Taming the Devil's Heiress

2 - Down to Business

"Hi! Do you want some cupcakes?" I heard a voice behind me while I was looking at the dessert table. I turned around to see a boy who was grinning from ear to ear. I can see he has a few missing teeth.

He took a plate and started putting cupcakes on it. He also got a doughnut and chocolate bars. That's a lot of sweets. My mum told me not to eat too many sweets. She said it's bad for my teeth. Now I know that she was right!

"Are you going to eat all of that?" I asked him. His cheeks turned pink. Did I say something wrong?

"No...These are for you," he said.

"But I can't eat all of those." I frowned. "My mum will be angry. She's scary when she's angry." I told him, thinking about my mum's scowling face. Scary. Even Dad is scared of her sometimes.

"Is she here?" the boy asked while looking around.

"No. She has to take care of Dmitri." Oh. Why did I tell him that? That's my baby brother. Dad told me not to talk to strangers and that things about our family should be kept a secret.

But where did he go? I looked around but there were too many people. I couldn't see him anywhere.

"What's wrong?" the boy asked.

"I shouldn't talk to you. You're a stranger." I frowned.

"My name is Sebastian! You can call me Seb!" he grinned. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Mine is Elinor Settara..." I answered. "Mum calls me honey."

"Honey? I'm gonna call you Sett! It sounds like my name."

"No one calls me that!" I tried to argue but he just shrugged. I just let him because this might be the last time we see each other.

We rode a plane to get here. We will go home later and it's far from here. But where is Dad? I looked around again.

"Why do you look sad?" he asked.

"I can't find my Dad."

"C'mon, let's look for him!" he smiled. He offered me his hand but I just stared at it.

"What? I'm not a stranger now! You know my name." he grinned.

I pouted, but in the end, I reached out to hold his hand. We walked around the place, looking for my father.

"Honey? Where have you been?"

"Daddy!" I squealed when I heard my Dad's voice. There he is! He found me!

"Look! I met a new friend! His name is Seb." I pointed at him.

"Hello Uncle." he waved. I pouted. Why does he call him Uncle?

"Hi, Seb. Where's your Dad?" Dad asked.

"You know him, Daddy?" I asked him confusedly.

"Yes, but you need to say goodbye now. We need to get back to our table. We'll be going home soon."

"Oh, that's sad." I still want to play with Seb. He's not a stranger after all.

"Here." Seb handed me the plate of desserts.

"Thanks." I took it and then gave it to Dad. "Bye Seb." I smiled at him before walking away with my Dad.

"Bye Sett!" he yelled. I looked back at him and smiled.

I woke up feeling vexed. What a bad dream! A bad dream to start a bad day. Ugh.

Today I'm gonna start working for Moore Holdings. Dad said I would train under Sebastian Moore. I still haven't seen him again and yet he's already ruined my mood.

I gritted my teeth as I remember him. He'd been my friend ever since we first met. I was just five at that time and he's seven. We got closer when my family moved back here to New York. We needed to move because my grandparents' health started deteriorating and it was hard for them to travel back and forth to Oregon.

Seb and I went to the same school. I was his only friend because, well, nobody else wanted him. I grew up to be a queen bee while he was always the target of bullying. I protected him from those bullies and yet, in the end, he accused me of being a fake friend. He told me that all those years, I was just using him.

Like, seriously? What use would I have for a socially awkward teenager like him? I genuinely treated him as a friend, but apparently, that's not how he sees it. He told me that I was turning him into my slave when he was the one who was always following me around!

Okay, I admit that I rely on him sometimes. But I thought that was okay since we were friends! I also do things for him but he doesn't know all of it. Because I wasn't counting! I did those for him and yet in the end he will accuse me of such horrible things!

Then he just left me and flew to God knows where. I haven't seen him since then. Which is good. At least I wouldn't have to see him. I hate him now.

"Huh! The guts of that fluffball!" I grunted under my breath as I got up from my bed. I bet he's grown even bigger now! But I have to stop thinking about him. I need to get ready. It's getting late. For sure my Mom will come barging into my room any-

"Elinor!" I heard her voice even before I could complete my thoughts. See? I can't help but roll my eyes.

"I'm already awake Mom." I lazily answered. She looked at me from head to toe when she saw me.

"What are you still waiting for? Hurry up!" she ranted.

"Yeah, yeah..." I dragged my feet to the bathroom before my mom started her lectures.

I quickly finished my shower and put on a pair of ivory-colored business suits. I hastily blew my hair dry and just put on minimal make-up. Then I slipped on a pair of orange pointed mules and I was done.

Mom was already gone when I got out of my walk-in closet.

"Ms. Eli, your Mom is calling you." I heard a knock on my door. I sighed.

"Coming!" I yelled before grabbing my Gucci handbag.

"Elinor!" Mom looked horrified when she saw me emerging into the dining room. I wanted to roll my eyes when she called me by my real name. I'm not a big fan of it. I'm okay with Eli, but Elinor sounded too old-fashioned for me.

