Kiara and Trevor's first meeting above.

agathokakological

(adj.) composed of both good and evil

The show must go on. That was the first thought in Kiara's head as she worked through the filming merely a few hours after arriving back from her week in India. While the undercurrents of stress from her weekend still pulsed through her body, she knew the predicament needed to be pushed to the back of her mind in order to function normally. If she heard the words "take it from the top" one more time, it might be the thing that finally tipped her over the edge. 

She had been in a foul mood since Vijay woke her up this morning by stinking up her room, leaving an odour that could only exist in the pits of hell, so the last thing she need was more grief from Hadley. She concentrated on suppressing her annoyance as Hadley made it her mission to push their limits. Rationalising that it was her dedication that made her such a successful producer, Kiara decided flinging her script at Hadley was something that should stay in her imagination and by the looks of it, he felt the same way.

Sometime after the crew split for lunch, Kiara quickly slipped away to pick up her salad bowl only to return to the sounds of Vijay's taunting. As she came closer, she observed the tall man towering over him, noting the tension rippling across his broad shoulders. The man turned around upon sensing her presence and smiled his Cheshire cat grin, spreading his arms for a hug as she ran up to meet him. 

Trevor Antony possessed the most unique background in being both Kerala born and a Rhodes scholar as it meant he was intelligent but impoverished. After studying the dark arts of jurisprudence, he found his true calling while weaselling Britain's most notorious drug kingpin's consigliere out of a murder charge. Trevor realised he was fairly good at it, so much so that he could dip into the criminal underbelly while remaining completely legal. He was sharp and objective about ambition, successfully navigating the echelons of England's complicated culture. That hunger created the billionaire businessman he was today– charismatic and clever, powerful and ruthless, cunning and bright. 

Perhaps the most surprising fact was how this success had been accomplished with minimal blood on his hands. Of course there was the occasional brutality required to established his position, demonstrate he wasn't just pretty words and a face. All the while he had cultivated special relationships with erudite, educated and open-minded politicians around the world. 

Now when one crime syndicate leader threatened another, they often proposed an outrageous ransom to create the right amount of discomfort that left each party feeling rather comfortable. A man of Trevor's stature, however, didn't take too kindly at being subjected to such aggressive methods and in came Samuel, the best corporate lawyer in the business. While he worked within the grey area, there were morals and ethical codes by which he held himself responsible– all of which aligned with Trevor's, although the businessman used more savage methods than the lawyer. It was because of these rules that she raised no complaints against her father's work.

Beaming at Trevor as he bundled her petite form into a comforting hug, Kiara made a face at Vijay in an attempt to erase the growing scowl on his face.

She stepped back, still holding Trevor's hand, "What brings you to the other side of the globe?"

He scratched his beard, "A little birdie told me someone was stupid enough to threaten you."

"Was this little birdie wearing a custom-made suit and sporting a salt-and-pepper beard?"

The faint British lilt only added to his gentlemanly persona, "I can't hide a thing from you can I, babe."

She cheekily grinned, "Nope."

"Want me to deal with it?"

"Not at the moment."

"Planning on telling me what Rahul Gandhi has on you?"

"I don't want you getting hurt."

"Tough luck, you're important to me. A few cuts and bruises make no difference me."

"They do to me. Don't go searching for trouble."

"Like he does?," he pointed at Vijay.

Vijay remained reclined against the couch beside Kiara. He leaned back in his chair with his hands tucked into his pockets looking bored, but she knew him better than that. She had seen the smug way he scratched the scruff on his jaw, as if he were angry and amused at the same time. That never boded well for those around him. His recklessness was dangerous for anyone involved, especially himself. He caught her uneasy look and winked, confirming her fears.

His dark gaze centred on Trevor. "I don't think I understood the joke, Antony."

Kiara closed her eyes. The day Vijay let this go without a fight would be the day the hell froze over.

Her chest tightened as she warned, "Jay, don't."

