Chapter 28

The doorbell rang.

Reece who was lounging on the sofa in the sitting room shot up and went to answer the door.

As he opened it, he saw Vanessa at the other end. She was wearing a spaghetti strap dress and had on a fur coat and a designer hat and held a clutch.

Her lips curved downwards in disgust when she saw it was him.

Reece pursed his lips but decided to be respectful.

"Good afternoon, ma'am."

Vanessa rolled her eyes at him and walked past him into the house. Even though Adam had explained his whole plan to her she still didn't like the fact that mere street kids were living with him.

"Where's Adam?" She asked sharply.

"Around; upstairs, wherever, I'm not sure." Reece shrugged and went back to the sofa he was earlier seated on.

Vanessa was pissed at the way he was comfortably seated.

"Aren't you supposed to be cleaning everywhere up?" She snapped at him and he looked up from his phone.

"I've done my chores." He lowered his head again.

Vanessa scoffed. She always pictured them as house help. "Well find something else to do. Don't laze around my fiancé’s house anyhow. You don't belong here, and don't you forget it," she told him fiercely.

"Street urchin," she spat venomously.

Reece actually chuckled.

He kept his phone down and stood up to face her.

"Could you please repeat that," he grinned widely as his eyes went behind her.

Vanessa scowled at him.

"Like heck I will."

Reece shook his head. "Not to me. To him." He nodded behind her and she whirled around to see Adam standing there with his arms crossed.

Vanessa was a bit startled, but she composed herself swiftly.

"Baby," she said sweetly.

Adam's steel gaze was trained on her. "Leave us," he ordered Reece, not once taking his eyes off Vanessa.

"Sure thing," Reece said and went upstairs.

Adam's eyes followed his exit. Once he was gone, he turned back to Vanessa.

"What was that all about?"

Vanessa snorted. "I was letting him know his place."

"Vanessa, we've talked about this, you are not in any place to insult these kids, got that?" Adam told her with a frown.

"Whatever," she waved him off and reached into her purse and brought out two tickets.

She waved them in front of Adam and grinned.

"Am I supposed to know what that is?" Adam asked with a bored expression.

Vanessa pouted. "They're tickets."

"I know they're tickets, Vanessa, I just don't know why you're waving them in my face," Adam said with a yawn.

"Oh, silly me," Vanessa laughed airily. "They're front row seats to Santi Oper," she said.

"What?" Adam raised his eyebrow. He had never heard of the name before. She looked at him in disbelief.

"You've never heard of Santi Oper?" Vanessa gaped at him.

"If I had, would I be making this face?" Adam asked, pointing to his slightly confused face.

"That. Is. A. Crime!" Vanessa said dramatically, fanning herself with a foldable hand-fan. "We've got to go!"

"Okay," Adam shrugged.

She hit his chest. "Don't act nonchalant about this!" She accused.

Adam sighed again. "Sorry?"

Vanessa grinned. "Okay, remember it's 8:00 pm, don't be late." She placed his ticket in his hand and started walking towards the door. Adam looked at it then back at her.

"Opera?"

She turned back. "Yeah," she smiled at him.

Adam kept his hands in his pockets. "But you hate opera."

"I do?" She looked puzzled for a moment.

Adam narrowed his eyes at her. "That's what you said when I wanted us to have a date in the opera house last month," he told her calmly.

Vanessa kept her hands on her hip. "Oh, I actually don't hate opera, it's just that you wanted to rent the whole theater and it would've just been the two of us and you weren't going to allow any media to film us," she said with a small frown.

"So?" Adam frowned back. "It's called private renting for a reason, Vanessa."

"Well, that's just stupid. How would the whole world know about our dates if we keep them hidden?" Vanessa said.

"Why does the whole world need to know about what we do in our private lives?" Adam retorted.

"Because we're celebrities, Adam! It's part of the whole popularity thing! Your every movement is watched," Vanessa snapped.

"You seem to be forgetting I'm a business tycoon, not an actor or musician," Adam growled. "I have no need for all the popularity or whatever. I just need to go to work, make my money, and go home."

"You're missing the point," Vanessa snorted, "The world is in love with successful people; it doesn't matter what you do as long as you're successful, they'll put you in the spotlight."

Adam raised up the ticket she gave him.

"So, this is another publicity stunt huh?! Here I was thinking you wanted to spend some time with me!"

"I do want to spend some time with you!" Vanessa snapped.

"Yeah! You just want the world to be watching as you do!" Adam shot back.

