In Time | The Flash

Chapter One | Aspen

"A single dream is more powerful than a thousand realities."

- J.R.R. Tolkien

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CHAPTER ONE

>>> Aspen's P.O.V. <<<
>>> Eighteen Months Later <<<

"Ms. Penrose!" my assistant, Kepler, whispers as he walks beside me through the halls of the building. "Ms. Penrose, you've forgotten to sign over the building on Central Boulevard, again."

I take the paper from his hands as we continue moving, multitasking reading it and walking towards my office on the far end of the building. "Who said I was going to give up the Boulevard Building, Kepler?"

Kepler's sister, Halley, walks up to us, adding, "The bank is pushing for you to sell it back. It's not making any profit."

I take the file, tucking it under my arm, and flashing the twins a confident smile. "I'm not selling anything back. I have plans. Don't worry about a thing. Now, get back to the real work that doesn't have anything to do with those pricks at the bank, all right?"

The twins nod in sync, arguing amongst themselves as they leave for their adjoint office around the corner. I shake my head, opening the door to my little office. 

It's a humble space, but then again, everything about our facility is. Running a non-profit orginazation might be a thoughtful prospect, but even we have bills to pay and employees to sustain a living. But we do it for a righteous cause: helping innocent animals and people all around the state.

I take a seat in front of my small yet clean desk, quickly bringing up my schedule for the day. A knock on the door causes me to break my focus. "Come in."

Kepler opens the door slowly, peaking inside to whisper, "I'm sorry, Ms. Penrose. She insisted on waiting in my office until you got here."

"Who?"

"Aeri Sado."

I sigh, leaning back in my chair and waving her in. "Send her in."

Kepler smirks. "Should I call security, too?"

I shake my head with a grin. "Thank you, Kepler. That will be all."

A woman with short and tasteful ebony hair and a stern look comes through the door. She wears her usual white pantsuit, a simple string of diamonds around her neck and on her ears. Her eyes are cold and dark. Her smiles never reach her eyes; I always thought that was because she feared wrinkles. She would've been a beautiful middle-aged Korean woman if I hadn't know what a horrible person she truly was.

"Lovely office," she comments, her accent slipping through, holding her white briefcase in one hand to her side while using the other to motion around the room. "Why are you late today? You're usually very punctual, Aspen, and it's an hour past your clock-in."

"Well, since I own the business in which I work, I figured I could take an extra hour to offer a hot meal and a coffee to a homeless woman and her loyal dog which I passed today on the way to work. But you wouldn't know anything of that because that would mean money out of your pocket. That would mean you'd have to be kind to someone other than yourself."

My harsh words do nothing to Aerie Sado. She doesn't even look away from the photos along my office walls. I have several of my daughter, Persephone; my sister, Trillium; one or two of my dad, Cian Penrose; and many of my former loves, Vlad Spencer and Glory Northern. There isn't a single one of Aerie Sado, and for good reason. "You know how I feel about the panhandlers. Vagrancy and panhandling will not be tolerated in Central City."