Episode 4

At the Olid company, everyone was engaged and working hard. Louis had arrived early and made an effort to work as much as possible. Some colleagues whispered in the corners.

Marcia, one of the oldest employees in the company, had been working there for over twenty years. Married with four children, she worked in the Accounting department. Stepping out for a cup of coffee, she encountered Heriberto and Deise.

"I can't believe Young Louis is so dedicated like that, have you seen him?" Marcia exclaimed.

"It's true, he's usually quite scatterbrained," Heriberto remarked.

"He must be trying to catch up on time, as he was almost two days without coming to work," Deise added.

"Well, that's true," Marcia agreed. "And speaking of which, didn't CEO Eder go see his brother in the hospital?"

"No, he didn't want to know anything about it," Heriberto replied.

Nestor approached the coffee area silently.

"They say he hates his brother, that he's always hitting him," Deise whispered.

"So that's why he comes to work with a bruised face sometimes?" Marcia questioned.

"As far as I know, the allowed time for coffee break is ten minutes, people," Nestor Grize stated firmly.

"Oh, sorry, sir," Heriberto stammered.

The gossipers quickly dispersed. Nestor grabbed a coffee and stared at Louis.

"So it's your brother who hits you?" Nestor Grize thought to himself, observing Louis.

At the end of the workday, all the employees had left. Nestor got up from his desk, turned off his computer, and headed out of his office. When he reached the elevator, he noticed a light on in one of the departments.

"Great! These people only know how to gossip. They don't pay attention to anything else," Nestor muttered to himself.

He walked towards the illuminated area, and to his surprise, he found Louis still working.

"Hello," Nestor greeted him.

"Hi, everything alright?" Louis Olid responded.

"I should be the one asking that. You weren't feeling well, shouldn't you go home?" Nestor inquired, concerned.

"I have to finish two reports. I'm already behind. I don't want to fail again. I can rest after that," Louis explained, determined to finish his tasks.

The older man took a seat next to Louis, looked at him, and chuckled, causing Louis to blush with embarrassment.

"What... What's so funny? Did I say something wrong?" Louis stammered, confused.

"No... But there are keyboard marks on your face. That means you've already taken a nap, haven't you?" Nestor chuckled, pointing out the evidence.

"Yes," Louis admitted sheepishly. "This is hard. I'm having trouble concentrating."

"Can I see?" Nestor asked, gesturing towards the report.

"The report?" Louis clarified, unsure if Nestor was referring to his work or his difficulty focusing.

"Exactly, may I?" Nestor confirmed, his eyes twinkling with a hint of amusement.

"Okay, sure," Louis agreed, handing over the report.

Nestor carefully reviewed the document, his brow furrowing slightly as he spotted some inconsistencies.

"The information in spreadsheet C is incorrect, and the profit chart demonstration is a mess. Do you mind if I sit here?" Nestor pointed out, already getting up to switch places with Louis.

"Oh, yeah, sure," Louis replied, standing up and moving closer to Nestor before they exchanged seats.

As they got settled, Louis couldn't help but comment on Nestor's fragrance. "Your cologne smells really good."

"Really?" Nestor seemed surprised. "You're the first person to say that. I find it so subtle... I have problems with stronger scents. You must have a very good sense of smell."

"I don't know about my sense of smell," Louis admitted, "but my hearing is quite sensitive. I can hear very well, even from afar."

"Interesting..." Nestor murmured, intrigued by this new piece of information about his young colleague.

For the next half hour, Nestor focused on Louis' computer, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he swiftly corrected the errors and inputted the missing data.

"There you go! Now you can go home and get some rest," Nestor declared, finally finishing the report.

"Done already?" Louis questioned, surprised by the speed at which Nestor had worked. "But... I still have to input the information from the previous month."

"I already did that," Nestor said casually.

"How?" Louis was astonished.

"I looked at the previous month's model and saw how it was done," Nestor explained, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Now go home, young man!" Nestor gently shooed Louis away, a playful glint in his eyes.

As Nestor disappeared down the hallway, Louis couldn't help but grin, relieved and grateful for the unexpected assistance. "This looks really good! Great! It's just that now I owe Mr. Nestor four things: a shirt, a folder, a coffee, and something else to repay him for today. I hope a really good idea comes to mind."

|||

Louis and his driver, Ralph, were chatting as they entered the house.

"Did I tell you about the racetrack in the desert?" Ralph asked.

"Not this one, does it still exist?" Louis replied, intrigued.

"Yes, it's in Texas," Ralph confirmed.

"I'd love to see it," Louis expressed, his eyes lighting up at the thought.

"One day I can take you there," Ralph offered.

Suddenly, a sharp voice interrupted their conversation. "Louis!"

"Brother! Good evening," Louis greeted Eder, his face breaking into a warm smile.

"Why are you smiling? Do I look like an idiot to you!?" Eder snapped, his tone harsh and accusatory.

"Of course not," Louis quickly reassured him. "It's just that... I'm happy because I managed to finish the reports, and you're still awake... We could watch a movie together. You probably won't be able to sleep, and I... I'll stay by your side."

"Ralph, you can go!" Eder ordered, ignoring Louis's suggestion.

"Yes, sir," Ralph responded, quickly excusing himself from the tense atmosphere.

As the driver left, Eder approached Louis and slapped him hard across the face.

"Don't you ever expose me like that in front of others again!" Eder roared, his voice trembling with rage. "What do you want them to think of me?"

"I'm sorry," Louis apologized, his hand instinctively reaching up to nurse his stinging cheek.

"And forget all about that!" Eder hissed, his anger barely contained. "It was a terrible mistake, something that could never have happened. Erase it from your mind, I was..."

"Altered, I know," Louis finished his sentence, his voice soft and understanding. "But... Brother, don't blame yourself so much. These things are normal between people, and in our case, we're not blood-related. It's not wrong on the level you condemn yourself."

"Get out of my sight!" Eder snarled, his patience wearing thin. "And don't leave your room, for anything!"

Lowering his head submissively, Louis turned and walked towards his room, his heart heavy with sadness and a longing to comfort his tormented brother.

"Yes," Louis began, wanting to ease Eder's distress, "but what if you..."

"OBEY!" Eder thundered, cutting him off abruptly.

Silently, Louis continued down the hallway, his shoulders slumping further with each step. As he passed by, he encountered Larissa, the housekeeper.

"Louis!?" Larissa exclaimed, her face etched with concern. "Is he having another episode?"

"No, he just got mad at something I said without thinking..." Louis sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I always end up irritating him. I wish that wouldn't happen anymore."

"I'm so sorry, dear," Larissa consoled him, her voice gentle. "But he's trying to get better, he's seeing a very good psychiatrist."

"I hope she really helps him..." Louis murmured, his thoughts consumed by Eder's well-being. "Come in here for a bit, Ms. Larissa? I want to show you something."

Curious, Larissa followed Louis into his room. He led her over to his computer, where a captivating image illuminated the screen. It was a drawing of a sleek car, surrounded by shimmering sparks that gave the illusion of flight. On one side stood a stunning woman with long, flowing brown hair, her face adorned with a radiant smile. On the other side stood a handsome man in a suit, his eyes twinkling with happiness.

"Is that them? It's looking wonderful, Louis," Larissa remarked, admiring the artwork.

"I want it finished by Thursday," Louis stated, his voice filled with a mix of hope and sadness.

"Why Thursday?" Larissa inquired, sensing the significance of the date.

"Because it's a tribute to them. To my parents," Louis revealed, a bittersweet smile gracing his lips.

***This work has been signed with NovelToon, and piracy such as reprinting without permission is strictly prohibited.***

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***