"What's wrong with that?!" Vanessa asked fiercely.

Adam was just about to reply when he heard a movement from the staircase. He turned to look, and Vanessa's eyes followed his.

Lucy was at the stairs playing with her fingers unsurely. She was looking down.

"Lucy?" Adam called making her head snap in his direction.

"Mr. Adam..." She scratched her hair. "Um...you're kinda...yelling. Scarlett's getting a bit scared."

"What?" Adam's heart raced.

"Who cares about that tramp?!" Vanessa snarled at Lucy.

"She's not a tramp, Miss," Lucy replied coolly.

"Vanessa, would you be quiet?" Adam snapped at her. "We were both yelling and there are kids upstairs."

"Who cares?!" Vanessa snapped back.

"I do!" Adam shot back.

"Go on Lucy, I'm right behind you." He nodded at her. Lucy unsurely looked from Adam's face to Vanessa's face before she headed back upstairs. As Adam made to follow her, Vanessa gripped his arm.

"Listen good, Adam," she hissed in a low tone. "Those kids better not come between us. I would not be duped for mere street kids. You better get your priorities right. Don't forget 8:00 pm tonight."

Adam turned to glare at her.

"I'm guessing the media would be present as well?" He snarled.

Vanessa adjusted her hat. "So?" She asked.

She then turned to leave. Adam's eyes followed her movement. Vanessa paused at the door and turned back to look at him.

"Don't get too attached to those tramps, Adam. I'm real while they're not. In three months' time they're going to be out of our lives," she said before sauntering outside and shut the door with a bang behind her.

Adam gritted his teeth and clenched his fist.

He ran his hands through his hair and paced about for a while.

Adam then brought out his phone and dialed a number.

Soon the person at the other end picked up the phone.

Adam ran his hands through his hair again.

