Chapter 3: How to Find A Friend

The morning after my discovery, I asked my Protector to take me to someone who can find people for me.

Shane's one of Dad's cousins. He's my uncle but he was trained to be loyal to me. He is to protect me at all costs and assist me in everything that I needed done. So when I told him not to ask questions, he didn't. Even though I could see curiosity written all over his face. 

"You're talking to him," he said. 

Of course. They had detective skills after all. So that afternoon when my classes at the Institute were over, Shane and I convened at the library. He had started tracking down the Caster lineage and done a very good job at it. 

Apparently, the Casters were a much older family than both the Reneids and the Bardens. And at the time of Henry's birth, the Casters were more well-known and richer than Arthur's family. Reneid owned the estate we are living in, the largest in Fenton Post county, but Caster managed multiple properties around our town, Woodland.

There was indeed a Douglas Caster that time and in the year 1856, he married an Adeleide Mathers and they had one child. One. 

I thought, Good. That should be easier. 

His name was Michael Caster. He had three children. The first two were boys who died with him and his wife in an estate fire. The third child, a girl, survived. She was only fifteen and to save her family's holdings, they had her marry a rich, old man, Barron Kent. Not as rich as she was but close enough. 

I wondered where the Barden kids were those days. If one of them had saved this helpless heiress it would've been such a beautiful movie. The Bardens and the Reneids crossing paths again. If only they knew. 

The Caster properties were sold off to different people by the old Kent guy while he gambled away Catherine's money, Shane found out. Needless to say, they weren't great anymore so the people stopped documenting their lives. And our ancestors were stealing the scene already by this time. 

Shane promised to dig deep and he did. He already went to the county registry where the Kents lived and found out that there was only one Catherine Caster-Kent and she had a son named Douglas and a daughter named Adeleide.

Adeleide Kent died at five because of an unknown illness and Douglas Kent moved to another town, just beside ours, Del Carmen. 

"Dad would never allow me to go there for a reason that he couldn't know," I said in frustration after Shane presented everything. 

"Don't worry," Shane replied. "I have a friend in Del Carmen who has access to this kind of records. Let's meet here again tomorrow afternoon,"

I hugged my Protector. "Thank you,"

Shane is a tall and bulky man. One look and you'll know he's some kind of bodyguard. He's unintentionally intimidating. But he has the warmest smile in the world and I just know for a fact that he's fond of me like his own daughter.

Tyler was leaning against the hood of his car, sunglasses covering his eyes, waiting for me down the Institute front steps. I was expecting Shane, of course, who drove me everywhere and whom I had to meet with in Bardenwood library again today. But apparently today he's out of his office in the Administration wing early. He smiled as soon as he saw me. 

I rather think he's the handsomest of all my brothers. Or maybe it's the maturity of his demeanor that I think sets him apart from them. He's already thirty-two so he'd be mature, but Addy and the twins are only one and three years younger, respectively. Yet the differences among them in terms of personality and behavior are vast. Tyler's always reserved and quiet while the others are constantly joking around. 

My oldest brother's wavy, dark brown hair glistened lighter under the sun. It can't be seen now but he has a very intense pair of hazel eyes, deep-set under his forehead. He's not taller than Malachi but he sure could compete. We share the same father, Tyler and I, but we don't look that much alike. They say Brent is kind of my deadringer if I had been a boy and our features are more similar to the twins. We do have our Mom's light chestnut hair and dark gray eyes. The feature that we all had in common though, including Kai but not Mike and Gabe, is our complexion. Tan, reddish and warm undertones. That's the Barden giveaway.

Talk around the empire circles was that ladies fall all over Tyler's feet more than any of his younger brothers. Unfortunately for them girls, the only sister gets the princess throne for him. 

"I already talked to Shane," he said as soon as I was within earshot. "We're going out,"

"Am I being called?" I asked, aware that Dad usually sent Ty to get me whenever he wanted me in the office. 

"Nope," he replied with a smile. "I told you I'd let you meet one of my friends, remember?"

"Yeah," I muttered, unable to hide my growing excitement.

"Well, today's the day,"

I rode the front seat while he drove. In a suburban town such as Woodland, traffic wasn't really a problem. We were smoothly gliding by the streets as I bombarded my brother with questions, trying to get him to spill the surprise. Quiet as he always is, he managed to remain mysterious. 

