~+A week later: Velvet Agency+~

Torm stood in front of the agency who had reached out to him so many times. He hadn't really notice before, but Velvet Agency is a top tier model agency in cooperation with a famous company called Blue Company.

He did some light research on them before deciding to come back to take the job again. Apparently, they also rival against the so-called Red Company. Both companies rivaled very hard for the number one spot in the top five companies in many popular magazines. Last year, the Red side had won again for the second time in a row.

"Torm?"

The teen looks forward catching the gaze of a surprise manager to one of the models he used to work with. "Miss Madrina," He says with a nod of his head. "Good morning."

"Good morning to you as well. What brings you back to our area? Are you coming back to work with us again?" Madrina is one of the nice mangers he had the pleasure of knowing. She even subbed in once for his manager when they were sick.

"Maybe if the contract is up to standards with what I want," Torm tells her as they walk together into the building.

She looks thoughtful, "Because you're still in school?"

"Yeah... If the boss will allow me a balance of time for my school then I am more than willing to work again here." He really wanted to be able to make money, not just for himself, but for his Dad and little brother.

Madrina leads him up to the front desk with a smile with a knowing look on her face. They meet with the receptionist at the desk.

"Kat, ring up the boss and tell him we have a special guest who would like to meet with him as soon as possible."

The receptionist, with her brown hair tied in a messy bun and inspirational buttons pinned to her vest, looks up from her computer. At the sight of Madrina and Torm, she smiles with understanding. It would seem a gem has come back to their company.

"Right away Miss Madrina."

Torm greets her while she does so. "Good morning to you as well Katherine." The young woman merely gives him a playful, childish smile in return.

"Yes, sorry to bother you, Mr. Stefano. You have a guest." She says into her headset talking to her boss. There was a pause as she listens to him before answering, "A returning gem would like to see you."

There was another moment of pause before Katherine looks back at Madrina and storm with a smile. "Mr. Stefano will see you now Torm."

"Thanks, Katherine. I'll bring you a drink after I get my first paycheck like last time." Torm says waving as he walks with Madrina to the elevator.

"I want strawberries and cream!"

Torm rolls his eyes with a small curve on his lips. His one tolerable female friend never changes and he hopes she'll continue to stay that way.

Madrina and Torm board the glass elevator and make their way upon it. Some people recognized him and gave a wave on his way up to meet his boss.

At the ding of getting their floor, Torm and Madrina got off and entered a large office filled with posters of highly recognized models and top award winning trophies.

Seated at the large black marble desk is none other than Stefano Maldini. The man running the Velvet Modeling Agency, VMA for short.

He's dressed in his usual pinstriped suit with black, leather classic shoes. He stands up from his seat and round his desk to greet them.

"Mr. Thompson, it's good to have you back!" Truly beaming with joy in the man's tone. "Please tell me you've come to answer our letters. We'd love to have you working for us again."

Torm raises his hand to stop the man. "Mr. Stefano, please. I already told you, you can call me Torm. Mr. Thompson is my Dad."

The boss smiles and shakes his head, "Of course, forgive me." He pats the teen on the shoulder. "But do tell what brings you back?"

"Well, I did come back to work if my conditions are met with," Torm says as he follows Stefano to the couches parallel to each other with a low table between them. Madrina going over to the drink table to brew them some tea. "You see with my school, I need to focus on my studies and I need time for my family."

"I understand my dear boy. We have models just like you here who also have those conditions as well. Some of the college students we have in our field also request for extra time to do their own studies as well." Stefano can be an understanding man to all his workers, but he will not tolerate it when people speak ill of them. The boss can be very scary, but not as scary as his Dad from Torm's own experience.

Stefano clears his throat as Madrina comes back with their tea. She sets it on the table and leaves them be to go to her own desk to start her own work for the day.

"Is there any other condition you wish to add Torm?" Stefano asks.

"I can work a little more during my summers but I still want time to spend with my Dad and little brother," Torm states leaning back in his seat. He doesn't mind working more during the summer when school's not in session. Although nothing can take away family time.

Stefano smiles and nods his head, "Understood. Give me a day or two to write up the contract. Then you can come to review it and sign when you think everything is in order like last time."

"Thank you, Mr. Stefano."

"One more thing," Stefano says stopping Torm as he gets up from his seat. "By any chance, do you have any experience in acting?"

Torm tilts his head with a confused expression as to why his boss is asking. "I mean I do take a theater class in school if that counts. I've also done a few plays when the main actor falls ill or breaks a bone. Why?"

Stefano looks like he hit the jackpot when Torm tells him he does have some experience. "There's this show I've been tasked to find an actor for within our department. I was hoping you'd take the role before casting was closed off. I think the role would suit you perfectly"

"What role would I be playing exactly?"

Stefano reaches for one of the closed posters laying to his right and unrolls it open. "The show's called 'Into the Underworld'. The role you'd be playing is the eldest Demon Prince, Storm Lawfell."

"The point of the story?" Torm asks as he takes a seat again back on the couch to listen. He seems interested to hear more.