"Hey, Tyson, could you do me a favor?"

~~~

Adam adjusted his black tie while Scarlett watched him with a small sad look.

"How'd I look?" Adam whirled around from the mirror to look at Scarlett. She had on a green bunny onesie and held a huge cream stuffed rabbit.

Her green eyes took in his outfit.

He had on a pair of black slacks and an aquamarine shirt. His shoes were black, and his hair was combed down neatly.

"Great," Scarlett said flatly, looking down on the rug.

Adam smiled a bit, walked up to her, and bent to her height.

"Where's the little girl that always smiles...huh? Huh? Where's she?" He said in a funny voice, his hands slightly tickling her.

Scarlett tried to keep a straight face but soon burst out laughing.

"There she is," Adam laughed along with her.

"I'll be back soon okay?" Adam said with a grin. Scarlett threw her hands around his neck and hugged him tightly.

"Please come back," she whispered.

His had around her tightened.

He knew she was always scared whenever he went anywhere without them because she thought he would never return.

Her mother had left to buy some groceries and never returned.

"Hey, I'll be back. I always come back, don't I?" Adam said in a soft tone, stroking her hair soothingly.

"Yeah." Scarlett nodded.

"Good," Adam smiled and stood up straight.

"C'mon, let's meet the others in the sitting room," Adam said as he held her hand, he used his other hand to grab his cream overcoat as they were exiting the room.

"Are you really going to leave us alone?" Scarlett asked with a pout as they walked through the hallway.

"Are you kidding? Reece would wreck the house if I do," Adam joked and Scarlett grinned.

"He won't be able to cos of Big sis," Scarlett pointed out.

"Ahh, but what if Lucy goes to sleep earlier than usual?" Adam asked, feigning ignorance. He knew how tough Lucy was; if she was going to bed, she would make everyone else go to bed as well.

"Hmm...," Scarlett stroked her smooth chin in a thoughtful manner. "You have a point."

Adam chuckled. "Course I do."

They both descended down the stairs.

"That's why Uncle Tyson would be with you guys the whole night," Adam told her once they got to the sitting room.

"Uncle Ty's coming?" Caleb turned to face Adam. He was on the rug writing in some books.

Matt was using Reece's laptop on the sofa while Reece as usual was laid on a two-seater couch, using his phone. Lucy was typing her new book on her phone.

They all turned to face Adam when he and Scarlett entered the sitting room.

"Yeah guys, since I and Vanessa are going out on a date, Tyson would be with you for the rest of the night," Adam explained.

"When are you coming back?" Matt asked.

"Probably past one or later, maybe earlier? I dunno. Just don't wait up," Adam replied.

"Bummer," Reece said and laid back again.

"But I can watch over them just fine," Lucy protested.

Adam smiled. "I'm not doubting that Lucy, Tyson would just be here in case of extra...emergencies. Besides, it'd be cool to have an adult around."

"I can take care of them by myself, I'm used to handling emergencies," Lucy stated stubbornly and looked away.

Reece sat up on hearing that.

"Yeah right," he snorted. "Like the time you handled Scarlett choking on a lump of toothpaste the last time Mr. Adam went to his meeting."

Lucy faced him with a glare.

"It was a freaking toothpaste! And it was in her throat! What was I supposed to do?!"

"Certainly not try to drown her with water," Caleb laughed and Reece chuckled along with him.

Lucy stood up and glared at both of them. "I was trying to wash it down—Never mind, I'm not explaining anything to the both of you." She snapped her hands at them and kept her hands on her hips.

"Keep up that attitude and you'll go to bed earlier than Scarlett would," Lucy snapped at them.

"See man," Reece turned to Adam with a solemn expression. "You can't leave her in charge with rules like that."

"Well, you asked for it!" Lucy retorted.

Scarlett was just looking at them from one person to another while Matt resumed what he was doing on Reece's laptop.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Adam interrupted. "No fighting. Tyson should even be on his way by now," Adam said as he glanced at his wristwatch.

As if on cue a playful drumroll knock was heard at the door.

Adam sighed. Why must Tyson act so childish all the time?

"That's him," Adam said while Caleb went to open the door.

"Hey! Cale! What's up buddy?!" They all heard Tyson say loudly once the door was opened. Soon Tyson hauled himself inside the sitting room.

"Good evening, Uncle Tyson," Lucy greeted.

"Pfft," Tyson laughed. "It's uncle Ty, don't be too prim and proper with me Luce."

Lucy face palmed herself on hearing the nickname. She didn't understand why Tyson insisted on calling her that nickname.

"What's up, U.T?" Reece grinned at him.

"Nothing much," Tyson grinned back.

"Brought your bike?" Reece asked.

"You know it," Tyson winked.

Reece and Caleb exchanged glances. "You think maybe you could take us for a ride?" Caleb asked. He and Reece both looked expectant.

"Absolutely not," Adam said crossly from where he stood causing Tyson to laugh.

He knew how reckless Tyson could drive sometimes.

"There's a hundred risk to riding a motorcycle at night," Matt inputted. Tyson laughed and ruffled Matt's hair.

"Hey Matts," Tyson grinned.

"It's Matt actually, without the 's'," Matt said, running his hands through his hair; trying to smoothen it again.

Tyson shrugged off his black puffer jacket and threw it away. It landed on the couch. He then took confident strides to where Adam stood.

"Hey Scar...," he grinned at the small girl beside Adam and kept his biker goggle on her eyes.

She giggled as it partly fell off her face, it was too big for her.

Tyson chuckled as well and faced Adam.

"What's up, coz?"

Adam sighed. Why did I think Tyson would be a great caretaker? He rubbed his face.

"Listen good Tyson, I want these kids to be in complete shape by the time I return. Don't do anything stupid and since it's Friday night they all stay up later than usual," Adam told him.

"Sure; Don't do anything stupid, Friday night, later than usual, got it." Tyson nodded.

Adam frowned a bit.

"Be serious Tyson."

Tyson chuckled. "Geez, stop acting like an overprotective dad and go to your date." The last word rolled off his tongue in a bitter way. He didn't like Vanessa and she didn't like him either.

"Whatever." Adam rolled his eyes.

"Say buh-bye to daddy children...," Tyson said in a childish mocking voice.

Adam glared at him.

"Bye-bye Daddy," Scarlett said innocently causing Tyson to cover his mouth as he was laughing so hard.

Adam ignored him.

"Bye sweetie, we'll see tomorrow," Adam said and ruffled her hair a bit.

"Huh?" Tyson stopped laughing when he saw Adam acting so casual about it.

He watched Adam telling the others bye before he went out of the house.

"Huh." A knowing look came on Tyson's face.

"Interesting."

"Uncle T, I wanna watch a movie," Scarlett snapped him out of his thoughts as she tugged his sleeve.

"Hmm?" He looked at her. "Oh, okay."

Tyson looked at Reece, "Yo! R! Put on the TV for her."

"Sure thing." Reece went to do as he was asked, and Scarlett ran to meet him.

Tyson dialed a number.

"Mrs. Hunt?"

He looked towards the window.

"I might have some...interesting news."