Halfway through breakfast the next day, Linda sent a message that gave her another startle:

“Prepare yourself baby girl, Apple is coming.”

Her heart jumped. 

It didn't take an hour before the exiled executive assistant came to report. Despite the awkwardness from their previous separation, she opened the door and let the man who had been with her family for most of his life.  

“I hope you’re not expecting any housewarming gift because I did not bring any.” Apple said as soon as he crossed the threshold walking straight to the grand salon. 

Following behind him, Sena spoke, “Coming back is more than enough.” 

He paused, seemingly unable to believe what he heard. 

“No sulking, tantrums and yelling?” Apple asked as he straightened his neatly ironed suit jacket then slowed his pace. 

“God, what happened to the Miss I left over a year ago?”  

Sena tilted her head towards the view of the marina, “Put duct tape over her mouth and flung her to the ocean.”   

“Woo, guess she woke up hard.” 

“That she did,” she replied meekly. 

She did him wrong last year. While he was busy to the point of exhaustion arranging her mother’s funeral, consolidating all their assets and transferring everything to her name, Apple was also pushed to the edge when she unjustly vented on him. 

Secretly, she peered at him and felt even more upset with herself.  

With a tablet on one hand Apple inspected his new charge with satisfaction. 

Standing at one meter eighty-five the Turkish beauty looked at the two ladies like how an evil mother-in-law looked at her new stepdaughters. Sena who had been immune to this blade-like stare reacted normally but April is estimated to cry soon, unfortunately.    

The three of them moved to sit around the large wood and glass coffee table. Last time Apple was here was to help Paula design the apartment. The two of them worked in tandem bringing classic and modern elements that perfectly matched its owner’s present aesthetic. His familiarity with the place is no less than Sena.  

Aiming his eyes to her he spoke snappily, “Chairman Rossi assigned me to handle your schedule and help you train your assistant.” 

Stepdaughter Sena felt a little relieved. Based on Apple’s tone of making an excuse out of Grandpa P, it meant he did not hold a grudge over her outburst before. 

“From here on, we will be working with each other closely.”

Great, just as she feared exactly. 

Sena nodded her head mechanically. 

Soon he turned his sharp eyes to April. “Your name is April correct? Quit looking frightened. I don’t eat people.”

He brushed on her information, skimmed over it quickly; it didn’t even take four seconds. April felt embarrassed with so little things inside her profile but the way Apple looked at it indicated he didn’t care with the amount. 

He walked towards a velvet seat and kept talking.  

“You will follow a new course I selected specifically. Also, I booked you to the nearest gym and a special etiquette class. As a life assistant, you are not only limited to domestic chores but your boss’s overall image as well. Are you up for it?”

“Y-Yes. I will do my best.” April nodded stiffly. 

“Good girl.” Apple smiled briefly. “I will not have you crying and fainting in the middle of a business transaction when it’s time for you to meet with the executives.”

Wasn’t she hired to be an assistant then why does it seem like she’s about to join a beauty pageant?  

The short introduction ended and it was time to do the job. Sena had to change her car to a much spacious one and ‘professional-looking’ according to him after his mouth flattened in distaste. 

“The last ugly thing I’ve ridden is a lipstick red sports car.” He said.

Sena raised an eyebrow.

“Your mum left me in the middle of the highway.”

“You walked?”

“No,” he replied with a rare warm smile thawing that rigid face. “She walked. I have never driven such an ugly thing since then for fear of peeling Paula Erde’s ivory feet.”

Paula’s death overwhelmed not only his daughter but him as well. They had been together since his early days of twelve when his father beat the shit out of him for liking boys. A lanky kid driven out of home was picked up by Erde's wild miss. At first, he thought it was only a whim. But out of all the people he knew, she was the only person who said it was fine to like men. He was clothed, fed and sent to a good school. Everything was ideal until she told him her life was short. 

Maybe one day she will disappear, who knows. Her family ended all the same. Since there is no helping her fate, she could at least change one. 

She did and here he is. But now she’s gone.

“Your mother was a strange one.”   

Sena did not plan to argue. It was true.     

“Sit.” He commanded April. 

The girl sat on the co-pilot enduring the beginning of a lecture. 

Along the way, Sena saw the flashing perfume ad on the huge screens and didn’t know what expression to wear. 

