Chapter 54 - The Best Kind (1/2)

The rest of the week for Xiu was very calm and relaxing since Dylan was out of the city for business purposes. Xiu's only job was to organize the data in the reference room. That work was tiring but not having to deal with Dylan brought her more comfort and happiness than she cared to admit.

Today was Friday. It not only marked the end of the week, but it was also the day for her dinner night with Nora and Darren.

On Darren's side...

There was a private elevator that opened directly in his private office, a huge room occupying the corner of the building with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the main road giving a view of two directions. It's triple glazed and so clear that the panorama seems like a high definition screen. The city below was so far away but the birds flying past the window seems at an arm's reach. As if to remind us that the skyscr.a.p.er was in their space now.

The remaining two walls had a door, a low bookshelf, and a single oil painting - the scene of a rainy night with a girl standing with an umbrella under a lamppost.

The office room was painted grey with a sophisticated and minimalistic interior. The glass surface of the desk was equally uncluttered with a desktop computer and an open notebook sat beside it. A stack of papers was sitting under a crystal paperweight with a beautiful silver colored fountain pen lying on top of it. The pen had an inscription of 'R.D Salvay' in golden writing.

The swivel chair behind the desk was empty. And a tall figure stood before the bookshelf, bursting with books. He held a book in a foreign language. As he slid it back on the shelf, he came to sit behind his desk on the swivel chair. He picked up his opened notebook and looked at the words written in black ink.

”Loving you was my pride

Losing you became a story of its own

A story that brings me a million degrees

of pain.

A story where I cried all night

and yet

had to act strong all over again.

I wish our parting was like a stalemate...

But my dear, you abandoned hope

And your surrender left me with no way to cope.”

The ding of his private elevator reached his ear but Darren didn't even lift his eyes to see. Because he already knew only two people had access to his private elevator; One was he and the other was his best friend.

Dylan entered his office and glowered at Darren whose attention wasn't on him at all. He sat down on the chair before his desk and said, ”What kind of a brother are you?”

”The best kind,” replied Darren matter-of-factly and Dylan was left gaping at him in disbelief.

”Don't you feel any shame?” Dylan asked. ”How can you even claim to be the best kind?”

”Why can't I?” retorted Darren as he closed his notebook and locked it back in the bottom drawer of his desk.

”I was angry with you,” said Dylan as if it was a known fact.

”Were you?” Darren frowned as he finally looked at Dylan's face.