02

Klein's Mansion,

“Uncle Morgan, aren't we going to see grandpa today?” Cherry whined, as she tilted her head, to look at Morgan's face.

“No,” he replied with a grim expression.

“But I want to see grandpa today, won't grandpa scold you for not coming to see him ?” She asked, while trying to jump down from Morgan's laps.

“Don't you want to eat Candies anymore?”

“ I love candies so much, Mum said candies would spoil my teeth, but I don't believe mummy, I'll keep on eating them. Uncle, can you get me more candies and chocolates ?” she begged, as she pouted her small cute lips.

Her behavior was so cute that Morgan couldn't help but smile.

He ruffled her long, curly hair, as he grabbed her smooth and fair chubby hands and carried her back on his laps.

“Hmmh, Uncle will definitely buy them for you. Remember if you eat them too much, they will spoil your teeth” Morgan said, as he patted her hair.

“Okay uncle, I love you so much!. This big..” she said, forming her fat fingers into what seemed like a heart shape.

Morgan smiled, once again ruffling the hair he arranged.

“Cherry..”

“Uncle…”

“Uncle needs a favor from you, can you help him out ?” He asked, slightly pinching his brows.

“Of course!, I'll definitely do anything uncle asks of me, just name it!” She smiled, exposing the faint dimples which appeared on her cheek.

“Good girl”

“Whenever we visit grandpa, tell him that you don't want uncle to marry any woman. Or do you want me to leave you and get married to a bad and ugly aunty, no right?”

Cherry knitted her brows, as she thought for a while. She suddenly shook her head and pouted her lips.

“No!, I don't want a bad and ugly aunty, I will marry uncle when I grow up!”

“Uncle, I'll tell Grandpa not to find any aunty for you. I don't want a baddest and ugly aunty, no!” Cherry smiled, hugging Morgan's arms.

“That's my good girl, now go to your mummy, uncle has a lot of work to do, okay” Morgan said, bringing her down from his laps and getting up from the couch, about to leave.

“Don't forget to get my candies, I love you Uncle, muah, muah!” She whined and ran off, with her short chubby legs.

Morgan smiled at her retreating figure, untill she was out of sight, his expression suddenly changed.

His eyes darted around the large sitting room, while he adjusted his neck tie and slowly strode out of the room.

*****

A limited edition Black Bentley sped along the road. Inside the car, Morgan was seated in the passenger's seat, meanwhile Nicholas, his assistant, was driving the car.

Suddenly, Morgan's phone vibrated, he took out the phone and glanced at the caller's ID.

“Hey dude, ain't you gonna spend time with your friends after coming back from the states ?” Chandler whined, from the other side of the call.

“Your voice became more feminine, tell me…you're still a big talker, hmmh?” Morgan teased, as a slow smile escaped his lips.

“You! Let's meet at Evaris Lounge, let's see how better you got at drinking and playing Casino,” Chandler challenged.

“Don't be a cry baby, after one round. See you.” Morgan smirked, with that he hung up.

“To Evaris”

Nicholas nodded and changed the route of their vehicle.

Evaris Lounge…,

Nicholas drove into the lounge's parking lot. He hurried out of his car and went to open Morgan's door, but the aloof man beat him to it.

He strode out of the car dressed in a long, expensive coat that pulled off easily with his tall stature and broad shoulders. A pair of fitted, perfectly iron dress pants covered his long legs.

His short black hair, sharp and stylish. His face was well defined with a perfect jawline and flawless features like that of an artisan's treasured sculpture. His features were deep and cold, while his eyes were sharp with a piercing gaze that could freeze a person to their bones.

He exuded a strong, dominating aura that was both overwhelming and intimidating, making him unreachable and preventing anyone from getting too close.

He hadn't walked a long mile, when he caught the attention of the all ladies outside the lounge.

“Oh my God!, I feel like I've seen a god, how could a man be so handsome yet beautiful. I want to marry him right now!”

“Hold me! Hold me! I might get pregnant by staring at him!”

“Why do I have this feeling, that he's a celebrity ? Ahh! I think I've seen him somewhere!”

“Hold on! He's looking this way. Oh my god! He's staring at me!. I couldn't believe there's something like love at first sight until this!, Someone hold my heart, it's jumping out of my chest!”

Murmurs and praises were flowing everywhere, as Morgan strode into the lounge. His expression was cold and aloof, not sparing anyone a glance.

“Did you see that ?He's so cool and gentle. Mom!, Dad!, I want to get married right now, I found my soulmate!”

Nicholas shook his head and flagged it down, as he saw the overflowing reactions from the ladies in the Lounge.

He hurried after Morgan, and went into the lounge. They took the elevator, and went to the highest floor in the building.

The top floor of the building was always reserved for well to do and wealthiest men in the city.

Morgan was no exception, neither was his group of friends, as he was the heir to the Klein's Fashion world. Although he didn't grow up in his hometown, he was still recognised by so many socialites, who saw him in magazines and all.

After what seemed like a century, the elevator halted, Morgan and Nicholas strode out of it and headed straight to the room which Chandler and others were in.

The room screamed of luxury and affluence, every item in there was of limited edition and were expensive.

“Dude!” Chandler screamed excitedly, when he saw Morgan walk into the room. He couldn't help himself and got up rushing towards him.

“Do you wanna strangle me, tch….?” Morgan sighed as he slightly loosened Chandler's arm around his.

“Goodness! You've gotten muscular. Can't believe this!” Vincent whined, as he shook shoulders with Morgan.

“You flatter me,” Morgan said, rolling his eyes at Vincent.

“What was that?, Hahahaha” they laughed in unison.

Morgan sat on one of the couches next to him, he brought out a packet of cigarettes and took a stick from it.

“Why don't we begin the game, Chandler ?, earlier someone seemed so cocky and certain to win huh…” Morgan said, tilting his head to look at Chandler, who had an unsettled expression.

“Yeah, we should start the game, but it can wait. You know…, I was thinking that your arrival here in manilla is so sudden. Do you have any motive ? Chandler asked, his gaze scrutinizing Morgan's face, in a suspicious manner.

“Yeah, I was thinking the same too. Why don't you tell us what your boss is up to?” Vincent whined, directing his question at Nicholas, who looked a bit uninterested in whatever they were discussing, as he sipped his wine, slowly enjoying the taste and feeling it gave him.

“Tch…., Must you involve me in this ?. You ask him yourself” he cursed inwardly and looked away from Vincent.

“I’m taking over Klein's industry” he puffed off smoke, while swinging his wine glass.

An iconic smile escaped his lips.

“Woah!, Woah!, You finally decided to take responsibility for it, this is good news!” Vincent chipped in.

“I'm still curious as to what made you change your mind so suddenly. It was like yesterday, when you swore never to come back to Manila again, talk more of taking over the industry. Can there be any…..” Chandler knitted his brows, as he cast a strange glance at Morgan.

“It's for my mother” he suddenly said, a strange and uncertain emotion lingering in his eyes.

He closed his eyes and opened them, those emotions were gone, it was like, it was never there in the first place.

The room suddenly fell silent, as If they were in some kind of graveyard.

“What's with the expression, are we In some kind of funeral ?, Let's move to the game, Chandler you're not escaping this!” Morgan laughed, as he challenged Chandler once more.

“Don't flatter yourself dude, I got better at Casino, when you were away. But can we leave the game next time? I feel like I'm going to pee in my pants this instant!” He said apologetically, staring at Morgan.

The rest rolled in laughter, seeing his expression.