We stopped at one of the restaurants that we owned. Ty waited for a parking space to free up instead of leaving it to a valet and I admired him for that. None of the others, Dad included, is as humble. All the staff knew who we were as soon as we entered. The atmosphere shift was visible. Waiters suddenly smiled wider and the musicians swayed better, trying to look like they weren't bored or tired just a while ago. 

I looked around and took in the expensive scenery. Live band, a bar, glass tables with matching high-back chairs, chandeliers, pretty and posh people chatting while picking on their hundred-dollar meals or more. A magazine featured us before, printing words of admiration for the world to read. Of course they didn't mention the wasted food left over in tons. 

We've been here before in one of our family dinners. Dad always insisted we should have these things. He isn't around much, isn't a hugger nor a kisser, but we never felt abandoned or unloved by him. Even the twins who are not at all Barden blood still call him "Dad" to this day. He doesn't dote over us but he also never took upon any of us what our mothers did to him. He even doesn't seem to hate them. When I was younger, I wondered if he had feelings at all. 

Tyler had me follow him to a corner table, a little obscured from the public eye. A waiter was already with us as soon as we were sat down, ready to serve us exclusively.

I wasn't that much hungry so I ordered an iced latte while Ty asked for two appetizer salads. When the waiter left, my brother asked, "You doing okay at school?"

I nodded, knowing he was merely making small talk and the friend is already on their way. Still, we chatted and I learned that the board members are trying to decide whether or not the Institute should go public.

"Not entirely public," Tyler explained. "Still elite, but maybe we can take in non-Barden students for the Board and Benefactors. The school's been gaining popularity after all,"

"By being different," I added. "They're merely interested in the fact that only family can avail this much quality education. But I side with it, really. I think it's time to open the gates, accept students with the intellectual and financial capacity, maybe even scholars for those who are worth it, and market it as a school specializing in honing business-genius minds,"

"We're gonna have to make some adjustments with the lectures though. Loosen up a bit in terms of being so tailor-made for Bardenwood,"

"I can see why it's debatable," I said as my coffee arrived. "We'd be straying from tradition and we'd be letting competitors in on strategies and such,"

Tyler agreed and assured me they're not making rash decisions for the public. They're merely considering it by this point. Just then, a tall and lean woman in a cream knee-length dress entered the restaurant and followed a beeline toward us. Her hair is straight but I couldn't tell if it was natural or salon-made. But it's in a beautiful sandy blonde color matching her fair skin, making her look like she's glowing. She's beautiful, that's undeniable. 

I noticed the widest smile I've ever seen on Tyler's face materialize as soon as he saw her. I knew then this is the "friend", although I suspect it's actually more than that between them. 

"Mel," my brother called her gently, standing up and offering her a seat beside him and opposite me. "This is my sister, Serena,"

"Hi, Serena," she greeted, offering me a hand to shake, which I accepted. "I'm Melanie but everybody calls me Mel,"

"It's a pleasure to meet you," I didn't realize Tyler's uncharacteristically huge smile was mirrored on my face until I found it harder to let the words out.

"Please, the pleasure is mine. You look prettier in person than in paparazzi photos,"

"Um, thanks?" I didn't talk much with new people, especially those who threw in compliments like that.

As I learned that she's a columnist at Woodland Today, a magazine that's a century behind the Times, I realized that she's not at all anything like us. She's wearing light makeup, and I could see she didn't need it, but I had a feeling it was more because she didn't own so many. Her dress was pretty and she knew how to carry it but it looked cheaper compared to the ones worn by women around us in the restaurant today. And her hair didn't look like it visits the salon regularly. 

"So how did you guys become friends?" I asked, stressing that last word ever so subtly. 

They looked at each other. Then Ty answered, "We met at one of our galas. Remember the one for the North Korean refugees?"

I thought about it and a memory resurfaced. I replied, "Oh. Around two years ago?"

Mel nodded, unaware of the knowing tone layering my voice. She recounted, "I was covering it for the paper and Tyler let me ask him a few questions,"

Small talk here and small talk there, we all managed to get the conversation going. Until Mel had to go to the powder room. As soon as I was sure she couldn't see us, I threw a balled up tissue paper at my brother, laughing as he tried and failed to deflect it. 

"She's not just a friend, is she?"

Tyler shrugged, trying to look cool about it. "Do you like her?"

