I don't trust him

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*Lorenzo's POV*

"Excuse me?" I raise my eyebrow. No one has ever talked to me that way. They always treat me with respect, because my father is their boss. I could ruin their career in a split second. Why isn't he scared of my power? I remember how a few months ago, he treated me the same as others do. Why was there a sudden change in his personality? It makes him look suspicious. I don't remember him this way.

"I was just joking, sorry." He looks apologetic, but I think he is still acting strange. "It's fine." I tell him. Rosaline tries to change the subject. I can see that she is nervous to talk to me, like most people are. She stammers over her words. She asks me about all the presents I got. Most of them are expensive wines. I show her the watch Noah gave me. She admires it, while Noah is smirking proudly. The present is very generous, it must have costed a lot for him. I appreciate it when people put effort into finding me the right present.

We keep talking for a few hours. Rosaline is getting more comfortable talking to me. Noah's jokes help to lighten the mood. It has been years since I last spoke this informal with a colleague. Normally, I talk to others about business plans. They don't bother trying to start a real conversation. Noah and Rosaline on the other hand are explaining the latest drama of celebrities. They think it is a disgrace that I know this little about famous people. It is a pointless conversation, but for some reason this is the most fun I've had this week.

People are starting to go home, because it is getting late. "Guys, it was lovely speaking to you. Though, I have to go." Rosaline says suddenly. We go outside together to wave her goodbye. Once she is gone, I notice Noah is looking uneasy. "Is anything wrong?" I ask him. He tells me everything is alright. I won't push it further, but his voice sounds tense. It could be his confident behavior was only an act to impress Rosaline. He breaks the silence. "I should probably go too. See you tomorrow?" He gives me a friendly pat on the back.

"See you tomorrow." I respond, giving a quick nod. As Noah heads to bed, me and my dad are the only one left at the party. He is sitting on the couch, probably drunk. I look at the mess that the guests made. The maid will clean that up tomorrow. I walk towards my dad. "The party was quite a success, don't you think?" He simply shrugs in response. He hasn't even wished me a happy birthday yet, because he was too busy talking to his friends. I sigh and go to my room. I am left alone with my thoughts. I touch my wrist, where the watch Noah gave me hangs. I remember the fun we had with Rosaline. I wonder if they will become my friends. I lie down on my bed, allowing myself to rest. It doesn't take long before I fall asleep.

*The next morning*

"Good morning." I greet the maid who is cleaning up the mess. smiles back at me. My mother told me a story when I was little. It was about two kingdoms. One of them had an evil king. He shouted at all his assistants. The other one was kind to his men. The kingdom of the nice king was a better place, because the people felt welcome. They worked extra hard to repay the kindness. In the other kingdom, the king's assistants were fed up with his abuse and decided to formulate a plan. They waited until the king was at his weakest, then they killed him.

Some may call it a dark story, but it is about the moral. I will always treat people with respect, even if they stand far below me. There is another life lesson in the story. Even your own people can turn their back on you. That is why I always keep my guard up. I get a text on my phone from an unknown number:

How did she even get my number? I am not sure if I should go

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How did she even get my number? I am not sure if I should go. The Noah I used to know would never call me a baby. Maybe this is a trap. On the other hand, I don't have anything to do. Rosaline does seem like a nice person. I guess I will go. I can always leave if I want to.

I walk to her house. It isn't far from my place, but her street is quite different. The houses are much smaller. They are all made of red bricks. Rosaline's house has a black door. I wait a before ringing the bell, just looking at her house. It looks cozy. She has a sign above her bell with the names of her family. The door creaks open. A soft breeze strokes past Rosaline's hair as she stands in the door opening. "You must be freezing! Come in." She gestures for me to follow her.

I take off my coat, hanging it on a rack with other coats. "Noah is upstairs." she says, while walking up the stairs. I nod and follow Rosaline to her room. The walls are painted green, just like the other furniture. Noah is sitting on her bed with a computer. He is grinning when we enter the room. I sit down next to him and Rosaline sits on his other side. I see a schedule with names of Emerald Empire members. Each name has some basic information, like their phone number. That must be how she got my number. 

Rosaline clears her throat. "You probably already know this, but the new soldiers can't deal stuff without supervision." I nod and she continues talking. "We are playing matchmaker. Pairing new soldiers to more experienced ones. We thought you knew them better, so you can help us make the right choice." She is right. I know everyone by name, their strategies and weaknesses. She probably wants to know their personality, though I think it is much more efficient to balance their qualities. I am not sure if I should help with this task. My father trusted her, so I have no reason to peak in her business. 

Both of them are waiting for me to say something. Eventually, I take a look at the couples she made so far. Most are okay. "Pedro hates Camilo. They aren't a good match." I state. I have seen them fight multiple times on the streets. If I become the boss, I would kick them. They bruise our image. "Who do we link Pedro to instead?" Noah asks. I scan my eyes through the list. The list is quite long. I point at a guy who I have worked with for years. During our partnership, he didn't say much. He is probably still a quiet guy, that way he cannot pick a fight. 

Noah changes Camilo's name to my old partner. Rosaline tells us she is going to get snacks. I offer to help her carry them. We walk to her kitchen together, leaving Noah behind. She opens a cabinet full of snacks. Chips, candy, chocolate, she has it all. I pick out two things to bring to her room. Paprika chips, my favorite flavor and something Rosaline told me to hold for her. She gets some drinks.

Go check out my other story. The last chapter is going to be made by Carl himself, but it might take him some more time. We have a lot of tests coming up.


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