We were done with a presentation and were halfway through the other one. "I think that we should let them suggest something and then we could pitch our idea, it would be better than theirs so they will have to come to terms with our deal and money," I said. He nodded, adding another slide as I wrote down the pitch for the idea.

I looked at the clock. It was almost eight and I couldn't hear any blabbering from the kids from the past hour. "I am just going to check up on them," I said, getting up without waiting for an answer. I smiled when I walked into the room they were sleeping with her head on his shoulder and his arm protectively around hers. I smiled. I slowly put the blanket on top of them and kissed both of their foreheads.

I turned around to leave to find Mr. Knight standing at the door smiling. His face turned passive as he walked out. I gently closed the door behind me. "You seem cool with your sister sleeping with a boy," Mr Knight said. "She is sleeping next to him. And I trust her, not to be reckless and I also trust Xavier not to be reckless either," I said sitting back down.

"You hardly know him," he said, taking a seat beside me and offering me my warm water. "Well, that's true. But you know there is a saying that says, "It takes a minute to meet someone, a day to trust someone, and a second to fall in love," I said looking at him after keeping the glass on the table to find him looking at me.

"And you believe that?" he asked, sitting back. "Well not entirely, yes it does take only a minute to meet someone, but it doesn't take a day to trust someone, some people have different spans about that. For me, I need only a ten-minute conversation with someone to trust them. I am very good at reading people and their personalities. I can tell who is nice and who is not," I said shrugging.

"So you need only a ten-minute conversation?" he asked And I nodded. "What about the third part of the saying?" he asked. I chuckled, "About love?" I asked and he nodded. "Well, that's complicated. I have never been in love. All I know about love is either from novels or from television shows or movies. So I can't guarantee that.

For some people, it might happen in a second. It might or might not last. But I think love can never be timed. If you fall in love with a person you will keep falling for them for the rest of your life. Not the love that we find these days. The one where you have been in 5 relationships and say that you loved them all. I believe in old-school love. The one where you fall in love just once," I said finally looking at him. "What about you? You must be thinking what she is saying is all bullcrap," I said.

"Well, I don't know if I should agree with you or disagree with you. I mean I have never fallen in love with someone but you seem like the type who would fall in love with your perfect partner in your lifetime. For me, I don't know if I have time for that. The time one needs to give to the relationship is a lot and I clearly can not afford to lose that much.

I don't know if someone will ever fall for me," he said. I raised my eyebrows at that. "I mean people usually are with me for money. I have had so many models and daughters of businessmen come to me. But I know it is either for my looks or my money," "Cocky," "I will take that. But I don't think I would make a good boyfriend or a lover. I don't have the time," he said looking at me.

"Well, you have the wrong idea. I mean you don't have to take out time for someone. You don't have to devote yourself to the relationship like it's something you have to do. When someone falls in love they automatically have the time. Instead of working, they would want to spend time with them. It's not that if you have the time or not. It's whether you have the heart or not.

You just have to remember the process of falling in love is not as simple as us calculating and making our datasheets. It is not a process, to begin with. One doesn't have a choice about it. It just happens. I know it sounds cheesy and like dialogue from a movie but I can guarantee you. It is true. Falling in Love is By Chance but Staying in Love is a Choice," I said.

He looked at me shocked, and after a moment he spoke. "So, was this ten-minute conversation enough for you to judge my personality?" he asked when I had stood up. "I have spent the past three years of my life with you Mr. Knight, I don't think I need a 10-minute conversation to know your personality or to trust you," I said walking to the kitchen, I stopped and turned around.

"I already knew about your personality the day I stepped into the office and we had our first 10-minute conversation. You just proved me right," I said, giving him a wink and walking in to prepare dinner.

A few minutes later Vi and Xavier walked in, both rubbing their eyes. "Why is your boss looking like he just lost his shit?" Vi asked. "Violet language," I said. "What? She is right! He looks like he just got fucked over," Xavier said. "You guys need to stop swearing before I hit you with something," I said, stringing the soup and taking out some bread.