“It came out.” Apple commented. 

“Hm.”

“Were you expecting this perhaps?” He asked with a raised brow.  

“Yes.” 

“About the online rumours, you weren’t planning to clarify it, were you?”

“As far as I’m concerned, I only attended a company party. Why and how people created a mountain out of a molehill is not my problem. The uglier the speculations grow the better, once the full story comes out they will shut up on their own. Those who used this heat to step on me are estimated to trip.” 

Sena was fiddling on a pink diamond stud earring on her ear as she spoke unhurriedly. 

Apple let out a cold chuckle. “Let’s wait for the result. By the way, the ad came out last night. The other two will be released in a few days.”  

The short commercial was shot last year for this year’s season. The ad was a three-part series actually and Adventure was the first one. The reason aside from the magazine article that she didn’t care about the online lambasting was because of this. While most people did not know her and regard her as the dregs of her half-sister, dirt to be stepped on, this ad will definitely slap them with the truth.

At this moment, the online storm that had been going for two days now suddenly died out. Haters and admirers alike went to the video-sharing platform to look for the freshly aired ad. 

Frisky: [Sena Erde?]

Isn’t this Kalliste? A European luxury brand with absolute exclusivity? 

Maya’s fans frowned and inspected the video several more times until their eyes were blinded looking at the girl smiling back at them. As if taunting them. After long thorough contemplation, they then deflated like balloons. After all, they enjoyed mocking her online, editing her photos until she was unrecognizable.

Applesauce: [Plastic surgery! She went under the knife. Her eyes and nose are too fake. *puke* Nobody looks like that naturally!]

BakedPotato: [Here is another case of a terminal illness called jealousy.]

Applesauce: [She looks different from before. The photo is the evidence, you’re all fucking stupid and blind.]

BakedPotato: [There was nothing wrong with Sena’s face. Try going to the doctor to have your head checked. Maybe it's your brain that needs surgery. Nutjob!]

Cuckoo: [Bumpkin sitting behind the keyboard, do you dare say you’re pretty? Has mocking others become a hard habit to break?]

The user named Applesauce screamed in front of her laptop disturbing her doormmates. The other girls in the middle of arranging their luggage looked at her weirdly making her feel more irritated.  

Then very timely, because she hadn't replied soon, Cuckoo sent: [How was it? Did reality hurt?]

Frufru: [Dammit whoever made those fan-made videos come out now so I can kill you! I was fooled by you.]

Fan108: [Give me back my sympathy— no give me back my trust. I demand compensation.]

Applesauce gritted her teeth: [There is still a question of why Maya lost her job. Sena Erde is a shareholder then that makes her more capable of pushing Maya out!] 

The most aggressive fans of Maya accused Sena of creating hype to garner publicity from the chaos. She actually knows her perfume ad will come out.

Sensible people called the accusers absurd with single-digit IQ. They clearly started it but now pointing fingers at others. What made them so invincible? People are not stupid, they can see the other side planned to use Sena to compare.

Other passersby laughed at the change of atmosphere in the forums. From mockery and cursings to confused questioning and disbelief to finally shock. Everything was stirred into a pot of mess.

ILackSleep: [I was there at the party. I didn’t know there was something like this. What I’m clear about however is the issue of two small-time celebrities being so fearless when blocking and insulting a company shareholder. How awkward was it to accuse someone of being a kept mistress only because they happened to walk on the same carpet? If I were their boss, I wouldn't only fire them but sue those rude people as well. Unfortunately, the boss did not shoot it was the brand manager who chopped them off.]

Maya’s fans boiled again and attacked the poster. 

ILackSleep: [If you’re not convinced, ask around. There are employees, waiters and guests who can prove it. If you’re lucky, someone must have taken a photo.] 

Chopsuey: [Bwahahahaha, used and abused. Your idol loves you so much she can recycle you for her future uses. I encourage you, keep fighting!]

The loyalist could only glare at the screen. 

What is this? Maya was the one who accused her sister of being a mistress? She didn’t know she was going to be her boss and told her off self-righteously. It was justified if Sena fired her, but she did not, it was someone else which made the whole point of their crying injustice funny and… pointless. As the post said, how awkward that must have been after.   

It was so lively these days, no wonder Layla loves brushing her phone for this. Sena thought with a laugh. 

