"Are you okay? You look, dazed. What happened? Are you tired?" Simon, Belerick's personal chauffeur asked. Simon has been in the family for almost 5 years now. He was a professional conman before he met Belerick. He met Belerick at a college party where he tried to con him, little did he know, Belerick's not a naive teenager he can con. And instead of sending him to jail, he took him under his wing and changed him little by little, at first, Rafael and his two older brothers were against with it, but Agatha stood by his decision, knowing how Belerick can be a cunning and smart person. And as time pass by, Simon earned the family's trust and repayed it greatly, now, he's like the third older brother for Belerick and has been with him and loyal to him.

"I'm okay, I'm sorry." Belerick said shaking his head a little bit before meeting Simon's eyes through the rear-view mirror, he tilted one of his eye brows up to oppose what he just said. "Okay, okay. Fine." Belerick conceded. "What is it all about then?" Simon asked again this time his eyes on the road. "I don't know, maybe I feel a little disappointed? I guess?" Belerick said. "With what?" Simon said, then there was a brief moment of silence before an audible gasp escaped his mouth. "Don't tell me you like that guy. That tech nerd guy you met at the expo?" Simon said convincingly. "What? No! I do not! I just, I don't know.." Belerick said voice fading away never finishing what he wanted to say. "Oh come on now. You know you can't lie to me." Simon said "Fine. I'm a little disappointed." Belerick said biting his lips. "Why?" Simon asked. "I don't know, maybe I thought he was over his ex and ready to move on. Turns out, that wasn't the case." Simon said looking below at his shoes, trying to find something to distract him. Simon was about to say something when Belerick's phone rang.

"Who is it?" Simon asked. "It's Cass." Belerick answered picking up the call. It only took him a minute or two before ending the call. "Let's head to the company instead." Belerick said. "What what happened?" Simon asked. "Something bad happened." Belerick answered.

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It was still fresh in Eliz's mind, the conversation between him and Matteos after Belerick left. It shocked him to see Matteos so stern almost angry at him, Matteos was confused at why he was with Anastacia while meeting Belerick at the same time. He tried to explain the situation to Matteos but Matteos seemed to dismissed his reasons.

The atmosphere between Eliz and Matteos were pretty heavy that both Randell and Agriphina felt it. Agriphina approached Sahara to try to understand what was happening, Sahara filled her in on what seemed to happen. "Maybe Matteos was just to infatuated with Belerick? What did Eliz said?" Agriphina asked. "I don't know, it's confusing me too. Maybe, maybe that's the case, maybe Matteos misunderstood what happened, I mean, this is the first time i've seen him like this." Sahara answered. "Let's just hope the two clear things out soon." Agriphina said, looking at her two boys sitting uncomfortably together in the living room watching some sports.

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Belercik reached the office after getting a call from Cassidus, on his way to his office he noticed the other employees looking nervous and giving him pleading looks. Of the three brothers, everyone knew Belerick's the courtly one, so whenever the two older Summer siblings are warring it's Belerick's job to defuse and dissolute the situation. "What happened?" Belerick asked on of the staff. "We have no idea, but from what we heard from the yells inside the room, it's about hiring someone while not informing Mr. Cassidus. " the staff said.

Belerick barged in Cassidus's office without knocking.

"I am, the Executive Chief of Information, this little shit things you do should always, always be reported to me!" Cass yelled, arms slamming at his desk while Ross sat in front of him completely chill. "As I told you earlier, it has to be done swiftly or else someone might headhunt him quicker than us, I just took the opportunity to secure someone that would help us in the long run." Ross said his voice calm and collected. "No, no! That's not what this is. You know what? I know what this is, this is just a ploy, a move to convince dad that you're better than me! You know I am dad's first pick to succeed him and run this company, so you're doing whatever it takes to one up me!" Cass said making Ross bit his lip and finally give in to the tense situation. "You know what?! Yes! Yes! I did it to show the old man I am better than you! Because that's the truth! How come a puny, introverted idiot like you gets the company huh? Why not me? Why not the person that's willing to do almost anything for the sake of the company" Ross said as he stood up to come face to face with Cassidus.

"It's because you're self absorbed, cruel and reckless, just like now." Belerick said resting his back on Cassidus's office door, he slowly made his way towards the window and lean into it, soaking in the scenery of the city, both Ross and Cass didn't noticed he's already inside the room listening to their bickering. "What? You're a part of this El, you told me to hire that boy." Ross reiterated. "Yes, I did, but it was your decision to not tell Cass about it. And I clearly told you not to do that. I don't care about running or taking over the company. What I care is the company that was built with blood, sweat and tears by our grandparents, by our parents, and soon enough by us. I don't want to fail them, everyone who worked their asses off to lift us to where we are right now." Belerick started, both Cass and Ross swallowed hard. "What would dad think if he sees this? When he hear about this? His two sons fighting like a bunch of 12 year olds, in his company, with employees who looks up to them as their audience?" Belerick continued. Ross took a deep breath before sitting down again, crossing his legs. Cass did the same thing, although his eyes never left Ross. "Hiring Eliz is a good PR move, we can make an app that can bring consumers closer to us, making us more accessible to them, at the same time, we can see feedbacks closer and accurate giving us more opportunity to improve. I know the two of you is competing for the same position, trying to show dad that you are better than the other, but please, don't let that blind you to the fact that the three of us should be working together to keep the company alive, the morale of the staff high and to continue the legacy left for us." Belerick said, slowly turning to face his two older brothers, but was instead shocked to see his father standing by the door frame.

