Phoenix "Nix" Greer has only been an appraiser's apprentice for 2 weeks. She gets invited by her boss to attend a gala for a museum that is revealing their newest addition. While there, she meets an extremely handsome man, who says he and his associ...
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~ I look around at all of them again before settling back to the head of the table. "Uhm. I'm Phoenix. Just call me Nix. Now, can you tell me why I'm here?"~
Chan's smile falls, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck nervously. "Ah yes, that's a little complicated. You know that Phoenix statue the museum revealed last night?"
"...yeah...?" I draw out, curious why that would have anything to do with why I am here.
"Well, we were hired to... take it off their hands, so to speak. By someone related to the original owner." He paused.
"Okay...?" I feel like he's dragging this out on purpose. I'm still confused though.
"You see, that statue belonged to our boss. He always said it was his most prized possession. It was never supposed to be given to the museum. It was supposed to go to his family. We were tasked with getting it back, to return it to whom it belongs."
"Oh wow, that's fascinating. Although, not to be rude, that doesn't explain why I'm here." I was starting to get frustrated, none of it makes sense.
Seungmin rolls his eyes while IN sighs. Felix is worrying at his lip and Han is picking at his nails. Changbin and Hyunjin are looking down at the table, while Lee Know is just staring at me with a calculating expression.
Chan clears his throat, "Nix." He starts. Calling me by my name and not 'birdie'. I straighten up, pulling my gaze away from the cat. "Our boss, the original owner of the phoenix, was your grandfather."
"My grandfather? That's impossible. All my grandparents are gone. They have been since I was little." I tilted my head in confusion.
"Yes, now they are, as of last year..." Chan bites his lip. "Your grandfather, not to sound cliché but he, saved our lives. We.." He stops short looking at all the others, who seem to give some sort of consent as he continues. "We are all orphans. We never knew our parents. Fifteen years ago we left the orphanage. We couldn't handle being there any longer, so we left. IN was only nine at that time. We were barely surviving. That's when your grandfather found us. Hyunjin and Seungmin were caught breaking into a convenience store so we could get some sort of food. When the police showed up, your grandfather happened to be nearby and told the cop that they were his grandkids. They were only given a warning. When he saw where we were holed up in a small, abandoned shack he offered to come and stay with him. He clothed us, fed us, and raised us. He would tell us stories about how he used to be part of a small group of thieves that would only steal items to return them to their rightful owners. That was when he was still in the States. Unfortunately, for you and your family, he had to leave the country due to a rival group releasing their true names to the public. So, he fled to Seoul joining their unit out there, until he retired. He taught us everything we know and was more like a father to us than a boss." Chan took a deep breath letting everyone take a break from the information he just shared.
