RED FLAG - by Posi

Chapter One Summer Begins The first week of December arrived with clear blue skies over Perth. Summer had settled in, warm and bright, and schools across Australia had finally closed for the long holiday. For the Giff children, it meant returning to the family penthouse—a tradition that never changed no matter how busy life became. At exactly 8:00 a.m., the sound of a small brass bell echoed through the luxurious penthouse. It was Ivory. Standing just outside the dining area, she rang the bell with practiced ease, smiling softly as its familiar chime spread through the house. "Breakfast," she called gently. One by one, the house began to wake. --- Tiff had already been awake for a while. Her neatly arranged room overlooked the Perth skyline. She had spent the early morning organizing a few things before freshening up. Hearing the bell, she smiled to herself and headed downstairs. --- Nass blinked at the digital clock beside her bed. 8:00 a.m. She buried her face in her pillow, rolled over once... Twice... Three times. "...Five more minutes," she mumbled. After another lazy stretch, she finally climbed out of bed. --- Lade didn't move. The blanket still covered half his face as he remained fast asleep. --- At the other end of the penthouse was a spacious room decorated in cool shades of navy, white, and grey. Floor-to-ceiling windows filled the room with soft morning sunlight, while everything inside was perfectly organized. The bedroom belonged to L. The door opened quietly. Still dressed in his black workout clothes, he stepped inside, looking completely exhausted. A towel rested around his neck, and tiny beads of sweat clung to his forehead. As the heir to the Giff family's business empire, holidays were never really holidays. While his younger siblings enjoyed weeks of freedom, L spent every break learning the business. His only real moments of peace came whenever his stepmother managed to convince his father to let him rest. With a tired sigh, he dropped onto his bed. Five minutes later... A gentle knock interrupted the silence. "Come in," he said quietly. The door opened. Ivory stepped inside. Her eyes swept across the room. As always... Everything was spotless. His books were aligned perfectly. His shoes were arranged neatly. His desk looked untouched. Even though they weren't particularly close, there was never any tension between them. "How was your workout?" she asked warmly. "It was good," L replied almost in a whisper. She smiled. "Breakfast is ready." He nodded once. "I'll be down." Without another word, Ivory left the room. L remained seated for a moment before standing to change. --- The next room belonged to Lade. Unlike L's room... This one looked like a battlefield. Video game controllers were scattered across the floor. A headset hung from the edge of the bed. Clothes lay carelessly over a chair. Ivory didn't bother knocking. She already knew no one would answer. "Lade..." No response. She sighed before gently shaking his shoulder. Once. Twice. Three times. Four. Five. Finally... He groaned. "What..." "Breakfast," Ivory said patiently. "Your dad wants to take you somewhere today." Nothing. His eyes remained closed. Then she added, "Chase says it's game day." His eyes flew open. "What?!" Ivory laughed softly. "I thought so." As she turned to leave, one of the housemaids entered to tidy the room. "Morning, Mum," Lade called after her. She smiled before disappearing into the hallway. Lade stretched lazily, greeted the maid, and headed for the bathroom. --- Twenty-five minutes later... The dining table was almost ready. Ivory adjusted the cutlery while one of the maids placed the final dishes on the table. Tiff walked in first. "Morning, Royey." Ivory smiled. "Good morning." A few minutes later, Nass entered. "Morning, Royey." "Morning, sweetheart." Ivory smiled before excusing herself. "I'll be right back." She walked into the kitchen to bring one last dish for breakfast. Four minutes later, Mr. Giff entered the dining room. He looked around. "Where's everyone?" "Royey is in the kitchen," Nass answered. "She went to get something. L and Lade aren't here yet." Just then, Ivory returned from the kitchen carrying a serving dish. She placed it carefully on the table. "Who said I'm not here?" Lade's voice echoed from behind. Everyone turned. "There he is," Tiff laughed. Lade walked over and hugged Tiff. "Morning." He greeted his father before smiling at Ivory. "Morning, Mum." "Good morning," she replied warmly. He then walked over and gave Nass a quick dap. Just as he was about to sit... L entered the dining room. Lade immediately stood up again and gave L a dap as well. L smiled faintly before ruffling Lade's hair. He did the same to Tiff and Nass before taking his seat beside his father, opposite Lade. Only then did Ivory remove her apron, hand it to one of the maids, and take her seat. Breakfast began. For a while... Only the sounds of cutlery filled the room. Then Mr. Giff spoke. "Lase." Everyone looked up. "You'll be coming with me to work five days a week throughout the holidays." The room suddenly felt heavier. Ivory frowned. "Honey..." "They're home to rest." Mr. Giff barely looked up. "No time for slacking." He turned to Lase. "You've completed your second year." "By your third year, you'll begin taking over more responsibilities. Before the second semester of fourth year, I expect you to be ready." Lase simply nodded. "Yes, Dad." Across the table, Tiff and Nass exchanged silent glances. Lade quietly continued eating, pretending not to notice the tension. About thirty minutes later, Tiff cleared her throat. "Dad?" He looked at her. "Can I follow Royey to her office today?" "I'll be starting university next session. I'd like some experience." Mr. Giff nodded. "That's fine." Ivory smiled proudly. She and Tiff had already discussed it. Breakfast ended at exactly 9:05 a.m. Mr. Giff and Lase left together for work. The maids cleared the dining room. Tiff returned upstairs to get ready. Nass left soon after for an art event with one of her friends not far from home. Only Lade remained. He disappeared back into his room, picked up his controller, and within seconds, the sounds of another video game filled the quiet penthouse. End of Chapter one

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