Alice came down from the plane tired and worn out. She had just flown three hours from Thailand to New York. She had to buy a ticket at the last minute because of the urgent call from her father. Every month he will always make her attend one blind date or the other since she turned 20. Her two elder brothers haven't been around for close to two years now and her parents are not worried about them at all. She searched through the airport parking spot and saw her family driver Stephen leaning on the car. He quickly rushed to where she was and helped her with her luggage. She entered into the car and rested her head on the car seat with her eyes closed. Stephen quickly closed the door and drove to the Hansley mansion.
As Stephen drives through the road leading to the main house Alice looks through the window and sees the servants all lined up at the door way waiting for her to come down from the car. She could not help but roll her eyes "I have just been away for two months and all the servants are out to greet me." She murmured as she got down from the car. She saw her Mom standing at the door waiting for her. She went up to meet her and as she passed the servants they all bowed down to greet her. She walked through and stood in front of her Mother. She bowed slightly before embracing her. "Alice dearie how many times have I told you not to let your skin get tanned but you wouldn't listen." Her Mom said embracing her back. Alice laughed lightly and shook her head. "Mom you worry a lot." They both entered into the house with her.
As she entered into her room she quickly got into the bathroom and took a refreshing shower. She laid on her bed an decided to call her assistant Susan who have been handling the company since she was gone. "Hey Susan. Do you mind stopping by my parents house I need for discuss s few things with you by tomorrow?"
"You are back already? Why didn't you call me to pick you up?" Susan asked her through the phone. Alice sighed loudly in exhaustion "I knew you would be busy in the company. Any way I need to discuss some important documents for the next board meeting on Monday."
After talking for a little while Alice finally ended the call and played with her phone for a little while. She finally dozed off because she was exhausted and jetlagged.
6:30pm
Alice woke up to the knocking on her room door. She did not even realize that she had fallen asleep with her phone on her face. She quickly stood up and opened the door with sleep still in her eyes. "Who's at the door" she yawned as she opened the door to the sight of her mother standing outside looking at her sternly.
"What if it was someone else at the door. You can't even wear your clothes properly or even put on your slippers. Don't you know it's mid-Autumn and the weather is a little cold. " Her Mom Audrey chided her as she entered the room.
Alice rolled her eyes and stepped aside form the door for her Mom to enter. "I'm not little anymore Mom. I'm already 23"
"Of course you are not young anymore and yet you keep making me worry. Your Father is back from the company and he wants to see you." Audrey said as she opens the door to step out of the room.
"Is there a problem Mom?" Alice asked as she stood up from the bed and wore her slippers. "I don't really know why he's looking for you but just hurry up. Go freshen up you look like you fought in your sleep." Audrey laughed as she said the last line. She quickly stepped outside and shut the door.
After a few minutes Alice stepped out of her room with a pair of joggers and a short sleeved T-shirt. She left her lond dark brown hair down.
When she enters the sitting room she sees her Father sitting on his favourite chair sipping tea and reading a newspaper with his glasses. For some reason Alice's heart skipped a bit. She walked up to him and bowed slightly as she greeted him "Good evening Father"
Richard looked up from his newspaper and nodded his head slightly. "Sit down Alicia"
Alice took a deep breath and quickly sat down on the couch opposite her father. Richard dropped his newspaper and looked at her with a stern look on his face. "I have a business partner I want you to meet." He said not beating around the bush. Alice sat up and looked at her Father with uncertainty in her eyes. "Why do I have to meet your business partner Father?. Why can't my brothers do it. I mean I don't have any thing to do with your company."
Richard looked at her calmly with no emotions showing in his face. That was what Alice hated the most. The fact that he was able to mask his expression without it showing a little bit. "You really think because I let you travel round and gave you the freedom to establish your own company you can remove your self from the company?"
Alice shivered slightly. She knew she should not have said such things. The last time she angered her Father she was locked up in the dark room and she was left in the dark room for three days without any food. She never wants to experience such again. Alice shook her head slightly and decided to keep quiet.
"Look here Alicia It's time for you to settle down and it's not a bad thing to settle down early."
"So you just want to use me as a bargaining chip right father?" Richard looked at her with with a thin layer of frost in his eyes that quickly passed as if it was never there.