GATHER

CHAPTER 1 AGAINST EACH OTHER

In a game of chase, I know that I am always one step ahead of everyone. May it be sports, education or everything. I was what my peers call perfect in every angle, beloved by many, and sought after by men and even women.

Education, power, money, fame, beauty, I have it all. Born from respected figures in law and medicine, with generations of ancestors working as a Doctor, a Lawyer, Judge, and prosecutors, and as the only woman amongst my family’s 5th generation children, all eyes are on me.

However, I did not like being belittled or ridiculed just because I was born a woman, and so I made it pretty sure that in every aspect there is, I can always be the victor. Just like my name, I always win, failure is not in my vocabulary and so is perfection.

I am not greedy for power, fame, attention, or money, I simply want to maintain my reputation to my family and the people because I want to, nothing else to say.

I don’t believe in love, how could I? When I am surrounded by men who think they are entitled to taste and fuck every woman they wanted.

My mother died after giving birth to me and since then affection is something I never looked forward to. Not that I wanted it in the first place. If I was not given the bare minimum, I knew better than to beg for it.

“Cleo, dad called for you, he is at his study, you should get going now.” my elder brother Casper called while his eyes were glued on the file he was holding.

“Did he say anything about the reason?” Casper lifted his head to look at me with a blank expression as if thinking about it, and after a few seconds, he indifferently shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t think so, just go there and leave me alone, I am busy.”

With a house full of intelligent and busy people, clashing is not something that could easily be avoided, take for example the three of them as a sibling.

The eldest son, Callum Colette is a 31 years old married man. Working as a prosecutor and married his wife, Fera Gertrude, in an arranged marriage when he was just 25. He has 2 children now, his eldest son Finn 4 years old, and his youngest son who was only 3 months old, Flynn.

The second son, the one who informed me about our father calling me, is Casper Colette, 28 years old, working as a detective and engaged to Prim Kassel, also from an arrangement by the elders.

Lastly, the youngest and only female amongst the 7 children of the 5th generation of the Colette Family. Cleo Colette, that’s me, 24 and working as a Lawyer for the huge firm owned by my family.

Even though me and my brothers do not agree with everything, have petty arguments, and annoy each other a lot, we still value each other, maybe a little. Or a pinch?

I have 4 cousins from my father’s brothers and it is somehow self-explanatory that men are dominant in my family.

It is normal for us to be arranged once we turn 25 in order to ensure that the blood of the Colette will be passed on to someone ‘clean’ and accepted by the elders.

Knowing that my father called for me, I can already guess what he wants from me.

“Fine fine, why are you so snappy today,” I mumbled and rolled my eyes at my brother who simply ignored my remarks.

The mansion is big, but after living for 24 years in it, I already know the way around the house just like how I master all the codes of conduct and laws there are in the world. With my long slender legs, I managed to make it there in time before the 5 minutes rule was up.

It is within our system that once the elders or our parents call for us, within the next 5 minutes, no matter where you are in the world, as unreasonable as it may sound for others, you should be around and present before the timer stops.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

“Come in” a deep baritone voice with a hint of strict tone resounded from the room and as trained as I am, I quickly entered the study with my head down until given permission.

“Cleo, you must know why I called for you right?” the man sitting on his executive office chair in vintage black top grain leather said while looking at me with his usual indifferent eyes.

“Yes, father,”

“I got 56 proposals from respected families in the country and about 113 from across the globe. We will be choosing only 10 amongst them and since it is a promise I made before your mother passed, I will let you choose from the 10 men I think worthy of our name and worthy of my daughter.” Even though my father is pretty detached from us, his children, he is a person who values trust, image, and promises the most. He also shows his affection through strictness and not many would be able to appreciate this, but for them, they do. He ensures that we would marry someone who would not only respect the family and its members, the person should also value his children.

“That may be unnecessary, dad, but if it is mom’s request then, I shall abide by this.” The man nodded his head, satisfied by my response, and quickly trashed stacks of paper to the trash bin then handed me an envelope that I could guess contained profiles and engagement proposals.

“I will be giving you a month to decide, and if you still haven’t chosen someone, then I will be the one deciding for you.”

Hearing that, I did not feel an ounce of regret or unfairness. I actually think that if my father chose for me, then I would have nothing to worry about. He would never let someone enter my life that would ruin or hurt me.

Even a mosquito or a bug was not allowed to touch me ever since I was born, what more if I am about to wed some stranger I probably haven’t met.

“If there is nothing else father, I shall return to my quarter, I still have a trial tomorrow for my recent big case,” I informed him. He simply nodded his head and dismissed me right after.

I returned to my room and prepared for a big case for tomorrow. Although my family is rich enough to provide for me even if I live leisurely, I was the one who insisted that I wanted to provide for my needs and live the life I wanted.

The elders respected my decisions and granted me the chance to work, they know I am a capable person so worrying for my welfare was never something that crossed their mind.

The next day, I arrived at the courthouse a few minutes before the trial started and I waited for everyone to settle down before approaching my client who was being briefed by my assistant.

“Is everything ready?”

“Miss Colette, the client has been briefed and interviewed countless times. We also managed to get ahold of various pieces of evidence after the client presented the results of his last trial from the HJH Firm. From what the team gathered, we have a better chance at this now.” Kian Lopez is my assistant, a capable man who had been working for me ever since I started working. I am one of the Youngest lawyers and a female one at that so I had to ensure that before I entered the circle 2 years ago, I was well prepared with people who I can trust.

My team knew better than betraying me, no one would ever give them all the privileges I have given them, and no person in their right mind would anger a member of Colette.

“Look who we have here, Miss Colette, it's been a while. Small world.” a man appeared before me, clad in a fashionable custom-made black suit that wrapped his body well enough to make people notice how good his body looks. His slightly gray hair reached slightly above his shoulders with half of it tied up behind his head.

His eyes were the greenest orb I had ever seen and his thin sinful lips raised into a playful grin. He eyed me from my head down to my toes repetitively and I could swear that if there is such a thing as eye fucking, he would be the best person to do the job.

He was almost 6 feet tall while I was a few inches smaller than the man, he has small stubbles on his chin and walked with pure confidence and sex appeal. If we were never against each other since we were children, I would have thought of him as someone hot enough to be my man. But no, the man was ruthless and enigmatic, I shall never mix myself with him, no matter how sexy and drool-worthy he is.

TBC

Maple Writes

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