4. Race

A/N: The chapter ahead is raw, which means it has not yet been proofread or edited.

***

"Candice, finish your meal."

"No! I don't like it! I don't like eggs! I like hotdogs!"

Candice hopped off her seat and ran to to the couch to sulk.

"Candice, stop being a brat and eat your food! We're going to be late!" Ali scolded her, almost done with her meal.

Kalonice get up to pick Candice and put her back to her seat.

"You're going to eat and you won't waste God's grace. Eat."

"But, Mommy!"

"Stop calling her that! You're sound so haughty! Only rich people use that!" Francis.

Candice stuck her tongue out, "Pfft! We're rich now because we have a new house! And I don't like eggs! I like hotdogs!"

Ali glared at Candice. Kalonice massaged her nape.

"If you eat your food, I will buy you chocolates."

Candice grinned as if her goal was met.

"Okay! I want Toblerome!"

Kalonice nodded with a smile and pat her head to feel if it's dry. When it is, she tied Candice's beautiful auburn hair into twin pigtails and put ribbons on it.

"Thank you, Mommy! I want hotdog breakfast tomorrow, oki?"

"Okay. Eat well. Drink your vitamins too, hmm? Ali, Francis, drink your vitamins."

"Ehh! I don't like it! It tastes like poo!"

"You've eaten poo?" Francis teased, "Eww! Candice poo-poo eater!"

"No, I didn't! Mommy, he's being mean to me! Look!"

Kalonice only laughed at them and went back to her seat to eat.

They left their house altogether. After dropping them off to school, Kalonice head straight to hers to study. Their professor only asked about the progress of their thesis and made them continue doing it. Her block mates were working in groups and Kalonice is the only one going solo. She was once, but they kicked her out because of her 'indifference'.

Kalonice brought out her papers to write her ideas down, then proceeded to drawing her proposed output. She will make a miniature of a biophilic establishment and she's thinking of what materials to use. Also estimating how much it will cost her.

~

Kalonice closed the door of her locker and walked to check herself out in the mirror. Her uniform is a pair of blouse and miniskirt. She brushed her hair back and tied it into a bun. She only applied lipstick and that's it. She clocked in.

"Drop me off that restaurant. I'm hungry. Leave the car behind and tell my father that I hate him!" the man yelled while wearing his million-dollar suit as the car come nearer to the restaurant he said.

He gave the driver a one thousand peso bill for when he commutes. He stepped out and the guard flinched when he saw him. Not that he recognized him but because of how powerful his presence and aura is, and how sharp his annoyed gazes are.

The man wore his sunglasses and went inside.

Kalonice stopped and stepped aside to bow at the customer.

"Did you make a reservation, Sir?" she asked politely and straightened her back to look straight at his face.

Her face is blank; no certain expression or reaction was drawn on it when he saw his strikingly handsome face. Bet she's used seeing Caedmon Alterio's face.

The man rolled his eyes and passed her by. He sat down by the glass wall, so Kalonice immediately followed him with the menu book. She stood beside him, waiting for his choice with a pen and paper in her hands.

A group of Allies came in. Men. They were loud, laughing and talking loudly.

"Psst, bro. Isn't that Montecristo?" A boy nudged his friends and nodded at where Kalonice is. She noticed their stares and looked at them.

"Yeah, boy. Look at that juicy ass. Let's go occupy the table behind her."

They laughed and shared high fives. Kalonice stepped forward to her customer to give them enough space to walk to, but one of them intentionally bumped on her. She even felt the back of his hand glide on her derriere. She swallowed her saliva and let it pass. Maybe it was an accident. She will think that it's a accident.

"Step away, will you? You stink!" The arrogant man hissed and flipped the menu book.

Kalonice obey him. Her hand moved fast to write down his choices.

"Please wait for 30 to 40 minutes, Sir. Thank you."

She walked to the counter to give the customer's order first before going back to get the group's orders.

The man's phone rang and vibrated. When he saw who's reaching him out, he clicked his tongue when he saw his father on the screen. He wore his earbuds and answered the call.

[Where are you? Are you at the university now?]

"Why not ask me if I have eaten first? The flight was long as hell! Give me a break!"

[You know what else is long?]

