"Ugh! T-That was intense..." Andrew stretched one last time, fixing up his shoulder that seemed to be in the wrong place with Gloria's help.

"So? Your place or mine? where do we speak about this future association?~"

She was holding the boy's shoulders like a witch that found a rare ingredient.

He held her hand in deep thought, 'I have only thought about becoming the heir of Archonte. But… do something for me? What would I do?'

'Andrew! No matter what don't go to her place, t-this woman is giving me some odd vibes' Sophia advised him, holding him by the chest; having heard everything the woman had to say, she thought it was a nice opportunity for Andrew to become independent from his family and the responsibilities of being an heir, but at what cost? Moreover… Gloria's insistence and predatory gaze threw some odd signals that perhaps Andrew didn't notice. But she did.

*Tch!*

Sophia gasped in disbelief… for the smallest of seconds her gaze met Gloria's who was beside Andrew and the woman… twitched her tongue.

'She saw me, Andrew! She saw me!'

The boy lifted his eyebrow and shook his head, thinking that Sophia was going insane and merely wanted to keep him away from yet another girl. He turned around and took the beauty's hands inside her own, she awaited his response. He fixed his eyes on her clear ones, and at no moment did she turn to look at Sophia.

"I can't do it now, Gloria… I have to go and work… but we can exchange numbers and arrange for later if that's okay with you? I'm really interested".

When he mentioned 'working' the ladies that were packing up all looked like a fly that just went into their nostrils.

'Work? Him!?'

"…" Gloria for her part rubbed her thumb on her chin as a sudden eureka rumbled on her mind.

"Oh, yes… McRonards, right?~"

!!!

'How does she know!?'

Seeing his surprise, Gloria decided to give an explanation; she whispered in his ear, intending for the other clueless ladies not to listen.

"Don't worry, your part-time job is not public knowledge. I just happen to know about it. I was there when your uncle sealed the deal with Jackson Pierce, the previous owner of the branch… at that time I wondered why he even wanted to purchase that run-down restaurant chain. So it was for the sake of this?~ such a nice uncle ain't he?~"

"W-What deal are you talking about? Sorry, I'm not following!"

He needed an explanation right away, it couldn't be what he was thinking.

'I think I know… to think he'd go so far… but I always wondered how come you of all people were allowed to do that'.

Sophia seemed to have caught up, but although Andrew knew what her theory was, he desperately desired for it to be a lie. It would mean 'that' was a lie as well. The silhouette of that girl, Beatrice, in his mind seemed to be blurring with every second.

"Oh, you didn't know? Could it be that you thought your uncle was just about to allow you to work in a restaurant downtown, late shift at that, without any protection whatsoever? Do you think McRonards could just have that name without being sued by McDonalds for brazenly copying their name? Come on Andrew~"  she hugged him against his chest and whispered, "Put the pieces together".

"No way… wait, why McRonards then?" There were more questions than answers.

"Ah, that? Your father always hated those burgers... I guess it was a promise between them siblings~" 

'That doesn't make any sense... I remember Dad did hate burgers but. Ugh, that's not important, if what she's saying is the truth then what about Beatrice?!'

"Alright, ladies. It is time to pack up. Hope you all enjoyed yourselves and we will see each other the day after" Maya pulled Andrew away from Gloria's claws, having the latter twitch her tongue again in annoyance.

"Let's exchange numbers for now then. Next time we meet it will be without nuisances~" Gloria's comment contained poison, she wasn't happy with Maya intervening with her happy-go-lucky attitude whenever she wanted. 

"Let me get your number as well, Andrew!" Yelled Alicia Da Costa and a small queue quickly formed in front of him and Maya.

In the end, Andrew exchanged numbers with Maya, Gloria, Ellie and Alicia while the rest of the girls told him their farewells politely as they departed, eager for their next session. Andrew thought that it was well worth it to come here today, but it would soon be time for him to head to McRonards with a plethora of questions in his mind. 

"See you soon~" Waved Gloria before making her way off... from all of them only Maya and Andrew lived in the mansion. 

Before he departed together with Maya, however, someone else stopped him.

Gabi Mozi had her hand on the glass door, stopping them from leaving.

"What do you need, Gabi?" Said Maya, serving as a protective barrier of sorts. She was well acquainted with everyone in the group, but the one she believed needed to have the least contact with Andrew was precisely this Brazilian lady who she thought wouldn't be any good influence for him.

"Take my number too…" Gabi ignored Maya; walked around her to find Andrew with a grin, 

"Sorry but I-" He also wasn't that interested.

"Is it because I'm a pornstar?~ it has nothing to do with that industry why do I want your number. I have some money that I wish to invest as well… If Gloria is so interested in you then you must be something big, Andrew. My apologies, I'm only good at swinging my waist, not at investing~".

"..."

'Shameless!'