But Vijay didn't even look at Kiara– instead, he smiled at Trevor and it wasn't nice at all.

"Word on the street says you're the troublemaker," he drawled, eyes flickering with dark enjoyment.

Vijay's amusement faded into a deathly quiet that even Hadley at the other side of the room noticed. Everything went static and Kiara held her breath, waiting for chaos to ensue. Trevor's jaw tightened as venom crawled through his veins but to his credit, he didn't take the bait.

He smiled politely, "The news and word on the street. Two things you cannot trust."

She ran her thumb along the back of his hand, grateful he remained calm, as she glared at Vijay, "Are you done?"

Glancing around, Kiara noticed the hushed whispers as people recognised just who she was talking to. She forgot just how infamous Trevor was and while he was never formally charged with anything, the rumours were enough for people to realise the danger this man exuded.

Vijay followed her gaze and nodded, deciding the hassle wasn't worth it as he glared at the gathering groups of people and lightly shoved Trevor, "Alright, we've established I'm a shit-stirrer."

"Yes you are," Trevor looked back at her, adding, "and you're trouble."

She shrugged, thinking back to when they first met, "When it suits me."

It was well into the afternoon when Kiara and Vijay received the email to meet the dean in his office. They entered to find Samuel seated opposite the dean, dressed in his usual custom-made black suit looking entirely disinterested. Given that Vijay had no other family members and was legally an adult, Samuel had taken on the responsibility of being his guardian without a second thought. Though it was initially due to Vijay being her best friend, he soon ingrained himself within their family and practically became a second son to Samuel

The dean made a face of mild irritation as he mocked, "How nice of you to join us!"

Without missing a beat, Vijay quipped, "Thought it would be rude not to bless you with my company."

Rolling his eyes, the dean complained to Samuel, "Your daughter yelled, 'eat shit' to one of the other students while your boy set off firecrackers under said student's bed."

Vijay nonchalantly leaned against the wall as the dean continued, "Then there was the incident when he showed up drinking alcohol in class," he paused when hearing chuckles and narrowed his eyes; "He clearly doesn't take this seriously!"

Samuel turned and shouted, "Vijay, where are your manners?," pointing a scolding finger at Vijay, "If I see you laughing again..."

He stopped laughing and apologised, "Sorry, sir."

Turning back to the dean, Samuel leaned forwards in his seat, "About the firecrackers, you haven't proved his involvement yet, right?," the man shook his head as he continued; "So don't needlessly shove the blame onto him. Give someone else the credit for that."

Swallowing nervously, the dean widened his eyes in shock as Samuel smirked and reclined in his seat, "Now about the words, shit is a word in the dictionary which isn't unparliamentary, is it?"

She hid her proud smile as Vijay continued looking down to hide his amusement while Samuel corrected, "Then there's the alcoholism. I don't like it either," he turned to look at Vijay; "Don't go to class drunk, okay?" 

"Yes, sir."

"If you want to drink, do it at home or in a bar."

Appalled, the dean interjected, "What kind of father encourages their kids to drink?"

Looking every bit the steel-willed lawyer, Samuel retorted, "The kind that funds half this school's education. Now I'm not so cruel as to rescind the opportunity for education from others but insult my family one more time and I'll show you just how good of a father I can be. I bet it would be all kinds of bad for an Oxford dean's dirty laundry to be out in the open."

Standing to tower over the dean, he angrily shoved his finger in the dean's face, "If you ever call me here to discuss such trivial issues again, I'll burn your career into the ground. I know it was your son that started this whole issue so don't try pin the blame on my children."

The dean flinched, colour draining from his face as Samuel spun around to leave and gestured at Kiara and Vijay to follow. He was an intimidating man and while it was difficult for the dean to comprehend a parent acting in such a way, he couldn't help but be slightly impressed at the dauntless attitude.

 Throwing his arm around her as they walked to the main entrance, Samuel inquired, "Why would you say 'eat shit' of all things?"

