The Commoner

Chapter 8: The meeting room

"Give Ari a quick tour in the house before returning her to Woods' house!" Kiara said glancing at Lukes.

"Sure, Mum! Let's go to the 3rd floor where mum and dad's room located." Lukes said to me and I just raised my eyebrows. We then ride the elevator and arrived quickly at the 3rd floor.

The floor is so huge, lot of rooms. Luke is explaining every detail of the artifacts and paintings collected by his ancestors. We then enter to a 1 huge room that looks like a court room. There's a huge ancient table that is made of stone.

Luke noticed the curiosity in my eyes, so, he started explaining the details of every corner and everything in this room.

"This is room is where we held a meeting for business partners who come here for a some matters and other leaders of the nearby p--places and even across the country sometimes." Luke explained

Wait, what does he mean by business partners and leaders? No way, am I with a Mafia? No no! It cant be. Bailey is the kindest person I have ever interacted and if they are hiding something she wont ever bring me here unless she's planning of recruiting me or selling me to their partners. No, no.....

"Hey, what's happening? are you okay? your shaking your head. And sweating..." Luke said that made me back my senses. I look at his eyes, and those hazel eyes always makes me weak.. "What are you?" I was also surprised with what I just said, why I even asked him that. He didn't answer, instead he just looks into my eyes and we were staring at each other for like 2 full minutes.

Fortunately, I was able to open my mouth to talk again.

"I mean, you guys are the richest low profile people I've ever known. You have everything, you own this whole city, the people here, I also noticed the guard back in Thunderwood college, he almost vowed to you, you guys are young looking despite your age..You are not afraid in anything.."I paused trying to decide wether to say it out loud or just keep it to myself what I have discovered but I think I am already here at this point, these people are powerful enough to kill me right here, right now. I just have to accept my fate, atleast I know that bailey is niece of a mafia before I die.

"Are you guys, by any chance..." I paused again, unable to find a perfect sentence to say it..

"What? Say it, Ari... dont be afraid---"

"Look, I dont mean to judge you because I know how nice you are, your family. But are you guys, by any chance, a Mafia? I know what you are thinking right now, you wanted to get rid of me because of discovering your secret but I am begging you, if you can.... please give me a chance to live, please dont kill or harm me, I wont ever ever tell anyone your secret, I wont go to the authority, I will think that i've never met you---

Luke surprisingly hug me and kiss me on the forehead. I freeze to death, unable to react. I dont know what's happening to me but I felt a light spark on my skin when he touches me. It's so calming...

"You are in safest place on earth, right now." He whispered to my ear and barely heard him. He then release me from that hug and I was just standing there, no emotion, anxious, and occupied. He held me on my shoulder, shake me a little maybe trying to wake me up from whatever I am thinking.

"Dont ever think that I will kill or harm you because that's not going to happen ever. And if I found out that someone is trying to harm you, they will regret that they even born into this world." He said huskily. Thankfully I am able to moved my pupils to look at him but my body is not cooperating. I started to close my hand slowly to make a slow movement, shrugged my shoulder till the anxiety attacked is totally gone.

"I am sorry for thinking that way..."I said in a soft voice.

"Are you okay now? Try to touch my hand.." He said raising one hand to assure that I am back to my senses.

"No, I cant. I dont hold hands with stranger. I mean with people specially a man that I just met." I said with a sullen look.

"Okay, first of all, we are not Mafia. yes, we are rich because our ancestor are hardworking enough to be rewarded with a city and we dont own these people, we are serving and ensuring their safety." He said, kind of irritated.

"Okay, thanks that you are not coz that means I am safe and can still get out of here alive.."I responded shrugging my shoulder.

"So let's move to the other room to calm your nerve down."

"What?"

"To the Library."

We walked to the other side, heading to another huge room and it looks like a noise proof room. well, maybe all of the room here is noise proof based on the structure. Luke open the door by entering a pin code and mumbling something that I didn't understand.

He entered first and invited me in..

Whoa whoa!! This library is so huge to be just inside somebody's house. How did they even constructed it? I wanna know whose the architect behind all of this.

