MIMI

"What is it?"

"Glory Trade Corporation, their numbers have risen considerably in the past few months," Kenji said sternly.

Sitting at his desk with a cold expression, Henry Hirogori looks up from the doc.u.ments on his desk, his eyes indifferent and emotionless.

"Stop speaking with suspense and get to the point." He snapped irritably.

Nodding his head, Kenji looks sternly at his father with deep eyes.

"For the past year, I"ve been examining Tobias Itou"s work methods and profits. However, just recently his numbers have abnormally raised even higher. I"m suspicious he may have hired an expert or used other means to increase his numbers." Kenji explained with a vacant expression.

Intently listening to his son"s words, Henry Hirogori"s eyes darken.

"You"re right. Although Tobias is an exceptional businessman, I find his numbers don"t match up to his usual even for that lucky b.a.s.t.a.r.d."

Henry Hirogori"s voice was cold with contempt, a wide cruel sneer spread across his lips.

"But even so, his matters shouldn"t concern you. As someone taking over the business, you"ll never amount to anything if you focus too much on those around you. Focus on your company and only your company. I expect by the end of the week for you to raise your profits by twenty percent."

Tightly gripping his hands into fists, Kenji nods his head in agreement.

"Yes."

"Good. Now you"re dismissed." Henry Hirogori waved his hand indicating for him to leave.

Nodding his head once more, Kenji turns to leave his father"s office, however, abruptly stops after hearing his father"s following words.

"I suggest focussing more on the company, and that you break ties with that girl of yours. A Hirogori doesn"t need such useless people by their side. They"ll only slow you down." Henry Hirogori"s eyes narrow, a dark glint flashing within them.

"Father..." Kenji turns around to refute.

Henry Hirogori"s eyes gleamed dimly. "Dare to talk back? It seems like you still don"t know your place."

"Don"t forget, the company isn"t yours completely. You"re only being tested. While I still live and breathe, the company will always be mine. You"re merely a p.a.w.n, do you understand? So while I"m still here, you will follow my orders. This family has no room for weaklings."

Lowering his head, the young man"s hands clench tightly, his eyes slowly becoming empty.

"Yes."

"Leave. And don"t forget to cut ties from that woman."

Without saying anything else, Kenji silently leaves his father"s office – his expression dull.

Left alone in his office, Henry Hirogori continues to read the doc.u.ments on his desk.

That son of his, he had to make sure to quickly mold and improve him even further. He couldn"t allow that son of his to turn soft just because of a woman.

He couldn"t allow him to turn out just like Emily who betrayed them all just for a piece of sc.u.m.

Suddenly, the image of a pet.i.te girl with vivid purple eyes dressed in a royal blue dress flashed in his mind.

That girl as well...she was possibly the biggest disappointment.

She was too weak. Too useless, a waste to the Hirogori family.

Nothing but utter-trash that had no place there. Her entire existence was a nuisance. As he always says, the Hirogori"s didn"t need weaklings.

It had been eight years already since she ran away.

Henry Hirogori, from the beginning, had long a.s.sumed for Mimi to be dead or possibly living in the slums.

To him, she was weak and a meaningless existence.

Never would he had thought his so-called "useless" daughter was closer to him than he ever thought.

...

"Grace, thirds please!"

"What am I your servant? Get your own food." The old woman bitterly said while collecting Mimi"s plate.

"But Grace, it"s been so long since I"ve enjoyed a homemade meal! It"s truly better than those instant noodles I always eat." Mimi flashed the old woman a pitiful gaze.

Frowning toward Mimi"s words, Grace sighs gently while heading back toward the kitchen.

In less than a minute, Grace walks back out with Mimi"s third plate of food.

"Here. Honestly, girl, you should eat healthier. Don"t you have your parents to cook for you?"

"Grace..." The sound of an old man"s voice could be heard in the living room. "Leave the girl alone."

"Oh hush, Glen! I was merely asking an ordinary question." Grace argued back.

"A nosy one." Glen, an old man also known as Grace"s husband muttered.

"I heard that!" Grace huffed fiercely.

Furrowing her silver brows, Grace looks down to see the teenage girl digging through the plate of food with a blissful expression. A faint smile forms on the old woman"s lips.

"Listen here girl, if you"re ever feeling like eating a home cooked meal you can stop by any time you want," Grace said softly.

Looking up from her plate to stare at the old woman with her large purple eyes, Mimi smiles brightly, her head nodding rapidly.

"I"ll hold you to that offer!" Mimi giggles.

Grace"s eyes soften, a gentle smile on her face. Her wrinkled hand reaching out to gently touch the girl on the head.

"Now eat up so we can see how Glen and your brother are doing."

"En!" Mimi nods her head before digging back into her food.

For the next few minutes, both Mimi and Grace chat while Mimi eats her dish - occasionally asking for more time to time and using the excuse that she hadn"t eaten food so good in years.

Basically, she was using the pity card to receive free food from the old woman.

The two, currently in the middle of a conversation are suddenly interrupted by the loud sound of a young man"s voice.

"Ah, what the h.e.l.l?! How are you so good for an old man?"

Holding a hand up to her rosy lips, Mimi stifles a giggle while looking at Grace playfully.

"It looks like Alec lost again."

Gently shaking her head with a sigh, Grace stands up from her chair to walk into the apartment living room.

Mimi, having nothing else to do since the food was all gone, followed the old woman with a bubbly expression.

Upon entering the living room, both found Mimi"s brother Alec and Grace"s husband Glen playing a round of chess.

From the look of despair and gloomy clouds hovering over Alec"s head, it was clear he lost.

"To think I studied five painful years of chess only to lose to an old man..." Alec pitifully cried.

"Haha, you really shouldn"t judge a person based on their age." Glen chuckles, his crinkled blue eyes sparkling.

"After all, look at your sister. She"s a fine young girl who may appear delicate but is remarkably strong and extremely intelligent." Glen turns to looks at Mimi with a pleasant grin.

Mimi, in return, looks at the old man with an amused smirk. Alec, on the other hand, seeing the two"s grinning interactions frowns irritably.

Please! More like she looks all small and innocent but is really a s.a.d.i.s.tic devil with the appet.i.te of a whale!

"He"s right, Alec. I thought after knowing me you"d have known better." Mimi sighed helplessly.

What?!

Why did this suddenly feel like he was being blamed for not realizing how insane his sister was when he first met her?

How could anyone expect it?

Defeated, Alec sighs with his head lowered.

Everyone upon witnessing Alec"s reaction smiles, stifling their amused giggles.