She huffs, "I blanked."

"Aah, you ran out of original comebacks. I didn't like what the dean said about you both, that's why I raised my voice."

Winking at him, she complimented, "No, that was great. The 'dirty laundry' part was a fantastic touch."

Arms thrown over each other's shoulders, Kiara and Vijay walked with Samuel to his car, holding in their chuckles as he grumbled about how pointless this meeting was. She bid farewell to Vijay, preparing to face her father's wrath as he drove her home. She slid into the backseat as he settled into the passenger seat up front and jumped in surprise upon noticing the man beside her. 

The car started and Kiara peered ahead to find Samuel focused on work as expected, busily making important calls. Turning to look back at the man, she recognised his face from the front page of various magazines and examined him. While Trevor was well known from the gossip columns, his company shares and earnings were of higher significance and usually held first place on the financial section of most newspapers. That explained what he was doing with her father. He scoffed when he felt her stare along his face, assuming she was another sheltered brat fascinated by the rumours surrounding him, and finally turned his attention to her.

His inky black eyes perused the length of her body before dismissing her as he lit a cigarette and blew smoke out the window, "See something you like?"

She laughed, unable to fathom the level of confidence he must have to think every woman who looked at him was interested in being romantically involved with him, "Dislike is more like it."

Trevor looked over at Kiara in surprise and squinted in confusion then smiled his predatory smile. It thrilled him that she contradicted his impression of her. He was going to enjoy getting to know her.

No doubt reliving the memories of their first meeting too, Trevor shook his head as an imperceptible smile bloomed across his face. They discussed the events of Kiara's meeting with Rahul before agreeing that if any drastic measures were required, she would get in contact with him immediately. A muscled man rushed into the room, tilting his head respectfully to acknowledge her. She instantly recognised him as Prakash, Trevor's consigliere for all intents and purposes, his scarred face schooled into casual indifference while harshly whispering into Trevor's ear.

Lowering his voice, he instructed Prakash, "Have fun with it but make sure it goes smoothly. I want no major injuries, they should be able to walk."

Prakash nodded, smiling mischievously, before Trevor grunted, "They should look fucking beautiful when they stand up in court."

The mood suddenly soured as everyone went silent around them, having overheard the conversation. Kiara was so overexposed to Trevor's manner and speech that she often forgot how jarring the ways of his profession could seem to others.

Prakash smirked back at the businessman, "Not the face. Got it."

Watching silently as Prakash left to carry out his orders, Trevor turned back to face the group and grimaced as he noticed Kiara's frown, disregarding everyone else as per usual. While he was a great man, she knew he wasn't a good man and it was with this knowledge that she still became friends with him. People often sought out his services when they had no one else to turn to. He was benevolent in nature so his tendency to support and protect the innocent was the only reason she could turn a blind eye to how he served their justice but all this violence also meant a darkness festered in him. One that, no matter how hard she tried to pull him away from, was inevitable. 

All the good deeds in the world wouldn't measure up to the bad ones Trevor had to commit for his version of justice. Kiara supposed her acceptance of his ways also meant a version of the same twisted darkness resided in her. As they say, the road to hell was paved by good intentions. Giving her one last hug goodbye, he left after promising her that he would stay out of trouble. They both knew it was a lie but if it somehow made her feel better, then all the better for it.

The construction manager gaped, "Was that Trevor Antony?"

"Yeah," she said indifferently, attempting to walk past him as his large form blocked the way.

Vijay chipped in from behind her, evoking some laughs from those around him, "Fuck's sake, you're built like a brick shithouse. Move."

Refusing to comment on Trevor's presence, Kiara and Vijay continued as they normally would and eventually the rest of the cast and crew followed, ignoring this morning's events as they continued filming. After another gruelling fourteen hours of filming, Hadley finally let the cast and crew off for the day as everyone separated to their respective homes for some well-needed rest. Kiara was in no mood to converse with anyone and flopped straight to bed as soon as she reached home, the inviting fluffy duvet beckoning her as she lulled into a deep slumber. 

