn his still unaware friend of the other’s interest in her. And also a way of controlling whatever action Aila might do when she is startled.

If Aila was in her normal state of mind, he would not have done this much. But the other was specifically told not to be stimulated so much. From what Albert could see and observe, Alfred could create a magnitude of reactions to Aila, consciously or unconsciously. He supposed he and others had to mark this man as someone to be wary of for more reasons than what Aila had told them about this man.

Aila was so familiar with her friends’ touches that she did not reflexively attack them. Curiously, she closed her phone and took a glance at Albert, silently asking why she was suddenly involved in this farce. Didn’t they plan that she would only be here to get used to someone’s presence and not be involved in the drama they would be making?

As Albert couldn't answer her inquiries like he would in normal times, he only used a slight force on the other’s shoulders to indicate he did not know either! Among all the people here, he is the one who is most surprised at this whole change in pace!

The plan was that they would leave in the shortest time possible to deal with issues that they had yet to discuss because of their father’s sudden summation. But who knows this red-eyed menace is forcing them to stay longer than intended? He should be the one more annoyed here than anyone else! He had plans for the day and Aila would be the one who would be the one to make sure that they would be going as planned.

Now that they are stuck in such a hard place and with these unwelcome guests' unnatural interest in one of theirs, Albert is more than irky at the whole thing.

“Alfred, this is Aila Justine, a long-time friend of mine.” Albert introduced his dumbfounded friend with a smile. “Aila, this is Alfred Geroy, a businessman from the capital.”

Alfred has a smile on his face as he reaches out his hand to Aila, which the girl absent-mindedly accepts because she just cannot adjust to the sudden focus on her. The mayor’s eyes were slightly unnerving for some reason. It made her eyes twitch in annoyance and a little anger for some reason.

For sure, Aila knew this episode meant trouble for her.