K-Brothers And The Little Maid

Kyler’s POV

I sat at the head of the table with a tobacco pipe stuck in my mouth. My late father’s official subjects had called for a meeting and immediately when I left school, I had to change into my black suit and join them.

Taking a slow steady drag from my pipe, I looked from one person to another. They seemed to be waiting for the first person who would be bold enough to take the lead in saying something and this happened whenever one of the subjects was yet to arrive for the meeting. I wasn’t disturbed though. The silence was all I needed as I kept smoking from my pipe.

“Sir…” One of them called out.

“Silence!” I ordered and leaned back into my chair then closed my eyes. Are they finally tired of keeping quiet? They weren’t complete and as usual, I should be mad cause one of them was keeping me waiting but it was the least on my mind. Let’s call it a day of grace.

The door opened and even with my eyes closed, I could sense a presence in the room. Finally, she arrived.

“Am sorry Sir, there was an accident” Women. How pathetic they never run out of excuses.

I opened my eyes slowly and looked at her. She knew better than to stand because she scurried off to an empty seat immediately.

As the first son, I had more connections to the official subjects than any of my brothers. They barely knew any of them except for Orlando, our Manager who was the only person I accorded as being worthy to work directly for us. Once a month, we had a meeting to discuss our wealth, achievements, and the growth of our different companies.

The meeting started and as usual, I only paid a listening ear without uttering a word. “From Korea’s Chart, we’re still at the top based on our growth over the month”

” Same as Mexico and France” Shadeek added, showing off the evidence on the screen.

” The Chinese government passed an application. They want to partner with the Rainbow Foundation over in China and have offered one trillion and two lands if we agree to the partnership. What’s your take on this Sir? ”

I took a long drag from my pipe and puffed out the smoke in the air. They knew the response already but were just waiting to hear it over again. Over the years, different countries have applied to partner with our companies and organizations but I declined. I didn’t want so much company and attachment and being that way, we could control the projects we had.

That had been my father’s strategy no matter what was offered. He wouldn’t even listen to his wife who was blood-thirsty for money and I bought the strategy too which has led to our growth and success over the years.

“Application denied” I responded bluntly and as always, they allowed the message to sink down before anyone uttered a word.

“That is huge and would be of great value to us” Randolf started “Think of it this way. If we sign this contract with them, we’d be given two good lands in China and a trillion, that’s huge…”

“He knows that already and besides, we can’t just sign the contract because they offered us something in return. Like they’re buying us to sign the contract”

” Bullshit! Who cares? We’ll sign the contract, get the money and whatever they’re offering then we go our own ways. Isn’t that fair enough? ” Randolf said and asked, his face heating up.

I knew this was going to happen so I let them argue. They always do whenever a contract is denied. There were five officials so any could propose the motion while the others opposed. It was more like a debate.

” You always care about the money, Mr. Randolf, forgetting we’re more than that. We can buy the whole of China if we want and it would only cost one-fifth of our money. ”

” No one’s buying China Jigyasa, we need to keep growing instead of depending on what we already have. We need more units to earn from all I’ll still say we sign that contract”

” Randolf’s right. We really should” Shadeek added and Randolf nodded in affirmation. Finally, someone was sharing his stupid thoughts.

” I solely don’t agree with this. What they will demand in return might be more than just partnership” Park Jimin said and sipped his coffee.

” It’s best if our cycle is controlled. Signing this contract would expose us, especially the boys and I personally don’t want that. They need to be secured and it starts now by controlling the contracts we sign and the people we engage with. You may not know whose body the devil dwells in” Jigyasa added. She was the only lady in the room.

” So you want us to throw away the chance of getting one trillion because you’re scared?” Randolf asked and laughed sarcastically ” Come on, stop thinking like a chicken”

I cleared my throat signifying that I needed silence. They’ve talked enough and already, their voices are starting to get to my head. I stood up and went to stand behind Randolf’s seat. Before anyone could know what I was up to, I wrapped my right arm around his neck and placed a dagger in the middle of his throat. He gasped, everyone did.

” Why don’t I stuff your coffin with one trillion before burning it along with your corpse to ashes?”

Though the room was highly conditioned with air, he was covered with sweat already. He shook his head repeatedly. ” No… no Sir, we… we could forget about the contract”

I pressed the knife hard on his throat and watched him gasp for air. ” Why? Why the sudden change of mind? Are you so scared for your life?”

