Within The Bonds

62: A New View

The opulent structure that I recognize as their office building greets me as we pull into the restricted parking area. A thousand questions infiltrate the nervous bubbles floating on the surface of my mind.

"What are we doing here?" I enquire, but receive no response—why am I not surprised?

My door is opened and making me frown as I glance at Xavier sitting beside me. Greeted by Jason on the other side of my door, I spot the visible worry lines creasing his forehead that he so effortlessly tries to hide.

Getting out of the car, Xavier soon joins as and from there on we make our way inside the building, only this time we take a different entry route. This side of the building looks void of much human contact as everything appears to be untouched.

This gets me thinking, 'Is this their private entry? ...Or maybe they don't use it that much' But my questions soon receive their answers when I find myself in a totally different setting.

From where I'm standing nothing appears like I recall it to be from my previous visit here. Contrary to my previous observation of the environment my brothers worked in this stand to be the more 'dangerous' looking aspect.

With digital LEDs mounted from floor to ceiling displaying live footages varying from harbors to outside our very home. Although the cameras appear to be aimed towards the main guarded gate and the other exits of the mansion, it makes me question my privacy.

But like always I keep my thoughts in my head and tongue in my mouth and just follow behind my brothers like a lost puppy. The deeper we walk into the building the more dangerous the aura surrounding me gets.

I try to keep my distance from the two as minimal as possible especially when I spot armed guards sporting our family crest on their blazers posted outside certain doors while some patrol the hallway.

Noticing my subtle moment, Jason is quick to take my hand in his while Xavier places his hand on the small of my back as we make our way to their desired destination.

A gigantic mahogany door greets us, Xavier takes the initiative to place his eye within the range of what I assume to be a retina scanner, and no less than a few moments later we are granted access.

The appearance of the room similar to the study Xavier has at home, but there are some minute differences to it of course. Like the bookshelves are replaced by enormous drawers and the view through the ceiling window not as captivating as that of the other.

"I'll be back in a bit," Jason informs before scurrying away out the door.

"Are you hungry?" Xavier enquires while we take a seat on the maroon sofa pushed against the corner of the room.

"Not really," I mumble truthfully as I try to process everything around me.

"Then I assume you want to jump straight to the questions?" He states rhetorically, yet I nod my head in confirmation.

"I don't know where to start," I admit as I flop down next to him.

"That's fine, just ask me the first question that comes to you," he suggests.

"The crest on the guards' blazers," I spot myself as I notice him visibly stiffen at my words.

"Carry on," he says and I nod.

"What can you tell me about that?" I ask choosing to slowly build-up towards my intended question.

"It's our family crest. It's been in the family for generations and is of utmost importance and value to all of us," he explains without any hesitation.