3 - Blue eyes

###

The next day...

★ Miller Groups

♡ Alfred ♡

Seated on the swivel chair in my office, my brows snapped together while I typed away on my laptop, my free hand running through my hair continuously. The screen suddenly went blank, and a string of profanities escaped my lips.

Seriously?! I'm getting tired of this sh*t.

I looked up from the blank screen, and my eyes met with the door. At that instant, it swung open, and someone walked in.

A particular black-eyed dude that frustrates me.

"Have you seen it?" Xander asked, his eyes lit up with something I couldn't quite pinpoint.

"Seen what?" I rolled my eyes, flexing my fingers.

"Skylar De Novo's reveal, damn, it's trending at number one."

I scoffed, leaning back on the chair as I stole a glance at the still blank screen.

Of course, this was what she wanted. The whole attention to be on her, but she was no match for Miller Groups. She was no match for me.

"She's one hell of a pretty lady, though," Xander commented, and I looked at him.

"I mean, how can someone look so beautiful in an unaware capture?"

"Stop being so dramatic, Xander." I scowled.

"Dude, she's going to be the next big thing, she would probably be the first on Ruby's next list."

"Did you come all the way here to insult me?"

He chuckled, obviously finding it amusing.

"Of course not, I was just passing by and decided to say hi."

"Get the f*ck out of my building," I murmured, and he burst out in laughter.

"Where's your girlfriend anyway? I thought she'd be here again."

"Who? "

"Catherine?" Xander rolled his eyes.

I rolled my eyes, glancing at the digits on my phone, before turning back to him.

"Catherine is not my girlfriend, okay?"

"Oh, I forgot, you don't stick to one lady."

"You know what?! Get out of my office."

"Common dude was just messing with you." Xander smiled, and I shook my head.

Xander was such a headache, and sometimes I wondered how the hell we even became friends.

Catherine, Xander, and I had been best of friends since high school—well, not really best of friends because Catherine and Xander were either arguing or glaring at each other most of the time we were together.

"But didn't you guys have something together sometime ago?"

"I was drunk, and besides, we both agreed it was a mistake." I replied dryly.

The door suddenly opened, and I looked up in time to see Catherine shutting the door after her.

"Catherine?" I arched a brow.

"Talk of the devil!" I heard Xander murmur in scorn.

Catherine's eyes gleamed with excitement as she moved towards the table.

"Guess what?"

"You finally realized New York is not where your happiness is, and you're moving away?" Xander asked, turning slightly to look at her.

She feigned a surprised look.

"Oh, look, it's Grandad."

"Stop calling me that!" Xander snapped.

She crossed her arms, a smirk creeping into her face.

"Make me"

I palmed my face tiredly. This was what I had to face every time, and if I said it didn't leave me with a headache every single day, I'd be lying.

"Okay, you two, stop bickering like couples."

Catherine made a sour face at that.

"Gross"

"I feel exactly the same way, cake face," Xander sneered, and Catherine rolled her eyes at him.

"Of course, what were you going to say?" I sighed, glancing back at Catherine.

"I'm going to be on the cover of Ruby's Magazine next month!" she exclaimed.

"Really? That's cool,"

"You can do better." Xander replied, and I looked at him with a glare.

"What? I was just stating facts." Xander rolled his eyes, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'm tired of you two, I swear," I sighed, grabbing my phone and wallet as I got on my feet.

"Where are you going?" Xander asked before I could take any steps.

"I'm meeting up with Ari."

"So I was thinking, let's celebrate tonight, there's a cool new restaurant that just opened, it's a twenty-minute drive from here, and there's privacy," Catherine suddenly added.

"I don't know Cath."

She clasped her hands together, pouting her lips.

"Please, please, please?"

"Fine"

Catherine smiled widely at my words. "Great,"

"You can come if you want, grandad," she said, turning to Xander.

"I'm only going to be there because of Alfred." He rolled his eyes, and I stiffened with a chuckle.

★

KH Wears and Accessories

I got out of my car, shutting the door behind me.

"Big bro!" A feminine voice exclaimed, and I turned to see Arielle, my nineteen-year-old sister, making her way towards me.

"I thought you went inside without me." She smiled as she linked arms with me.

"I have no idea how you forced me here, Ari," I replied with an eye roll as we headed to the entry.

She laughed.

"That's because you love me."

We made our way in, and as expected, once everyone saw the popular face of Alfred Miller, the ladies went into fangirl mode. Not to brag.

Arielle picked out some clothes and left to try them on, while I decided to take a quick look around.

As I walked by the racks, I caught sight of a little girl by the clothing racks, where a caution was placed for the wet floor. She was obviously oblivious to the sign and was busy with her cute little dance.

Without thinking, I walked towards her and held her just as she was about to slip.

"Little girl, are you okay?" I asked softly as I pulled her away from the wet floor.

She looked up at me with wide eyes, like I was some sort of Barbie come to reality, and I couldn't help but notice something.

She had blue eyes similar to mine, and her face reminded me of someone in my past I didn't like to remember.

"Oh my gosh, sir, you're so handsome," she suddenly squealed.

A small smile stayed on my lips as I squatted down to her level.

"Are you here with someone? Your mommy?"

"My mom is talking to her friend."

Her words were smooth and impressive for a five-year-old. But why the hell did she remind me of her?

I nodded and cast a glance around.

"Can you tell me where your mommy is? She might be looking for you"

"Can you be my daddy? I like your blue eyes!" She gushed, her eyes gleaming in happiness.

I chuckled as I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Little girl, I-"

"What in the world do you think you are doing?" An oddly familiar voice snapped, and I looked up immediately.

