Logan Harris and his team step into the grounds of the Lutman household.
In the dawn of the new day, the group walked in, aided by a few maids as instructed by the chief butler.
This was the regular procedure and most likely, they would be in and out in a wee bit.
"Excuse me Doctor, I would like to speak to you for a moment"
The chief butler walked up to Logan and the men excused themselves to a corner.
"Mrs. Marilyn would like to humbly apologize" he began, "You came ever so early yet she asks that you stay for breakfast, she wants a word with you on an urgent matter quickly after"
Logan peeked at his wrist watch. 6:30 am.
The procedural checkup usually lasted for a short 2 minutes before he went into checking his drugs, expiry, counts, etc before making any decision to administer a new set which rounded up in at most 3 extra minutes.
Today he had planned to stay a little while with Ludwig and so he nodded in agreement,
"It's alright, breakfast is 8:00 sharp I believe"
The chief butler nodded, "Have a good day Sir" he walked away.
Ludwig coughed lightly.
"I'm staying awhile" Logan smiled
Ludwig smiled as well, "That must mean, … I'm leaving the bed, yes?" his voice deep and hollow.
With a small nod and a widened smile, Logan answered, "Why don't we take a ride on the chair in the gardens?"
Ludwig lifted his arms in celebration with a wide sagging smile.
Logan waved his fingers and the maids brought in Ludwig's usual automated wheelchair and quickly, the nurses aided him from the bed to the chair.
Going on one knee, Logan looked at Ludwig, nodding but before he could stand, Ludwig held unto him and watched him turn, his gaze falling back on him.
"Jeremy came…to me, recently" he began, "He said, he said so much I can't remember… -but I worry" Ludwig reached for Logan's fingers, "Please, take care... take care of my boy for me, …please"
Logan nodded, holding unto Ludwig's grip on his other fingers, "I'll try my very best, that, I can promise you"
He stood to his feet and they journeyed along the corridors, down the stairs and into the fields.
Approaching 8:00,
each family member sat at the dining table. Including Logan.
Soon afterwards, he and Marilyn took a walk outside the manor.
…
"How has work been?" she began
"Alright, thank you and you?"
She giggled, "Darling, I'm 96, I retired long ago"
"My apologies" he paused, "Sir Reece holds board meetings and still sits at his study desk, I assumed you would too"
She smiled faintly, "He's just like that", "Can't truly retire till he actually dies"
As he stood, a little behind her, he watched her countenance shift from over her shoulders but didn't want to assume the situation. He listened closely to her words.
"I may not live to see the end to this ledger case" she sighed with a small smile before turning to him, "It feels inevitable but I'm speaking to you because I want to feel like I tried to do something about it"
He nodded, about to get himself busy "I'll get a checkup done- "
She cut through his words as she held unto his left bicep, "You can just add me as one of the routines to check as you come here, Ludwig, Harry and I"
He nodded once again, "I will and speaking of Harry, would you like to join me to his room, I'm glad to announce he is recovering quite well", "Might soon begin few solid meals"
Marilyn gasped lightly with a small clap, "Ah! wonderful"
They walked together.
As soon as breakfast was over, Ruby watched Ryan walk out of the dining hall with Reece.
It seemed highly likely to be related to him leaving and suddenly all her remaining appetite vanished. She sat still, in deep thought of what to do as she picked at her food.
A light pull against her dress, she turned to see her little toddler, Saul, "Mama pwaying wiff her fwood". (Mama is playing with her food).
She smiled and pretended to feed herself, trailing her spoon like an airplane. Saul giggled loudly, she quickly hushed him since a few others were still at the table.
Maids quickly came over and began clearing the table sides of the ones that had finished their meals and soon, Ruby walked out with her children.
She still had work left.
She, William and Harry had all been conducting researches regarding the future of the company.
They were not allowed to work, nevertheless, they had to plan for the future irrespective of any step taken and whatever the outcome of events.
Ruby as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) had to ensure that the prestige of the business still stood, internally. It was only a matter of time, till their absence would cause an abruption and the effectiveness of each staff determined the output of the business as a whole, thus her job to predict the likely future market value of the business according to statistics and stir the staff in the right way possible.
She also had the power to adjust policies in relations to the internal structure of the business but that singular act must be discussed and concluded with the Human Resource Department (HR) as a veto on her executory powers.
…
William as the Vice President of Production oversaw the sensitive administration of the conglomerate. He was in charge of ensuring the continuity of Lutman-made goods at its purest quality and made decisions over the movement of certain goods, at certain destinations and certain periods of time, clearing government relationships along the line.
All product had its season of high value and he was the one to observe the market and raise the stakes.
He was in charge of partnership deals and contracts over those goods as well as the renewal of those contracts. He decided the products to venture into as well but before his decisions would be acted on, William must undergo a series of tests as well as a Psyche Evaluation as a check on his acting powers in the business.
…
Harry on the other hand, Vice President of Marketing handles clients and contractors as a representative of the conglomerate. He ensures a smooth relationship with all partners, new and old as well as, determines the percentage level of investments made over any new handlings of the business.
He has the power to diversify and expand the business into other industries hence its conglomeratic nature but is also vetoed as he must discuss and defend his decisions with the board of directors before it can be carried out.
None among them had any room for rebellion or recklessness irrespective of their positions.
…
Once all this was settled and the reporter and screener had been chosen, the real project would officially begin.
The Ledger. The cause of the family reunion in the first place.
As a distinguished family, with a stretch of a century on their family legacy, they had been through many things and this situation wasn't enough to shake them and would just be among the many that they had tackled.
Ruby was certain.
As she walked over to the children's rooms which were furnished impromptu, hand in hand with her little boys, she paused and took a moment to come to decide that it was likely time for a break. Time for her kids to finally have their mother's complete attention for the day.
Ryan had just ended the scheduled meeting with Reece and the board of government officials regarding his request for an extended leave.
He was almost exhausted and the day hadn't even come to dusk yet.
As he stood silently just outside the greenhouse that shielded Sir Reece Lutman's office, he remembered his sons, his obedient, quiet and composed Henry alongside his cheerful and chatty little Saul.
As much as Ruby's perception of his presence to the household was necessary, he questioned her ability to empathize with his situation, and in general.
Ruby was known to be hostile, self-centered and diligent, this much wasn't above his knowledge but after the family meeting she led in the past, he couldn't help but feel something different.
Considering the long-lived relationship between the Harris' and the Lutman's, Ryan knew that the Lutmans were mysterious and brutal whenever it came to traitors, infiltrators and the likes of people who aimed to hurt their legacy, pride, loyalty or plainly went against their jurisdiction, be they family.
Yet still, he couldn't quite believe that the woman who he had loved, parted with, met again and married was capable of normalizing a decree of death almost like a gest.
He didn't just question her empathy and love, he questioned the family in itself as an entity of preserved hostility and for some reason sensed that his son, Henry, had caught their attention.