She’s confirming what I thought I knew. The Voss’ don’t think it’s an accident either, but they don’t know if it was self-inflicted or if someone purposely poisoned him.
“And you have no leads?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “None.” When I don’t say anything, she blinks at me before her face becomes panicked, her eyes widening. “What? What do you know?”
“Nothing. I swear,” I say quickly and I’m telling the truth. I’m having to figure this out alongside her. “But, you know how this looks, right?”
“Yeah, I know,” she says, almost frustrated as she groans. “But it wasn’t him. Iknowit wasn't him. He would never try to put our family and his business at risk.”
“Are you sure?” I ask.
“What are you getting at, Branson? My dad is a good guy and he’s a lot nicer than yours. So don't try and act like he isn’t.”
God, she’s so defensive about her family. I love my family too. I’m protective over them when I feel like it, but, the truth is, we haven't felt like a family in years.
After my mom left and it became just me and my dad, everything just felt…. cold. Nothing has felt like the warmth that my mom had. Where everything just felt okay and I didn’t have the heavy darkness is my chest, constantly weighing me down.
“I- I wasn't. I was just-” I sigh, shaking my head. With the pointed look she sends me, that wasn’t going to get me anywhere. “Forget it. We should start to get to work on this.”
“Yeah. Forget I said anything,” she mumbles, opening her laptop again.
“Great.”
“Good.”
“Perfect.”
“Fan-” She hits the key on her laptop extra hard. “-Tastic.”
Jesus, this woman is going to be the death of me.
We get through an hour of being in each other's presence without screaming at each other. This is a good start. At least now what I already thought has been confirmed and I feel a little less on edge. Still, I need more. We manage to brainstorm a few ideas for the project, disagreeing on most things, until she calls it a day and I’m grateful to have some alone time to think of a plan.
Should be easy, right?
8
Scarlett
The start of the school year always ends in a series of stupid decisions for me. It’s something I can’t get rid of. It’s almost like a canon event that has to happen or else the rest of the year will turn to shit. Well, either way, it will turn to shit.
At the start of first year, I was the only person in my class to turn up in a pantsuit, believing it was smart to look my best. Of course, when Branson wears a suit every day, everybody thinks it's hot, but when I do it, I’m trying too hard.
Then I realised how easy college boys are. Like, a little too easy. Then I dated Jake, finding solace in warm bodies instead of being alone.
Then, in our sophomore year Evan and I’s competition went off the scales. Every lesson turned into an aggressive board meeting and after theChristmas 2021 Incident, where I revealed that I had sex with someone in our classroom as part of truth or dare, I don’t think he’s looked me in the eye since then. And now this year, my dad is in the hospital and I’m stuck working with Branson for the project, which I’m already anticipating will be months of torture.
See? Canon events of stupidity.
After spending the last few nights tossing and turning about what could have happened with my dad, I was relieved when my uncle Gio called me. I’m hoping that seeing him will give me some peace of mind; he usually does.
Growing up, as the business has always been a family thing, I got to see the different perspective that Gio brought toVoss.While my dad's ideas were typically old-fashioned and he was stubborn in accepting new ones, Gio always managed to persuade my dad into new additions whether that be on the website, promotional advertisements, or the actual clothing.
Unlike many members of the team, Gio actually went to college, gaining a degree as an economist and in design and technology before joiningVoss.Even though my dad would freak out if he knew, some of the ideas Gio has pitched have actually come from me too. It’s not that my dad doesn’t think I’m smart enough or capable to get involved, he just wants to keep me safe and there are lots of risks with joining a multi-million dollar business like ours. So, I keep my designs and plans to myself, waiting for the opportunity after I graduate to finally show my dad what I’m worth.
Gio and I have always been close. While the boys and my dad had a strong relationship, I gravitated more towards Gio. He always listened to me and took the time to get to know me. He understands what it’s like to be the youngest sibling in a family full of entrepreneurs and surrounded by insane amounts of money. We got even closer when his wife, Sara and their good friend Lucas died in a plane accident, which inevitably led to bad press forVosswith rumours speculating that Lucas and Sara were having an affair.
After losing Sara three years ago, Gio submerged himself into working closer with the business and brought about new changes in honour of his late wife. It’s been a tough journey for all of us, but that’s why I need to go and see him today. We’ve not spoken much about what has happened with my dad, but after talking to Evan, finally vocalising my fears out loud, I realise that I’m ready to dive into this. Whateverthisis.
