The ORION Project | ✔

chapter 12

Joshua Phillips wasn't surprised to see the awe on Grace's face, in fact, he would have been bothered if she wasn't in awe. When he was first brought to the headquarters by his father, he had been six and his mouth had remained wide open throughout the visit. Remilekun Phillips was never a man who liked smiling, but Joshua had seen him smile that day.

"One day, all this will be yours to lead." His father had said to him, bending slightly to gaze at his son almost sternly. Joshua had never forgotten that day and for many years had waited for that day that he would be crowned leader. He wasn't about to let everything ripped from his hands by one girl who was more trouble that she was worth.

Make that two idiots instead, Joshua thought as his gaze slid to Kendrick Yong's, the Chinese boy didn't look as awestruck as Grace, no doubt he was used to wealth.

As Grace's awe faded into something furious and bitter at the sight of him, Joshua caught the warning look Amina sent him.

A smile that was nothing amusing tugged at corner of his lips at her warning. He and Amina had been friends since their diaper days, although the term friends might have been over exaggerated, they had been born in the same month on different days and they had been trained together for the world ahead, it was only natural that she was his right hand since her father had been his father's.

They had been competitive together, each seeking to outdo the other and for a while, it seemed as if Amina would win and be crowned ORION'S leader, the council definitely favoured her. Until he had stepped in, and had someone smashed her legs, beating them over and over until she was badly injured and unable to walk for a whole year and unable to take the physical examination every potential ORION member took once they turned sixteen.

It might have been more than three years now, but Amina had not forgotten, there was nothing friendly between them, she did her duty as his right hand and he as her leader. Joshua knew that she awaited one single slip that she could end up using against him, it was why he watched her with his hawk eyed gaze every time she was in his presence.

There was one reason why he would remain better than her was because he was ruthless, all jagged angles and rough edges. Amina had honor in her ruthlessness, it also didn't help that she was Muslim, sticking to every teaching and rule in the Qur'an.

Joshua set aside the documents he had been going through, shoving them into a safe that only his fingerprints could open, these days, codes and numbers were not trustworthy.

His glass desk also served as a computer sometimes, hence the absence of a computer on it, save aside the iPad, he swiped at the screen, checking the time.

When he looked up, Yong was by the bookshelves, glancing through one of the books. A look of irritation crossed Joshua's face, he hated his books being touched and he hated new recruits with no respect for boundaries.

"Don't touch it." He hissed. The Chinese boy startled, almost dropping the hardcover.

He narrowed his multicoloured eyes before shelving the book, Joshua let out a breathy laugh, shaking his head as he did so. This boy has no idea who he's challenging, he thought.

Amina rolled her eyes.

"If the both of you start a staring match, I will leave this place and you'll only have wasted your time. I canceled a hook up for this." She deadpanned.

"Still whoring around, habibti?" He hummed absentmindedly. The both of them knew too well that there was no hook up, they both knew that Amina rarely dated and when she did they never lasted.

"I thought you two were friends." Grace said, looking from Joshua to Amina.

"Don't friends tease each other or is friendship also a foreign concept to you?" Joshua said with an innocent smile, watching as her chest rose and fell in anger, savouring her shame. Sometimes people made it too easy to bait them.