"Dad." Belerick softly said, shocking Ross and Cass making their head swivel to their dad's direction. "And you wonder why i am, disappointed you have no interest in taking over the company." Rafael said, his voice booming inside Cass's office making the three Summers quiet. "It was my mistake." Ross broke the silence first. "It is. This has been your flaw Ross, when given an opportunity to one up someone, you grab it, no matter how merciless it is, do not get me wrong, for someone running an empire, that is a good thing, but to do that to your own kin, that's not decent and I've been telling you this over and over again. I want a good, fair fight between you two. And it looks like it was the best idea to make Belerick here, the referee." Rafael said mildly smiling at his youngest. Ross gritted his teeth, accepting his fault and defeat. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again." Ross bowed to his dad. Rafael quickly lifted Ross head. "You are a brilliant man Ross, do not let the glittering fame and success blur your morals, we are a family, a family who runs an empire, there will always be blood spilled, that is why you keep people around you who you can trust with your life, trust to take you enemies down with, and trust that once you turn your back on them, they won't stab you. How can you build that relationship if you see everyone as a rival?" Rafael said, his eyes gleaming with care making Ross tear up and emotional. "This maybe too much for the three of you. Maybe it's still too early for you to be given this heavy of a role." Rafael said, brushing Ross's hair the way he did it when he was a small child, Ross trying his best not to break down and cry in front of his father and brothers. "That's not true, we, we have to experience this for us to grow, for us to be prepared, the world is a crueler place, and this is nothing but building blocks for us to grow together." Cass said approaching Rafael and Ross, tightly hugging both of them.

"This is getting uncomfortable by the minute." Belerick finally said, looking at the office staffs who are watching the scene from the outside. Rafael chuckled as he lets go both Ross and Cass who simultaneously wiped their faces to hide the red eyes and tears on their faces. "Well, isn't that a good talk?" Rafael said smiling at Belerick. "I want you to prepare all the necessary things for our new VIP staff, make him feel comfortable welcome him to his new department, introduce him to our company." Rafeal ordered Belerick, who replied with a polite nod. "I guess I'll see you three tonight, you mom's cooking her special Beef à la Mode recipe, don't be late or you'll never hear the end of it." Rafael said as he exited the room, he was met with shy smiles and nods from the office staffs outside.

"I'm sorry. I promise to give you a fair fight for the crown from now on." Ross said finally to Cass, his nose red. "Your nose. It's snotty and red, like rudolph, I forgot that happens when you cry." Belerick said, teasing Ross. "Shut up!" Ross replied, as the three of them laugh.

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Eliz is standing in front of the towering Summers Co. building in the heart of the business center, his weird fight with Matteos still on the back of his head, Romeo's arms draped around him. "I cannot believe this. My boy, starting his big boy job! Give me a kiss!" Romeo said as he tried to kiss him in the cheek. "Stop that! Geez." Eliz said swatting him away, as the make their way inside, there, they were greeted by Belerick and two other people.

"Hi! Welcome." Belerick approached them. Romeo quickly hugged the two other people Belerick was with. "Margarita! Bjorgi! Ugh! So happy to see you guys again!" Romeo gleefully said. "Ugh, too tight, man, too tight." Bjorgi said as he tried and failed to untangle Romeo from him. "Oh god, I forgot how despicable you are." Margarita said. "Oh come on, now I now you missed me too!" Romeo said

All of them went up to Eliz's office. "Chief of Technological Programs Office, Oh, dude fancy! Look at that!" Romeo said as he reads the sign in his office. "Yeah, that'll be you, you'll work directly under Ross, the VP of Marketing, he usually helds a meeting everyday at 10 am so be at his office by then. He'll discuss the rest later, but for now, it's a welcome party!" Belerick said as he take out a party hat and places it on Eliz's head. "Yes!" Romeo grunted as he drag Margarita and Bjorgi by force to the food station. "Oh, that's Margarita and Bjorgi, they sometimes work here, depends on their mood really, their my childhood best friends." Belerick said, sensing Eliz's quietness. "Something wrong? you seem off today? It's should be a happy day for you, right?" Belerick asked. "Yeah, no, I'm happy. I'm sorry. Let's go, let's meet everyone, introduce me to them." Eliz said faking a smile, but Belerick see through it, he wondered why all of a sudden, Eliz's cold a distant, unlike their previous encounters.

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As the welcome party dwindle down, Romeo and Bjorgi lay passed out on Eliz's office couch, Margarita's chatting with Cassidus who's joined the party after a bunch of office staffs invited several others to join. Belerick and Elis awkwardly sat side by side, sharing a plate of nachos with melted cheese. No one's really talking until Eliz decided to say a word. "I'm sorry. I really am for making this weird." Eliz said facing Belerick who's munching on a nacho. "What happened? I thought we were good?" Belerick said. "I, uh, I don't know, I just." Eliz tried to finish a sentence but fails. "You know, I, think I would like us to be friends, even more than that." Belerick started, he paused for a second to see what would Eliz say and when he didn't respond, he decided to continue but Eliz cut him off. "I think, I think, I'm still in love with my ex-girlfriend. I'm sorry." Eliz said, Belerick took note of Eliz's emphasis on the girlfriend part and nodded. "I know, and I understand. I'm sorry." Belerick said making a sad face. Eliz was going to hug him when Aurelion appeared.

"Aurelion! What are you doing here?" Belerick asked, as Aurelio greeted him with a warm hug and a kiss in the cheek that made Eliz's heart clench. "I heard there's a party so I came. But in reality it's just because your grandma forced me out of the house to see you." Aurelio admitted. "Who's he?" Aurelion asked, his eyes locked on Eliz.

[You're Self Absorbed, Cruel and Reckless |END]