“Please… please I’m sorry… Forgive me please” He begged with tears rolling down his cheeks and deep inside, I wanted to see his face drop on the table with blood gushing out of his slitted throat but I restricted myself. They all feared me and knew I could take off their heads from their shoulders at any moment.

Already, Shadeek had lost his middle finger after he had burst out in anger and shoved it to my face, signifying “Fuck you”. That was four years ago and no one ever forgot that. If they did, I wouldn’t mind refreshing their minds.

It was a minor argument and as always, Randolf was only interested in the money. I should’ve ended him a long time ago but I didn’t. He was the eldest amongst my father’s subjects and as Jigyasa reminded me often, he was three years older than my father and I owed him that little respect.

I pulled my arm off his neck and walked over to the window with my left arm crossed behind my back.

“Dismiss”

*

As I smoked from my pipe, my mind drifted to the past years. I was just eight years old when Jigyasa dressed me in a black suit for my first meeting. I couldn’t understand a thing and Randolf along with Shadeek had forbidden me from sitting at the head of the table with claims that I was too small and knew nothing but Jigyasa, Orlando, and Park Jimin fought hard for me to claim that seat. I was still very young.

Then, I realized the enemies all around and decided to take charge, vowing never to let all that my father worked for pass down the drain.

“Oh Kyler, you shouldn’t be smoking that” Jigyasa cooed and came to touch me but I stepped away. She was the only woman I listened to but even with that, I placed her far away from any of us. “It’s not good for your health and I’ll keep saying it”

” I asked everyone to leave. You weren’t an exception” I huffed but she came closer to me.

” Oh, shu, you can’t send me away, Kyler” She answered and coughed hard. The smoke from the tobacco pipe was affecting her but I didn’t care. I kept puffing out smoke.

” Okay, okay, give me let me take a drag then” She managed to say and I looked over at her and scoffed.

” It’s not good for your health” I responded but before I could take the pipe away, she had gotten it from me and taken several drags. She began coughing and I scoffed. Women are always weak. So fucking weak.

” Take all you want but don’t die in here,” I said and looked out the window. Speaking of deaths…Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

” You still remember your nanny, don’t you? Nanny Carlota and her beautiful daughter. What was that beautiful name again?” She said and asked as if reading my mind. All I could do was clench my fist as my chest went heavy.

She was the woman who begged for our lives and sheltered us when we were newly born but seven years later, she was murdered in cold blood with her heart being ripped out of her chest. We were now left in the care of our late father’s official subjects. Then, we were just seven years old.

“Oh yes, Kim. That was her name. She was such a beautiful girl”

I tightened my fist and clenched my jaw. Just that name alone brought back so much hate for its owner. If I could get a hold of her neck at the moment, she’d be dead.

“You used to like her, didn’t you?” Jigyasa asked and turned to look at me “Sometimes I wonder what she would look like now if she was still alive”

I glanced at her and scoffed. If only she knew that the person she was talking about was still alive and kicking, she wouldn’t mention it. That bitch.

“Do you miss her? You haven’t forgotten about her, have you?” She asked and turned to look at me for some time “Oh boy, you’re really a tough one. Once a cold-hearted, strong-minded boy is always. It’s just that I don’t know what’s going on in that head of yours.”

I inhaled deeply and looked out of the window. no matter how hard I tried to push her away since when I was a kid, she still came around.

” Deep inside you is bitter and cold. Filled with anger, hatred, and a little touch of fear but I pray you find peace, Kyler. Your shoulders are too small but have become hard from carrying too much, I pray for you my son, I always do.”

” Am not your son” I wanted to say as always but the words couldn’t come out. She was right and that was the whole reason I bore the burden alone instead of sharing it with all my brothers. I want them to be happy, I don’t mind being in the dark just as I’ve always been.

” Is there… any girl? Anyone I should know of cause I’ve been praying for you…” Jigyasa said and started coughing. I wanted to ignore her but when she kept on coughing, I helped her to a seat and poured a glass of water for her.

“You talk too much” I huffed and watched her gulp down the whole content still gripping the tobacco pipe tight. I could tell she had seized that one too and wasn’t going to give it back.

“I know there’s a soft spot in there. It just needs the right person to open it up but you need to willingly do so too Kyler” She said and touched my hand gently.

I stared hard at her hand on mine expecting to feel something but I didn’t. The way I’ve caged myself, it’s never possible for anyone to get through me, never.