My eyes widened at the question. "Of course! She's smart and pretty and she looks really smitten, honestly,"

"She does?"

I nodded, the smile still plastered on my face.

"You really like her?" Tyler repeated. "You're not gonna throw the 'No one's allowed to have a girlfriend until I'm eighteen' speech?"

I laughed. "I was ten when I delivered that speech, Ty,"

"Okay," he replied with a chuckle. "Can we invite her to your sixteenth then?"

I told him we could and I knew why he'd want that. Dad will be there as well as a lot of people so when introductions are made, there'd be no unnecessary questions until she goes home and Ty gets a private audience with Dad. He knows that her net worth, if she has it at all, would be a topic. 

When Mel got back, her face was looking fresher. She asked, "What did I miss?"

"I told her," Tyler answered matter-of-factly.

She looked a little embarassed then, not knowing how to respond. I guess Tyler had made her aware of the speech. 

"And I'm happy for you guys," I said in what I hoped was an assuring rather than an excited pitch. 

She laughed in relief. "Oh, thank you. So I guess I can now wear the ring around you,"

My eyes widened again in surprise. "Ring?"

Tyler was just as taken aback. Clearly he wasn't planning on announcing this part yet. I wonder if they had planned this meet-up at all. He quietly said to Mel, "Not that part yet, Babe,"

"Oh," was all she could manage, once again embarrassed. 

To save them from asking the obvious question, I stood up, went over to my brother's fiancee, and hugged her around the neck from behind. She was clearly not expecting it but she rubbed my arm in acceptance of the gesture. I congratulated them both and finally I was let in on the story.

So they met two years ago at the Barden Benefactors' fundraising for North Korean refugees. I had been there, being amazed by Tyler's confidence and eloquence behind the pulpit, trying and failing to avoid the cameras on every corner, and learning from my father the best ways to impress the most important people and still charm the less important ones. I didn't see Mel, though. Maybe because she was behind one of those cameras herself. And to the outside world, the oldest Barden child is the VIP so she had to be focusing on my brother then. 

After his interview with her, Tyler told me, he immediately asked her out. She had respectfully declined because she was still technically at work and it wouldn't be professional. So as soon as my brother's schedule freed up, he went to Woodland Today's HQ and waited for his new-found lady to get off work. Mel said now that during that time she already had a crush on Ty but she didn't want to show it so she agreed to have coffee but only as friends.

They didn't give me so much detail but I pretty much get the picture. Eventually she gave in, and last month he popped the question and she said yes. But what I'm really interested about was whether or not they've discussed already the possible opinion of our Dad regarding this match. However I didn't have the heart to mention it. I just silently wished that Kai had been right, that Dad wouldn't control their romances as much as he would mine.

Mel had agreed to go to my sixteenth birthday party. She looked so excited about it while Tyler's smile wasn't as carefree as hers. For that I have reason to believe that he doesn't have the heart to mention Dad's tendencies to her too. Maybe he's even assured her there wouldn't be a problem. I subtly shook my head at the thought, while pretending to listen to more small talk. Even I, a teenager who hasn't been in a relationship at all, knew that can't end well.

Just a few minutes later I got a text from Shane asking if we still were gonna meet. I replied with a "Yes, please," and got a call in return. So I excused myself from the lovebirds and answered the phone. 

"Hi, Shane. Everything okay?"

"Yes," he answered casually. "But if you want the info today we need to go now because Kai needs to catch up with Investigative. Apparently he hasn't been doing well and your dad's not happy,"

"Okay, we're in The Orient right now,"

"I know. Already at the door,"

"Alright. I'll just tell Ty,"

I hung up and went back to the table. Mel was regretful that I had to go while my brother was obviously relieved. I think he saw my disapproving aura and he wanted to come clean with his fiancee starting now. So we said our goodbyes and a quarter of an hour later, Shane and I were conspiring in the Bardenwood library again.

"A Douglas Kent did, indeed, come from Fenton Post, Woodland and settled in Barkley, Del Carmen," Shane was saying. "He eventually established a printing business out there,"

The press didn't operate long, Shane's friend found out, so the children, Anna and Douglas Jr., had to sell it. Anna became an Olsen and had two kids while Douglas had three. Shane was able to dig up a 1971 news article about a car accident that killed a twenty-eight-year-old Madison Olsen, daughter of renowned Del Carmen Colleges professors, Anna Kent Olsen and Mario Olsen.