"What are you making?" they both asked to pick out things from everywhere. "Can you guys get out of here?" I snapped. "Can you guys stop troubling Ms Kinsgton? She is being nice enough to make us dinner," Mr Knight said coming in. All of our heads snapped to him. "But we are bored," they said. "Then get out of here!" he snapped.

They both started rushing out. "Your brother is mean," Vi muttered. "I know," Xavier said. "I will throw something at you," I warned. "Your sister is mean," Xavier said. "I know," Vi replied as they laughed and ran off. "They behave like two-year-olds," I said, rubbing my temples and going back to work.

"Do you need any help?" he asked. "No thank you so much," I said. "I know how to cook Ms Kingston," he said. "You can call me Isabella or Bella," I said, handing him the pasta. "That would be very unprofessional Ms Kingston," he said. "The conversation we had a few minutes ago also was very unprofessional, yet here we are," I said, handing him the cornflour.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "You asked me if I trusted you. And people who I have known for very long call me by my name. If it's that uncomfortable you can call me Ms Kingston in the office," I smiled.

He nodded agreeing. I saw two shadows lingering at the kitchen end. "If you two are done eavesdropping come here and go buy some dessert from the bakery below," I said. Both of them peeped their heads from the wall and smiled.

"You behave like teenagers," I said, handing them a hundred dollars. "They are not buying the whole store," Mr. Knight said, grabbing the 100 dollars and putting it back in my hand, and giving them 30 dollars. "They will just buy other stuff," he said. "But Ni- Mr Knight, it's fine," I said covering up quickly gladly no one had noticed my tiny slip up.

The kids just rushed out anyway. I started with the pasta that he had boiled. "You think I didn't notice?" he asked, suddenly making me nervous. "I don't know what you are talking about Mr Knight," I said. "Oh so now It's Mr Knight?" he asked. I just kept quiet trying not to blush as he let it go.

My phone rang but my hands were busy so I looked at Mr. Knight and he grabbed it by putting it on speaker. He was glaring at the weird phone. "HEY BELLS!" said a loud voice. "Oh Hi, Kevin!" I replied by putting in all the vegetables and grabbing the spatula. "Where are you?" he asked. "Uh. home?" I said. "Do you know where Nick is, he isn't picking up my calls," He said. "I think he must be busy," I said looking up at 'Nick', who just rolled his eyes.

"Oh really?" he asked. "What the fuck do you want Langford?" Mr. Knight finally said. "Oh, so you are with her! I knew it!" he said. I raised my eyebrows. "What the hell are you two doing in her house for the past three hours?!" he asked. "How do you even know that?" I asked, stirring the sauce.

"You guys' Snapchat location!" he said. "I don't own a fucking Snapchat," Mr Knight replied. "Bro but you do have one installed in your phone, you just don't use it," he said. I laughed a little before shutting up when Mr. Knight glared at me. "But seriously, is there a slumber party I am not invited to?" he asked. "Kevin, we are preparing a presentation," I said. "Wait, why is the phone on speaker?" he asked and Mr Knight just hung up.

"That was rude," I said, putting in the pasta. "And I don't care. Where are the plates?" he asked. I pointed to the cabinet. He took out 4 plates and glasses from there and set them on the table. I heard the door open and close assuming they both were back. They walked in smirking at each other and put the dessert in the fridge. "Wash your hands and sit down," I said, bringing out everything from the kitchen. Mr Knight was sitting on one side and the kids sat opposite him beside each other. Leaving the only seat beside Mr Knight.

I sat down as I served everyone a little bit of everything. They all started to dig in. "So how's college going?" I asked, looking at both of them. This was how I and Vi usually had dinner talking about our lives and sharing things. "Oh it is great I am still at the top of the class," she said smiling. "That's good," I said and turned to look at Xavier. "What even am I to answer?" he asked.

"At this dinner table we usually discuss our lives, so yes," I told him. "Well, I am not at the top of the class but I am doing pretty good. I am going to ace my business exams. I think I am ready and..." he trailed off shrugging. "And... you have a game this Friday!" Vi said, looking at him. "Yeah, that.." he pointed at her and shrugged. "What that is so good! I didn't know you go for games, I thought football was just a hobby!" I said.

