Charles phoned Mr. Grayson a little to midnight after he had thought his plan over and over, through and through, and on the second ring, Mr. Grayson picked. "Well…" Charles started. "You've made up your mind?" Mr. Grayson asked, wondering what Charles' decision was going to be. "Yes, I have." Charles replied as he played with a loose wool from his pillow. "And what is it?" Mr. Grayson asked, and Charles smiled. He could hear the eagerness in Mr. Grayson's voice. Mr. Grayson was really looking up to Charles and it was all the more reason for Charles to feel pressured to make it work. "I'm going to try my best to convince Mr. Dane." Charles replied, and Mr. Grayson couldn't contain his smiles. "Thanks so much, Charles. I really appreciate it. I really do." Mr. Grayson told him honestly, and Charles smiled still twirling the loose wool around his finger. "So, I'll arrange your flight. You just need to get the necessary documents ready." Mr. Grayson added, and Charles sat up straight. "I'll do that." "Have a nice night, Charles." "You too, Mr. Grayson." The call ended, and Charles got up from bed to prepare his documents so he could be ready for his flight which he knew was definitely going to be booked the next day. The deal was important to Mr. Grayson so Charles was very sure he wanted the work on it to be started very fast. ~ The next day, Charles and Mr. Grayson had sorted everything out and the day went by so fast that the next time Charles had time to rest, he was already seated in the plane heading fast to Chicago. After looking out through the window for a while, he laid his head back and allowed himself to rest. In a jiffy, he had left home and was on his way to Chicago. How fast time flew. It turned out that time wasn't ready to slow its pace or do anything of the sort for in mere hours, Charles' plane landed and he walked into the beautiful streets of Chicago. It was evening and pretty lights lit up the buildings, cars raced past and people walked by and Charles began to feel in good spirits. He was positive about the whole Alaric Dane stuff.He booked a hotel and was a bit surprised by the luxury it afforded. Cute little sofas surrounding a desk, a large enough bed to take three people, a television, and a shelf with a couple of books to read, but the best of it all was the view it offered. There was a glass wall showcasing the beauty of Chicago, and as tired as Charles was, he still went there, stuck in its beauty. The next morning, he dressed up formally, ready to meet with Mr. Dane, and deep inside Charles, he was a little uncertain, he was unsure of how the meeting would go, and that caused him a little unease, but of course, he didn't let all that play on his face. He got a cab, gave the cab driver the address, and relaxed in the backseat of the car, waiting to see the man that had given Mr. Grayson a lot of trouble by refusing to purchase his land. When he pulled up at the house, he was a little stunned. He had expected the man to live in a large mansion judging by the size of his wealth and all the assets he had amassed. Instead, Mr. Dane chose to live in a three-flat and it stood tall, and different from the other buildings. He paid the driver, and walked briskly towards the gate, his fingers finding the bell immediately. He pressed it, and it rang, giving a high, shrilling sound. A minute later a woman came to the door camera, bending in front of it. "May I ask who this is?" She asked in a bold voice that ought to belong to a man, and Charles' eye twitched. "It's Charles Lincoln. I was scheduled to meet with Mr. Alaric Dane today." He answered, looking at the woman and wondering who she was. "Oh! Yeah, Alaric spoke about you. Mr. Lincoln. Just hang on, wait a sec." She said, and scampered away from the door camera and Charles sighed. He didn't know why his sigh was as heavy as it was, but he guessed it had something to do with the odd feeling he was getting—the feeling that his being in Chicago was a huge waste of time. A few seconds later, the door swung open and Charles walked in along a path with flowers on each side. They smelled great and filled the air with a light perfumed smell. He got to the front porch, but before he could do anything, the door was opened by the lady who had spoken to him earlier. She was tall, slim, with spotless skin that showed she probably engaged in a lot of skincare and beauty products. Her eyes were a large hazel and she had heart-shaped lips that had been painted in red lipstick. "Welcome Mr. Lincoln. Come in please." She said politely, pushing open the door gingerly and waiting for him to go in before she did. He went in first, and was guided through the short hallway. Even though it wasn't a mansion, the interior was beautiful. The floor alone had been tiled with Lux Touch tiles which was quite impressive judging how expensive just a tile of it was. There was a large chandelier decked with all kinds of jewels, hanging from the ceiling, emitting soft golden light. The sofas were white, and looked chic. There were shelves with books on them and the staircase itself added a simple beauty to the house. The house was a typical house you'd see in Chicago, but the difference was that this one was filled with the most expensive things around the world, making it evident that the owners were dealing with real money. Charles was led to sit on a sofa. "He'll soon be down." The lady said, with a smile, and then winked at him. Charles tilted his head in wonderment. Had she just winked at him? And then she smiled… Not just a smile—a flirtatious one.