Chapter 1 1. The Settlement.

New white rays shine through window and curtain just the same, showing the beauty of the many tan hues that weave together. The browns are as varied as sand dunes out dawn as pretty as the lightest of wood carried ashore upon windswept waves.

"Morgan!" he heard the continuous yells coming from downstairs, disturbing his sleep.

Tossing to the other side, the man rubbed his face as he yawned. The ring of the phone diverted his attention when he immediately answered it blurting out, "Tell me it's not on the news."

The overexcited male voice came from the other side of the phone, "Bro, you are so gone. You are so gone."

"Come on, Shawn. Please, don't say this, " he stood up, walking towards the windows as he raised the curtains.

The sun was up, it was midday when Morgan babbled.

"Please, brother. Do something..." when his best friend answered, "Mate, you were holding her hand."

"I don't care about anyone. But you can hear the noises coming from downstairs..." the door knocked as he turned to speak, "Yes?"

The doorknob twisted and a maid dressed in uniform walked in respectively.

"Mr Morgan, Mrs Colton wants to see you, " she spoke politely while he just gave a nod.

The maid looked around, her eyes gawking in awe.

It was a master bedroom with a King-sized bed and matching dressing table, standing mirror, a sofa set and a small door leading towards the wardrobe.

The furniture was in black matching with the wallpapers.

In short, it was a complete bachelor yet elegant man's untidy room.

And the cleaning will take the whole day.

"Alright, I'm coming, but tell me..." he held the phone a bit far from his ear and spoke with a twitched lip.

"Is she annoyed?"

"On the last level, " the maid answered politely.

"What?" Shawn spoke yelling and Morgan's attention was diverted again to the matter with his friend.

"Claim her your girlfriend..." the best friend gave him a brilliant idea.

"Claim it yours..." the wide grin on Morgan's face was the proof he thought of something.

Giving access to both floors, the stairs sweep even upwards. It's smooth slightly rounded bannister guides to the top floor.

Morgan rushed down in such a hurry when he was immediately paused seeing the familiar figure on the last step of the stairs.

"son..." she spoke in a sweet tone when Morgan let out a flirtatious smile and cupped both of her cubby cheeks as he spoke, "My Queen...my royal Queen...mother."

"Do not say this word... mother, " she was irritated, pointing a finger in Morgan's direction.

His eyes got fixed on the breakfast table as he walked passed by his mother, ignoring her babbling.

He grabbed the freshly cut apple from the dish and stuffed in his mouth.

"Since when is this going on?" his mother asked walking up to him as he shrugged his shoulders and blabbered something which his mother didn't understand as she said, "Oh, speak in English..."

"Mom... I just woke up...at least have some patience. Let me eat something, " he said stuffing his mouth again with the fruits.

"Oh, I thought your stomach might be full from last night as you enjoyed it very much...holding a girl's hand..." the taunt made him chuckle lightly and he shook his head.

"Oh, my Queen...my lady. That's not what you think it is, " he refused when both of them heard the cheerful tone of a male best friend.

Turning around Morgan saw it was his best friend, Shawn.

"She was Shawn's girlfriend, " Morgan blurted out when Shawn who was walking in, paused in his place while Morgan from behind asked for help, begging him.

"Shawn..." the woman said unbelievable when the guy turned to Morgan and spoke unaware, "Morgan..."

"Mother..." Morgan spoke hesitantly.

After a slight pause, he continued, "Uh-huh, mom. You are exaggerating him. Come on, in, brother, " he winked to his best friend who was giving him some deadly glares.

The three of them got seated on the sofa when Emma, Morgan's mother asked, "But if she is Shawn's girlfriend, why were you holding her hand?" the two men exchanged looks when Shawn spoke, "Say it, brother."

Morgan was quiet for a moment clearing his throat he spoke, "Well, mom. You see, the thing is..." Shawn made an attentive face as if he was eager to listen to his another lie.

Shawn knew his best friend was one of a clever.

"Shawn fought in the bar last night..."

"Oh, really?" Emma who was listening attentively to her son, turned to the other guy as she asked unaware.

"Really?" Shawn spoke suddenly and Morgan gave a certain nod saying, "Exactly."

"Absolutely..." Morgan's gestures made Shawn nodding.

"Well, that's good, Shawn. I am so glad for you..." Emma held the cup of hot coffee in her hand and spoke pleasantly.

Taking a sip, she continued, "At least one of your friends is getting into a relationship."

"The rest are just giving us heart aching news every morning..." this was a taunt, especially for Morgan Colton.

Pursing his lips in a thin line, he answered, "This is not my age of having a girlfriend, mom..."

"Morgan Colton, you are twenty seven...what is the definition of your age having a girlfriend?"

"Maybe, across fifty..." he thought then spoke making his best friend chuckle while his mother could only roll her beautiful blue eyes.

"You know, I will be a handsome sugar daddy...girls will drool over me..."

"They still do..." Shawn clicked his tongue.

"Nice daydreaming, boy. Now dress up and go...your father is waiting for you in the office..." his mother informed with a very wide smile on her face while Morgan's face was expressionless.

"Damn, mother. What is this, now?" he scoffed annoyed.

"You see, Shawn. This is his weakness and his father knows it. Poor child..." Emma shook her head in pity.

