Lightning Strike (Billionaire Boys Club #3) | ongoing

Chapter 24

Madden:

"You look like a marshmallow." I inform my sister from her doorway as I lean against the frame of it, my black tux on, the blazer slung over my shoulder, with the sleeves of my white shirt rolled up to my elbows.

"Shut up. It's cute." She looks over herself in the mirror, at the white dress she's wearing, the fabric of the skirt of it poofing out some with a sort of layered fabric. Tulle, I think it is. If my memories of her constant ramblings of clothing serve me well.

"Is it?" I walk into the room and step closer to her, lifting my hand to mess up her hair but she ducks away just in time.

"Don't you dare." She warns and I raise my hands in surrender.

She huffs, walking over to her bedside table to pick up her phone. "Is everyone ready yet?"

"I don't know. I haven't checked."

"What time are we supposed to leave?"

"Ph̀x said six." I answer. (Dad)

"It's five, forty-e-"

"Rosalie, have you-?" My mother comes through the door, dressed in a dark green gown, with her hair pushed past her shoulders to flow down her back in order for her gold earrings to show. "Oh, Madden."

"Mæ̀." I nod.

"What are you doing here?"

"Am I not allowed to be in my sister's room?"

She rolls her eyes and comes further in, looks to Rosie, inspecting her.

"What's wrong with it?" My sister asks.

My mother frowns. "Wear different shoes."

"I like these shoes." She tells her whilst my mother looks down at the white heels that each have a strap wrapping around Rosie's ankles. "They go perfectly well with it."

"You can't wear an all white outfit. You're not getting married."

"I'm not. My coat is red."

"And when you take your coat off?"

"So what? It's pretty."

My mom sighs.

"Just let her wear what she wants." I say. "She likes it and she looks nice."

"What happened to me looking like a marshmallow?" Rosie asks.

"A nice marshmallow." I amend.

"Aw." She links her arm with mine once her coat is over her other arm and her bag is in her hand. "What a sweet brother." I mimic her while she leads us out of her room. "Come on, mother!"

"You two are impossible." I hear her scold behind us.

"She does everything else you tell her to." I comment as we descend the stairs. "You can't let her choose her own shoes?"

"Thank you." Rosie exclaims.

"We should be grateful that she's even awake. With the way you run her like a machine, if we weren't attending tonight, I'm sure she'd be fast asleep by now."

"Whatever I have her do is necessary, Madden."

"More necessary than having a healthy day-to-day life?"

"She's perfectly fine."

"According to who?" I counter as we turn around to face her, all of us now stood in the middle of the foyer, waiting for the arrival of my father and Evan.

"Please, don't start with me, Madden. Rosalie knows her duties. Knows her goals."

"Hers or yours? Because I don't think her goals include getting three hours of sleep at night at the age of sixteen."

"If she were sufficient enough, she could complete all that she needs to by a reasonable time. Her lack of productivity is not my fault."

I feel my sister stiffen.

"You have her out doing extracurriculars until seven, then you have her taking tutors until ten that give her piles of work on top of the load she already gets at school. On the weekends, instead of going out with her friends like a normal teenager, she's stuck in this house with a stack of papers or doing more activities. Do you seriously have no concern for her limits?"

"K̆ phxlæ̂w." (That's enough) "C̄hạn mị̀ t̂xngkār phūd t̄hụng reụ̄̀xng nī̂ xīk t̀x pị." (I want no more talk of this) "Look at her. She is fine, isn't she? Now, let's leave this here and I want you two to be on your best behaviour tonight." She dismisses the issue and tells us like we're fucking five. As if we haven't been attending events just like this one for years. She wasn't even the one to teach us things like etiquette or networking with the right people. That job was handed off to staff and nannies who showed us more warmth and guidance than she or my father ever did.

Rosie squeezes my arm and I glance down at her. She gives me an expression of gratitude but also one that tells me to leave it and agree with her.

I have to bite my tongue in order to abandon the things I want to say.

My father comes down the stairs then, my little brother not too far behind accompanied by a maid.

"Is everyone ready?" My dad asks no one in particular.

"Yes." Mæ̀ answers.

"Good. Let's go." And just like that, he walks out of the door that is opened for him.

"Evander, hurry up." She urges  him and he quickens his pace, catching up to us. Rosie grabs his hand and we follow our parents to the awaiting car.

Once everyone is seated in the limo, my siblings and I on one side and my parents on the other, the engine starts and we're off.

My father takes out his phone and begins to take care of more business, my mother folds her hands in her lap and periodically speaks to him about trivial shit, my sister stares out of the window in silence, my brother does the same only swapping the view for his shoes and I rest my head back onto the headrest, preparing myself for a night of wanting to hit it against a fucking wall.

What a family we are.

Once we're about twenty minutes into the drive, my father addresses me.

"Madden."

"Yes." I reply, adjusting my head to face him.

He's not a particularly old man, coming into the end of his late forties, but his near permanent frown and narrowed eyes has aged him some. His hair has yet to start graying and with his tailored suit, discounting his usual scornful expression, he seems like what he will, and always does, pretend to be once we pass the threshold, which is an approachable, family loving businessman.

An excellent liar, my father.

"There is someone that goes to your school coming tonight who's family I want to do business with. When we arrive there, we'll be seated at their table. I want you to befriend them from here on out."

"Why? You're doing business with them, not me nor the person you want me to make friends with."

"You will be involved in the business soon enough. You need to learn these things now. I will not take no for an answer."

Does he ever?

At least I know where I get it from.

"Are you going to tell me who this person is?" I quirk a brow but before he can answer, the car stops.

He gestures to the door that is already being opened by our driver.

"You can find out now for yourself."