MY PARTNER'S DAUGHTER

CHAPTER 2

The soft sound of the elevator echoed around Farrah Khachatryan as she prepared to face her first day at Luxe Realty Group. Her brown hair with blonde highlights fell elegantly over her shoulders, and her green eyes captured the light in the room with a magnetic intensity.

Meanwhile, her fingers slid across the screen of her phone, which showed frantic messages from her sisters, Hasmik and Mariam, wondering where on earth the youngest Khachatryan had gotten herself into. She decided to ignore the notifications on her phone as she absentmindedly sucked on the straw of her iced coffee.

A wave of discouragement washed over her as she thought about the persistent hangover from the previous party. Not even the coffee had completely dispelled the sense of lethargy that consumed her. Farrah knew that day would be particularly challenging for her, after all, she had never worked before. Her father's words echoed in her mind, reminding her of her new responsibilities and the weight of expectations on her shoulders.

With a resigned sigh, Farrah prepared to face what was to come. When the elevator doors opened, she was greeted by a wave of curious and admiring looks. The employees at the Luxe reception seemed hypnotized by her presence, and Farrah couldn't help but feel momentarily pleased with the attention she was receiving.

With her heels striking firm and decisive, Farrah began to walk through the elegant space of Luxe. Her black suit and pants, combined with a designer white blouse, were carefully chosen for the occasion. She confidently held a genuine leather bag, completing the impeccable look she had prepared for her first day of work.

Farrah took off her sunglasses and tucked them into her bag, revealing her piercing green eyes as she approached Mary, the receptionist.

“Where is my father?” she asked in a calm voice.

Mary, despite trying to disguise it, seemed nervous in the imposing presence of Farrah.

“He's in his office, Miss Khachatryan, waiting for you,” she replied, stuttering a bit.

Before Farrah could head to Aram's office, Hasmik approached the two, with a serious expression on her face. She spoke with a tone of disapproval:

“Everyone has been waiting for you since eight in the morning, Farrah.”

Farrah rolled her eyes, uninterested in her sister's complaint.

“What time is it now?” she asked, with an air of indifference.

“It's already noon,” Hasmik replied, with a sigh of frustration.

“That's why I need the Cartier watch I saw,” she replied with an ironic smile, “so I don't lose track of time.”

Without waiting for further delay, Farrah turned her back and began to walk towards Aram's office, ignoring the curious looks that followed her along the way. She knew the confrontation awaiting her inside would not be easy, but she was determined to face it with her usual confidence and charm. After all, Farrah Khachatryan never backed down from Aram Khachatryan.

Preparing her best smile and her “daddy's little girl” behavior, she mentally prepared for the meeting she was about to have. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door and entered the room.

Upon entering, her eyes met those of Mariam, her older sister, who was already being prepared to take over their father's business. Mariam's challenging gaze met Farrah's confident smile, creating a palpable tension in the air.

“The Diva has arrived,” taunted Mariam, casting a sharp look at Farrah. “Got lost on the way?”

Farrah rolled her eyes, accustomed to her sister's jabs.

“No, just decided to make a dramatic entrance,” she replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Before the exchange of words could continue, the door opened again and Hasmik, the middle sister, entered the room. Her serious and authoritative gaze hovered over the two sisters, as if she were evaluating their every move.

“Farrah didn't get lost, just, as usual, arrived late,” commented Hasmik, her voice calm but laden with disapproval.

Farrah sighed, running her hand through her hair with a theatrical gesture.

“Well, at least I was late to look pretty,” she replied with an ironic smile. “Which is obvious.”

At that moment, Aram entered the room with a warm smile.

“Welcome, Farrah,” he greeted, addressing his youngest daughter. “How are you?”

Farrah met her father's gaze, trying to hide the nervousness behind her confident expression.

“I'm fine, Daddy,” she replied, trying to sound as natural as possible.

Aram frowned, observing her closely.

“You're late,” he reminded her, his voice gentle but firm.

Farrah met her father's eyes, not letting herself be shaken.

“At least I'm pretty,” she retorted with a mischievous smile.

The eye contact between father and daughter was interrupted by a sigh from Mariam, who was impatient to start the meeting.

“Can we start?” she asked, her voice sounding impatient.

Aram sighed, resigned to his youngest daughter's stubbornness. He knew it wouldn't be easy to deal with Farrah, but he was determined to help her find her place in the family business.

As we discussed after your incident, Farrah, you will do an internship here at the company while studying to get your license as a broker,” said Aram, his voice firm but calm.

Hasmik didn't miss the opportunity to intervene.

“With 'the incident', our father means about you being caught drunk,” she added, her expression filled with disapproval.

Farrah looked at Hasmik disdainfully.

“I understand, Hasmik,” she replied, her voice tinged with sarcasm. “But at least I didn't crash the Bentley Bentayga.”

Mariam directed her gaze at Farrah, her expression serious.

“That's not something to be proud of, Farrah,” she scolded.

Aram interrupted the exchange of words, drawing his daughters' attention.

“Stop,” he ordered, his voice authoritative. “We need to set Farrah's work days and other details before we continue with the rest of my agenda.”

Farrah looked at her father and announced:

“I will come to Luxe twice a week.”

The surprise was evident on Mariam's face.

“Are you serious?” she asked, incredulous.

Farrah nodded with contempt, standing firm in her decision.

“Yes, because I have a lot of things to do, and I still need to study to get this damn license,” she replied.

Aram nodded, accepting Farrah's decision.

“Okay, then it will be like that,” he agreed.

Hasmik looked at Farrah with disdain and provocation.

“It will definitely be a great moment when you start coming five days a week,” she commented.

Farrah looked at Hasmik determinedly.