###

The next day...

★ Miller Groups

♡ Alfred ♡

Seated on the swivel chair in my office, my brows snapped together while I typed away on my laptop, my free hand running through my hair continuously. The screen suddenly went blank, and a string of profanities escaped my lips.

Seriously?! I'm getting tired of this sh*t.

I looked up from the blank screen, and my eyes met with the door. At that instant, it swung open, and someone walked in.

A particular black-eyed dude that frustrates me.

"Have you seen it?" Xander asked, his eyes lit up with something I couldn't quite pinpoint.

"Seen what?" I rolled my eyes, flexing my fingers.

"Skylar De Novo's reveal, damn, it's trending at number one."

I scoffed, leaning back on the chair as I stole a glance at the still-blank screen.

Of course, this was what she wanted. The whole attention to be on her, but she was no match for Miller Groups. She was no match for me.

"She's one hell of a pretty lady, though," Xander commented, and I looked at him.

"I mean, how can someone look so beautiful in an unaware capture?"

"Stop being so dramatic, Xander." I scowled.

"Dude, she's going to be the next big thing, she would probably be the first on Ruby's next list."

"Did you come all the way here to insult me?"

He chuckled, obviously finding it amusing.

"Of course not, I was just passing by and decided to say hi."

"Get the f*ck out of my building," I murmured, and he burst out in laughter.

"Where's your girlfriend anyway? I thought she'd be here again."

"Who? "

"Catherine?" Xander rolled his eyes.

I rolled my eyes, glancing at the digits on my phone, before turning back to him.

"Catherine is not my girlfriend, okay?"

"Oh, I forgot, you don't stick to one lady."

"You know what?! Get out of my office."

"Common dude was just messing with you." Xander smiled, and I shook my head.

Xander was such a headache, and sometimes I wondered how the hell we even became friends.

Catherine, Xander, and I had been best of friends since high school—well, not really best of friends because Catherine and Xander were either arguing or glaring at each other most of the time we were together.

"But didn't you guys have something together some time ago?"

"I was drunk, and besides, we both agreed it was a mistake," I replied dryly.

The door suddenly opened, and I looked up in time to see Catherine shutting the door after her.

"Catherine?" I arched a brow.

"Talk of the devil!" I heard Xander murmur in scorn.

Catherine's eyes gleamed with excitement as she moved towards the table.

"Guess what?"

"You finally realized New York is not where your happiness is, and you're moving away?" Xander asked, turning slightly to look at her.

She feigned a surprised look.

"Oh, look, it's Grandad."

"Stop calling me that!" Xander snapped.

She crossed her arms, a smirk creeping into her face.

"Make me"

I palmed my face tiredly. This was what I had to face every time, and if I said it didn't leave me with a headache every single day, I'd be lying.

"Okay, you two, stop bickering like couples."

Catherine made a sour face at that.

"Gross"

"I feel the same way, cake face," Xander sneered, and Catherine rolled her eyes at him.

"Of course, what were you going to say?" I sighed, glancing back at Catherine.

"I'm going to be on the cover of Ruby's Magazine next month!" she exclaimed.

"Really? That's cool,"

"You can do better," Xander replied, and I looked at him with a glare.

"What? I was just stating facts." Xander rolled his eyes, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'm tired of you two, I swear," I sighed, grabbing my phone and wallet as I got on my feet.

"Where are you going?" Xander asked before I could take any steps.

"I'm meeting up with Ari."

"So I was thinking, let's celebrate tonight, there's a cool new restaurant that just opened, it's a twenty-minute drive from here, and there's privacy," Catherine suddenly added.

"I don't know Cath."

She clasped her hands together, pouting her lips.

"Please, please, please?"

"Fine"

Catherine smiled widely at my words. "Great,"

"You can come if you want, grandad," she said, turning to Xander.

"I'm only going to be there because of Alfred." He rolled his eyes, and I stiffened with a chuckle.

★

KH Wears and Accessories

I got out of my car, shutting the door behind me.

"Big bro!" A feminine voice exclaimed, and I turned to see Arielle, my nineteen-year-old sister, making her way toward me.

"I thought you went inside without me." She smiled as she linked arms with me.

"I have no idea how you forced me here, Ari," I replied with an eye roll as we headed to the entry.

She laughed.

"That's because you love me."

We made our way in, and as expected, once everyone saw the popular face of Alfred Miller, the ladies went into fangirl mode. Not to brag.

Arielle picked out some clothes and left to try them on, while I decided to take a quick look around.

As I walked by the racks, I caught sight of a little girl by the clothing racks, where caution was placed for the wet floor. She was oblivious to the sign and was busy with her cute little dance.

Without thinking, I walked towards her and held her just as she was about to slip.

"Little girl, are you okay?" I asked softly as I pulled her away from the wet floor.

She looked up at me with wide eyes, like I was some sort of Barbie come to reality, and I couldn't help but notice something.

She had blue eyes similar to mine, and her face reminded me of someone in my past I didn't like to remember.

"Oh my gosh, sir, you're so handsome," she suddenly squealed.

A small smile stayed on my lips as I squatted down to her level.

"Are you here with someone? Your mommy?"

"My mom is talking to her friend."

Her words were smooth and impressive for a five-year-old. But why the hell did she remind me of her?

I nodded and cast a glance around.

"Can you tell me where your mommy is? She might be looking for you"

"Can you be my daddy? I like your blue eyes!" She gushed, her eyes gleaming in happiness.

I chuckled as I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Little girl, I-"

"What in the world do you think you are doing?" An oddly familiar voice snapped, and I looked up immediately.