When Martin entered the living room, Aaron was already there, lounging on the couch, waiting. He was decked out in a sharp, well-tailored suit with a variety of stuffâbig and small packages-piled up by his feet. All of it looked like some high-end merchandise.
Martin gave the goods a once-over before his gaze landed on Aaron.
Just as Martin was checking him out, Aaron caught his eye and quickly stood up, reaching out with an outstretched hand, smiling as he greeted, "Mr. Frost, good to see you!"
Martin returned the greeting with a polite, "Hello."
He couldn't help but size Aaron up, feeling like he'd seen his face somewhere before but just couldn't recall where.
"The name's Aaron, the chairman of A-B Architects." As he spoke, Aaron fished out a business card from his suit pocket, offering it to Martin with both hands, "Here's my card. We met a few days back at the dinner party hosted by Mr. Gellar."
With that reminder, Martin now remembered that there was indeed such a man.
Mr. Gellar was some hotshot real estate developer in the West district and had a bit of a rapport with Martin.
Martin had been hustling to get the project off the ground and was in dire need of some insider information, which wasn't exactly his forte, as it was for Brandon. Due to their somewhat delicate relationship, he wasn't keen on hitting up Brandon, so he sought counsel from Mr. Gellar instead.
The meeting took place at Mr. Gellar's luxurious residence, and Martin had been invited to dine there. Mr. Gellar had a few buddies over for a get-together, but Martin remembered that Aaron had been there to prepare tea for Mr. Gellar, so he hadn't paid much attention to him then.
Aaron also remembered that day. He quickly chimed in with a chuckle, "Mr. Gellar and I are close. I've got some skill in making tea, so sometimes when he's hosting VIPs, he'll ask me to come over to make tea and the like."
Martin acknowledged with a nod, "Mr. Yearwood's tea brewing is top-notch."
"You flatter me, Mr. Frost," Aaron said with a smile, taking a seat at Martin's invitation. As he sat down, he couldn't help redirect the conversation back to his purpose: "Mr. Frost, I heard you're still in search for a construction team. Perhaps you could consider our company? Whether it's qualifications or past experience, we're top-notch, and you can rest assured about our quality."
"I'm sure your company is competent," Martin responded with a smile, "I look forward to your company's presence at the bidding conference."
That was a polite way of saying "no" to backdoor deals.
Aaron's smile froze for a moment, "Mr. Frost, is there any chance you could grant
us an opportunity for Mr. Gellar's sake? I promise we'll keep the costs to a minimum and maintain the highest quality."
As he spoke, Aaron pushed the luxurious gifts he'd brought towards Martin.
Louis, who had been upstairs, had his eye on Aaron the whole time.
He didn't take to him from the start, thinking Aaron seemed like someone who was
a bit too polished, too smooth-talking for his own good.
Now, seeing him trying to grease the wheels with what looked like a bribe, Louis was having none of it. He came down the stairs, as if unaware of Aaron's presence, and reminded Martin, "Hey Martin, weren't you planning to visit Mr. Crawley at the hospital soon? You should head out before visiting hours are over."
Aaron paused mid-gift-passing, sensitive to the name "Crawley." He glanced at Martin.
Martin looked toward Louis and calmly replied, "Right, I'll get ready and head out."
"Don't forget to give Mrs. Patricia Crawley a ring before you head over," Louis added.
Rachel, who'd been inside, overheard them and stepped out, "I just sent a message to Patricia. She's still at the hospital, so you're good to go."
The name "Patricia" sharpened Aaron's already sensitive antennae. He wasn't privy to the details of the Frost and Crawley family relationship, but knowing that they were both distinguished families from the West district and that their marital pairing also fit the bill-a Crawley surname and a woman named Patricia-he instantly thought of Brandon's parents, Daniel and Patricia.
Aaron was the kind of man to speak his mind no matter what timing. He looked at Martin and asked, "Could this Mr. Crawley be Daniel, Chairman Crawley?"
Martin glanced at him with an evaluating look, "You know him?" Bingo.
Aaron's grin stretched wide, "Know him? Of course, we're practically family! Chairman Crawley's son is hitched to my sisterâyeah, that's Brandon from Starlight Group, my very own brother-in-law."
He thought linking Starlight Group might lend extra weight to his credibility, but Martin just gave him a polite smile, "Well, that's quite the connection. Nice to meet you."
Marian, who had been upstairs, couldn't restrain her curiosity upon hearing Aaron reference his ties to the Crawley family; she peeked down at Aaron, surprised to find out he was Sophia's brother.
The Frost family had often treated to Daniel and Patricia's dissatisfaction with Sophia's kin, never expecting to actually meet one. Matching his speech with his obvious desire to take on the project, they felt a touch of validation for Daniel and Patricia's opinions. However, they maintained polite smiles and the facade of civility.
Louis and Rachel dismissed him with a perfunctory "Nice to meet you."
Aaron felt a bit closer with them, but he didn't forget about Louis sending Martin to see Daniel at the hospital, and couldn't help but ask with concern, "What's up with Chairman Crawley?"
He immediately added, somewhat sheepishly, "Work's been nuts lately. I've been running around and haven't caught up with the news."
"He's run into some health troubles and is in the hospitalized," Rachel replied with a detached coolness.
Aaron was taken aback, clearly concerned, "Is it serious?"
Rachel just gave a wry smile, not really answering the question.
Louis, meanwhile, was nudging Martin to get a move on and not to waste time.
Taking the cue, Martin said a quick goodbye to Aaron and ascended upstairs. Aaron, knowing when to bow out, offered his farewells to the rest and, leaving behind the gifts he had brought, took his leave.
"Take these back with you; we appreciate the gesture," said Louis, directing Amy and his caretaker Leo to assist Aaron with the gift boxes.
"No worries, it's just a minor token of thanks, "Aaron said while tactfully resisting their efforts and making his way out, insistent on leaving the gifts behind.
Lithe and youthful, Aaron maneuvered past Amy and Leo easily, and by the time they caught up with the gift boxes, he was already in his car and off.
Amy and Leo, unsure of how to proceed, quickly returned to Louis to ask what to do next.
"Find out where he lives and just mail the gifts back," Louis said, glancing up at Martin standing at the balcony railing, "That guy is unpredictable, not someone we can trust with a project of this magnitude."
Martin acknowledged with a nod, "Yes. I understand that."
Marian, on the other hand, caught up in her thoughts, found her gaze
flitting between Martin and Louis, and then back to the direction Aaron had left.
Since the design plans were irrevocable, if the project never saw the light of the day, then there wouldn't be an issue of plagiarism after all.
This thought made Marian's heart race.