Chapter 9 Making A Plan: Brother's little devil

The classic music playing from the two big loud speakers placed at opposite corners of the building filled the restaurant so much that the drop of a pin could hardly be noticed. Different people in different clothes and dresses trooped in and out of the restaurant to spend their time. Some were there to fill their bellies, some to meet up with someone, while some came to relax and have some time to themselves. But everyone has their purpose of being there.

Amber made her way into the restaurant after paying the cab man who dropped her off. Her face was cold, exuding a mischievous aura and a murderous intent. She got to the counter and spoke in an hush tone to the receptionist, who then gave her a card which she took along with her to the front of another door. But the door wasn't transparent like the one at the entrance.

She placed the card on the door lock, and it opened without her touching it.

"Finally, she's here." someone said from inside.

Amber entered not changing the look on her face, and the door closed automatically. Inside the room, there was a round table in the middle of the room with chairs around it. On the chairs, were Amber's acquaintances who bombarded her with questions immediately she entered.

"Why did you arrive just now?. You took so long!" the only male among the three seated persons uttered with concern.

"What's with this face, it's better you speak up. You've wasted our time enough" said the lady who spoke first when she entered.

"Be soft Karen, you can't speak to your elder sister like that." the male reprimanded the lady who spoke.

"I don't care Mark, I've always been like this and you know it. When have I ever been soft?"

"Fine!. We all know you're not soft, but at least you should learn. Perhaps you could make an exception a few times, most especially when you're with family members like us."

"That's right sis, you don't have to look so worked up every time we meet." Lilith, the last person present chipped in supporting thier brother's unexpected advice.

Karen scoffed and rolled her eyes diverting the direction of her head to somewhere else.

"The last time I checked, you weren't so cool either. In fact, you almost got a divorce with your newly found husband" Karen laid out the words without thinking, ending her sentence with an emphasis on each word.

Lilith shot her a glare immediately she spewed the words out of her mouth.

"And the last time I also checked, you almost killed your children with the silly attitude of yours." she countered with a smirk on her face.

"You dare bring that up?" Karen pointed her finger accusingly to her sister. A mixture of guilt and pain showed on her face, but she masked it quickly with a show of anger.

"And what if I did?. Yes, I dare bring it up!. Who started it first?" Lilith stood up in defence facing her sister angrily.

"You lack curtsey Lilly, you really do" Karen mocked, making up a face that shows pity to her sister.

"And who are you to tell me I lack manners?. Tell me!, what right do you have to tell me such?. You ungrateful bitch of a sister. So disgraceful and annoying." Lilith spat banging her fist on the table fiercely making Amber and Mark flinch back to reality from the world of their thoughts.

"Stop it!, Just stop it. What's wrong with you two?" Mark questioned exchanging glances between the duo who still glared fiercely at each other.

"Now sit." he ordered Lilith, but she didn't respond or obey. Instead she continued glaring at Karen like she wants to rip her throat into pieces.

"I said sit!" he repeated loudly and she sat reluctantly, sighing out her frustration.

"What's wrong with the two of you?. Don't you feel ashamed of yourselves?. You're no longer kids, yet you act like one."

"Maybe you should ask her what she did?" Lilith muttered still battling with her anger that was threatening to overpower her anytime.

"Karen, what's she speaking about?. What did you do to her?" he asked ignorantly.

"I... I.... 1...." she stammered unable to say anything.

"Don't you realize my presence?" Amber spoke up preventing Karen from speaking.

"Really?!, I mean whom are you talking to among us?." Karen asked in response half smiling in a bid to cover up what Lilith wanted to talk about.

"I'm present here and you're all acting mannerless like teenage children. Do you even accord me any respect in that way?" Amber was raged.

"Why would you ask such a question?. Big brother called us here to discuss, yet you arrived late. Not only did you arrive late, you're also wasting my time right now. I don't know about others, but you're obviously wasting my time."

