Chapter 6 Daddy's little puppet

Crystal hurriedly got out of the car and looked up at the building in front of her. Diaz Law Firm. It sounded awfully familiar.

"Eighteenth floor, " Aiden said and she gave him a curt nod before he proceeded to the parking lot.

She walked up the stairs and pushed open the glass doors. Everyone seemed to be busy, they clearly loved their work. It was either that or they had a strict boss. She rode the elevator to the eighteenth floor and went straight to the receptionists desk.

"May I help you? " asked the brunette.

" Oh, wait. Are you Mr. Lockwood's daughter?" she added before Crystal answered. Crystal nodded and the lady stood and greeted her.

She hated being referred to like that. Mr. Lockwood's daughter. The more she stayed here the more she wished she hadn't returned.

"Your father is expecting you. Right this way, "

Crystal couldn't quite tell whether the lady was being nice or was pretending to be because of her job. They got to a door at the end of a hallway and she stopped, knocked on the door then went in with Crystal closely behind her. The first thing Crystal realised was that they were in a board room, with a large table and a number of seats. But there were only three people in there, one of which was her dad.

Lucas Lockwood sat at the very end of the table, looking as refined as always. He instantly stood up on seeing her.

" Are you going to stand there all day or will you come give your old man a hug? "

Crystal rushed over to him and wrapped her arms around him. She had really missed him.

"Hmm , have you grown taller? " he asked as they both withdrew from their embrace. The next couple of minutes was spent talking about how they missed each other. Then someone cleared their his throat. Crystal turned to him. She now recalled why the name of this Firm was so familiar. Because she had spent much of her teenage years listening to one of her closest friends go on and on about it.

" Miguel? I thought I smelt that cologne if yours the moment I walked in here," she said cheerfully. A beeming smile on her face.

""Crystal, I see you're still radiant as always, " Miguel said and Crystal pretty much pounced on him, wrapping her hands around his neck and he laughed as he lifted her off the ground.

"Gosh! You've seriously been working out, huh? " she joked as she touched his biceps. They'd pretty much grown up together. Gone to the same school and when no boy had been brave enough to take Crystal to Prom because they feared her dad, Miguel had stepped in and done so despite there being lots of other girls who were always drooling over him.

"It's been so long and you couldn't have even bothered to call? "

"Says the girl who left without saying goodbye. " Crystal laughed.

"How could I? You'd gone away to law school by then. I did try calling you though ,but you never picked up."

"You ought to have tried harder. But don't worry, I forgive you though you'll have to make it up to me," Miguel said.

Apart from his height and, well, his whole physical outlook, he was still the same. Same dark hair, same brown eyes and the same positive personality. Crystal had never really considered him as anything but a friend but he really was one of the best human beings she knew.

"If we could just finish up with the business at hand first, I'll leave you to your..... interactions, " said the third guy who Crystal had never met. Miguel ushered her to sit down and once they were all seated, her dad had explained everything that was going on. Turns out he was a shareholder in the Firm but with everything else that was going on in his other businesses, he needed someone to represent him here. And who better than his beloved daughter who just happened to be a newly graduated lawyer.

They really didn't give her a choice. Just handed her the papers and showed her where to sign. In situations like these Crystal had learnt it was better not to think about it. That was just going to start up problems and make her dad angry. So she did as asked. Plus she figured it wasn't that bad, she did have one of her oldest friends as a mentor. What could be better than that?

The third guy gathered up the papers, placed them in his briefcase and walked out after wishing them a good day.

"So Crystal honey, Miguel and I were talking and we thought it would be best if you started as soon as you can. That way he can teach you everything you have to know, "

"Sure dad. Whatever you say. "

Her dad then glanced at his watch and hissed before saying he had somewhere to go. And after another quick hug, he headed for the door.

"See you at home darling. And I'm really glad you're back, " he said then walked out. Crystal could only smile. If you could even call it that. Smiles were a sign that you were happy or pleased. She felt none of those things.

" Is everything okay? You have the same look you had when I gave you a toy gun as a birthday present when you turned eight, " Miguel commented and Crystal laughed at the old memory.

" You still remember that? "

"Of course I do. You gifted it back to me for my next birthday."

"What were you thinking getting me that? We both know I was more into dolls and playhouses. " she said and he scoffed, but she could see a smile creeping into his handsome features.

"I thought it was a pretty cool gift, " he argued and Crystal shook her head.

"Yeah, it was definitely better than the scarf you had gotten me the previous year!" he acted shocked.

"What was wrong with the scarf ? It was pure silk you know. "

" It was also brown. Who gives a seven year old a brown scarf as a birthday gift ?"

They both laughed. Their families had been extremely close meaning they had spent a lot of time together. Their moms had been best friends and Miguel's mom had been really devastated when Crystals mom passed away. They spent some minutes recalling the past and Crystal congratulated him for making his dream come true.

"Come on, I'll give you a tour of this place, " he said as he stood and offered her his arm. Crystal crooked hers into it and he opened the door. But although they walked, talked and laughed, there was something at the back of her mind. Actually it was more of a someone.

Someone with eyes so grey they were almost like transparent steel.

Someone who filled her head with thoughts that were too uncivilized to be said out loud.

Someone who she'd probably never meet again.