The City Held Its Silence byIrel Knx 71

71 I’m not a favored child 

71 I’m not a favored child 

Louis cocked an eyebrow at me. “There’s something you want to do?” he asked repeating my words. 

“I know it sounds a little crazy but can you trust me?” I assured him. 

He looked at me with a puzzled expression. 

“Alright, then I’ll trust you,” he told me as he shrugged his shoulders in resignation. “I guess I’ll be waiting with baited breath to see the outcome of this,” he sarcastically replied. 

I was glad that he was allowing me to continue working at the restaurant. 

We stood in silence for a moment as we returned to looking at the city below. I was thinking about our conversation about the restaurant. Louis mentioning that Gatwick was already Executive Assistant before he was made CEO. I then recalled the conversations I had had with Josh, Megan and Mike about the garden house and how the restaurant wasn’t doing well. As well as my theory about how the garden house was bought by the Carringtons to remove competition and was soon intended to be shut down. 

“Louis, can I ask you something about the restaurant?” I asked him. “Though you might think I’m overstepping.” 

“Ask away,” he said. 

“I knew the garden house restaurant before your family bought it. It was a really successful business but now I hear that business has been slowing down. I’ve been wondering since your family own a series of successful chains and could easily run the Garden house to continue it’s success, is it possible your family intends to shut down the business and merely bought it to remove competition 

“You’re right,” he affirmed. 

“So why would they make you the CEO of a company they intend to shut down the restaurant soon?” I asked him. It didn’t make sense why would they make him waste time running a business they intended to shut down especially since he was the son of the chairman. He may not be the heir but they could have assist his brother by running another important part of the business or something. 

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71 I’m not a favored child 

“Because I don’t really matter Jasmine. I’m the youngest child. I’m not the heir neither am I a favored child. My father just throws me around wherever he wants around the company,” he said. 

“Can’t you talk to your father,” I asked him. 

He scoffed. “My father and I barely speak and he barely acknowledges me when we do see each other,” he said. 

How sad to know how bad he and his father’s relationship was. It reminded me of the relationship I had with my own father. 

“I just do whatever he says. When the garden house inevitably closes, he’ll throw me to the next corner of the company he wants me to be and I’ll just follow along,” he replied. 

“That sounds so bleak, Louis,” I commented how he sounded so bored and unispired 

with his situation. 

“It pretty much is,” he replied. “I don’t feel a type of way about the situation. It just is what it is,” he replied. 

My expression fell upon hearing this. 

I remembered how Louis was when we were younger. He felt othered like he didn’t quite belong in his family. I was sad to hear he still felt that way years later. He didn’t sound like he enjoyed his work at all. And I couldn’t blame him. There was nothing exciting about being thrown around to do things. 

“Alright, what’s something you would love to venture in say could do it?” I asked wanting to shift the conversation in a positive light. I wanted to know what he would find exciting. 

“Alright,” he started as he contemplated. “Preferably my own business. I but I don’t have the funding required to start it. Neither would my father help me fund it nor help me in a way if I presented it to him.” 

“What about you?” he then turned the question to me. “Ideally, what would you want to do to provide for you and your son? I’m sure it’s not working in a restaurant.” 

“Mhmm–I don’t know….” I started and contemplated it. “Ideally, I would like to start a business so my son has something to inherit.” 

“However, I never went to school so I don’t know if I’ll be able to run a business 

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71 I’m not a favored child 

without the knowledge required,” I told him. 

I never had a formal education. I didn’t even go to high school. My father only had me learn how to read and write and some basic subjects. He had me focus on my bridal training. Louis knew this too because he saw when we were younger. 

Louis‘ eyes softened as they looked into mine. 

“It’s never too late to learn new things,” he told me in a tone of encouragement. “You may have never had a formal education but there lots of online courses you can take to have the necessary information required.” 

That was true I thought to myself. It was never too late to learn new things but not if you’re on a time limit. I still had to figure out what caused my death so I could learn all I needed to at ease. 

“But say the money and the education part weren’t an issue what kind of business would you want to run?” he asked. 

“Maybe a cafe and pastry shop since I do enjoy baking,” I replied. 

“Do you? I’d love to taste,” he said. 

“I guess I’ll have to bake for you one of these days,” I promised him. 

We turned to look at each other and smiled. I noticed mesmerizing golden eyes seemed to glow in the night sky. 

“Actually, maybe there is something you can do for me to repay me for helping you,” he said to me. 

My eyes lit up as I looked at him. “What’s it?” 

His smile turned into a villain–like smirk. 

“I’ll tell you one day, since we’re all keeping secrets right now,” he said to me, referring to the fact that I would tell him the reason why I wanted to continue working at the restaurant. 

“Oh gosh,” I said as I laughed and rolled my eyes. Not him being petty. 

“Anyway dinner will be served soon are you coming?” he asked me. 

“Of course,” I replied and followed him inside the apartment. 

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