"And Anna and Mario were both passed," Shane announced.

"So this is the deadend. How about the brother?"

The friend had names for his three kids. Only one had given him grandchildren because his firstborn died as a baby and his only daughter didn't marry. Albert Kent, Douglas Jr's third child, fathered Brian who was on so many records in so many towns. His father tried to save him from the drugs through multiple rehab times but unfortunately, he OD'd and died in 2004.

Brian's younger brother, Corbin, married and had one daughter, Leila. Del Carmen records held her birth certificate in 1994, and her death certificate in 2010. She had leukemia. She was sixteen years old.

I sighed. "Seriously! Two years ago,"

"I know," Shane's voice was resigned.

"Wait," a thought struck me then. "Leila's parents could still be alive,"

Shane opened a few more files and my heart sank when we found out that Corbin had a stroke a few years back which took his life and his wife died of childbirth.

By this time I thought that it was getting depressing. I felt sad that Shane's efforts could be for nought. I'm too late. Two years too late. 

I was preparing to let it go then, when Shane exclaimed, "The other kid!"

My forehead crumpled involuntarily. "She was an only child, Shane,"

"Leila was. But Madison wasn't," my Protector answered while vigorously typing on his phone.

"There was no mention of the other daughter in the news article," I said in realization.

"Yes, and no records showed up about Marie Olsen except a birth certificate," Shane was relaying what else was in the e-mail. "He already went to Del Carmen Colleges where her parents worked but she didn't finish what she enrolled in. No transfer nor dropping records. She just stopped showing up,"

"Did she marry?"

"No record,"

He sent a text message to his friend at the registry. Moments later he got a reply that said that was the end of it.

"The end of his energy, if he's honest," he muttered, pertaining to the friend. "Or he wants to be paid more,"

"Pay him then. Where would I use my allowance anyway,"

"Don't you know? You're Dad gave it to you specifically for paying people up to do your bidding,"

I laughed at his uncle joke. "Please, Shane. Up to the last surviving. This is really important,"

He promised to dig some more but he had to go and try to repair Kai's Investigative performance. I thanked him and let him go while I stayed.

I skimmed through the e-mail attachment. Marie Olsen was born in 1945, was nineteen when she stopped going to Del Carmen Colleges and seemingly disappeared. She would've been twenty-six at the time of her sister's death and thirty-two when her mother passed. There were some years before her father went as well.

I took my phone out, went to messages and clicked Shane's name. I typed in, "Is there a way to know whoever took care of Mario Olsen's burial?"

"Good thinking. Let me take care of that," came Shane's reply.

I thanked him again and stood to go back to my room, bringing my secret project files with me. In my laptop, on my own desk, I started mapping out the Caster family tree. Knowing, of course, that it was actually Reneid's. It was so time and energy consuming and very confusing that I only stopped when Sandra, the cook, popped into my room to announce dinner. Only then have I realized that the best part of my study time has already been taken up. 

The revelations of today, especially Tyler's engagement, starved me. Brent even commented about how heartily I'm eating.

"Look who's talking," I teased back, eyeing the two stake slices on his plate.

Our dinner table places were just so ever since I can remember. Dad at the head, at his right an empty chair which should be reserved for the mistress of the house. We have none. Next to it are reserved for Mike and Gabe, and then for me. Opposite us, from Dad's immediate left up to the third chair, are for Tyler, Addy and Brent, in that order. 

The table goes longer, enough for five or more small families or three big ones. Every Barden household is allowed to live in the estate. They could move out and back in whenever they wanted. According to my father, this was the first time that everybody except the Owner's family had left. I never really understood why. 

Dad's with us tonight, which isn't rare but still not always. Still, he's spending this time lecturing those of us who are still in school about the importance of keeping our grades up in the Institute even though we're Legacies. He didn't mention Kai but everyone seems to be aware this is more for him than Brent and I.

"You have the biggest equity compared to your cousins. You have to earn it," Dad said in his even yet hard, reprimanding tone. "Your Institute performances reflect how hardworking you are and that is what our family will trust. Michael and Gabriel were given the chance in the Institute not because of Barden blood but of excellence. Do you get what I'm saying?"

"Yes, Dad," the three students in the room said in unison.