"By accident, a mortal girl has fallen into the underworld. She's still alive in fact, but the demons don't know what to do with her. So they take her to the castle to be dealt with by the Royal Family." Stefano grins. "Get this, she learns the king has left the kingdom so their eldest son is suppose to take over. But he hasn't even had his coronation yet to be fully grants the title of power. So in desperate attempts, the girl makes a deal with the Prince."

"The deal being?"

"The girl has until the Eldest Prince's coronation to befriend him into not killing her. Instead, if she succeeds, the prince will help her return back to the surface where the humans live." Stefano himself is a fan of this show work. He read over the temporary scrip they had yet to revise and it stood out as something interesting.

Even the Blue Industry heads agreed that the show seemed catchy enough to possibly bet on to beat the Red Company this year with.

"Interesting," Torm rubs at his chin as he inspects the unfinished poster.

"If you accept them we can get some photos of you in character to add on the posters. Some characters haven't been filled yet since they want to make the show as realistic as possible."

"Hm? Who's missing?"

The boss points to two of the empty sections in the actor slots list on the poster. "Ideally the Queen and the second Prince who are essential to the royal family in the demon kingdom. From what I can tell they play important roles in the making of Prince Storm Lawfell's character."

Torm looks at some other spots that aren't filled and sees the King's slot still open. "The King isn't filled either."

"The director said the King slot can be filled any time later since they won't use his character in the beginning. They're more focused on the rest of the roles needed for the beginning of the series."

Torm stands up and picks up the script Stefano had placed on the table after pulling the poster away. "Seems interesting enough. Would you mind if I take this with me to read and practice with?"

"Not at all! When I get the final script, I'll send a copy your way."

With that, Torm finally left his boss's office to make his way back home and tell his Dad the news. He even started to sidetrack thinking about what he could spoil his brother and Dad with once he got his first paycheck too.

Tom, at home, feels a shiver run up his spine. He looks behind him to see Tomi, as usual, watching tv in the living room while coloring again. Mentally he thanks whatever being is out there that Tomi remains unselfish and good after all this time.

Back to the agency, in the boss's office, Stefano comes across something laying in Torm's seat just before he left.

He picks it up between his middle and index finger before scanning over the piece of paper.

To his surprise, it's Torm with two other people next to him. "Ah, this must be his family." The one far young looking must be Torm's little brother, the other one must be his Dad. "Adopted maybe?"

Torm wasn't all that similar, unlike the little brother, to the dad. Perhaps there is something similar to them Stefano hasn't noticed since he had yet to talk to Torm's Dad in person.

"Torm does seem strongly attached to his dad so there must be no doubt that is his parents." He looks at the photo again and counts the number of people in the photo. He blinks once.

A thought processing through his mind.

Then twice, as the idea clicks into place.

"Oh... Maybe this can work."

Stefano pulls out his phone as he begins walking over to his fax machine. He makes a call waiting for the person on the other end to pick up. Once they do, Stefano places the photo face down to scan.

"Hello?"

"Ah, Mr. Darmelle. This is Stefano Maldini speaking, it's about your show I wish to speak about."

"Yes, what about it?"

Stefano smiles as he presses the scan to the fax button to send the image to the director.

"I think I found you, three wonderful people, to act in your upcoming show."

~+Meanwhile: Red Company+~

"Tord! I told you so many times I'm not ready for that kind of thing!"

"I know and I respect that Emilia, really. It's just we're growing older every year for god's sake." Tord rubs the heel of his palms against his closed eyes.

He's been wishing to finally settle down with his fiancée Emilia and have kids with her. However, Emilia has been saying no for a while now every year Tord asks her. The man would only ask her once a year to give her space and not pressure her.

Emilia huffs and turns her back to her fiancé. "I'm heading out Tord, I'll be home later." She leaves his office with a slam of the doors behind her.

Tord groans and looks at the empty space his fiancé once stood. The two of them had been so well of since college but since the topic of marriage and starting a family were on the table, there was a shift. Maybe his fiancée was nervous is all.

There's a ding notifying him that his front desk receptionist is calling him. He leans back in his seat and presses the accept button.

"Yes, what is it Edd?"

"I just saw your fiancée leave the building. She didn't look to thrilled either." There was a lingering pause before Edd spoke again. "I guess you asked her again?"

"What else Edd? She's never thrilled when I bring about the topic every year. Heck, we've been engaged for five years and still nothing." Tord groans. He and his fiancée had never really gotten around to picking a wedding date since they were busy with their jobs.

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath and breaths out. "Am I doing something wrong?"

Edd, down on the first floor of the building, stays quiet. He wants to tell Tord off about how his friend Tom would have been better. Tell him he made a mistake of choosing that woman over someone who truly loved him. But he stayed silent for the sake of Tom who had thoroughly told him that Tord and he will have no more ties. They have nothing to do with each other anymore, he had lost all rights as the blondish brunet had said.

"Edd?"

"Hm?" Edd picks up his drink to take a sip.

Tord has opened a draw he had kept closed for a long time on his desk. He never opens it since when he first started the company. In his hand now is a faded picture of two men side by side leaning against each other.

"How do you think Thomas is doing?"

Edd almost chokes on his drink, instead, falling into a hacking fit to clear his throat.