Birthday Party(Part 4)
Mr. Azure stood tall, his glass tinkling against the spoon to gather everyone's attention. "I'd like to take a moment to celebrate my son, Alexander, on his 23rd birthday. He's already achieving great success, and I'm proud to announce that we'll be embarking on many new business ventures together."
Jasper, caught off guard, raised his glass awkwardly amidst the sudden attention, his smile slightly strained under the scrutiny of the room.
"My son has proven himself to be a formidable businessman, perhaps even surpassing me," Mr. Azure continued, his words laced with both pride and warning. "I have no doubt that he is my true successor, and I foresee nothing but prosperity in our future."
The room buzzed with surprise and intrigue at this unexpected revelation. It was clear that Mr. Azure had kept his plans well under wraps, and the announcement had caught many off guard.
Mr. Azure gestured for me to say a few words, and I raised my glass, offering a toast. "'Death is the solution to all problems. No man, no problem.'"
The crowd, intrigued by the cryptic quote, raised their glasses in response, some nodding in agreement, others unsure of how to interpret my words. Mr. Azure, however, seemed to understand the underlying message, a glint of approval in his eyes.
"Ah, your toast was quite intriguing. What did you mean by it?" a man inquired, seizing the opportunity to engage me in conversation as soon as Mr. Azure released me to mingle.
I smiled, prepared to explain. "It's a reflection on the unique power and potential for destruction that mankind possesses. Unlike other beings in nature, humans have the ability to create complex problems but also possess the intellect to solve them. When a person dies, their capacity for causing harm also dies with them, thus 'solving' the problems they might have created."
"Such a profound perspective! You must be quite ahead of your time," the man replied, clearly impressed by my explanation.
"Yes, although I hadn't anticipated revisiting communist ideologies in a social setting," another man chimed in, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, fortunately for everyone here, I'm not in charge of a nation, just a business," I quipped, eliciting laughter from the growing crowd around us. The second man blushed, taking a sip of his drink, as the laughter continued.
As we mingled through the crowd, Jasper and I were bombarded with questions, each guest seemingly more eager than the last to engage us in conversation. They probed us about my business ventures, my strategies for success, and my plans for the future.
"How do you plan to maintain the legacy of the Azure Corporation?" one man inquired, his eyes sharp with interest.
I paused for a moment, considering my response. "By honoring its traditions of excellence while adapting to the ever-changing landscape of business. Innovation and adaptability are key."
"And what about your approach to leadership?" a woman chimed in, her tone curious yet authoritative.
"I believe in a hands-on approach, leading by example and fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation," I replied confidently, glancing at Jasper, who nodded in agreement.
The questions kept on coming, but I was prepared. I discussed my views on market trends, my strategies for growth, and even my stance on corporate social responsibility. Each answer seemed to satisfy the audience, and as the evening progressed, I could sense a shift in their perception of us.
One man, with a gleam in his eye, approached us with a proposal for a new technology startup. "Gentlemen, I believe I have the next big thing in tech. A revolutionary app that will change the way we communicate. I just need your expertise and backing to make it a reality."
I listened intently, asking probing questions about his business model, market research, and long-term strategy. After a thorough discussion, I offered constructive feedback and expressed interest in further discussions.
Another guest, a seasoned investor, pitched us a real estate opportunity. "I have a prime location downtown that is ripe for development. With your resources and vision, we could turn it into a lucrative commercial space."
The questions and offers kept coming, each one more challenging than the last. I was asked about my views on emerging markets, my strategies for managing risk, and my approach to innovation. But I was i prepared. I answered each question with confidence and clarity.
As the evening progressed, I could sense a shift in the atmosphere. The guests were impressed by my knowledge and insight, and many expressed interest in collaborating with me in the very near future.
Which meant I would soon have no time for myself.
I noticed Elizabeth sitting alone in the corner, looking miserable as she toyed with her bottle of water, her gaze fixed on the array of liquor behind the bar. I decided to approach her and see if I could get her to cheer up.
"Is my dad going to use you to control me too?" Elizabeth asked before I could say a thing to her.
"Elizabeth," I began gently, "I'm not here to control you, regardless of what your dad might think."
She looked up at me, her expression guarded. "Then did you come to tell me how awful my boyfriend is and how bad I am at choosing men?"
I shook my head. "No, I really couldn't care less. Your relationship is your business. But I do think you deserve someone who treats you with respect and uplifts you."
"You sound just like dad! We aren't better than him because we have money!" she snapped.
"That's not what I meant," I clarified. "I just think you deserve to be with someone who genuinely cares about you and wants to see you happy. I was going to say, you're a beautiful young lady with everything going for you," I continued. "Why not choose someone who can actually love and sympathize with you because they want you to be better? I don't know you very well, and our first impression wasn't very pleasant, but I'm not going to let him disrespect my sister like he's been doing."
Travis suddenly appeared beside her and joined the conversation. "That's right girl, we met and in the first minute I found out you were a messy drunk," he said. "My father would've already had him killed had it been my boyfriend. He's entirely too disrespectful for you."
Elizabeth's face crumbled into tears. "Why don't you just let me handle your problems while you have a good time tonight? I'll make sure he gets to a place where he can't be seen at these kind of events again," i offered.
"You'll destroy him for me?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yup! It'll be our secret," I assured her. "I won't tell Mr Azure."
"But if I go home, he'll know," she worried.
"Then stay at my house, there's plenty of room for you," I suggested.
"After I tried to hit on Jasper on your honeymoon, you'll still take me into your home?" She asked.
"Elizabeth, the past is in the past. We are officially brother and sister now, so I just wanted to be a good brother. I'm not sure how to do this but I'm pretty sure this is how you try to comfort someone," I said.
"Even after all I've been doing," she cried harder.
"What have you been doing?" I asked Elizabeth.
"I've funded his entire career," she confessed tearfully. "Especially the losses."
"Well, you need to stop. You can come to work with me and help out," I suggested. "Or you can work at Lombardi's? It'll be good to get your mind off of him."
"I really do love him," she cried, throwing her arms around me.
"Um.... Get off of me," I scrambled awkwardly.
"Go home with your brother tonight, Sweetie. Tomorrow, we'll go shopping and get you ready for your new life," Travis suggested, pulling her away from me.
As they left for the balcony, I couldn't help but feel a strange mix of emotions. Having a sister with such open and benevolent emotions was a change. Maybe I was already a bad brother for not being able to handle that.
"What was that about?" Jasper asked.
"She's having boyfriend troubles," I sighed. "We'll most likely have a guest for the next few days."
"I guess there's enough space for us to not have that many run-ins with each other, isn't that right?" Jasper asked.
"Yeah, but I'll have to get Travis to keep her busy and you should hide any liquor. She's in recovery," I said.
"I know. Some random guy told me about her and how she embarrassed him by getting drunk at a different dinner thrown by her parents," Jasper said.
"If it were the Todd Family, she'd be disowned and hidden from the public," I said.
"Luckily this is the Azure family and they love her regardless," Jasper said. "Sugar, you should leave what you already learned at that house behind. All it does is make you cold and unable to connect. Part of the reason we are where we are today is because you're not part of the Todd family."
"True, I guess I won't try to just shut her up when she's sad in public," I muttered. In essence, shutting her up was my goal, because I didn't care about her relationship. But just because I wasn't allowed emotions doesn't mean I should attempt to stop hers completely.
All that did was make me vengeful.