Chapter Five

Màu nền
Font chữ
Font size
Chiều cao dòng

Reina stared up at her father's building. Philanthropy. It always seemed bigger than it was. Tall and slender, with a graceful outline, it always shone proudly out among the other bleak ones. Jackson Daniels liked the glass architecture, it gave a more cheery look he always said. She briefly wondered why attraction was so important in a building style when you have a name to support you, then brushed it aside when she saw Samuel. Attractive or not, this was her home, and she liked it.

"Samuel!" The window rolled down as she waved wildly. "Sam, I'm coming home!"

Her father pulled her back in the car. "We're still moving, Re-re," he gently reprimanded. She flushed, mumbling an apology before half hanging out the window again to tell her friend about the school and Daniels.

"I'll be home-schooled now!" She finished excitedly. "And I'll be able to help you and father with work! Learn how to run the company!"

Samuel stared at her, a rock of dread slowly forming in his gut. "That's excellent, Miss Reina," He cleared his throat, smiling at the cheerful girl.

Daniels leaned across her to open the door as they stopped in front of the building. She slid out, kissing her father on the cheek and expressing her thanks. Hopping down, she ran forwards and tackled Samuel in a hug. "I'm so happy," She said, voice muffled. "I hated that school."

The large man nodded, placing a gentle hand on her head and tugging her away. "Let's get your bags. You have a special friend visiting you."

Reina looked up hopefully but finding no hint in his dark eyes. "Daddy who's here?" She called, turning to her father just stepping out of the vehicle.

His face twitched into a smile, raising his eyebrows. "Someone." Reina scowled, running around the back and pulling open the passenger doors. Grabbing the handle of one of her bags, she yanked it out and tossed it to the curb.

"Reina, be careful!" Her father cautioned, stepping over and taking the bag from her small hands. "These are expensive."

She scoffed, looking up at him with mismatched eyes. "You can always get more. I want to see who's here!"

He shook his head. "Mr. Cullens, please get my unruly daughters' bags for her. She has someone important to see."

Samuel stepped forwards, smiling widely. "Yes, sir," his deep, accented voice was cheerful. "Have fun, Miss Reina."

Reina grabbed her father's hand and pulled him towards the glass entrance, waving at Samuel. "Dad hurry up!" She insisted, pushing through the spinning silver doors. "Who's here?" Jackson gripped her hand tighter, quickly scanning the large, open room around them. White and sliver walls stretched up, intertwined with glass structures. Windows lined the room, sending sunlight streaming to glass chandeliers handing from a glass ceiling. Silver glass staircases led to a second and third floor, and a small water fountain bubbled in the corner.

"Kahlo!" Reinas' shriek broke through his thoughts. The small hand slipped away from his; Reina dashing forwards and slamming into a girl running just as fast as she.

"Rainy!" The black girl screeched equally as loudly, tightly braided hair clicking as the beads hit each other.

Jackson winced, rubbing the side of his head as the two girls chattered loudly, examining each other's clothing and hair, then high-fiving and completing a small dance to go with the slapping. He glanced over, seeing Samuel handing off the few bags and instructing a worker to bring them to their apartment.

"Bringing your daughter here certainly cheered her up much more, Mr. Cullens," Daniels observed, watching as the girls giggled, whispering and glancing in their father's direction. "She undoubtedly enjoys her company."

Samuel smiled, watching the children. Something tugged at him as he watched the mismatched girls tap at each other's feet in a game. A brief snatched of their conversation drifted over.

"I'm looking for unicorns!" The accented voice of Kahlo snickered.

"Silly, they aren't real!" Reina insisted, shaking her blond and black curls. Kahlo nodded, correcting her and adding she had a real unicorn horn to prove it. Reina sniffed, brushing it off as a narwhal. Kahlo insisted it wasn't and had proof. Reina then wanted to see it, and both girls were examining Kahlo's pictures on her pink and green, glitter-covered phone.

Jackson smiled, watching his daughter. She sparked with something odd, something her mother had and he could never imitate. The graceful form of Elaine danced before his eyes, his mind going back to that night. Her mismatched eyes sparkling up at him, the graceful way she moved. For a moment, he let himself remember her. Her smile, odd hair, and eyes. The cheerful ways she joked, harmless pranks and ever-loving coffee addiction. They both shared a cup every morning, a joke or two, the married couple kiss before he was off to work and she was down at the studio.

Then it all shattered. He still saw the broken look in her eyes, terrified as she stared up at him, photos and clips spread around her like a bloody crime scene.

Which it was.

Children and adults, every age, kind and gender, each one with an unnatural ability, each one haven taken a trip down to his basement and never returning, the scientists completing their work and creating weapons. She has sobbed, screamed and cursed him, then left her ring on the table and left. He had stood there, staring at the silver diamonds for hours, then slowly picked up each paper clipping and piled them in the fire.

And got back to work.

"Dad Kahlo isn't listening! I told her unicorns aren't real so now she's photo-shopping a horn to a horse and saying they are!"

"I am not! It's one hundred percent real, you just can't believe facts!"

"Facts say that horses cannot have horns!"

"Says who?"

"Facts!"

"Facts are false! See it says right here."

"You got these off a mythical site these are fake!"

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

Jackson looked up, distracted from his thoughts. "Girls, unicorns-"

"Are-"

"Not-"

"Real!" Both girls finished that word together, looked at each other and burst out laughing, snorting with merriment at their argument.

Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: Truyen2U.Pro