Life All Over Again.

Chapter V | Running Underwater.

E L O U I S E ' s P . O . V .

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A week had trotted since the family brunch. Although it had not commenced favourably, it did not end as horrible as I was anticipating. There was no drama and everyone seemed to have gotten along pretty well, but I am not so sure if that could be accounted to everyone being on their best behaviour ( even if it had to be forced ) or if it was because everyone kept to their cliques.

I had to say, that past week alone had been something else compared to the ordinary. Considering I always managed to easily blink through what I thought were seven short days, I had weighed my heavy doubts upon Adonis and Lukas when they had proposed the biggest project of our contract so soon. I thought of them as unreasonable, hard - headed, impossible men who were hastening plans, but I was dumbfounded when all said activities were an easy success. It was just one of the many reminders of how they were in charge and how I was just a newbie learning how everything functioned at a completely different pace in their Kosmos world.

Lukas had rung me to apologise and ask that I forget the person he had painted out his brother to be. He claimed that he had reached extreme levels and could not handle his annoyance any longer thus it managed to get the best of him. It was all understandable. He had gotten disposable time to think through his actions like how I had gotten my own to think through my concerns, but he did not spare me a single chance to utter a word, interrupting me every time I wanted to express how I felt. All he permitted was I hum in agreement, but that was something I grasped after hours of being defiant. It reminded me so much of his father. Maybe just like Adonis he did not want to send me into an overdrive - panicky mode. The thought of it was incredibly sweet, but the last thing it did was alleviate how I had been feeling. Not even the tiniest of bits. It was just outright suspicious.

That takes us to the next big thing.

Josephine and I had thoroughly moved out of the only true home we ever knew - our cosy apartment - and were really just trying to familiarise with the lavish lifestyle at Leonidas' pad. It was not anything compared to Adonis' manor, but it was still overwhelmingly brilliant. It was a smart house ; open concept with the high ceilings, marble floors and glass. I had never imagined myself as a homebody if I was ever to become a breathing dollar sign, but with an enhanced kitchen with soft touch cabinets, a fridge that's see - through and can make five different types of ice, a wine cooler, and an island big enough to be its own island ; living rooms with the huge 4K televisions, genuine leather couches, and lush indoor plants ; bathrooms with the bidets and in built speakers ; ample bedrooms with the heavenly, Egyptian cotton sheets, it was no doubt for me. Everything was lovely but dull. Leonidas' house was filled with the neutrals. His foyer was grey, the kitchen, pantry, living room, bedrooms, bathrooms, and so was the bloody exterior ! Heck, everything was so grey. Grey with a touch of either black or white. The colour scheme was certainly something to get a lot of getting used to.

Another thing which should not come off as much of a surprise was that Leonidas and I had resumed being non - existent to each other only becoming apparent to each other when Josephine forced it upon us mostly during meals. It proved awkward at the start, but as time passed it became bearable as we established common ground. It was not a surprise the role Josephine expected from Leonidas, but it was much of a surprise how easily he had adapted to the paternal role. We picked up conversations about Josephine ranging from how her day was to what she would have done to what she would be looking forward to doing. Honestly it was the nitty gritty, but thankfully that diversified later to the remodelling of the house's interior. He was not too eager about that topic at first, but I knew how to play my cards well that after just days of persuasion led by Josephine he had surrendered, giving in. It made me think back to the family brunch ... I am sure Lukas had given his might to encourage his brother not to turn up looking as interesting as he did, but his stubbornness was something that required ungodly patience. Leonidas' house from the front could be mistaken for a double story, but from the back it was a triple story. He inhabited the basement level of the house which he commanded I should not give a make - over to neither was it inbounds for Josephine and I. Yes, that was a very unusual request from him, but I deferred it. Whatever my daughter and I did not need to know could not possibly kill us, so I was beyond satisfied.