Previously, the commercial did not have the chance to air due to the severe damage to her image. Even though it was Kalliste’s president who insisted on her mother to make her appear, in the end, everything is still business. She had no gripe about the decision, she understood their move. Without the smear on her character, of course, Kalliste proceeded with the ad. 

“You were brighter those days,” Apple commented while driving.

They had no care about the renewed online frenzy. 

“A little sweet memory of a good life.”

“You still have.”

The old guilt twisted through Sena. For twenty full years Paula had been her safe harbour, they were a parent and offspring but bonded like sisters. Each time Paula thought of anything fun she would quickly share it to her. No matter how busy she was, she would set a time to be with her and in rare times that there were misses she would make up for it, much more doting than before. Because of it, she always believed her safest place would always be there. 

Her eyes dimmed as the afterimage of the ad faded. The ad reminded her of their last vacation when her mother was alive and smiled bitterly. Had she known it would be their last she should have indulged her some more back then.

“You are aware of how conservative Kalliste’s brand is. Even famous magazines wouldn’t dare write anything about them without their approval.”

Apple’s voice washed away the melancholy. 

“But times are changing darlin’. What the editorial departments wouldn’t dare do is something tempting to those who sit behind the keyboard.” 

She heard the hint from his words, “Did something happen abroad?”

Apple made a hum, “Just some irksome little internet celebrity accusing nepotism. Don’t worry, it has been settled. Their prejudice against people selected personally by an exclusive brand sparked a small debate.”

“You mean me.” 

Apple did not correct her. The problem is not a new one, in fact, children of celebrities and some influential figures would suffer the same issue as well. Even worse if they come short. No one shot at Sena when she first appeared in Kalliste at fourteen, she was too young to be considered a threat besides that Paula made it clear that her priority was school.     

“It was a vain attempt to rally people into objecting to high fashion. The issues regarding choosing a representative based solely on interest made a small splash but there is nothing more. It did not affect the launch of Kalliste’s new collection for this year.”

“That’s good.”

“More than good. It slapped those noisy flies back to their place.” Apple said grimly. “All this fuss about overpriced luxury items is actually to shift people’s interest in low-quality goods scattered around the malls. Although luxury items may not necessarily fit everyone’s taste— and paycheck, they do not have to personally attack it to get free advertisement of their own line. Such a tactic is nauseating.”

“You think those people were paid to post nasty comments?” 

“Exactly. It’s also a kind of promotion so to say. Just like the issue with your half-baked sister now.” 

Dare to drag Paula’s daughter in the mud? Let’s see who’s embarrassed now. Apple pinched the steering wheel imagining it was a certain girl’s face. 

April, who was quietly sitting on the side, felt her fine hairs stand. 

This news did not reach Sena. She suspected Apple snuffed it out before it could make headlines. She wanted to say thank you but seeing his fierce stepmother look stopped her.   

Apple saw her fidget from the rearview mirror. While Sena Erde is not a person from the entertainment or fashion industry, the fact that Kalliste chose her to represent them shows how much they are confident of her connection to the brand. Blind people will take advantage of her. 

When the ad aired abroad, the first thing people saw was a girl overflowing with spirit and charisma. Most of them agreed she perfectly embodied how Kalliste should be in the eyes of the younger generation. Everything was harmonious until someone satirically posted a comment about the easy lives of wealthy children.

The sour smell of jealousy pervaded the net for a short time dredging up her background. Many times the speculations nearly connected to the truth and because it involved her privacy, the gossip had to be forcefully controlled. 

Only some truths came out such as her being Paula Erde’s child. They questioned that having an influential parent gave her easy access to the world where people are struggling to fight for opportunities.

They kept pointing out there were other representatives who deserved the spot more than her. Comparing hard work and dedication versus money and connection. The comparison was deliberately made to make people angry and solicit sympathy.   

Unfortunately, Kalliste did not make a statement but went as planned. The ads continue to appear and several more. Their action was the best answer. At the end of the day, the internet clowns were helpless against the rising sale.

Sena proved to be right for the brand. 

The plan to use the masses' opinion against the high-end goods failed. 

Then his mind turned towards the current issue that his sharp senses sniffed. His already grim face turned dark; it could scare the children to tears.