In another world, another time

Reality, don't come knocking....

The errant whisper of the wind behind him and the jingle of the keys in his hand, the only sounds that accompanied the thoughts running through his mind. How he had been standing in front of that door for the last five minutes, almost helpless, to find the strength to step inside.

Continue the farce?

End the pretense?

Break a heart?

Mend a heart?

Which way to go?

He couldn't possibly stand there any longer than he already have,, staring at the wooden panels, not so much trying to garner the courage to go in. Rather.... questioning himself on how the only thing that wanted him to walk through that door had nothing to do with the emotions he so had hoped he could still feel but he seemed to no longer be in existence.

His hands wrapped around the doorknob twisting it open, and he heard the melodic laughter of his child, Will, reach his ears, strengthening the resolve his being had been attempting to solidify on the car ride over.

His hand slowly extended out to hold the handle of that door, twisting it. It might have been fate or mere coincidence that it was his child's melodic laughter that greeted him when he did, pushing him forward. To what he did not know. But he knew, that the path would be something different, blessed even. All he had to do was decide...

"Are you even listening to me?"

"I'm trying hard not to."

"Dad, you were the one who called for the projections."

"I already finished reading them five minutes ago Liam. If you would look up from your papers instead of peering down at them like you're back in a high school classroom, being all shy, you would have seen that."

At this Liam did just that, looked up Bill, embarrassment apparent in his face. For all he had grown, he was still nothing but a young child trying to please a father who, despite the questioning of his personal choices at times, was already proud of him.

"What you need to do now is increase the portfolio for the current clients we hold in that sector, get them to either invest more, gain equity in the online section before we launch it, keep them interested."

"I know, I know, you don't have to tell me again."

"I shouldn't even have to say it again," Bill snapped, becoming slightly irritated.

"You okay dad?" Liam asked, recognizing the bite of his comment to be different than normal.

"Yes."

The one worded answer had Liam raising his eyebrow further, clearly not believing him. Liam gathered up his tablet, knowing that in his current mood, further conversation would only be pointless.

As he was about to leave, Liam turned around, asking

"So you made Steffy the CEO?"

He should have known it was too much to ask that he let this go.

"I did."

"And you didn't even warn me at least. Why?"

"Because I do not run this business on the basis of emotion, though it may seem like that at times, I am in the end, always looking to further expand and solidify the Spencer brand on the world."

"And Steffy being CEO is a part of this how?"

"That, unfortunately, is classified information, contracts can be so annoying. All you need to know is that it all adds up."