"I'm Dwayne Richard." He extended his hand to her. She looked at it.

"Athena." She said without taking his hand and stared at her drink.

​​

"Why are you alone?" Dwayne asked.

"I am not alone. I have high-class bodyguards with me." She said and cock her head to the bodyguards one beside her and one standing behind her.

"Oh, I see. I'm sorry, to interrupt. You just caught my eyes. I can't miss such a beautiful lady."

"I don't like you." She said straight forward, and Dwayne chuckled.

"Now I know what's peculiar about you. Not just your beauty but your attitude. It attracts me." He said seductively. Athena smiled at him in a very fake way.

"You think that I'm a woman that can be swayed with such words? I'm sorry Mister. But I have lots of things to do than to fuck with someone like you."

Dwayne laughed and he lifted his beer to his lips.

"Well, if you say so." Dwayne shrugged it off.

She finished her drink and she paid for her drink and her father's drink from a while ago. Then, she took her card and slipped off from the stool.

"You should have fun, Athena. It's too early to leave."

She turned to her parents who are laughing while dancing. They looked so youthful and free. It's better to leave them like that.

"Let's go." She told the bodyguard and she walked feeling a little dizzy. One of the bodyguards hold her elbow and they walked out from the bar to the hotel across the bar.

Once that she reached her room, one of the bodyguards stayed in the living room of the presidential suite that they rent, and one went back to the bar for her parents. She locked the door. She went to her bathroom, wash her face, brush her teeth, and then strip off her clothes and put her silk dress and she crawled to bed, tuck herself into sleep.

She opened her eyes and thought about Dwayne Richard. She scoffed. She knew him. One of the assholes and part of the business of their family. She sighed and thought about Xavier. Maybe he's still in here. She could find him. She suddenly smacked her head for thinking about it.

"Fuck you, Xavier." She murmured and she hugged her pillow.

****

Laurence knocked at Esme's room and after a while, she opened it.

"Why are you early?" Esme asked.

"I asked dad to leave early. Besides, it's Friday!" He grinned at her and lifted the paper bag.

"Thanks!" She grabbed it and then she closed the door in front of his face. He knocked again. Then, she opened it. "What?"

"What are you doing?" He pushed the door open and he entered. He went to the bed and jumped on it. He eyed the cello in her room. "You are using cello?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you use the music room?"

"I'll forget everything that I take there. Then, someone snoop on my work." She crossed her arms. He laughed and shrugged.

"It's an accident." He explained.

"Yes, I don't want to let any accidents happen ever again." Esme sat down on the stool and started scribbling on her Music book on the stand.

"I'm sorry. So, do you want to go to Juilliard?"

"I'll ask mom and dad about it." She mumbled. She somehow got used to calling them that. Since his dad insisted to call him dad. So, here she is, already comfortable, and part of the family.

"You can go anywhere you wanted," Laurence told. "In New York, I'll buy you a penthouse there. But I think they have a dorm in Juilliard."

"I'm fine. Besides, I'm just twelve. It's hard to enter that prestigious school." She shrugged at him.

"It's not that hard with your talent. How long have you been playing the cello?"

"Just a month." She shrugged.

"And you learned using it by watching tutorials?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "I also had composed a song with it. Do you want to hear it?" Her face gets excited.

"Sure, I'll judge you." He told.

She cleared her throat and then she scrubs rosin on the bow of the cello. She positioned it between her legs and then, she started with a soft note, high and low and she started playing it in a very exciting sound and Laurence lay down on her bed and closed his eyes. He somehow understands what's she's playing. She's playing the cello like she's on the top of a cliff and the wind from the ocean blows. There's a big story in her composition and she stopped.

He opened his eyes and turned to her.

"Where are the lyrics?"

"No. You aren't going to read it." She shook her head.

"Play the chorus again." He told. She did play the chorus and with how the cello play like it was singing. He somehow understands it. "It's very awful." He told and she laughed at him. "Very awful. Yup. You should just sign up for Juilliard. You'll get your ass whip there." Laurence said.

"You are so bad!" She took her cushion from the window seat and throw it to his face.

"So," Lawrence lay on his stomach. "Who is this boyfriend of yours?" he grinned at her. She suddenly stopped and thought about the boy in her class. They become best friends because he's a pianist. He's a nerd type guy with big glasses just like hers. But he's good looking.

"Boyfriend? I don't have a boyfriend."

"Then, that boyfriend of yours?"

"It's just a friend."

"But it's a boy." He insisted. Esme sighed and shook her head.

"Laurence, please, stop bugging me."

"Let's go out."

"Where?" Laurence looked at the clock. It's four in the afternoon.

"Let's pick up some Halloween stuff. Come on, change your clothes. We'll buy some vampire outfit for Zayne."

She groaned.

"I don't want to go."

"Come on, now!" He demanded.

He left her room and went to Zayne's room. Zayne is still sleeping with his mom at Zayne's bed. He kissed his mother and left. He wondered why Esme is not even sleeping after she got off from school.

Laurence went to his room and took his wallet and phone then he went downstairs to wait for Esme. She only put her eyeglasses and cap on and she's wearing her usual t-shirt and denim shorts outfit and slippers. It's not like they are going out for fashion shows. He's wearing a pair of walking shorts and a t-shirt too.

"I don't think that I have the energy to leave." She said dramatically. He pulled his arm and dragged her outside.

"You need to help me," Laurence told and opened the car door for her. She entered his Jaguar and then he walked around to the driver's seat.

He drove the car out of the subdivision to the mall. He parked his car and then they went to the department store to search for outfits. He finally saw the outfit that is perfect for Zayne. This will be great.

Laurence gathered whatever they needed, and he put it on the basket that she's holding. She pouted and it's getting heavy and heavier.

"Let's not buy a mask. It will scare Zayne." Esme told him.

Laurence nodded and took the basket from her and she looked around for something.

"I don't think I have something to buy here," Esme complained.

"Just follow me and don't get lost." He told. Then, he went to the counter to pay for it and she waited on the corner for him.

She waited and some girls talked to him. She rolled her eyes. He shouldn't bring her if he'll only hook up and exchange numbers with some girls wearing a very short skirt and with boobs.

"Don't be grumpy. I'll treat you a bubble tea."

"I won't drink anything cold." She hissed at him.

"Then, hot tea?" He patted her head.

"I'm fine. I'll take bubble tea."

He grinned at her.

"You couldn't take it. You love bubble tea." He put his arm over her shoulder.

"Yeah, I love bubble tea. But it's just bad that I have to drink it with a little ice." She pouted.

"You didn't sing tonight, right?"

"No. I just play the cello."

He took her to the food court to the store of bubble tea and he ordered fruit tea for her with popping boba. He ordered the same and sipped on it with little ice on his drink and sighed.

"This is great."

She looked at her bubble tea waiting for the ice to melt and she frowned at him.

"You want to try mine? The coldness is so good in this drink."

She punched his chest that didn't even hurt him, and he acted that he's been hurt a lot.

"Stop acting." She frowned at him. He pulled her neck and kissed her top head.

"I'm sorry. What else do you want to eat?"

"I have everything I wanted to eat back at home. Mom is cooking it."

"We should buy something for mom." He said as he put down his arm from her and reached his phone to call her but someone there's someone's message and he grinned.

"Is that the girl that you hooked up on the counter?"

"Yup. That's her."

Emma peeked on the phone and he showed it to her.

��Call mom first."

"Oh, yeah." He almost forgot about mom.