The moment I woke up, I deliberately avoided turning on my phone, my tablet, or even the television.
To hell with all of it.
I already knew people would be losing their minds. There was absolutely no chance this would pass quietly.
And, as expected, the office building was swarming with journalists from every possible direction.
We had prepared for that beforehand, and I knew how to sneak into the building without being noticed.
Fortunately for me, by the time I reached the private entrance, none of the journalists had yet realised they could gather there.
I took the stairs instead of using the lift, purely to avoid running into anybody.
It was an unpleasant decision, and physically exhausting too. So when I finally reached my floor, I was completely drained, barely able to breathe properly.
After opening the door, I saw James crawling across the floor on all fours.
"What is happening?" I asked, unable to suppress a laugh despite how difficult breathing still felt after climbing that many stairs. "James, you're beginning to concern me. Every time I walk in here, you seem to be trapped in some bizarre situation."
He immediately scrambled upright, dusting off his knees in a panic.
"Oh. S-sorry, sir. I didn't notice you come in."
He hadn't had time to continue when the phone next to him rang.
James nearly jumped.
His voice climbed even higher as he hurriedly started explaining.
"Sir, they keep calling and calling and calling all day long. The journalists won't stop. The noise is… unbearable." He gestured helplessly towards the desk. "I was looking for the cable so I could disconnect it somehow."
I nodded slowly.
Even though we had rehearsed his responses yesterday, it was obvious nobody intended to leave us alone anytime soon.
I walked around the desk, crouched briefly, found where the wires connected beneath it, and pulled the phone cable free.
The ringing stopped instantly.
"Well," I said, straightening again, "is that better?"
"Yes, yes, yes. Thank you. Thank you very much."
"Good." I loosened the collar of my shirt slightly. "Make me a coffee, would you?"
"Yes, sir."
I gave a brief nod, then headed into my office.
I barely managed to start going through my emails when the office door burst open with a loud bang.
Of course, it was Michael.
"Stop destroying my office every time you enter it. I may soon lack the funds to repair the damage you cause."
Michael laughed loudly.
Behind him, I noticed James freeze in the doorway, uncertain whether he should bring me my coffee now or wait until Michael moved somewhere less threatening.
Michael smirked.
"Oh? Has our dear Edward finally developed a sense of humour?" He placed a hand against his chest. "Revolutionary activity truly is changing you."
"What do you want?" I asked flatly.
"Well," he said cheerfully as he dropped into the chair without invitation, "I arrived precisely on time."
"On time for what? We had no arrangement."
"What do you mean, no arrangement? We are obviously supposed to gather daily to discuss our grand revolutionary plans," he said, looking genuinely offended.
I sighed, pressing a hand against my forehead.
"Have you seen the newspapers? Moncler Has Lost His Mind. Fall of the Titans." He spread his arms dramatically as though giant headlines floated around him in the air. "Do you understand what sort of effect that creates?"
Then his expression shifted slightly more serious.
"Speaking of exciting developments," he continued casually, "a lovely little bird informed me that Moncler Senior has rented a private jet and will be flying back into the country tomorrow." He tilted his head. "What do you suppose requires such urgent attention?"
"Stop being ridiculous," I replied coldly. "You know perfectly well why he's coming."
"Oh, I know." Michael leaned back in the chair. "The question is whether you know." His eyes narrowed slightly. "And more importantly, whether you've decided what exactly you're going to do when he gets here."
"I haven't turned my phone on. I've cut off every possible way of contacting me." I sighed heavily. "The moment that article was published, I was certain my father started ringing me immediately."
Michael gave a quiet hum of amusement.
"But stopping me won't be so easy this time," I continued. "For now, I'm simply avoiding him until I've had time to organise things properly."