"He is the captain!" Vi said interrupting. "That's very nice, Xavier I am proud of you," I said smiling. He looked up from his plate and looked at me shocked. "What?" he asked. I looked at Mr. Knight to see him observing us. "She said she is proud of you! I mean come on! Being the captain of the football team is a big deal! You must be good at it," Mr Knight said.

He looked at him in shock. "Okay... so... Thanks?" he said. Vi grinned beside him. "And what about you, what extra activities are you doing?" I pointed at Vi. She just looked at me sheepishly. "Hey! Being at the top of the class is too much work," she said.

"And so is going to parties," Xavier muttered. "What?" I asked, looking at Vi. "It was just once!" she said. "Liar!" Xavier said. "I meant once a week," she said looking down. "Vi, how many times have I told you partying is not going to help you in any way, sure once a month or once in two weeks is fine but you go out every Friday! You should probably join a club or something," I said.

"You can be a cheerleader," Xavier suggested. "That's a good idea..." I said. "I'll see..." she said. "You can cheer for me," he smirked as she hit him in the arm. "Definitely not," she said. "Okay okay cut it out," I said. "Your turn," Vi said.

I looked at Mr. Knight before looking at her. "He is fine!" she said, waving him off. "Yes Isabella, please tell us your views," he smirked. I glared at him. Now he has to use my name? "ISABELLA?" they both choked. "Stop being dramatic. Nothing happened this week except we cracked a few deals... And I think I overworked.... and I feel ill," I said.

"What about Eric?" Vi said. "Who's Eric?" Xavier asked. "He is the guy that keeps hitting on her. She has been trying to politely decline him, but god, he has the guts," Vi laughed. "Yeah, he asked me out again. I think I am going to lie to him and tell him I have a boyfriend," I said, sighing. "Or I could just fire him," Mr Knight suggested and we all looked at him.

"Yes!" Xavier and Vi agreed. "See this works, Ms. Kingston please email him his rustication letter tomorrow," he said. "I am doing no such thing. Once he sees I am not interested he will leave me alone," I said. They all shrugged. The dinner table was silent once again as we enjoyed the food.

Once we were done I took the dishes in as others sat on the table relaxing. I took out the ice cream and served it in bowls. I smiled when I saw the ice cream was lactose-free. I passed all four bowls on the dining table since my Kitchen and the dining area had no wall in between and I loved it. I came back and sat down.

"So when are you guys leaving tomorrow?" I asked. "5?" he asked. "Can we make it 3? I have homework," she asked and he nodded. "Okay," I said. "Mr Knight you didn't share about your week," Vi asked looking at him. Making me and Xavier look at each other wide-eyed. "Violet, you want to find out my mysteries?" he asked, chuckling and she laughed. "You heard that? I am sorry it's just Bella doesn't tell me a lot about you so I feel it's creepy that she works for you," she said, making me choke.

"That's because Ms Kingston doesn't know herself. But I can assure you I am a very good man. I am not creepy," he said. She nodded leaving it at that. "Well... my week is quite hectic. I have meetings lined up from 8 am to 9 pm and if I don't have that I have some of the other contract work to do," he said after a while. Did he just share something?

"Well being a CEO has its perks and loss," she said shrugging. Once we were done I looked at the time. "I'll make the rest of the presentation and send it over to you," I said. "It's fine, you need rest. I'll do it," he said. I was hesitant but he gave me an assuring nod and I let it go.

"Xavier let's go," he said looking at the kids who were out on the balcony. They both pulled into a brief hug before bidding their goodbyes. "Bye Bella," he said, giving me a side hug. "Thank you for taking care of me," I said. "You do it all the time for me, it's fine," he said smiling. "I'll see you at work on Monday Isabella," Mr Knight said walking out the door. "Good night," I said. "Good night," he replied for the first time in three years.

I closed the door and I and Vi were both in our world so we just went to our rooms to sleep.