Chapter 9

For a while the atmosphere was a bit tense but Scarlett's constant giggling and asking of silly questions as to why the pieces of silverware were stratigically placed on the table, broke the tensed atmosphere, making everywhere lively again.

They all watched Adam observantly as he pulled out his napkin and flapped it, before tucking it underneath his chin.

"Ha-ah!" Caleb gave a yell of victory as he turned to Reece. "I told you it was like that!"

Reece did a small scowl and pulled out his napkin as well and started flapping it roughly.

"I believe this is how he did it," Matt said with an air of pride as he took his napkin and began to shake it.

"That's not it Matt," Caleb said dissaprovingly, shaking his head. He aslo grabbed his napkin and tried to flap it at one go.

Adam's puzzled eyes went round the table.

He wondered why on earth they were trying to do what he did.

Scarlett tugged his sleeves and he turned to her.

Though he had sat at the head of the table, she took the seat that was closest to his.

"Could you help me do mine?" She pleaded, handing him her napkin.

Adam shrugged inwardly as he collected the napkin from Scarlett. He flapped it the way he normally did and tucked it under her chin.

She giggled as she watched the three boys still struggling to get it right.

Adam cleared his throat and they all looked at him.

"It's like this." He removed his napkin from underneath his chin and flapped it again.

"It's in the wrist," Matt noted and tried again, he fairly got it right but he shoved it under his chin anyway.

Reece's napkin was the roughest so far.

"With practice and time you'd get it right," Adam assured them with a chuckle when he saw how sulky Reece was acting because even Matt had did a better job than his. And he was older.

After a hearty breakfast of ham and eggs, with a blend of bacon and a few sausages with a drink of yogurt, Adam headed out the door.

He paused as he opened it.

"Don't forget," he said looking back at them as they stood by the doorway, watching him.

"Before I come back from work you must all be gone or else I'm calling an orphanage. I would respect your decision and I won't turn you in now, but if by the time I return and I see my own decision wasn't respected as well, I'm turning you all in," Adam told them.

Reece looked away while Lucy nodded.

"Could I take this book with me?" Matt asked.

"Yeah, sure," Adam said nonchalantly. As he was about to step out, Scarlett ran and hugged his leg.

"I would miss you," she sobbed.

Adam patted her head.

"Take care of her," he told Lucy, all the while staring at Scarlett. "I un...I left some money on the center table in the sitting room, share it between yourselves or whatever. I don't care."

Caleb gently pulled the crying Scarlett towards him.

"Thank you for accomodating us last night," Lucy said pleasantly.

"I wish I never came here in the first place," Reece grumbled.

"Goodbye sir." Caleb waved a bit.

"Thank you for the book." Matt nodded at him.

Adam took a good look at them for the last time, knowing he wasn't going to see them again.

It's for the best. He reminded himself. He had too much to stake if they stayed with him. Vanessa would be the first to leave him.

"Goodbye. Have a nice life," Adam said finally and went out of the house.

They watched him through the window as he got into his sleek jeep.

By the time I return, Adam thought as he put on his seatbelt.

My life would be back to normal.

They watched him zoom away.