“Not in a million years,” she retorted, her voice firm. “As soon as I meet all the requirements, I'm out.”

Aram looked at Farrah, knowing she wasn't exactly thrilled about working in the family business.

“I know you're not very excited about working with us, Farrah,” he admitted. “But I want you to know that the more you sell, the more you will earn and be able to spend without having to explain to anyone. It's that simple.”

“Okay,” Farrah looked at her father and agreed.

Aram looked at Farrah, wanting to ensure her cooperation.

“I want you to finish the internship as quickly as possible to start making money,” he said, firmly.

Farrah looked at her father with a mischievous smile.

“And then go back to spending daddy's money,” she joked.

Aram looked at Farrah seriously.

“You can't rely on my money forever,” he said.

“Why not?” Farrah looked at her father curiously.

“Because I have decided to retire at the end of this year,” Aram revealed, surprising the daughters. “And among the three of you is the next CEO of Luxe Realty Group.”

Farrah looked at her father, astonished.

“Is this serious?” she asked, surprised by the revelation.

“Yes, it's serious,” he confirmed. “And I want you to be prepared for this responsibility.”

The sisters exchanged glances, realizing the magnitude of the situation. The competition for the leadership position at Luxe Realty Group had just intensified.

“Nothing like a little stress to start the day,” Farrah said, trying to maintain composure in the unusual situation.

Mariam looked at her with an irritated expression.

“Our day started about five hours ago,” she commented, with a hint of sarcasm.

“Forget about the retirement news for today,” Aram said, trying to lighten the mood.

“Of course, I don't need more stress than I already know is coming,” Farrah agreed.

Aram changed the subject, trying to lighten the situation.

“And how's your life, Farrah? Are you dating?” he asked, with a smile.

Farrah frowned, uncomfortable with the question.

“No,” she replied curtly.

Aram noticed his daughter's expression and insisted.

“What's with that face?” he asked, concerned.

Farrah sighed, avoiding her father's gaze.

“I don't want to talk about it,” she replied firmly.

Mariam intervened, surprised by the abrupt change of subject.

“Are you really changing the subject from Farrah's internship to her love life?” she asked, incredulous.

Aram nodded. “Yes, I'm taking the opportunity to ask while she's here,” he admitted, with a smile.

Hasmik intervened, her voice firm.

“You can't do that, Dad. You're crossing the line,” she reprimanded.

Farrah agreed with Hasmik, feeling uncomfortable with the situation.

“That's right, we're in a work environment, Dad. Be professional,” she asserted.

Mariam looked at Farrah, noticing her displeased expression.

“Are you dating?” she asked, trying to change the focus of the conversation.

Farrah looked at Mariam, exasperated.

“No, enough of this talk,” she replied, irritated.

Hasmik looked at Aram, incredulous.

“Did you really ask that question?” she asked, disappointed.

Aram shrugged, trying to defuse the situation.

“I was just curious about Farrah's life,” he justified.

Farrah reached out to her father, trying to regain control of the situation.

“Let's keep the conversation strictly about work, Dad,” she requested.

Aram shook Farrah's hand, agreeing to her proposal.

“Okay, I accept the proposal,” he said.

“At work, please, talk only about work,” Hasmik requested. She looked at both of them seriously. “And, especially, Farrah, avoid drinking or organizing parties with the team. And, of course, needless to say, no getting romantically involved with other employees. That goes against the regulations.”

“Of course, don't worry,” Farrah nodded with a wry smile. “I'm sure there's no one in the company who catches my eye.”

“Take Farrah to meet the teams that are part of the company,” Aram addressed Mariam, trying to change the focus of the conversation.

Mariam nodded, realizing the need to shift the focus to more productive matters.

“Let's go, Farrah,” she said, indicating that it was time to move on.

***

Farrah Khachatryan, accompanied by her sister Mariam, walked through the halls of Luxe Realty Group, absorbing the details of the work environment. Mariam abruptly stopped in front of a room and Farrah joined her, curious.

“This is one of the rooms at Luxe,” Mariam began, explaining. “Our real estate agency is divided into three main teams. The first, led by our father, Aram, is called Khachatryan.”

Farrah nodded, processing the information.

“So basically, you, Hasmik, and your fiancé Drake are part of that team?” she asked, trying to understand the dynamics.

“Yes, exactly. We are the main team,” she confirmed. “But don't count on being part of it anytime soon,” she added with a smile.

Farrah frowned, surprised by Mariam's response.

“What do you mean?” she asked, confused.

Mariam opened the door to the room, revealing a group of young men who immediately stopped what they were doing to stare at Farrah, visibly mesmerized by her presence.

“This is the Freak team's room,” Mariam explained, with a playful tone in her voice. “The leader is Brandon.”

Brandon, the team leader, approached Farrah with a smile.

“It's an honor to have the youngest of the Khachatryan's on our team,” he said, with evident enthusiasm in his voice.

Farrah looked at Brandon with a look of disgust.

“Ew,” she replied bluntly.

“You can dream all you want, Brandon,” Mariam, next to Farrah, quickly intervened. “Farrah won't stay in a room full of testosterone like this.”

With a decisive gesture, Mariam closed the door to the room and continued walking with Farrah down the corridor. Farrah looked at her sister, expressing relief.

“I'm so relieved not to have to be with that team,” she commented, recovering from the shock.

Mariam looked at Farrah, observing her with a pensive expression.

“If I were you, I wouldn't be so happy,” she said, with a serious tone.

“Why not?” Farrah asked, curious to know what Mariam had in mind.

Mariam met Farrah's gaze seriously.

“Dad asked Alec Foster to integrate you into his team,” she revealed, watching Farrah's surprised reaction.

Farrah's eyes widened in shock.

“Uncle Alec?” she repeated, surprised.