But Morgan knew this was his parents who were involved in this plot.

They deliberately ask him to come to the company so that he can handle the business, and he wasn't interested in it.

"Hurry, you have half an hour to get ready. Not a minute above that... the meeting is about to held."

Morgan stood up to walk the stairs when he could not stop, "And this is why they do this to me..."

"Bro, this story is so common in our friend circle...don't worry about it."

"Where you off to?" asked the best friend when Shawn just jumped on the comfy bed and answered, "I'm going to pick Lara up from the airport...she is coming back from France."

"Today?" asked Morgan walking in the washroom as he stripped off the briefs and stepped in the shower and opened the tap.

"Yeah, today is the day..." answered Shawn.

It was five minutes left to half an hour when he walked down the stairs with his best friend.

Dressed in his usual attire, a blue t-shirt with black jeans and a leather jacket, Morgan looked a bad boy.

"Boy, can't you ever just dress accordingly? You are going to the meeting...the clients will be there. Don't just insult your dad like this..."

While he was just passing by, his mother held his shoulder and said, "Come on..."

"Where are we going, mom?" he asked unaware when she just dragged him towards the stairs.

"Alright, bro. I'm off to the airport."

"Yes, Shawn. Thank you, say hello to Lara from our side..." Emma replied walking up the stairs with her son following her.

Another fifteen minutes had passed by when Emma sighed deeply, resting both of her arms on her waist, tapping the high heels on the marble floor.

"This will do..." she said with twitched lips.

"Are you sure, mother? Cause you have been saying this to the past twenty shirts..." he turned to look at his massive bed which was covered with the formal shirts.

"Yeah...black is your colour. Now, change it fast and come down."

''Thank you for getting me into trouble, mom!" he shouted before she closed the door stepping out.

This structure, gateway towers, is an office building with ten floors including a lower level and a penthouse. The twelve-story office building has a total of 11.400 square feet in surface area. The parking for this structure is compensated by a parking garage. The basement garage has 14 spaces, surface parking has 24 spaces, and the future garage has 300 spaces. There is two elevators adjacent to each other and another elevator located by the fire command centre. Apart from the elevators, there are two sets of stairs with access to all floors. In the lower floor, there is a mechanical room, a fire command centre, and domestic/fire water service.

Bored Morgan was greeted by the people there and he stepped out of the elevator on the top floor.

Walking towards the cabin of his father, he removed his dark shades and the female workers could not stop drooling over him.

He gave a flirtatious smile to the female workers and continue to walk to the cabin.

On his way, his eyes fixed on the tag outside the cabin of his mother and he saw the name.

"Morgan Colton..." he muttered under his breath.

So, now his father has carved his name outside the cabin. This old man has plans for his son.

Walking into the cabin, he greeted, "Hello, father..."

The old man who was talking on his phone, gestured him to stay quiet.

Making a boring face, he sits on the opposite side of the chair and put his keys on the table.

All the time, the eyes of his father could not leave him.

Just then the secretary came and asked, "what do you like to have, Mr Colton?"

Morgan had just parted his lips to speak when David Colton uttered, "I am Mr Colton. Don't spoil him calling him by this name..."

"I would like to have a coffee, please."

Morgan winked to the girl and then turned to face his father.

After the assistant went away, his father spoke, "Welcome to the company, son. You are officially..."

"Nah, dad. I think I'm good... I don't want to involve myself in the business and get my hair all white."

"You see, son. This hair did not get white sitting in this room..." the father pointed towards his white hair.

"This is of old age. And as you are my only son...you have every right to take over the business."

"But I am not interested..." Morgan simply answered.

"Son, do not think that if your mother has favoured you to come late today, I will not drag you to the board meeting."

The meeting started in five minutes, Morgan has just taken a sip of his coffee when the assistant came to inform, "Mr Colton, the clients are here."

The old man stood up and spoke, "Come on, son..."

He started walking and Morgan could only gawk at his father.

"Father, I haven't just finished my coffee, yet..."

"Do I care?" were the words of his father.

Sitting in the board room, Morgan was clicking the pen continuously while swirling his seat.

He was bored in between the bunch of professional people.

"Oh, I'm surrounded by idiots..." he muttered under his breath.

His father who was sitting right next to him has heard it and showed him the deadly stares.

When the meeting was finalized, the clients shook hands with David Colton and his son.

"We are pledged to work with the Coltons..." said the man.

"Of course, you are..." Morgan blurted out when his father just eyed him.

He must have said anything wrong.

"So, how was your first meeting?" asked David sipping his coffee.

The father asked everyone to leave the room, just his son was present there.

They were served coffee and it was a table talk going on between the father and a son.

"Dad, I think you manage the business very well. I cannot do this..."

"And see? I am late for the airport... I had to pick Lara..."

"Shawn had gone to pick the girl up...don't you worry. Please, see your life outside the bubble."

"There is so much more to do than to roam around the streets and nightclubs like bad boys..."

"Dad, I do business. It's just that...you won't understand what kind of business it is... so yeah..."

With that he stood up to walk away, leaving his father alone to think.

An idea popped on his mind as he dialled a number.

"Hello, love... I think I know exactly how to make our son a little attracted to the business."