"Let's go."
Arthur found himself staring at Natalia as she held the car door open for him, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Her right eyebrow lifted slightly, amused by the sight of his flushed face and trembling lips.
"Ah… thank you."
Arthur stepped out of the car and followed her inside, waiting as she closed the door. He absentmindedly counted the seconds she took, watching her movements more closely than necessary.
"Oh, you guys are back!" Kelly greeted them warmly. Arthur drifted away from Natalia almost immediately, falling into cheerful conversation with Kelly, his earlier nerves melting away.
"Oh, you met Jax? Aaah! She did tell me she bought way too much asparagus. Apparently, no one else in the house likes it, so she ended up making almost every recipe from her cookbook. She didn't tell me she was giving one to you, though. But then again, you wouldn't eat it anyway." Arthur smiled guiltily and handed over the food Jax had given him.
On the other side of the room, the father and daughter sat together, their expressions starkly different from the lively chatter nearby.
"It was a good decision for you to visit without warning. I trusted them blindly…" Kevin rubbed his forehead, exhaustion heavy in his voice.
"It's understandable, Dad. They've been with you since the beginning. Who would've thought they'd turn out like this?" Natalia tried to comfort him, but he only shook his head, releasing a long, weary sigh.
"So what's your plan now?"
"I fired three people today, the storage manager and two managers from other projects."
"Yeah...That was the right call. You need to be firm. They'll understand now."
Natalia nodded lightly, watching her father slump slightly, one hand resting on his head. For the first time in a long while, he looked old.
She understood his disappointment all too well.
The people holding high positions in the company were once those who stood beside him when he built everything from nothing. He believed their loyalty would remain unchanged. He believed in them.
That was why it angered her so deeply when she saw them abusing their authority, neglecting responsibilities, and wasting company resources. These were people her father trusted, people he spoke of fondly.
Natalia hadn't even introduced herself yet and she was already witnessing the audacity of certain managers when arrived.
Right in front of her, an older man, later revealed to be a project manager, was shouting at his team. Two women stood in tears, shoulders shaking. It might have been somewhat understandable if not for the truth: they had completed the project on their own, without his supervision. He hadn't considered the work important or urgent, until it was finished and no longer met his personal standards.
Ridiculous.
As she dug deeper, Natalia uncovered even more. Projects delayed for months. Poorly executed work hastily stitched together just to meet deadlines.
It was chaos.
Her father had always praised his colleagues, believing them to be loyal employees. In reality, they were shielding one another, smiling to his face while downplaying serious issues.
When they failed to satisfy Natalia, resentment followed. She endured complaints about her inexperience, about how she wasn't ready to lead, all because she dared question their failures.
Excuses came easily to them.
It was no surprise that the atmosphere shifted instantly when the long-standing manager, someone especially close to her father, was dismissed on the spot.
Fear spread quickly. Yet, behind it, Natalia noticed something else.
Relief.
Some employees looked genuinely happy to see those people gone.
There was still more to fix. She knew that. But she would take it step by step, ensuring everything was handled properly.
She only hoped her father wouldn't regret placing the company in her hands.
"I trust you. You know what's best."
Natalia smiled softly as her father patted her shoulder, pride evident in his eyes. Deep down, he knew he had been too lenient, even when the cracks were visible. Perhaps his daughter would succeed where he faltered.
"Shall we have lunch now?"
Kelly's cheerful voice cut through the heavy mood, instantly lightening the atmosphere.
They nodded, following her to eat before retreating to their respective rooms.
Arthur spent some time checking students' books while Natalia reviewed company files. Both worked quietly, immersed in their tasks.
An hour later, Arthur finished first and leaned back, wondering what to do next.
'Should I visit Natalia? Aunt's probably watching TV, and Uncle must be with her…'
A quick glance confirmed his suspicion. The older couple sat close together, fingers intertwined as they watched an old romantic drama.
'Sigh… no mercy for single people.'
Arthur shook his head instinctively, then paused.
Single?
He blinked, realization hitting him.
Who is single?
He wasn't single anymore.
No one in that house was single anymore.
A grin spread across his face.
'I am dating.'
'Hehe…'
Arthur walked up to Natalia's door and knocked softly, hesitantly.
Before his knuckles could even fall away, the door opened. Natalia stood there, eyes bright, already reaching for him.
Arthur laughed softly as she pulled him inside. They sat on the bed together, her hand still holding his.
"Oh… w-were you working?" He glanced at the half-open files and laptop, suddenly worried he had interrupted her.
"No. I was just doing that until you came."
His cheeks warmed. He felt good, comforted, though a hint of nervousness lingered.
"M-maybe… you could come to my room too, sometime…"
Arthur murmured shyly.
Natalia chuckled, then gently intertwined their fingers. Both of them stared down at their joined hands, hearts beating faster.
"Then I'll visit soon."
Arthur nodded, silence stretching comfortably between them. He didn't want to speak anymore.
He wanted this.
Their hands together. The warmth. The quiet closeness...
'It would be even better if we could hug.'
Arthur had little experience with relationships, little understanding of love languages, but maybe this was his.
Touch.
Not anything intimate. Just this.
Holding hands.
Being close.
'It's so comfortable…'