better than winning

13 | blame

I hate it when Xander keeps some part of the story to himself. I mean it is annoying to not get the full picture, but every time he does it, I feel like he's carrying a burden, he shouldn't have to.

My head rotate around the same thoughts, Xander, Celine, Jameson, Grayson, basically everyone and everything.

"Avery, Nayla, we are here." Oren announces from the drivers seat. He's driving Ave and me to the Hawthorne Foundation, and replacing Mike for that job because he fired him.

Stepping into the building, you get greeted by photographs.

Hundreds and Hundreds of pictures, in different sizes, angles and formats. But all have something in common, they are all black-white. The photographs are from all around the world, showing all people smiling, crying, praying, and all that from various regions.

I turn my head to catch Avery completely amazed and caught up in the beauty of them. So distracted she didn't notice Grayson appearing.

Grayson doesn't make a sound and just looks at me blankly, I return the look for a moment before shifting my eyes to Avery again.

"Miss Grambs." At the sound of her name she shoots her head up, meeting eyes with Grayson. "I was told to meet here with Zara.", she explains.

"Zara won't come." Grayson steps closer to Avery and, thankfully, distances himself from me, "She thinks you two need a tour," I watch Averys posture become more comfortable. "For what ever reason, she thinks that this tour will come best received from me."

Avery just stares at him, half lost in thoughts. He is wearing the same suit he wore the first time I saw him. "Did you shoot these?" I remember the photographs in Tobias' office.

"My grandfather was convinced that you need to see the world in order to change it." He now takes his turn to scan me.

Invest. Cultivate. Create.

The words are burnt into my brain at the amount of times I heard the men in suits say it. They grew up like that. I started at eight but at what age did young Grayson had a camera in his hand? Snapping picture after picture, completely taken aback by the beauty of the world.

"Your aunt must have missed your tendency to throw threats around. I bet she didn't know about the research on my dead mother either. Otherwise she wouldn't have come to the conclusion that I would prefer to work with you.", Avery shoots at Grayson.

His jaw muscles twitch.

"Zara doesn't miss much. And as for the research..."

He turns his gaze to me, before he disappears behind the reception desk and reappears with four folders in his hands. He holds them out, two in each hand, for Avery and me.

She glares at him, and he raises an eyebrow. "Would you prefer that I keep the results of my research from you?" My eyebrows shoot up and I grab my folders.

noisy motherfucker

I open the upper one, full name, birthdate, friends, management, achievements, receipts and so much more. But most important:

Family: not found.

I raise my head and give him the 'i told you so' look, his jaw clenches just a little. I notice Avery, almost exploding in anger.

I shake my head in amusement and return to the folder, which is practically a memory book for me and has me feeling like the little kid turning the pages of her baby photo album.

I take the second folder out and open up, nothing. "A list of things you both purchased since you inherited. Things were bought for you two but," he pauses, "Nothing."