They'll be gone.

~~~

"Mr. Adam?" His personal assistant called.

"Hmm?" Adam tore his eyes away from the window he was staring out of. His assitant pointed at his manager. Tyson was also in Adam's office. He was informing Adam some things about the company.

Tyson frowned a bit at Adam's absent mindedness.

"Am I boring to you, Adam?" He asked as he looked up from the document he had been reading.

"No." Adam sat upright in his swivel chair.

He soon became lost in thought.

"Mr. Adam?" His personal assistant called him again.

Tyson closed the document and looked at Adam.

"Is there a specific reason why you've been spacing off?" Tyson asked.

"Just a little headache, it's nothing," Adam said dismissively and started sorting out some files on his desk. Tyson wasn't buying it. Apart from being his manager and cousin, they were also best friends.

"Mr. Adam, Miss Vanessa has booked you in an appointment scheduled for two o'clock. She called your office earlier today to remind you about it but you hadn't arrived then," the personal assistant said.

Adam's brow furrowed.

"What sort of appointment?" He asked.

The personal assistant looked down. He knew just how much Adam would hate what he was about to say next.

"An appointment with Vink talk show," he replied in a quiet tone.

Adam's grip on his ballpen tightened.

"Vink talk show?!" Adam asked through gritted teeth. "As in her mother's gossip show?!"

The assistant looked at Adam.

"Yes sir," he replied trying hard not to stammer or flinch back and to keep his tone cool. Though he had been working for Adam for five years he still got a bit nervous whenever it was to inform Adam about going to that show.

Adam relaxed back in his seat but the angry frown didn't go away from his expression.

Lord help me not to blow on him like that. He went back to what he was writing.

"Thank you, you can leave," Adam said curtly.

"Yes sir," the assistant said relieved and walked out of the office.

"Why didn't she even tell me about it?" Adam fumed aloud.

"It's just a talk show," Tyson said with a shrug and a smirk but it quickly withered when he caught the angry glare Adam shot his way. "Or maybe not...," he mumbled and looked away.

Thinking about the show made's Adam's nostril swell and his blood boil.

He remembered everything about it to the tinest detail. The blinding lights of the auditorium, the presenters that put on too much make-up for their own good, the prying of his very private life, the fake laughters and giggling they always did.

He remembered his last experience all too well.

Adam's jaw ticked as he stared at the memo he was writing.

Why can't Vanessa be considerate? She knows very well I don't like all those shows and attention. He mused to himself.

Tyson buried his head back in the document he had been reading. He decided to give Adam some time to cool off.

She didn't inform me about that blasted show. Adam picked up his mobile phone and dialed her number.

She picked up after the second ring.

"Baby," she cooed. When Adam didn't say anything for a while she must have checked her phone and saw they were still connected.

"Hello? Adam?" She said unsurely.

But Vanessa was sure Adam was at the other end because she could hear his steady breathing.

She then let out a deep breath.

"Sweetie, I'm sorry, okay? Mum was seriously bugging me to bring you along for today's show. And besides it's been two months since you came to the last show and more people want to watch the next episode of 'Chat with Adam' and there can't be any chatting if there's no Adam to chat with," she laughed a bit at the other end.

"But you understand...right?"

Adam bit his lower lip.

That was the thing with Vanessa, she always expected him to understand every of her move. Even the ones he didn't like.

"I'll see you at two," Adam said curtly and disconnected the call.

Nevertheless he was still mad at her for setting him up in the gossip show like that. Who cared if they couldn't watch the second episode? And what gave even gave Vanessa's mum the right to include me in an episode of their talk show?

"Take it easy, Adam," Tyson said as he stood up and walked to Adam's desk.

"I'll finish up with these so you'll have some free time okay? After the talk show you can just head home to rest," Tyson told him.

That idea sounded great in Adam's ears. His head always hurt whenever he returned from that talk show due to the unnecessary questions always fired at him. Worse, they were always much.

"Okay." Adam nodded.

Tyson headed out but paused at the door.

"Don't forget we're supposed to launch out a new project in two weeks," Tyson reminded him.

"Sure." Adam turned his chair to face the huge window, backing Tyson in the process. Then the door was shut as Tyson exited the room.

~~~

Adam drove his jeep into his driveway. He un-knotted his tie as he parked in the huge garage.

His day had been so stressful and had mostly left him feeling annoyed.

At the talk show, Clarissa herself was present, which made matters worse.

After cooing about her daughter and how perfect she and Adam were together, she started asking Adam questions.

Questions about his health, the latest movie he had watched and what he thought of it, about his house and the reason why it was in a serene environment, about the other girls he had dated in high school, about the brand name of the phone he was using, about the numbers of cars he had and numbers of vacation he had taken and the whereabout of where he had spent his holiday.

Adam had given her an evasive answer for those he could while he reluntantly answered the rest.

Worse when the show had ended, as he and Vanessa were stepping out of the auditorium they were blinded by the lights of cameras and surrounded by curious journalist.

The guards had pushed them back in order to create a space for Adam and Vanessa to pass through.

Vanessa also stopped to sign some autographs of some nearby people and nudged him to do the same for the female fans he had that were oogling him.

He wasn't an actor or a musician but they still decided to call themselves his fans because one, he looked hot. Two, he was successful. Three, he was rich.

They didn't need anything else as he fitted into the three criteria.

Adam got off his vehicle and headed to his house. All the lights were put off, so he was sure it was emptied of all children.

At least that's one thing that went right. He thought to himself as he opened the door.

He dumped his suit and his briefcase on the sectional sofas and turned on the television and kept it in a sport channel.

Watching news would be a bit annoying as he was sure some news stations would have carried the events of today and he didn't want to be reminded of all what had ensured today.

He decided to get himself some aspirin as his head still hurt.

Adam got up and walked to the medicine cabinet that was located in his room. He grabbed two tablets and headed downstairs for some milk to take it with but he heard a nearby chair being scraped on the ground.

He froze.

Then he heard light footsteps then the chair sound again.

Am I hearing things? Adam wondered. He was so sure he was the only one in the house.

He looked at the library door he stood in front of, where the sound seemed to be coming from. Adam quietly pushed open the library door.

He had a very huge library.

The shelves were very tall and touching the ceiling and there was rows of them.

There was a reading table at the other side of a huge bookshelf just by one of the windows. The dim glow of an anglepoise lamp could be seen clearly as Adam approached the reading table.

What he saw made his heart skip two beats.

A figure was hunched over the table.