"What is it, Mom?" I asked as I pulled out a seat.

"What the hell are you wearing?!" she screamed.

"Uhm, a business suit?" I asked sarcastically.

"What's going on?" I heard Dad's voice behind me. "I don't see anything wrong with her outfit," he added.

"Why don't you come here and see for yourself?!" Mom snapped. "Eli, you are supposed to wear an inner shirt!" she went back to me.

"What the?! Elinor Settara!" Dad yelled this time.

Seriously? What is wrong with my parents?

I looked down at my suit. The top has a plunging neckline that goes all the way down to my waist.

"Get changed! Or wear something inside at least!" Mom snapped while Dad was pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Fine." I rolled my eyes before going back to my room. I looked at myself in the mirror. Too bad I have such old-fashioned folks. I'm pegging a famous model with this outfit. It doesn't even look that revealing, since the opening in front is just a couple of inches. And I'm not even gifted in the chest department, so there's really nothing much to see!

I opt for a bandeau top in the same color. I gave myself one last look in the mirror. I shrugged when I got satisfied.

"Eli! You're getting late!" I heard Mom while I was going down the stairs for the second time.

And whose fault is that? I wanted to ask back but I was sure I wouldn't hear the end of her lectures so I just shut my mouth.

"Let's go then," I told Dad, who would be accompanying me to Moore's company building.

"Won't you eat breakfast?" he asked after eyeing my outfit again. He looked at the exposed part of my stomach like he wanted to burn it or something. He shook his head when our gazes met.

"Nope. I can grab something later." I shrugged.

They sighed almost at the same time.

"Bye Mom." I went to kiss her cheek.

"Honey..." she called when I walked away. I thought she'd already cooled down, but what she said next made me stomp my foot on the floor.

"Please behave," she smiled like I was still that five-year-old kid who was asking to let me go on a sleepover.

"Mom!" I whined, but Dad had already pulled me out of the house.

"Where's Dimi?" I asked when we were already on the road. We were both seated in the backseat.

"He's already at the office," Dad answered.

Well, that's not surprising. He's always been the responsible one between the two of us. I guess my parents quickly learned from me. The way they brought up Dimi was very different from how it used to be with me. He wasn't spoiled. He had to work hard for the things that he wanted. It worked for him because that's how he wanted it as well.

"Don't do anything stupid, Eli," Dad said in a low but threatening voice. I almost rolled my eyes.

"Yes, Dad." I sighed.

We reached Moore Holdings in just a matter of time. He led me inside until we reached the elevator. He pressed two buttons. The ones that were consecutively on the top floors of the building.

"This is you. I will go up and talk to Charles," he said, referring to his friend, Sebastian's father.

"Okay. Bye, Dad." I tiptoed to kiss him on the cheek before walking out of the elevator. There's only one door on this floor. A woman sits at a desk right in front of it. She looked like she was just in her early twenties.

"Hi! Good morning." I politely greeted her.

"Oh, good morning! Are you Miss Alistair?" she asked.

"Yes. Can I go in now?"

"Of course," she smiled. I walked inside the office which I suppose belongs to Sebastian. It was very manly. Grey and white were the dominating colors with some splashes of yellow here and there. I looked at his table. It was neat with only a few papers stacked on top of it. There was nothing unnecessary. There's not even food on it.

Knowing Sebastian, I kind of expected that he would still keep some stash of food within reach while working. Maybe it's somewhere hidden from plain sight.

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard movements behind me.

A man was straightening up his pants after walking out of what I presume was a bathroom. He looked up and found me staring at him. One of my eyebrows shot up when I got to see his face. Gorgeous would be an understatement for him. With his tall height and perfectly sculpted jaw, he could easily pass as a model or a movie actor.

But who is he? And where the hell is Sebastian?

Did he expect me to just settle with his assistant? Tss. He's still a jerk after all.

"Where's your boss?" I asked before taking a seat on the couch. He frowned while looking at me.

"Excuse me? I have an appointment with Sebastian Moore. Tell him he's already late." I told him in a casual voice.

He stared at me dumbfoundedly for a few seconds. He must be taken aback by my beauty, but whatever. I'm not in the mood to flirt. He may be hot and all, but who cares?

After a minute or so, he finally moved. He walked to the desk and sat on the chair behind it. I frowned. What the hell is happening? Why did he sit there?

"Let's get down to business," he said after clearing his throat. "And as far as I'm concerned, you were the one who's late, Ms. Alistair," he said in a voice that was as cold as ice.

I blinked. Is he f*****g kidding me? What is going on here? Is this what I think it is?

"Elinor." his voice got louder. It was enough to bring me back to my senses. "Sit down here and let's get down to business. I don't have the whole day for you!" he snapped.

I looked at him again. I stared into his eyes, his brows, his nose...

My jaw dropped at the sudden realization.

"Sebastian?!"