9-Trending

After taking several sips of his coffee dad leaned back on the couch. 

"You know, it feels good to sit like this with you." He said.

"I've been getting that a lot lately, from Nathan." I smiled.

"Well, I just wish Alice could have been here too. But she's a whole other person."

"She just prefers something different. Something more... fun, I guess."

"She takes after Leticia." He said sipping his coffee. "You take after me."

"But a year ago I was like her too." I said holding the warm cup close to my body. "You didn't like it."

"Yeah... but your choice of teaching wasn't as humiliating as hers. You are more sensible."

"Well, I am older." I shrugged.

"Yeah..." Raphael sighed. "That's why I want you to work and get enough experience. Because you'll be the heiress of our companies. This is the headquarters, if you can manage this you can manage all our 12 companies in Duran."

I nodded. "I'm trying my best every day."

"Yeah, no pressure." He smiled. "I'm not planning to retire anytime soon. You have enough time. And stay close to your cousin, he knows his way around Roseburg Advertisements."

"I will." I nodded. I’m very sure that if Francis was my father’s son, eldest or youngest, he would inherit this company. I’m only getting this opportunity because of my last name.

"Do you know what keeps our company on top of every other company in this country?"

"We deliver excellent service..."

"We do but that's only part of our success. The real reason for our success lies behind our family." Raphael told me. "People will only trust you if you are responsible and a public figure. They trust you when they see your ability to keep your family together and happy. If you can fulfil the most challenging task, which you don't even get paid for so well, how much more something they'll pay you for?"

I nodded. "I get it."

"That's why I try my best to keep my family together."

"But it hasn't been much of a success..." The words slip out of mouth before I can stop them.

He sighed. "Yeah..."

"I'm sorry, dad. I shouldn't have said that."

"It's reality." He shrugged. "But... as long as we look like one big happy family, we're winning. There’s food on our table, a roof over our head and enough money to pay our taxes.”

He smiled. This was not a good thing, in fact, it was a sad reality.

"I know that when I give your mom the news that I've sealed this deal, she'll want to throw a party." He laughed, clearly deviating from the topic.

"I feel like mom is always looking for reasons to throw parties." I laughed too, a clear message that I've agreed to sweep it all under the mat. The thing with my dad and I, we just had a different type of connection. We could understand each other by just looking at each other. A whole message could be passed between us.

"Well, according to her, she is a housewife, so parties add excitement to her life."

"Really?"

"I told you Alice takes after your mom."

"I see..." I said grinning.

I looked towards the door and saw Nathan speaking to Penny.

"Dad I really need a proper door." I told him with a sulking face.

"What's wrong with the door?" He asked looking towards the door.

"No privacy."

"All doors except mine should be transparent. It supports the company’s policy about transparency and honesty. This way the workers will have nothing to hide and will work when they are supposed to."

"But dad this really sucks. It feels so..."

"If the managers feel watched they'll perform extra well. People in higher positions always seem to slack off."

I laugh. "Not me though."

"Gen, if I give you a wooden door, everyone else will want one too. That's bad."

"I understand." I said giving him my best smile.

"I think Nathan is coming here." Raphael said getting up. "I'll leave now."

I got up too.

"You coming back to the mansion?" He asked placing his empty cup on my desk and fixing his tie and suit jacket.” 

"No, I'll go back home."

"You mean back to your apartment."

"Yeah..."

"They say home is where the heart is, in actual fact, home is where family is. Which is at the mansion."

I grinned. "You have a point."

"I'll see you then." Raphael told me. "Keep safe."

"I will. Same to you, dad." I smiled at him as he kissed my forehead and left my office.

I watched him talk to Nathan for a while and then leave together. For some reason I felt relieved that Nathan didn’t come in but left instead.

When they left Penny came into the office and closed the door behind her. She came in as if she was about to gossip.

"What?" I asked her, frowning.

"Look here." She showed me her phone.

There was a picture of me making my way into the courthouse. Someone posted it online and wrote a caption.

I rolled my eyes. "What's it say?"

"'Raphael Roseburg's daughter spotted going into the courthouse trying not to be seen.'" She read. "What were you doing there?"

"People have nothing better to do." I said going to sit behind my desk and opening my laptop.

"Well, the country seems interested... cause it's trending."

"Now they'll come up with their own versions of why I was there." I said shaking my head.

“Well, it’s like spotting the president’s daughter sneaking into a courthouse, wouldn’t you be curious why she’s there?”

I frowned, looking at her for a second before I shook my head. “No.”

"What were you doing there anyway?" She asked, me leaning on the chair. “That was today, you’re wearing the same thing.”

"It's a long story."

She continued to stare at me, like a child waiting for something.

"What?" I asked her.

"I have all day." She smiled. "Literally."

"I don't. I have work to do, Penny."

“Why were you sneaking?” She asked me. She sounded so relaxed and conversational.

“I wasn’t. Can you please let me work now?”

She raised one of her perfectly shaped eyebrows. "Sure..." 

As soon as she left, my phone chimed.

Trending: Roseburg’s daughter sneaking into courthouse

I stared at the picture of me in my brown furry coat with the hood over my head and black shades. I looked dodgy as hell, like a celebrity in a busy street trying not to be recognized. I rolled my eyes and shook my head as I quickly swiped right, dismissing the notification.