Chapter 6: Candidate one

GENERAL POV

"Tell me, what are you up to, Owen? You are not doing something silly, are you?" Sophie questioned, looking at her triplets with her eyes narrowed.

"No mum. I'm just checking a nearby park. You know how much we love going to the park, right Nathan?" Owen replied, making gestures to Nathan to save him from their mama's question.

"Yes, mum. It's nothing to worry about." Nathan replied and the driver announced their arrival.

The apartment where Sophie would be staying with her kids is massive and located in a totally cutaway space with shades of tall trees surrounding it. The gate directly leading to the house is as wide as it is tall. It made the house appear like an exquisite fortress from the outside.

While the kids explore the house joyfully, Lucas and Sophie arrange their belongings in their respective rooms, then venture to the kitchen to contemplate a home-cooked meal instead of ordering.

"Mom, this place is beautiful. More than our place in California." Isabella giggled, looking around the kitchen, and Sophie playfully ran her fingers through her hair.

"So this is it," Lucas said, tightly pressing his lips together in a way that was typical of him.

"Yeah." Sophie concurred, looking at him. "Yeah, Lucas, I'm finally back here... Do you think I can do this?"

"Oh Sophie, stop it." He said, cutting her off with a smile, "I believe in you. You are strong and hard-working."

"I'm just scared," Sophie admitted, looking up absentmindedly. Lucas rubbed her shoulders bluntly and tightened his lips to show he understood but said nothing else. After a brief silence, Lucas suggested, "What do we have in the kitchen? Let's cook."

Sophie walked around the kitchen, opening the cabinets one after the other. She stopped when she heard Isabella's tiny voice saying, "Mummy, do you find chocolate?"

"Chocolate? Not yet,"

"Isabella, come here now," Nathan shouted from the room, and Isabella ran out of the kitchen.

"Do you still remember what the driver said when he picked us up? He said you looked so much like his boss." Nathan said, jumping off the bed and tapping on his brother Owen’s shoulder. Owen stared straight at Nathan's eyes in awe.

After the short silence, Nathan whispered in an even lower voice. "Could his boss be our daddy?"

Owen, on the other hand, had already started working devotedly on his laptop and could hardly look up.

"We can’t be sure of that," he said absentmindedly, still punching at the screen of his device.

"But we can still make him candidate 1. The point is helping Mummy find Daddy," replied Isabella, sitting on the tiled floor.

"I have been working on this since we were in the car, and I know what..." He stopped talking, staring wide-eyed at his screen.

"What's that?" Isabella asked, standing and walking toward Owen.

"Oh-oh," interjected Owen, his mouth forming a perfect circle.

"Come look, I found him—that man was right. I guess we kind of look alike. Even got the same eyes and ears." Owen said with a raised brow.

Isabella hurriedly drew closer out of curiosity to peek into the screen.

"Oh my," Nathan said, fighting the urge to shout. "He really wasn’t lying; I think I’ve got his hair too."

"No, you don't," Isabella said calmly, speaking for the first time. Her eyes had that sparkly tinge.

"He does," Owen countered. They have the same curly hair; see, even the same color," he said, fumbling with Nathan’s hair to prove his point.

"But wait." Nathan waved one hand.

"Isabella, you don’t resemble Dad, not even Mom; who do you resemble?"

"Who told you he was dad?" Isabella clapped back. "We are not even sure he is our dad, Owen; didn't you just say he is Candidate 1? Right, Owen?"

"Right, he is," Owen nodded.

"And I guess Isabella looks like someone else in the family, maybe a grandfather, grandmother, or a distant family member, who knows; he doesn't have to be dad or mom," Owen added, trying to make her happy.

"But we’ve got to work, ok? We have to be sure we have the right guy. So we really need to get more of our tools on deck. Deal?" He clenched his fist.

"Deal." Isabella and Nathan responded simultaneously.

***

The following morning, the kids, all dressed for school, seemed excited to be there. Running and hopping about playfully around the expansive compound while Lucas and Sophie talk on the balcony.

"'I'll miss you all." He quickly added.

She stared at him and came close enough so they could share a hug. She rubbed his back and said, "We will miss you too. Especially the kids."

When they got to the front yard, Lucas became more spirited and shouted, "Where are my soldiers?"

The kids came running up to him, Owen and Nathan hugged his knees while he picked up Isabella in his arms.

"Uncle will be leaving tonight but will be the one to drop you all off to mark your first day at school. How about that?"

"Uncle, when would you be coming back if you left today?" Isabella asked, pouting her mouth at him.