The next morning, her alarm blared as Kiara startled awake and grumbled to herself before realising today's date. Her mood darkened as she quickly flung together an overnight bag and made her way out, only to find an equally sombre Vijay waiting for her as he leaned against his car. She welcomed the darkness with a smile, there would be no floatie today.

Everyone knew that there were two days when Vijay and Kiara simply disappeared– 21st November and 3rd February. Nobody knew where they went or what they did but only that they were completely unreachable on these specific dates. If one were to look close enough, they would realise that those were respectively the dates that her mother and his father passed away. It was a day were they were allowed to openly express their feelings without fearing anyone's judgement. 

Every year he would come around in his car to pick her up and they would drive to a faraway lodge, spending the day in each other's company. Some days they would spend the entire time in silence, simply existing and finding comfort in each other's presence. Other days they spent the whole day talking and running around, enjoying creating new memories together and choosing to celebrate rather than mourn.

Today was one such day as Vijay tapped his fingers along with the beat of the song playing on the radio while Kiara sang along in the most obnoxious voice.

He yelled as a group of cyclists brazenly moved past them, nearly crashing into their car, "Fucking cyclists!"

She laughed, turning to him, "I was a cyclist for a while."

"Ah, same. But still."

Pointing at the cyclists still riding in front of them, she frowned, "Oh, there's a child!"

"Ugh, it's children. Now I feel bad."

They gasped in unison, "Oh, it's the cancer council."

He started laughing, "Are you fucking kidding me?"

Covering her face in shame, she frantically slapped his arm, "Go, go, go! Oh god they're all children."

Driving past the cyclist, she stuck her head out to cheer, "You're doing great!"

He gritted his teeth and cringed, "Ah, fuck. I'm going to hell."

She pouted, "Cheer up, you'll have me to accompany you."

Vijay remained pensive for the next few minutes, contemplating his life choices as the drive suddenly took a sombre tone.

Kiara glanced over, realising he was starting to think about his spirituality, "You know what?" 

He frowned, "What?"

"Come with me on the Unicef trip next month."

"But I'm not a Unicef ambassador, remember?"

"So what? I am. You can be my plus-one."

His eyes lit up, "Really?"

She smiled softly, "Yeah."

"I might not go to hell!"

"That's right."

High-fiving her, he looked up wistfully, "Look at that, Nic. I'm not going to hell."

Confused, she questioned in alarm, "Why look up? Nic's still alive."

"I know, I'm looking at Oregon."

"And you think Oregon is up there?"

"It's north!"

Kiara huffed a sigh, already tired of his antics, and leaned back in hopes of taking a quick power nap before they switched drivers. Two hours into the drive and as expected, Vijay's car was dangerously low on fuel since he forgot to refill the tank before they left. He unwillingly held the pump to his car, sulking at her for running into the gas station store without asking him what he wanted.

She walked out shaking the plastic bags at him, "Tell me you love me!"

Shaking his head, he laughed, "Depends on what you got me, sweetheart."

"Don't be ungrateful. I got you coffee, sour Skittles and a footlong Subway."

"There's a 'but' coming isn't there?"

"Small but."

He shrugged, innocently using double entendre, "Not what I'd usually go for."

"You're hilarious, ever try stand-up?"

"Too many expectations."

She huffed, ignoring him, "But they were all out of chipotle sauce so I got you honey mustard."

Vijay groaned but accepted the snacks, taking the passenger seat as Kiara settled into the driver's seat. She strained to reach the pedals, sighing in frustration when her legs struggled extend far enough as he snickered. Growing impatient with her trouble fixing the car seat, he leaned over and helped her move the seat before relaxing into his own seat to eat his lunch. 

Fifteenth chapter completeeee! Tell me how it is!!