"Come on, let's exchange numbers and see where this goes or could it be that you're scared of women?"

She said those words completely disregarding the astonished Maya and placing herself right in front of Andrew in a rather defiant manner.

"Gabi. Andrew is underage, remember that" The surgeon thought that this was a necessary point to make. For his part, Andrew didn't know what to say... Gabi looked just like any of those girls that were just hungry for money, but... there was something about her personality that was rather unique.

"I know, have you seen me suggesting anything lewd? you treat me as if I'm going to corrupt the boy, what's wrong with me and him chatting?

"I don't mind if you just want to talk about business, Gabi".

"Excelente, I'll call you~"

Having saved her in his contacts, Andrew sighed an exasperated breath.

"Call me if any of them give you trouble..." Maya rubbed his shoulder in worry, if there were two she was the most worried about it was Gloria and Gabi.

"I'm a boy, Maya... thank you for being protective but I can handle myself" Andrew tried to speak as politely as he could, during the entire time they were together, she acted like an overprotective mother... this didn't displease him, but at the same time he thought he was being underestimated. 

"I... understand. You did handle yourself quite well with those many beauties~ just be careful alright? You know some of them could be rather superficial... I don't think I have to tell you this. Also, Gloria... you know she's quite dominant so don't get in her rhythm or she's going to swallow you".

Andrew almost scratched his head in amusement, seeing how this beauty was technically thrashing Gloria. Although with a brief meeting, he could tell the older beauty was indeed one to like controlling the flow. Very authoritative. 

"What about you, Maya?" He asked offhandedly before getting into the elevator towards his penthouse.

Being questioned like this a small blush flared on Maya's pretty face before she pulled his cheeks from both sides.

"Me?~ you need a few more years before I get interested in you that way, cutie~ see you later, I hope you come to our next session. If you want to find me, you know I'm just one floor below".

"Sure, have a wonderful day Maya, thanks for everything".

The elevator door closed on a waving blonde and Andrew released an exasperated breath.

'Finally, the big titty monsters are gone!'

"You have big tits as well".

'What?! Mine are perky and fit in one hand, totally unlike those saggy- hold on, what did you say?!' 

*Whistle*

'Don't whistle!' 

Andrew checked his phone, ignoring the banshee beside him to check up on the new contacts that he had done with but a mere outing. Even then, in his mind, there was only one girl. Beatrice

**

**

"Those women are so troublesome. I mean… Miss Ellie, Maya and Gloria are quite relaxed. But Alicia and Gabi... I don't know what those women are planning".

The Heir of Archonte had changed and gotten ready to head to his part-time job downtown. It was a pretty awkward day considering that he didn't have to go to school: a part of his daily routine. 

'Money, that's their plan... what are you going to do about McRonards?'

He was standing and holding a metallic pole in the middle of the coach that wasn't as busy considering the time. Sophia was with him, still, in her high school uniform she died with.

"I have to go… I must know if Beatrice had been lying to me".

'Why would she, Andrew?' Sophia was trying to be optimistic but there were already flaws in Beatrice's story and now, even more so.

"It could be a coincidence that her shift is always with mine. We go home together until I drop her in her station... it almost feels as if she's taking care of me or at least she's keeping watch, but it could be my imagination".

'Always…? I mean, she never went anywhere else after her shift was done, like a disco or somewhere like that? always back home?'

"Not that I know... she's always back home with her family... though I have never visited".

Just as the two of them considered how to address this issue with her. A limping man entered their perimeter; he walked awkwardly with a hood covering his torso and head o the point it was too dark to see what his expression looked like. He walked towards them. Initially, Andrew thought it was just another vagrant but when the man seemed like he didn't intend to round them. He made way for the man to go through, ready to complain.

That was when they saw him phase through the pole.

!!!

Andrew gasped and noticed he had pushed someone by mistake and ended up apologising, as for Sophia, her eyes were shivering. It was her first time seeing another ghost like her, or at least... acknowledging him.

"Can you see him?"

'I... can…'

"Then how come you couldn't see that man with the lantern the other day at school?" Andrew questioned, At that time there had been an individual that he could see yet Sophia couldn't. His initial thought was that ghosts somehow couldn't perceive one another, but this theory was just broken.

'Man with a lantern? I don't even know who you're talking about…?'

"Y-You don't remember?"

'No, i-is it something I'm supposed to remember?'

...

There were questions piling up as they departed the right station downtown into a place where they could no longer identify who lived and who didn't. They failed to notice how someone else departed alongside them.

A girl with short hair, a pale countenance and a face that looked like it was cracking like ceramic. There was a dark ominous aura surrounding her with her Horace Mann High School Uniform.

'Hehe, found you...'

Instead of following them, 'Sasha' cracked her neck and followed behind the trace of another ghost, licking her lips. 

'There are so many to devour in this station... I must become stronger before facing you again, Punisher'.