Chapter 3 3.

"Ms. Solana?"

"Is she listening to us?"

"Athena!" My father's voice snapped me back into reality.

"Sorry, I zoned out a bit." I shook my head. "I have a lot of visions for S & W that I would like to propose in a couple of days."

"In a couple of days?" The marketing executive, Adam, furrowed his eyebrows. "Not to be demanding, but we expected you to have a proposal today. We need something to brand you as for when we announce you as the CEO."

"And she has something prepared. Don't you Athena?"

"I have an idea."

"Go ahead."

"S & W were known for being a brand for older and mature people. I want to go the complete opposite. I want to cater to young people." Athena smiled.

"But that's S & W's brand, we cant change our idea if that's how we came up." Kacey, the creative director spoke.

"Yes, but as we can see, these ideas aren't very effective. I took a look at the stocks and sales and they haven't been that great." I shook my head.

S & W was a luxury clothing brand that started in the early nineties. It was popular for its twenty years, I can recall where I went into my mother's closet to try on her fancy coats. But since the twenty-tens hit, they've been struggling to get that same glorious hype.

Celebrities weren't advertising for them. They needed something fresh and new.

"If you want to save this, then trust me when I say, it's time for a change. We can still design beautiful coats and other clothes, but we have to bring them down to the targeted audience. I have many celebrity friends who happily endorse the new S & W"

"She has a point." Adam nodded. "But what are we going to do about these lifelong customers, we can't lose them."

"Correct. This is why all of the old and popular design will be known as our vintage section."

The room fell silent. I looked around the room before continuing to speak.

"Write this down as my statement Adam. Out with the old, in with the new." I smiled.

My dad and I walked down the busy streets of New York drinking coffee.

"I'm proud of you, ladybug." He pulled me into a hug. "I knew you could win them over."

I smiled at the former nickname. I looped my arm with his and snuggled closer to him. He kissed me on the forehead and smiled. For a second I saw the old him. It gave me a warm feeling and a sense of comfort.

"We should hang out more often, dad."

"Just great." I hear him groan.

I looked up to see the paparazzi taking a dozen of pictures. I rolled my eyes in annoyance that they broke this rare moment between my father and me. He removed his arm and pulled out his phone.

"Athena, show us the ring!"

"Athena! When's the wedding?"

"Athena, why did you still Tobias away from his girlfriend!"

Girlfriend. Who was this girlfriend of his?

"Hold up the ring and smile." My father mumbled while waiting for his phone call to be answered.

I held my hand up, showing the ring. Immediately, the camera clicks went off as they snapped every moment they could. I looked to the side to see the sleek black car and smiled. My father and I both walked towards it and got in.

~

I sipped my wine while delicately adding details to my painting. It was a long day and this helped me relax a bit. Tobias walked down the stairs and eyed me.

"I put a mat down, none won't get on the floor," I mumbled.

"Kaleb isn't preparing dinner tonight so I'm gonna get takeout. Want anything?"

"Depends on what you're getting."

"Probably some sushi."

"That sounds lovely." I smiled.

"What kind?"

"Whatever you get." I shrugged.

He nodded and walked out the door. Why was he being nice? Usually, when Kaleb doesn't prepare dinner, he makes a stupid protein shake and locks up in his room.

My phone buzzed and I quickly picked it up.

"Athena! My baby, how are you!"

"Kelsey? It's been a long time, how are you?" I questioned.

Kelsey Mandé was my childhood best friend. I met her when my dad was doing business with her family's airline. We were inseparable.

We threw parties together. We shopped together. There were times where we spent the night at each other's house consecutively. Kelsey was with me when I crashed my dad's car. We were together so much that the media thought we were 'lesbian lovers.'

That's until she found singing as a career. She took it seriously and moved from New York to Los Angeles. That's where we lost touch. She became busy touring the world and I did me.

"I'm good how are you, flower? Congrats on the engagement. I can't believe you're marrying the hottest guy in New York." She squealed.

"Haha. Right." I sighed while putting down my paintbrush.

