Love me or hate me it's still an obsession

Chapter 32

"Have you seen Effie anywhere?" Ace asked his mum, Mikaela, as they walked towards the function room in a separate part of the massive building they had been in for the funeral.

Mikaela shook her head as she linked Ace's arm for support. Her and Steve hadn't gotten on for decades, but she still felt distraught over his death. Ace looked at her supportively, stroking her hand looped through his arm. He smiled at his youngest brother, Aaron, as he cautiously looked around him, suddenly worried he couldn't see Alistair, Olette, Nidaw or Sen. He breathed a sigh of relief as he entered the function room to see Alistair standing there welcoming people and sending them straight to the buffet at the side of the room. Mikaela started to cry again and Ace passed her over to a close friend before he stormed off towards Alistair, starting to feel panic rise in his body over where Effie had disappeared to. "You haven't seen Effie have you?" he asked sternly.

Alistair shook his head, eyeing Aaron out the corner of his eye, "nope, sorry. Haven't seen her since before the funeral. Think it is rather rude for her to disappear through the service and then not come to this part."

Ace put his hand in his pockets as some family members came up to the brothers to give them their condolences. "Alistair don't lie to me. I can see it in your face, you're hiding something from me..."

Alistair shook his head as he smiled and waved at some colleagues who had decided to show their faces. "Don't be stupid Ace, I honestly have no idea where she is."

Ace smiled as Aaron appeared in front of them holding a tray of drinks, "mum said to give you something to drink. She said to keep hydrated cause you are talking to lots of people or something."

Ace and Alistair smiled at their younger brother, who didn't seem so small anymore at the age of twenty. Alistair took their drinks off the tray and passed one to Ace. "Thanks Aaron, I will go and check on mum. You keep Ace company", he said, winking at Aaron as he walked past.

Ace felt a weird connection between his brothers and looked in the glass Aaron had passed him, swirling the orangey drink around. He didn't think Aaron would take Alistair's side, but he knew they had always been closer than he was with Aaron and casually poured the orange liquid into a nearby plant pot. Aaron turned around quickly and looked at Ace's empty glass in shock, "oh wow, you were thirsty. Maybe you should sit down?"

Ace looked at him suspiciously, "why would I need to sit down after having a drink? You haven't poisoned me have you?" he said half-jokingly.

Aaron flapped his hand in front of him, "god no. Don't be so stupid Ace. I would never do that to you."

Ace noticed Aaron turn to face Alistair and nod, like he had completed a task, then turned back to face Ace who had decided to sit down, hoping that whatever had happened to Effie he could get out of Aaron. He knew Alistair too well and knew he was lying about not knowing where Effie was. He knew his only option was Aaron, but as he sat down to join Ace on the sofa it dawned on him that he hadn't seen Tasha around either. "So, Aaron, how is life treating you now that you have done your travelling trip? Feel anymore enlightened?"

Aaron shook his head, "na, not really. Dad did ask me if I would consider going to university again but I really don't know. Just don't really feel it's for me, you know?"

Ace looked at his brother oddly; he had no idea how they were related. Aaron was a free spirit, unlike either of his brothers and he had no interest in working for anything. He enjoyed the simple life and knew his inheritance from his dad would let him live freely without having to lift a finger. "Erm, yeah I guess so", Ace replied, uninterested in where the conversation was going.

"So, this Effie, do you think that maybe you should stop looking around for her? I think she has probably walked off, maybe seeing dad's death as a way of being able to leave the company quickly?"