"Hahahaha… Bastien, you're so funny." Jennifer finished laughing, only to find Bastien utterly unamused. He was dead serious.
Actually, Sebastian was very serious too. Now that Jennifer noticed Sebastian's expression, she realized she was probably not on his assassination list. If there were such a list, Bastien would quite likely qualify. So, in the interest of everyone's safety, Jennifer quickly pulled out the nearest chair. "Come join me for brunch."
"My grandfather must be going senile," Bastien muttered as Sebastian poured.
Jennifer was still grinning like an idiot.
"Is there anything else I can help you with, my queen?" Sebastian asked dryly. He seemed to be looking for an excuse to hang around, but Jennifer was sure he had far better things to do than play tea party with her.
"It's okay," she told him, then noticed a crease in his perfect brows. "Don't worry. I know Bastien can come off as a bit curt, but he's one of my…"
Well, it wasn't like Jennifer could say ML.
"Like Angus and Damien," she finished.
Sebastian lifted a brow. "What about them?"
Ah, once Angus was involved, Sebastian became guarded again. Talk about overprotective. But seriously! He should realize that he was the most dangerous person in the room.
"You know, when you meet a special child, and you can't help but want him to succeed in life," Jennifer decided it would be best to clarify, "I just can't help myself. It's my kindergarten teacher heart."
"I'm hardly a child, Ms. Lee." Bastien narrowed his eyes at the offense.
"Jennifer is fine, or Ms. Jen, like the other boys call me," she said.
Well, it could also have a bit of guilt from her author heart too. How could she allow her shallow writing to dictate the lives of these boys? Now that they had met, Jennifer was going to help her characters live properly.
Bastien cleared his throat and got down to business. "My grandfather has sent me to help you with the management of the building."
Jennifer helped herself to a mini stuffed croissant; it had something yellow inside. "Oh yes?"
This was really fun; she should invite Angus and Damien for tea parties with her too…
Oooohhh… She should so organize a tea party event for her Dolphin Class at Kindergarten!
"He seems to believe you have been haplessly conned into the purchase of this building by his mother," Bastien continued. He narrowed his eyes at the spread across the table. "Although, it is apparent you have not suffered any lack for it."
The croissant was filled with custard! Custard in a buttery warm croissant.
She pointed to it. "Try this, Bastien. It's good. Oh wait, you don't like sweet things, right?"
If Bastien was suspicious before, he was completely on guard now. "What do you know of my preference?"
I wrote it, you lovable stupid, Jennifer did not say. Instead, she grinned and challenged him, "No? Then eat it."
"I'm not hungry, thank you." Bastien declined.
So polite.
And then he got mad. "Are you even paying attention? You know I can have your entire building shut down if I wanted, right?"
"But you won't." Jennifer was very sure. "Your grandfather gave you this task. It isn't a big one, but you know it is the first personal favor he asked from you. So you can't afford to mess up."
That was the kind of man Bastien was. He was always three steps ahead of his enemies, and five steps ahead of his allies. Of course, he would have done the calculations ahead of time.
Well, it sounded cool when she wrote him. Now, in real life, Bastien was really just overthinking everything.
"What do you want?" Bastien asked.
Jennifer thought about it. "You say Frank sent you to help?"
"Yes." Bastien gritted.
"Don't look at me like that." Jennifer scolded lightly. "Your grandfather is just helping me out of the kindness of his heart."
Bastien scoffed. "Now I know there must be something between you. My grandfather has no heart."
"Then how can there be anything between us?" Jennifer asked. "Anyway, you said you're here to help with the building management, right?"
"Yes." Bastien nodded. "I was led to believe that security is lacking here."
"Oh yes, the building's door. Can you have someone check the lock?" Jennifer remembered.
"I've already arranged for a locksmith to come down tomorrow," Bastien said. "He'll have all the locks refitted and a new key card system set up for you."
"That sounds expensive." Jennifer worried.
"My grandfather is footing the bill," Bastien said pointedly.
"I told you it's not like that!" Jennifer said. But Bastien ignored her and continued, "Unfortunately, my great-grandmother is elusive and currently uncontactable, but rest assured we would make full restitution once we are able to confirm and assess the situation on our side…"
"Why don't you just call or text her?" Jennifer asked.
"What?" Bastien blinked.
Jennifer took out her phone. The landlady had replied to her sometime this morning on Angus' arrival.
"Oh wonderful! Thank you, my dear. I will leave him to your good hands."
Bastien frowned at the message.
Jennifer pressed the call button.
"Hello?" The landlady picked up.
"Hi, it's me, Jennifer. Bastien is looking for you."
Bastien looked panicked. Jennifer gleefully handed the phone over.
Then she watched Bastien's expression turn stony as he stood up formally to receive the call. "Hello, Great-Grandmother."
It's not like the landlady could see this over the phone. But Jennifer had front-row seats to her favourite webnovel character live in action. He was very cool under pressure. And he was very cool now. It was very satisfying as his author to see it play out so exactly.
His grandmother replied, "I don't have a great-grandson who doesn't smile when he sees me."
And then she hung up.
Jennifer blinked. That was her sweet elderly landlady, right?
Bastien was also looking a little stunned at the phone in his hand, but for entirely different reasons. "It's really her."
Jennifer shrugged.
Bastien returned her phone to her with both hands. "Please help me send her a text to respond to the emails sent from my office."
"So respectful now," Jennifer teased.
Bastien answered seriously. "I know to give respect when it's due."
Yes! That's exactly the kind of man Bastien was!
Jennifer was still grinning when she typed, "Bastien asks if you could reply to your emails sent from his office."
The reply was immediate: "Tell him I'm busy."
Jennifer showed the text to Bastien, who sighed deeply and excused himself.
It was only later in the day when Jennifer received another text from the landlady: "I've replied to the emails. Tell my son and whoever he sends to trouble you to stop whining to you whenever things don't go their way. It's unmanly and annoying."
And then another text: "Also, don't mind Bastien. He was probably rude and demanding. But he had a hard life."
And then a third text: "There is an old bank book and ATM card in my drawer. Use it whenever Bastien demands payment. I know my son is clingy and all his children are sharks. Let me know if you need more."
And that was it. Jennifer had read and reread the texts multiple times.
She typed and retyped multiple replies and gave up. She'll deal with it tomorrow.