There's a separate shelves for Medicine books, Lawyers, Politics, History, Childrens and more...

All shelves is in silver color and if you want the book on the top shelves, you dont have to get a ladder or climb, just push the button beside and the top shelves will go down. It's like book elevator? I laughed at my own taught.

Then, there's more.. Luke open another door and lead us to a room, this one looks like a theatre or an audio room, there's a lot of paintings on this room and one catches my attention coz it looks exactly the same as my mum's favorite painting. That painting consist of two women in the woods facing each other, one is pregnant and the other is holding a boy which is around 7 to 8 years of age. And mum value it the most. I put it inside her secret room before I leave our house, nobody can find it except me.

"Where did you bought this one?" I asked luke pointing to the painting.

"Someone give that to mum as a gift."

"When was that?" I curiously asked. I am afraid that somebody stole my mum's painting.

"When I was born, I think." Oh, what a relief.

"Is your mum and my mum shared the same interest in stuff like this.." I mumbled to myself.

"Maybe."Luke answered. What, he heard me? my voice is so low that I cant even hear it loudly. I turned to face him and he smiled at me.

"You know, it takes more than one day to tour around your house."

"To the last floor? my room is located up there."

"Maybe the other day, I think im tired." I said, it's true im tired. I still have to think why they have an exact same copy of mum's painting, because as far as I know that painting is given to her by grandmum, her mum before she died. that's why she valued it the most with all her heart.

"Okay then, let's go downstairs. dinner is ready."

"It's fine. I'm gonna eat dinner at home. I mean with bailey."

"Bailey is here."

"What? I mean, how do you? I didn't saw you holding a phone if she called or texted you."

"She called me earlier that she'll come here to meet with mum."

"Oh, okay."

"There you are, my angel." Kiara said when we the elevator opened. "I supposed to call jakey to tell him that dinner is ready. We prepared vegetables, bailey said, you like vegetables more than meat.."

"yes, vegetables is healthy." I said smiling.

"Hey luke, can you drive me to the town? I need something for a decoration at the house."Bailey said getting out from one of the room."Oh hey, girl.. how's your day? So sorry I have to asked luke to tour you around, I have to go shift my sister on her cafe. her son is not feeling well."

"It's okay, no problem. how's your nephew now?"

"He's okay now, just needs some motherly care."

"Yeah, everyone needs that."I said with my voice cracked.

"So, let's go to the mall nearby after the dinner? Hey, kimmy would you like to come with us?" Bailey continued shouting while kiara headed to the kitchen.

"Ari is tired, lily. maybe we can just drop her at the house before going to the mall." Said luke.

"No... Ari, come with us. you can just stay at the car if you want. you'll be bored at home I told you. Morreth is so busy clinging with her M-husband to be. Audrey isn't home yet. Olivia is with jackson."Bailey insisted that I should come with them.

"I'll go with you, then." I said

"Great. We can have so much fun there, like girls stuff, shopping...." Now it's kimmy, coming out from the kitchen, giggling at the thought of shopping.

"Guys, come lets eat so we can leave early." It's luke who talked walking to the kitchen without any emotion on his face.

After eating, the girls get prepared. Kimmy looks like a goddess that I cant take my eyes off on her.

"Hey, stop staring at me." She exclaimed that made me jump off.

"Sorry, you are so beautiful kimmy." I said shyly.

"I know but look at you, you are far more beautiful than anyone here." Kim said with a sincerity in her eyes.

"Thanks."I said

Luke got out from the house ahead of us to get the car ready. It's another customized matte black audi SUV. They have everything fancy. Well, I grew up with a silver spoon too. My parents own a shipping lines, luxury yachts and hotels but I am raised as a low profile kid. I need to work for my dad if I needed to buy or pay for something. I didn't get what I have for free. Even my education, I had to work at the office during holidays and weekends for my tuition fees and projects. Mum and dad didn't spoiled me but they never failed to show their love for me. They're never absent at the special occasion in my life. They supported me in everything I did, My decision in life but not financially of course I have to work for it.