Bussiness

He sits by the window of the plane. He gazes at the fluffy clouds that seem to extend beyond infinity. His mind ponders on a serious matter and he gives a deep sigh. He then transfers his attention to the glass of champagne on his hand. He swirls the clear and bubbly liquid on its crystal glass before he raised it to his mouth and drank what remains of it in one slow gulp. This is François Agrest in a jet plane or more specifically a Boeing 747 soaring majestically in the sky. He leans back on his seat and lays his head on the head rest. He closes his I and recalls the recent events that just took place in his life. It's always been the same year after year. After each fashion show he will be swarmed with paparazzi, different buyers, and potential business partners. He will be smiling for pictorials, set meeting appointments and a few chit chats with some publicists and socialites. These things don't amaze him anymore. The more he thinks about it, the more it tires him out. He then massages his forehead with the fingers of his left hand.

After a while, his fingers stop massaging his forehead. With his eyes still closed, his face starts to frown. This happens when his mind recalls his meeting with Harold Northeye.

"Mr. Agrest I am honored to have you here." Harold said with a smile.

"Likewise, ...." François replied as he glances around the room. François accepted a meeting that Harold has asked him during his fashion show. He was currently on the 76th floor of the Northeye main building. The Northeye corporation is one of the leading brands corporations of the entire United States and is currently in the No.1 spot of the bestselling brands with VAux Co. being the second and Bubbled on the third. These brands are called the Three Princes of the business world.

François noticed that this office is very different from the floors beneath him. Harold's office was filled with different varieties plants that are vibrant and thriving with life. As Harold walked to his desk the different array of plants filled his office with colors, and its smell was serene and refreshing. The walls were covered with some vines crawling up to the ceiling with delicate flowers blooming on them. It was so pleasing to the eye that if a gardener comes here, he would think that he is in heaven.

When Harold sat down on his desk, he realized that François was still standing at the doorway still glancing around the room. His mouth curves into a smile. " Beautiful, aren't they?" Harold's remarked got François' attention and brought him back to reality. "My father was a florist. He used to make bouquet's and sold them in his tiny countryside shop before he moved to the city.".

"Hmm." François said as he slowly nods his head and continues to admire the unique indoor garden. Afterwards François then approached Harold's desk and sat down.

"I have to say, Francis... you never cease to amaze the world." Harold said as he chuckled. François just sat down, crossed his legs and stayed quiet. " Well Francis, I really liked your Summer batch so... Would you settle for 7 million?"

Now its François' turn to chuckle." Do you really think you can buy me for that low?" He then stood up and slowly walked towards the window.

" It's a great offer François 7 bloody Million dollars" Harold continued as he stared at the back on the man standing by the window. .

"It is, …and yet VAux Co. offers 10 million." François replied. Harold then stares at François who just kept looking out of the windows. Harold then sighs, raised his brows, then smiles.

" You know, I have something that might interest you.". François slowly turns around in time to see Harold place a folder on top of his desk. This totally caught François' attention. François then placed his hands in his pockets and slowly approaches Harold's desk with a hint of curiosity in his eyes. Harold slowly pushes the folder towards François who took and opens it. After he examined the content of the folder François' glanced back at Harold with confusion.

"It's just an employee's file. Why do you have to show me this?" François' asked.

"Because of the designs that she made." Was Harold's short reply. Upon hearing this François closed the folder and dropped it on the tabled. "And what does a little girl's designs have to do with me?" Harold did not reply but continued to stare at François instead. When François saw that Harold did not respond, he continued; "If you are really impressed with her work, then she can collaborate with you, then you don't have to spend millions in buying my collection".

Calmly, Harold replied; "That's the thing, she might." Hearing this, caught François' attention. Harold then pulled out a purple notebook and gave it to him. " I found her working on this in her spare time and she forgot it last night. Her designs are really promising Francis."

As Harold was talking, François was browsing through the notebook which contained different designs of clothes from winter to summer, each one impressing François. It has been so long since someone in the fashion world impressed him. No one until now. But after a few moment François stopped scanning through the images and stared at Harold.

"What's the point of even bringing all of this up? If you brought me here just to brag on your new 'designer, you are wasting both our time. It's wise that I take my leave." François said as he placed the book on Harold's desk and started walking to the doors.

But before François could reach the door, Harold uttered; "You know that's not my point. I think she's the perfect candidate". Before François could reply, Harold continued; "It's time now Francis. I may have left the Agrest foundation, but I never slacked off. For a long time, I have been looking for a worthy candidate and finally found one." As Harold was talking, he got up and walked towards François. When he finished talking, he was already standing in front François.

"Still I am not convinced. You always had a thing for trusting your gut more than facts Harold." François replied.

"Oh, I know that, and that's the very reason why I trust that she is the one." François sarcastically smiled and slowly shook his head. But Harold added; "And besides she already passed the test."

François' smile disappeared as his face changed into an expression of surprise. "She What?" was all that François could say.

" Yes, With flying colors." Harold said to assure him.

François was taken aback with the news he heard. He placed his fingers on his temple while looking down, he was wondering what to do. "So, what now?" François asked with a sense of panic in his voice.

"I think its's time for them to finally meet Francis." Harold said as he had his hands behind his back. "

But it's too soon!" François exclaimed as he suddenly looked at Harold for his remark.

"Francis, time is running out. The attacks are now increasing and they won't wait for the perfect time." Harold now said with seriousness in his voice.

"They are just running out of territory and are now panicking; we can hold them back." François replied.

"I don't think that's the reason." Harold replied and then took a card from his pocket. When François saw the card, he froze. Harold handed the card to François who took it with hesitation. When he flipped the card, he saw the image which he wished to never see again.