Lucas and Sophie immediately glanced at each other. He took a deep breath and said,

"For now, Uncle doesn't know but will come right back at you with each chance I get."

"We will miss you, uncle," Nathan said.

"Uncle, can I still message you if I encounter any problems on my laptop?" Owen asked, and Lucas assured him.

"You know you can message me anytime, my little genius."

He shared a high-five with all three of them before they proceeded outside the gate while Sophie tagged along from behind.

While Lucas drove the kids to school in the company-provided car, Sophie took the taxi to Harrington's company.

***

Sophie arrived in a smart-fitting suit and walked through the glass floors and automated doors with her face held high. Her stiletto heels make knock-knock sounds with each step.

"Please, where is the CEO’s office? She asked the male staff member who walked up to her. He had introduced himself as Gerald.

"Oh, you must be Miss Mack; we’ve been expecting you; please follow me," he said, gesturing to her to follow him.

The CEO was a tall and handsome man with naturally curly and sparkly hair so evenly spread that it formed a halo over his head. Even his brows were dark and curly. On seeing her, he immediately stopped to stare at her a little too long—so long that the secretary had to touch him slightly to nudge him back to reality. He seemed shocked and seemed lost.

"Sorry about that." He said quickly, clearing his throat and walking toward Gerald, adjusting his tie.

"But do I know you from somewhere?" He queried, staring deeply at Sophie.

"Somewhere? No, you don't, sir," she replied with a puzzled face.

Sophie looked at him again. There was a strange familiarity to his blue eyes and, again, a self-doubt that she did not totally understand.

"How was your trip?" He asked, trying to appear normal.

"Very well, sir."

He extended a hand, and they shared a handshake.

"Come to the board room; everyone is waiting to have you introduced," he beckoned.

At the boardroom, a long, smooth table stretched both ways and round about it was a circle of about 15 uptight-looking staff who stood up as soon as the CEO and Sophie stepped in. There was a quick applause before the CEO started speaking.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Permit me to introduce the new financial analyst of Harrington Group in the person of Miss Sophie Mack."

A lady at the far end immediately sat awkwardly at the mention of Sophie’s name. Sophie had not seen her face clearly until Elliot beamed and said,

"Please, ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome our newest staff with the courtesy of handshakes. Have at it?"

She moved from chair to chair, giving and receiving handshakes, until she got to the farthest portion of the table. And right before her was the very face of her greatest enemy, the woman who had set her up pushed her out of her father’s life, and left her for dead in the middle of the night. Staring back at her was the face of Olivia Mack, her stepsister.

There was a monetary pause before Olivia said, "Sophie?" Her face was covered in shock and shame, and her lips cracked. Her pinched face was even smaller than usual.

Sophie was too nonplussed to even speak; all she did was stare back blankly, just like on that day when she denied her before Adam.

Olivia quickly tried to master herself, and the next thing that came out of her mouth was a whisper that almost came out like a croak so that only Sophie could hear.

"Still working at Baton’s lounge?"

Sophie looked fiercely back and smiled. Then stared at her right in the face and said,

"Not after I was told you resigned. By the way, how is your mother? Oh, daughter of Eve."

Olivia swallowed hard, and her knuckles tightened.

"How dare you call my mother that?" Olivia said through gritted teeth and Sophie scoffed.

"Anything the problem, ladies?" It was Elliot’s voice.

"No problem, d-a-rli-ng, Just that she looked like a former acquaintance, my mistake," Olivia answered back by stressing the word darling so that Sophie could see how important she was to the CEO.

Sophie turned to look at Elliot, who was staring at Olivia blankly, and his face was one of disgust.

"The meeting is over. Come see me in my office, Miss Sophie,” he said before he turned to leave.

On his way to the office, Elliot's furrowed his brow, confused about the new staff. There was something about her. He had been immediately attracted to her, and her face looked a bit familiar. What is it about her dark hair that compliments her voice?

While he was still thinking, Lucas strode in with Isabella and his siblings.

"Mummy!" Isabella shouted as she saw Sophie right behind Elliot, and he stared blankly at them, then tilted his head to the side.

'Wait? What? She's married? What I'm even thinking. She even put it in her resume that she has triplets. That must be her husband.' Elliot thought to himself as he looked at the faces of the kids and Lucas, he felt a sharp pain in his heart.

While inside the office, Isabella brought out her tablet and typed a message in their secret group chat saying, "This is candidate 1's office; we need evidence to prove if he's our dad."