I was finished with my painting and began to clean up while on the phone with Chelsea. For the next thirty minutes, we had talked about everything. I didn't tell her about the arranged marriage. She told me about her flings and the upcoming music she had planned.

"Oh, flower!" She exclaimed. "I forgot to tell you something."

"Mhm?" I questioned.

"I'm coming down to New York this weekend. That means we have to party our asses off!" She yelled over the phone.

"Yes!" I happily cheered. "You know I'm down."

Tobias came through the door with a brown sack. He held up the food before walking to the kitchen.

"Kels, I have to go. But please text me when you land."

"Obvi! Bye babes."

We both hung up and I walked into the kitchen. Tobias sat my tray at the end of the table. I grabbed the chopsticks from the counter and sat down.

"Thank you."

"Tomorrow, my company is having a dinner party and I need you to come as my date." He grabbed his fork and stabbed into the sushi.

"What are you doing?" I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Eating?"

"You don't eat sushi with a fork." I giggled. "Do you know how to use chopsticks, love?"

He shook his head.

"I can teach you."

"It's fine." He shook his head. "So can you make it tomorrow or not?"

"Yeah. Sure."

"Cool." He nodded stabbing the fork into his sushi.

"Tobias, I get that we are both forced into the marriage, but let's not make both of us suffer. We can be friends, at least." I sighed.

"This is a business deal and nothing more. Okay? I'm not looking for a friendship out of anything. We have our separate rooms and let's go off of that. I'm not your friend, I'm not your fiancé. You're nothing to me."

"Wow." I stood up. "You could at least be a human to me."

I hurried out of the kitchen before my tears fell.

~

Tobias and I walked into the fancy restaurant. Immediately eyes were on us. He grabbed my hand walked us towards the table.

He pulled the seat out and I sat down.

"Ms. Solana. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." The tall Asian woman smiled and held her hand out.

I politely shook it. "You as well. Might I add that you're gorgeous."

Which behind my fake smile, I was telling the truth. Ami Suzuki. She has beautiful skin and high cheekbones with her dark straight her complementing it.

Her father was behind the tech of Tobias' computer company. She was around my age and I've seen her a lot in the tabloids. She was scandalous and seen with a new 'beau' every week.

"You too Ms. Suzuki." I smiled.

I glanced around the round table seeing the older men stare at their menus.

"When I saw that you two were engaged, I thought, how did Tobias pull her? She's way out of his league." Ami chuckled.

The table erupted in laughter and I smiled.

"So how did you guys meet?" An older man questioned. "I'm Mr. Dean by the way. I am the financial executive."

"Uh." Tobias nervously chuckled.

"At a luncheon that my father threw for his company. I introduced myself and knew that he was the one." I smiled.

The table mumbled their "awes". If only they knew the real us and how much of an asshole Tobias was. I looked over towards him and he nodded.

Soon. Everyone's phone went off and we immediately pulled it out. I gasped at the titles' name: "Kaelyn Solana. Did she go missing or was she paid to go?"

I silently read over the article while shaking my head.

Wife and model, Kaelyn Solana disappeared ten years ago. But was she endangered or did she leave because of a couple of millions? Did money outweigh her love for her kids?

I felt everyone's eyes dart towards me.

"Athena." Tobias touched my arm.

"No, don't touch me." I stood up and hurried towards the bathroom.

Tobias ended up calling the dinner short. We were in his black Maserati on the way back to his penthouse.

"I'm sorry about that," Tobias said while looking towards me.

"It's the life of a Solana. Your mom goes missing and the tabloids made it their mission to release any story on that topic."

"They're just looking for something to talk about." Tobias shook his head. "The fucking press, a bunch of assholes."

I remained quiet. Was he starting a conversation with me? His phone lit up and I glanced at it. He had a text from 'Lauren.' It had a bunch of kissy faces on the screen.

Hm, must be his girlfriend. Lauren. But who is Lauren? My mind was off the topic of my mother and more focused on who this girl was.

Lauren Gayly? Lauren Fred? I gasped before realizing who.

"Everything okay?" Tobia questioned while turning off his phone. I nodded before looking away.

Lauren James. My day one is enemy.