"He's back Francis." Harold then placed his hand on François' shoulder. " We don't have enough time - we NEED to act now." François felt defeated and just sighed as he looked down.

"I'll think about it." François said, almost in a whisper.

Harold then gasped and looked at him with a smile of relief. "16 million, I'll buy your collection for 16 million dollars, … but under one condition." François then looked at Harold with seriousness, wondering what will be his demand. "The girl meets him today."

François wasn't really agreeing on the idea, but eventually gave in. "She will receive a ticket and will fly to Paris under my guidance."

Harold then smiled and went back to his desk. "Goodbye Francis." François then proceeded to walk out of the office. "It's François, and you know that." He reminded to Harold and was about to close the door when Harold called out;

"And Francis! Be careful, for God knows what he will do."

François paused, sighed and said; "...I know Harold...I know." François then shut the door leaving Harold to his own thoughts.

As François was in the elevator, he looked at the card again. The card showed a black hawk resting with moths surrounding it. ' You were never dead...after all these years...you finally came back." François felt his scalp went numb.

François was snapped out of his thoughts when a smiling flight attendant asked him. "Sir would you like more champagne?" she was holding a bottle of Henri Jayer Cros Parantoux.

"Oh, yes, please ." The flight attendant then refilled his glass and left. A moment after she left, François then opened his laptop and was notified on an email sent by Harold. Curious about it, he opened the email. It was the same employee file that he read in Harold's office.

'Harold, is she really the one?'. François thought to himself then started reading the file. Something caught his attention. "Still taking academic courses...." François read. "Now this is going to be interesting." François smirked as he drank his champagne and continued reading her file.

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"In the second paragraph, we can learn that to become a true hero, a person must be ready to sacrifice everything for if he is not, more will be taken than what he is willing to give up. So, as Ruby....". It is now English Class, and Aiden is sitting in the back of the class near the window. His attention is focused on the story that their teacher, Mrs. Schnee, is explaining. On the contrary, Mari, who is sitting next to him is not paying attention and is currently busy folding origami. She is shielded from the view of their teacher by her textbook which she strategically placed to cover her. Mrs. Schnee continued; "Ruby was confronted Talon as she demanded to where his hostages were. Talon then said that the mayor and her brother were both tied up with a warehouse full of c4 with a timer of 30 minutes. Each were on the east and west side of the town. Ruby would have to choose, to save her loved one, or to save the hope of the city. Ruby decided to save her brother while the Special Forces rescued the mayor. She arrived to the east side where her brother was located but as she entered the warehouse, she saw the mayor tied up to the chair. She realized that she was lied to. Ruby then untied the mayor and escorted him out but as they were about just about to be out of blasting range the bombs were detonated. Ruby luckily was wearing here vest and was impaled by a glass shared buy it wasn't very deep, the mayor on the other hand suffered heavy burns and cuts with a piece of pipe at his side. But her brother was lost in the explosion. Talon knew that Ruby let her emotions over and wasn't ready to sacrifice for the greater good. The ware house on where the 'mayor' supposedly is held was closer than the one where her 'brother' was. Ruby even in her injured state could have went to the west side even faster since it more of a clearer path than the east. The special forces could have pulverized through the ruins of the east and get to the ware house on time but they didn't. And because of this the hope of the city was now in a mental hospital and her brother was dead." Mrs. Schnee then closed the book.

" We all have something we care for, and it is our nature to protect it. The difference of a hero and a man is that a man would always protect on what he loves while a hero knows when to sacrifice on what he or she loves for the greater good." After she said this the bell then rang. "Please read the rest of the story and by next week, pass me a written thesis on the summary of the story and the lessons we learnt from it." All of the students started packing their stuff.

As Aiden started packing his things, he took another face mask from his bag and some contact lenses, he then pulled out a "beanie" which he put on.

When Mari saw this, she mockingly said; "How many clothes do you have in that bag? Are you preparing for a model photoshoot or something?"

Without looking at her, Aiden just smiles and says: "No, I am trying to stay alive." He continues to put on the contact lenses which changed the color of his eyes to green. He wears his black face mask and striped sweater and say; " Alright let's go."

"Who are you?" Mari said sarcastically as she giggled. "If I did not know who you are, I would have asked you on a date, hehe."

Aiden blushed. In his mind he says; "Is this girl flirting or what!"

When Mari saw that Aiden blushed, she even got bolder with her teasing and said; "You really are cute when you are embarrassed."

Not knowing how to react, all Aiden could say was; "Shut up!"

This made Mari laugh even harder while holding her tummy. While she wiped a tear of her eyes she sighed. "C'mon, I was just teasing you"

. Aiden just gave her a piercing look. When Mari sensed that Aiden is pissed, she calmed down a bit and said; "Well I'm getting hungry, why don't we go to cafeteria?"

"Now you're making sense. Let's go." As Aiden slings his bag on his shoulder. "Goodbye Mrs. Schnee." Aiden said as he and Mari exited the classroom.

Mrs. Schnee just nodded. But before they exited the classroom Mrs. Schnee called out to Aiden. "And Aiden, don't cause a ruckus."

As they walked out from their classroom, Aiden and Mari saw that Vicky leading A LOT of girls scouting for him.

"Aaaaideeen! Where are you honeybooo!!!." Vicky shouted as she looked around the students passing by.

Mari softly whispers in a disgusted tone; "These girls are acting like they're looking for a lost puppy! Don't they have something worthwhile to do?"

Aiden sighs. "This is going to be a long day." Mari just shakes her head feeling his pain.