Chapter Three
810 Words
Sophia flung herself onto Jessica’s sofa like she was making an entrance in a reality TV confession room.
“Jess,” she announced, “after this meeting, Dominic and I are going to Elysium.”
Dominic lifted his pastel-clad arms toward the ceiling. “The nightlife calls, and we must answer.”
Jessica stared. “Tonight?”
“Yes,” Sophia said immediately.
“You do realize you are supposed to leave for Ilocos tomorrow morning.”
Sophia gasped. “Jessica. We are twenty-four. We have a life.”
Dominic nodded solemnly. “A nightlife, specifically.”
Jessica shook her head, laughing. “You two are the reason my blood pressure has increased.”
Sophia beamed. “You say that like it is a bad thing.”
Dominic winked. “We bring joy.”
Alex entered the living room with the aura of a man who was two minutes away from developing a migraine.
“If you want to know our final decision about your request,” he said, voice flat but controlled, “you need to wait. Christoph is on his way.”
Sophia groaned. “Why?”
“He needs to evaluate your proposal,” Alex replied. “We have to decide tonight whether you will be allowed to stay in Madanunan during pre-opening.”
Sophia blinked. “Absolutely not. I refuse to sit through another meeting with one of your boring lawyer friends.”
“He is not boring,” Alex said.
“He is a lawyer,” Sophia countered. “Which means he is boring as a profession.”
Dominic placed a hand on his hip. “Soph, Ardent Lex men dress like PowerPoint presentations. Let us be realistic.”
“I want to go to Elysium,” Sophia insisted. “Not debate security protocols with someone who quotes legal codes for fun.”
Dominic leaned toward her, whispering loudly, “But what if he is secretly a snack.”
Sophia stared. “Dominic. He works at Ardent Lex. Snacks do not survive in that environment.”
Dominic pouted. “We should at least investigate.”
“Absolutely not,” Sophia said. “I have no curiosity left for men who use words like indemnification.”
Jessica struggled not to laugh.
Alex rolled his eyes. “Christoph is thirty-five. He will most likely not tolerate whatever this is.”
Dominic gasped. “Thirty-five. That is ancient.”
Jessica raised an eyebrow. “Thirty-five is not ancient.”
“For us,” Dominic declared dramatically, “that is retirement age.”
Sophia grabbed her bag. “See? This is why we are leaving now. I refuse to meet a man who is exhausted for a living.”
Dominic threw his tote over his shoulder like a cape. “Take me to the neon lights and loud music. That is where I thrive.”
“Sophia,” Alex warned, “if you leave, you will miss the discussion.”
“Then text me,” Sophia replied cheerfully. “It is the future, brother. Technology exists.”
Dominic saluted him. “Good luck with your thirty-five-year-old legal overlord.”
Alex pinched the bridge of his nose. “Do not drink too much if you are flying tomorrow.”
Sophia smiled sweetly. “Alcohol hydrates my ambition.”
Jessica sighed. “It does not hydrate anything.”
“It hydrates my sparkle,” Sophia insisted.
Dominic linked arms with her. “Come, Sophie. To Elysium, where men are pretty, young and the lighting understands us.”
They left in a burst of perfume, sequins, and unapologetic confidence.
Jessica watched them go, equal parts fond and horrified. “What are they?”
Alex dropped onto the sofa. “Unsupervised.”
Carrie, without glancing up from her tablet, answered calmly, “Sophia and Dominic are a meteor shower. Beautiful but dangerous.”
The doorbell rang.
Andrew stood. “That must be Christoph.”
Alex straightened his shirt. Jessica smoothed her dress. Carrie closed her file with quiet finality.
The door opened, and Christoph Richter stepped inside.
Tall. Sharp. Controlled. Energy like cold steel wrapped in a perfectly tailored suit.
He surveyed the room with clinical calm, the kind that made everyone unconsciously sit up straighter.
“Good evening,” he said. “Apologies for the delay.”
Alex nodded. “You just missed Sophia and Dominic. They stepped out.”
Christoph’s expression did not flicker. “I see.”
Andrew exchanged a subtle, knowing glance with Jessica. Carrie remained still, observing him with her usual quiet intensity.
Christoph took his seat, adjusting his cufflinks with precise movements.
“Shall we begin. We need to finalize our position before the opening.”
Five minutes earlier, Sophia had refused to meet him.Five minutes earlier, Dominic asked if Christoph was a snack.Five minutes earlier, they had slipped out the door laughing.
Five minutes too early.
- Writer