"I swear to god, Dad---"

[My schlong~]

He dropped his phone and pressed the end button. On the hand, his father, in his office, was laughing out loud. He could imagine the face his son is making by now because of his joke. Hopefully, it won't reach his dearest wife. Still, it's funny!

"Anyways, anyways," the man's father calmed himself and opened the folder that was sent to him by the President of ALY-IC.

"Hmm, Kalonice Montecristo," he read her name first before looking at her 2x2 picture attached on her resume.

"Wow, this girl is pretty! Man, I've never seen anyone slay a 2x2 picture this hard other than my goddess wife," he said to the air and used his finger to point the words written on her paper.

He check her educational background first and was truly impressed about her achievements.

"This girl's a freaking genius! I should call the boys."

He reached out for the telephone and it rang just in time.

"Hello?"

[Larry my boy!]

"Eyy, Cain my boy! What is it? I was about to call you, too!" The man's father, who turned out to be the tycoon Larry Zeno Yzaguirre, said to the other line who is Cain Alterio.

[Have you Kalonice's folder? I've been waiting for her entry for my whole life! Finally, she did it!]

"Boy, you sound so casual! You knew her? But yeah, I'm looking at it right now. This girl is a genius, me thinks!"

Cain Alterio laughed, [How could you not? She's our institution's ace, bro! Look at her designs now! Wait, let me call Octavs.]

Larry Zeno Yzaguirre skipped the resumes and went straight to her designs. And good lord.

He immediately put the call on hold and screamed our his secretary's name.

"Sir, yes, Sir!?" Secretary Sean answered while stumbling.

"Send an email to the President right now! Tell her I want Kalonice Montecristo to come here ASAP for an interview! Quick! Before they got her!"

"S-SIR, YES, SIR!"

"Send the notification within this second, Sean! I'm telling you, you're fired if they got her!"

"SIR, YES, NO!"

Secretary Sean dashed out faster than lightning to do what must be done.

[She's incredible. I can't believe it,] Octavius Lisieux.

"I want her!"

The Big 3 said at the same time, and silence came after. The next second, they were screaming their secretary's names to do the job.

"Don't take her away from me! The genius girl will work for me!" Larry Zeno warned them.

[Excuse me!? I know her better! Just so you see, she will be in my company!] Cain Alterio.

[Monkeys, don't fight. Architects knows best. Architects get along best.]

"Shut up, Octavs!"

Larry Zeno was stressed, "Sean! Have you done it!?"

"SIR, YES, SIR! SENT!"

It gave Larry Zeno Yzaguirre a moment of relief, but he still can't drop his defenses because his brother's are on the line, too.

"What are you doing right now?" He asks so he will know if their secretaries were doing the job and not them going to the university themselves to take Kalonice Montecristo.

[Why ask? Think we're going to go there?] Cain Alterio teased, but he also wants to know as well. They're all on the edge. They want Kalonice Montecristo in their company and only in their company.

[I'm on why way.] Octavius Lisieux lied to scare them.

"AIN'T NO WAY!"

[Pfft!] They heard him laugh his ass out on the other line. And they cursed at him because they're already holding their car keys to go as well.

Then, Larry Zeno Yzaguirre remembered something and laughed so mockingly. If only they're meeting face to face, he would laugh right on their faces.

[What is it? Don't even think about cheating, Yzaguirre. I'm gonna tell Gwynedd.]

"I'm not! It's just that---Pfft! Midas is on his way there already. Bwahahaha! Losers! I'm gonna tell him to find her and bring her here! Bea hahaha!"

[What the hell!? Are you fucking kidding me!?] Cain Alterio.

[That's not fair, Yzaguirre! I'm telling Gwynedd!] Octavius Lisieux.

"Hey, stop using my goddess wife here, will you!? Bye, best friends. I will buy your failing companies soon. Bwahahaha! Wahahaha!"

He was the first to drop the call after laughing evilly at them. He took his phone out to call the best son in the world but it was out of coverage.

"This brat! I'm telling Gwynedd!"

So, he called his wife. When she answered, he forgot about his goal and flirted with her.

[You wasted my time for this? You're annoying.] And she hang up on him.

And he faked a cry,

"Why are people so mean to me?"