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"He's not ready, Dario! The boy is more interested in drinking and fucking!"

"We don't have a choice, Bella! He is the future of this family! He needs to step up, we need him to step up!"

"You don't think I don't know that?! But we have worked to god damned hard for him to ruin everything! Tp tarnish the name- the brand and reputation we have built for ourselves, for this family!"

"Bella," silence, "he's not that bad, he's got potential-"

"Oh for heaven sake Dario, stop defending the boy! Did you hear what he did last night? Cause its all over the fucking front page of one of those stupid magazines in Saturn City! Do you know?"

"I-"

"You need to get him in line, Dario."

"I know. I will."

Silence.

"I love him, you know? I mean, Ripred, of course I love him, he is our only son and I would do anything for him... It's just that I don't know what to do anymore. I don't know how to get him to see. Maybe I am pushing him too hard. Ripred, I know that I push him to hard.. But... if I don't... I don't want him to hate me... I just don't know what to do anymore... Do you think he hates me-"

"Bella, stop it, he knows that you love him. He might not show it. But he knows. Look, I'll talk to some of my contacts. I'll get him a position of responsibility and power. It'll be a test, and if he fucks up then... Then... I don't know what we will do, but something will have to change."

"Okay. But Dario, if he brings shame on to this families name, I swear it, I am done."

"I know, Bella, me too."

---

Smoke flows from my lips, my head tilted. My shoulder length hair falls over my shoulders and I look at my father through the smoke wall as I kick my feet up onto the desk before placing the butt between my lips once again and inhaling deeply. For a moment my eyes flutter shut, but the moment is over quickly, my father clearing his throat loudly as he shoves my feet from his desk, shaking his head in blatant disapproval.

I smile at him, smugly satisfied to so easily have gotten under his skin. He hate it so easy, too easy sometimes, to poke and pull at his buttons. Who could fault me for taking full advantage of it? It was just too much god damned fun to watch him squirm. "That was rude," I pull the cigarette from my mouth, crossing my arms across my chest.

"Don't get me started on rude behaviours, Silva, because you, my son, will lose." Unfolding his arms, my father leans against his forearms as they brace the desk, his eyes simmering in quiet rage. My eyes narrow, his words causing a spark of annoyance to flash through me, but I push it down, hiding it behind a carefully arched eye brow as I examine my father with the same scrutiny he studies me with.

After another moment I flock my cigarette into the overly extravagant ash tray on his desk before sitting up a little straighter, "you summoned me, father?" I look around the room, making a show of it before my eyes land on my father once again. "Where's mother? No tongue lashing today?" I give my father a mock look of disappointment, "pity, I was looking forward to hearing how once again I am her biggest disappointment." I pause for a moment, cocking my head to the side slightly, "or are we just saving it for dessert?"

"don't speak about your mother like that," my father growls, barely manage to contain is anger. But he does, visibly taking a deep breath, and then another, before he continues. "Your mother won't be joining us tonight," his eyes flick over me once again, calculating and scrutinizing. The silence between us stretches for so long that I am about to speak up, my brows raising further up my eye brows as my mouth parts.

"I have gotten you a new position," my father cuts me off before I can speak, leaning back in his chair as he loosely folds his arms across his chest.

A new position? What the hell does that mean?

"A new job role-"

"I already have a job," I say flatly, as I examine my nails. "In fact, I think you know it well. You know, the job that you and Mother have forced me to take. The one that I am so clearly excelling at," I smile coldly at that, flicking my gaze over my father before returning to my nails. "Or have you finally given up on me-"

"Enough, Silva." I return my gaze to my father, meeting his eyes. "I think this new role you should find more appealing. In fact, it should be right up your ally-"

"I don't care. I don't want it." Cutting my father off I push myself onto my feet. I knew what he was doing- what they were doing. Another feeble attempt at getting me to accept responsibility, to grow up into the figure head that they had been so desperately trying to create from the moment I would say my first words.

Instantly my father is on his feet too, his cheeks flushed with anger as he glared at me from across the tale, "for fucks sake Silva! Why do you always have to fight me? On every damned thing!"

oh my, it had been a long time since I had manage to see my father this mad.

"Sit down, Silva." I move to step from the room, "sit your ass down. Now."

I turn, raising an eyebrow at him as I cross my arms against my chest. "Please."

"Excuse me?"

"Say please."

Deep brown eyes, almost identical to my own, burn with rage, and I fully expect my father to lash out, his anger getting the better of him. Instead, he pushes the word please out through gritted teeth, surprising the hell out of me.

Recovering quickly, however, I smile at my father widely, "since you asked soooo nicely, I think I will."

I sit. My father fumes.

After another moment he, too, takes his seat, hands clenched into tight fists. "The job is role is tribute escort."

Surprise washes over me once again, and this time I cannot hold it back. I stare at my father, my mother dropping open slightly. I had not expected this at all. "Escort?" It shouldn't have spruced me that much I guess. My family were one of the biggestest sponsors of the Hunger Games. But more often than not we had been content to support the games from the side lines and behind the scenes. The role of escort was very much in the spotlight.

Suspsions quickly replaces the surprise and I look at my father closely. "You want me," I start slowly, "to take the role? Aren't you scared that I will disgrace the family name once again?" I tilt my head to the side, "I'm sure mother is. Does she even know about this? Approve?"

"Don't worry about your mother."

In others words, she didn't. Not yet. I click my tongue, my suspicion quickly morphing into curiosity.

Escort. The role was definitely appealing. So much so that I had to fight back my eagerness, the last thing I needed was to show my father just how much I wanted the role.

"Which district?"

"Six."

Six... Man, that was a MESSY district. Rumour has it that the least victor was the a disaster. A handsome disaster. Which could be fun, so much damned fun.

I bite my lip thoughtfully, leaning back in my chair. "Six, huh."

I look back at my father, unsure what to do. On one hand I wanted this role. He was right, it was damned perfect for me. But on the other hand I knew that it would please him, that he would be gleeful over the fact at finally getting onto the score board. Just how petty was I feeling tonight?

Apparerently not enough to turn down the offer.

"Fine. I'll do it."