Esme put her plain black dress on, a little makeup and then, she also put a black three and a half inches stiletto shoes. She curled her hair a little and she put her contact lens instead of her eyeglasses.

She came out of her room and smiled at Laurence. Laurence grinned and he took out his phone and snap a photo of her.

"You are gorgeous, sissy!" He winked.

"Thank you. Let's go." Although it's an hour away, Esme wanted to be there and wait. Then, packed her bag with the piece and her letter. He took her cello.

He drives his car to Juilliard. They went to the hall where it's going to happen and she signed her name and they stay in the waiting room. He reached her hands and it's cold.

"Why are your hands cold?"

"I'm nervous." She told him. He took the gum from his pocket and gave it to her. It??ll help her not to get nervous. She started chewing on the gum.

"You'll go to kick this in." He told her and she smiled at him. "You are wearing two lucky charms." He said and he looked at her neck where she's wearing the one that Kale gave and then, she's wearing the bracelet.

"You think so?"

"Of course, you are the most horrible musician I've ever met." He told and she chuckled and smacked his arm. "It's true."

He put his arms around her and she leaned on his shoulders.

"You are the greatest musician that I've ever known, well besides of Aunt Natasha who also plays cello and my dad." He kissed her top head and they wait.

Soon, her name called and she greets them and she sat down and positioned her cello. Then, the pianist started playing.

Laurence watched her from the bleachers. He is so proud of her. She never missed any notes and she played it with all of her heart. No one clapped their hands of course but the judges are talking over her profile. She'll be the best student in Juilliard and he is so proud of her.

Sonata No. 3 is sad so, she played it with a sad emotion. That's what's the most important in music. Emotions.

After that, she had her first interview and they are very pleased to have her for the next school year.

At three in the afternoon, they went out and she thought of a place for them to celebrate. Esme had thought lots of things like a romantic dinner? But, thinking that she is legally adopted by his parents, her fantasies crushed into pieces. But, she's also sure that Laurence loves her. Maybe not as a woman, but he still loves her.

"Laurence," She called his name as he drives in the city.

??Yes?"

"Do you love me?"

Laurence stopped for a while and he turned to her and smiled.

"Of course, I love you."

"Let's go to the bar. Ready my fake, ID and I'm going to crash a party."

"Bad girl." Laurence chuckled.

"You just said that you love me. I'll have it, right?"

"Yeah, what can I do? It's your day. You'll rule the world. Besides, we don't need ID access. You are eighteen and, we have the Elite Bar nearby and Phoenix Club in Manhattan."

"I don't care, I just want to go there."

"Okay, sure. But it's three in the afternoon. They'll open later. But you have to promise to wear a jacket and jeans."

"Aye! Aye! Captain."

"Good girl," He patted her head.

They first went to the café and eat and, she insisted on shopping to buy something for her friends and the girls. He followed her around and pay for everything that she wanted to buy. Dresses, shoes, accessories, books.. His SUV is full of bags now, and she still wanted to go shopping while wearing sneakers. High heels always bite her feet and she wanted to use comfortable shoes for shopping.

"Buy me that!" She said pointing the big teddy bear.

"We already have full of things in the car. I think that can't fit."

"We'll make it fit!" She insisted.

"Okay." He sighed. It's tiring to be with a spoiled sister. Laurence indeed spoiled her. He spoiled each of his siblings. Mostly her and Rosie.

"Yes!" She squealed. He took dragged the bear and, in the counter, he paid it using his black card.

Esme is so happy to put it in her room as one of her audience and she stopped when Alexis is there, with her blonde friends wearing Gucci, Chanel, and LV.

"Is that, Laurence?" The girl asked. Alexis nodded.

"Let's go," Alexis said but someone saw the card that he has and the leader told to approached them.

Esme knew exactly what the girls needed. Esme move closer to Laurence and wrapped her arm to his arm. He looked at her.

"I also need makeups!" She told him.

"Sure, okay. Why are you making me spend my money?"

"You always insist on paying it." She grabbed him away from the girls that are approaching Laurence while Laurence is dragging the teddy bear that is covered in plastic.

<><><><>

Xavier is eating at the favorite café that Athena always goes to. The Empire Café is now under the Phoenix Empire. The food is great also the drinks. He wanted to eat here daily, however, his house is in the other city and also his workplace. He looked at the door as he sipped on his cappuccino.

He stopped from drinking when Gabriel Lawson, entered the café and he's talking to some over the phone. He went to the counter and Gabriel order some food and pay for it then, he walked to his direction. He wiped his lips and he stood and approached him.

"Good morning, sir." He extended his hand to Gabriel. Gabriel stopped and looked at his face for a while. "I'm Xavier Martin, we met in Hawaii five years ago."

"Oh, Xavier," Gabriel shook his head. "You are staying in the Philippines."

"Yes, for four years now. I'm working at the Dragon Facility."

"I see," Gabriel pulled a seat in front of his seat. He gestured to the seat and he sat down. "I presume that you met my daughter already."

"Yes, we are already dating, Sir. I mean it's too sudden but I never get a chance to meet you here." He said and Gabriel sighed and his coffee has been served first. He thanked the waiter. "And, I am happy to meet you again, Mr. Lawson. I would like to marry your daughter?"

??Why so sudden? The two of you could just date first, unless—something happened to the two of you."

Xavier bit his tongue.

"I—I can't deny that, Mr. Lawson. It's been five years."

"I thought you break my daughter's heart." Gabriel creased his brows. "She's been lonely for five years and, I don't know what happened."

"It's just a misunderstanding, sir. The first I met your daughter in Hawaii and ask for her hand, I am serious about that. I am willing to wait for five years and it just happened that someone uses my phone and blocked her number so, we haven't got in touch for five years."

"I see," Gabriel looked down at his coffee. "If you want to marry my daughter, then I need to meet your parents too. What does your mother do?" He asked.

"My mother works in a restaurant near to our apartment in California. After I got this job, I buy a space for my mother so she could sell clothes. She said that she wanted to have her own business, so, I support her."

"And your father?"

"Well, my father divorced my mother ten years ago. So, she's raising me alone."

"What is your mother's name?" Gabriel asked.

"Marga Antoinette Alvarez." He said and Gabriel nodded although he knew well who his mother was.

As far as Gabriel knew. Marga is pregnant when she left the country for Switzerland and then, she found a tourist and that brings her to America. So, it only means that Athena might be older than him in a few months. But he said back in Hawaii that he's already twenty. He also assumed that Marga faked the date of his birth.

"You also said that your mother is from here?"

"Yes. She mentioned to me that she was born here. But it wasn't the best memory for her."

"I see. So, if you want to marry her, we need to meet your mother first or father. We can talk about this since you and Athena did something beyond." Gabriel said, and he smiled bitterly.

"Yes, but I haven't proposed to Athena. I wanted to propose to her soon, but I am still checking this ring that I saw—"

"Hmm." Gabriel bought million dollars peculiar ring for his wife, and he also wanted his daughter to receive such a thing from the man that would love her.

"I know that I am not rich, but I am trying hard."

"I don't judge people. My daughter can take care of herself. She had her own business, and even though she married someone not as rich as her, she could still buy whatever she wanted to buy. I don't mind if you are a Psychiatrist in the Dragon Empire. But hurting her mentally and physically is a different thing."historical

"I understand, completely, sir." Xavier smiled.