When The Rich Son Falls

Thirty Three

Leonard Maurice, 21 years old. He graduated from a prestigious college by 20, and immediately applied for the job as the infamous Christopher Stevens’s assistant. With his brilliant grades and smarts, he was hired on the spot, and therefore became the youngest assistant of the youngest son of one of the richest families in the country.

He had heard about the rumors of Topher’s…carefree lifestyle even before he had been hired, and that was the reason he applied in the first place: he wanted to be a kingmaker. He had high ambitions and he was going to show everyone that he could make even the known spoiled Stevens to be great—even if that meant basically having to babysit a 30-year old man 90% of the time.

According to his plan, he and Topher were supposed to earn respect, get promoted, then rightfully take over the company in five to ten years. However, with the way things had been going on his first year, Leonard was beginning to think that it might just take him two decades to actually be able to reach that goal; especially with his boss’s new scandal and disappearing scheme that had him travelling and calling people non-stop.

“Leonard.” Topher’s smile faded as he held the door open. He was wearing nothing but a towel around his waist—which was “How the hell did you find me?”

“It’s a long story,” Leonard replied, looking back uncomfortably at that one neighbor who’s peeking out their window. “May I come in? People have been looking at me.”

Topher followed his gaze, and upon recognizing the neighbor, waved. To his assistant, he said, “Yeah, that’s because you’re wearing a suit in that heat,” as he pulled the door wider for him to step in.

Leonard curiously looked around as he walked into the humble house. It was simple. It looked like an actual, normal home—the kind that might be on a google image search result page, or one of those pictures in a furniture shop’s catalogue—and seeing Topher Stevens standing in the middle of simplicity just didn’t make sense for Leonard’s brain.

“It’s neat, huh?” Topher even asked with a genuine smile, which made Leonard wonder for a second if he had hit his head somewhere. After all, this was the same man that made him fly back to Milan at 11 in the evening, just so he could buy a new set of pajamas, since his suffered a small tear.

Leonard shook his own head and forced a smile as Topher politely made him sit on the couch. “Yeah. It’s nice to see you alive and well. There have been a few online threads saying that Charlie has probably gotten you killed already because you spilled family secrets.”

“Hmm, that really doesn’t sound like it’s far from reality.” Topher lightly chuckled, and Leonard agreed. Then as if he remembered something, Topher walked back to the front door and peeked outside. “Does anyone else know I’m here? Tell me you came alone.”

“I came alone. After all, I still work for you. I’m assuming you haven’t seen the news?”

Topher closed the door once more and turned around to frown at him. “I haven’t watched any TV nor used my phone because I didn’t want anyone tracking my location. What’s happening back there?”

“Quite a lot.” Leonard admitted as Topher sat next to him, listening attentively. “Shane, the boy you kissed, is being a lot more trouble than we anticipated. A real pain in the ass, especially since it seems like your mother’s rivals have caught up with him, preventing him to deny any possible connections with you. And the more he doesn’t say anything…”

“The more it seems like it’s the truth,” Topher filled in before he groaned. “But that’s absurd! We only kissed one time!”

As soon as he said that, the bathroom door opened and out stepped a freshly showered James. He looked initially confused at why Topher was shouting, and then he looked surprised and curious as to why there was a young man in a suit in his living room.

“What… h-hello,” he muttered, unsure what to make of the situation as he dried his hair with his towel.

Topher quickly stood from where he sat and stood right next to him. “James, that’s Leonard. He’s my assistant, and Leonard, this is James and he is my, you know.” He made an obscene gesture with his hands that involved something going in and out of a hole, while he had a sly smile on his face. Everyone knew what he meant, and while Leonard was used to his boss’s bouts of childishness, James gave him a side-eye.

“Topher!” he warningly hissed.

“Relax, he’s not from here and he can keep a secret like a spy.” Topher pointed at Leonard with a finger. “Right, Leo?”

Leonard sat up straight, put a hand up, and with as much earnestness he could muster, said, “I will not say a word, sir, not to anyone, no. I don’t even know what exactly I’m not supposed to say anything about.”

“See? If his trap isn’t tightly shut, then a hundred more scandals would’ve broken out about the family,” Topher told James, as if that was something to be proud of.

James opened his mouth to speak then closed it up again, then he went into his room without another word.

“Back to the topic,” Topher snapped his finger at his assistant.

“Right, yes. Kissing just once doesn’t matter if others manipulate the way the public perceives it. Anyway, the main story now is that you and Shane have a “secret” affair, and the reason you’re gone is because you’re ashamed of it. Meanwhile, the company and your parents wouldn’t make any official statements about you because, well, you know the PR’s strategy.”

“Of course,” Topher rolled his eyes. “Are they still angry with—” he didn’t bother to finish the question, since he already knew the answer based on the way Leonard’s face winced. “Of course, they are,” he sighed. “God, it’s been two weeks almost. I’ve even done worse things than this, like, remember when someone said they caught me in an orgy? Or that time I didn’t know that my favorite ice cream truck was a front for this small-time drug seller? Both would have been much more interesting page-turners than “rich boy kisses another rich boy in a club”.”

“Well, the media romanticizes what sells. And your supposedly forbidden, sexy, secret love is what’s selling,” Leonard shrugged helplessly.

Topher frowned at him as he heard about this for the first time. “That’s what’s selling? Not the fact that my mother, who’s a known senator, might be involved in Shane’s dealings with actual corrupted people? Our barely proven “relationship” takes the spotlight compared to that?”

“I don’t know what to say, but that’s the age of social media and hopeless romantics for you.”

Topher did not attempt to hide his dismay for the media and the internet as he made a face. “Anyway,” he said, “how did you find me here? Did anyone post about me on social media? I think one of the guests during the festival got a picture of my face when I was crying from the hot tacos…” Topher suspiciously narrowed his eyes as he stared off in the distance, only for his attention to snap back when his employee answered.

“It took me a while, really. I searched your records, called the banks, then I found out that you withdrew so much money, and then your parents learned about you contacting Miles to go to Marine Bay. I went there first, but you weren’t there, and I went to a few other remote areas I could think that you might go to, until one day, I saw the airport sign for a rare flight to Mariner’s Bay, and I figured it wasn’t impossible for you to carelessly make a mistake, given that the only way you knew how to book a flight is via counter when you’re not with me. Got here, asked for the best hotels, the staff didn’t help me up even when I showed them proof of employment, but I knew they were familiar. Then I overheard some ladies talking about Steve with the white hair, a few questions later, et voila.”

“The staff didn’t turn me in?” Topher asked, looking touched as he placed a hand over his heart. “It’s all thanks to James, I’d like to think so.”

Leonard weirdly looked at him, but Topher decided to brush it off with a chuckle. “Anyway,” he said, smiling at Leonard one second, then donning a straight face the next. “Are you going to tell me now why you’re here? Or should we extend the pleasantries until tonight?”