"My. Own. Time," she emphasized and rolled her eyeballs.

Amber huffed at her sister and faced her brother to talk.

"You won't believe what I encountered on my way here." she began.

"Really, what happened?." Mark looked so serious while the other two were face expressionless but paid full attention.

"You can't believe the child of mine whom I carried in my belly for nine months would go against me."

"Why don't you go straight to the point and stop speaking in parables?. Moreover, which child of yours are you speaking of?." Karen asked almost in a mocking way. Though, that's how she is. Her natural way of handling things.

"Be patient for once Karen, she didn't say she wouldn't tell what happened." Mark snapped at his sister and she scoffed at him rolling her eyes again.

"So what happened?"

"You won't believe he reported me to Austin. You need to see the way Austin was raging at me. "Your not...doing your..... responsibilities as a mother... Are you okay?.... You're not the one I married........." she ranted on and on explaining what her husband did before she left home that afternoon.

"You don't mean it!." Lilith was surprised.

"Why won't I?. Have I ever lied about such a thing?"

"Who knows?" Karen chipped in with a smirk on her face making Amber hiss angrily.

Mark looked at his sister's one after the other and sighed. The way they act to themselves was not to his liking, but he doesn't have a choice than to put up with it thier actions. Since they weren't like that as they grew up, he had always wondered why they suddenly changed, but got no answer. Several times, had he tried asking them all separately, they gave him a cold shoulder on the topic. Though, their relationship got worse when their older step-brother died. When Alan died together with his wife.

"Anyway, that aside, let's move to the reason I called you all here." he cleared his throat before speaking and they all directed their attention to him just like when a beam of light converges.

"I called you here for our agreement on Alan's children."

"What about them?" Lilith acted ignorant despite knowing exactly what her brother meant.

"Have you forgotten?. It's time for us to spring into action. Aster clocked eighteen already. If you can remember back then, when the lawyer read the will. He said, he would give her the full rights to the company when she come of age, and that means eighteen years."

Immediately he stopped speaking, Karen snapped her fingers upon realization of what Mark meant.

"That's true. We have to act fast she gets that right." she muttered.

Amber didn't say anything, she just stared at them with full attention.

"Fools, if only they knew I started working my way through. But I won't tell them now. I mean, I don't have to say anything. After getting all I want, I'll make sure they succumb to me together with the so called husband of mine." she smiled inwardly at her thoughts.

"I have a suggestion already." Lilith interrupted the silence.

"Shoot!, let's hear it." Mark sounded enthusiastic.

""We can make use of brother Stanley"

"How?"

"Think, think. I don't have to spell it out with all my mouth."

"I think I get it. Funny enough, he resembles the lawyer." Karen pointed out the possible idea of her sister.

"Exactly what I mean!"

"You mean, to get Stanley work as the lawyer?" Mark didn't quite get Lilith's idea.

"Yes, exactly!. This is it. We make Stanley work for us, take care of the lawyer to prevent getting busted, and make Aster sign an ownership transfer document." Lilith analysed with smiles on her face. Her hand up in the air.

"Good idea, but what if Stanley refuses to work with us?. You know, we're not from the same mother and.........."

"No bother, we find his weakness and make him agree to our wants. Remember, every human has their weaknesses." Lilith interrupted before her brother could finish what he wanted to say.

"That's good!. That's exactly what we'll do." Mark and Karen said in unison, while Amber said nothing and remained expressionless.

"All we have to do first is to sound Aster out and see if she recognizes the lawyer or knows anything more about him." Lilith added.

"But who would do that?. You know she won't even speak with us since her father's death"

"Never mind, I'll find a way." Lilith said and winked at her brother who already became concerned on how to go about sounding Aster out. Mark smiled at Lilith and hit her nose fondly like he does when she was still a kid.

"Small devil. I've always known you're going to be wise. My small devil." he uttered only to her hearing.

"I'll take that as a compliment." said Lilith as they all dispersed and left the restaurant one after the other.