Chapter 400 - 400: Santa Claus.

The elevator doors opened and Kyle walked down the hallway, bags in both hands, and stopped at the door of the Royal Suite. He shifted the bags to one hand, fumbled for the key card, and pushed the door open.

"Finally!"

Jasmine's voice cut through the quiet. She was off the couch in an instant, bare feet slapping against the marble floor, her oversized hoodie flapping behind her like a cape.

She collided with his legs, arms wrapped tight around his thighs.

Kyle laughed. "Hey, kiddo."

Jasmine looked up at him, her face split in a wide grin. "You were gone forever."

"It was like two hours."

"That's forever," Jasmine responded.

Kyle set the bags down carefully, then bent over and scooped her up. She was light—lighter than she should be, though she had put on weight since he found her. He held her against his hip like she weighed nothing.

"Did you miss me?" Kyle asked.

Jasmine nodded, her dark hair bouncing. "I missed my big brother."

"Big brother," Kyle thought about that name for a second and it brought a smile across his ace.

The words hit Kyle somewhere soft even though she had called him this repeatedly.

Kyle was noticing these subtle changes within himself.

These were things that would otherwise not move him whatsoever so why did it now have a big effect on his overall mood?

He liked the title, more than he cared to admit.

"Missed me, huh?" Kyle said, keeping his voice light.

Jasmine's cheeks flushed. "Yesss!"

"I missed you too, kiddo" Kyle squeezed her gently.

He set her down and turned to the bags. The other women had emerged from various corners of the suite—Cassandra from the bedroom, Junior on her hip; Jane from the couch, book still in hand; Ella from the kitchen area, coffee mug raised in greeting.

"Look who finally decided to come home," Ella said, smirking.

"I was gone two hours," Kyle fired back.

"You were gone two hours and five minutes. I counted," Ella countered. She always found any opportunity to bicker.

Kyle shook his head. "Of course you did, you are jobless,"

Cassandra walked over, shifting Junior to her other hip. Her eyes dropped to the bags. "Kyle… what did you do?"

He grinned. "Christmas came early, I told you I got surprises,"

Jane tilted her head, timid but curious. "It's June."

"Exactly. Early."

Kyle reached into the first bag and pulled out a small box. "Jasmine."

Jasmine's eyes went wide. "For me?"

"Come here."

She rushed to his side as he knelt down and opened the box. The small canvas backpack with leather trim—just the right size for her, not too grown-up, not too childish. The embossed "J" gleamed in the soft light.

"It's got your letter on it," Kyle said.

Jasmine touched the leather, reverent. "I never had a backpack before."

"Now you do."

She hugged it to her chest like a stuffed animal. "Thank you, big brother."

There it is again, his heart fluttered.

Kyle cleared his throat and moved to the next bag. "Jane."

Jane stepped forward hesitantly, almost shy. Kyle handed her the silk scarf and matching gloves. The blues and greens caught the light, soft and gentle.

"For me?" Jane whispered.

"Read the tag."

She unfolded the scarf and saw the Gucci logo. Her mouth fell open. "Kyle, this is—"

"Too much?" Kyle questioned before she could complete her sentence.

"No." She clutched it to her chest. "It's perfect."

"Ella, bring your big head over here," Kyle gestured for her to come.

Ella set her coffee down and walked over, arms crossed. "This better not be a collar."

Kyle handed her the belt with the gold lion's head buckle.

Ella stared at it, then at him, then back at the belt.

"Trying to buy my affection, Kyle?" she asked, but her voice was softer than usual.

This was the exact thing Kyle had predicted she would say, and hearing her say it brought

"Is it working?" Kyle asked.

"Maybe." She ran her thumb over the buckle. "Don't let it go to your head."

"Too late," Kyle answered.

Cassandra stepped forward, bouncing Junior gently. "My turn?"

Kyle pulled out the deep burgundy leather handbag. Classic, elegant. Cassandra's eyes widened.

"Kyle…"

"You've been carrying that old diaper bag for months. Consider this an upgrade," Kyle said with a wink.

She took the bag, running her fingers over the leather. "It's beautiful."

"So are you," Kyle responded, openly showing her affection.

Ella made a gagging noise with Jane giggling. Jasmine was still hugging her backpack, to lost in her world to even register what was happening around her.

Kyle reached into the smallest bag and pulled out the tiny Gucci sneakers. "And for Junior…"

Cassandra laughed. "He can't even walk."

"He'll grow into them."

Junior gurgled, reaching for the shiny shoes. Cassandra kissed Kyle on the cheek.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

Kyle shrugged, but he was smiling. "Someone had to be Santa."

Jasmine tugged his sleeve. "Big brother?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we have a family dinner tonight?"

Kyle looked around the room. Jane clutching her scarf, Ella buckling the lion-head belt around her waist, Cassandra holding Junior and her new bag with Jasmine beaming up at him.

"Yeah, kiddo." He ruffled her hair. "We can do that."

"This is why I brought them, they keep me grounded," Kyle thought to himself.

-

Here is the chapter, written to exactly 790 words in the absorbed style, with interactive dialogue and captivating details.

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Tony leaned back in the leather chair of his temporary office—a small but elegant space Pemberton kept for visiting executives. The meeting with Kyle had ended an hour ago. The paperwork was signed and the deal was done.

"What a kid." Tony thought to himself.

Tony smiled to himself, shaking his head. He had expected arrogance, a young man with more money than sense, someone who would demand things he didn't understand and walk away feeling superior.

Instead, he got Kyle.

He was upbeat and friendl, despite the massive age gap—Tony had suits older than this boy—the conversation had flowed like they were old friends.

"He talked to me like I was his agemate," Tony was impressed because he was quite decorated himself. There was a reason he managed to amass so much wealth in such a short period of time.

That was rare. Most young people with money either kissed his ring or tried to step over him. Kyle did neither. He sat across the table, asked smart questions, listened to the answers, and made decisions without posturing.

He earned Tony's respect no doubt.

Tony picked up his phone and dialed.

One ring, two.

[[Anthony.]] The voice on the other end was crisp, professional. Gerald, the executive who had sent him to this meeting in the first place.

"It's done," Tony said. "Deal is signed. Right of first refusal on future BBC collaborations. Revenue split is fair. He's happy."

A pause. [[Happy how?]]

"Genuinely satisfied."

Gerald absorbed that. [[You like him.]]

"I do " Tony responded.

[[That's unusual for you.]]

Tony laughed. [[He's unusual. Young and sharp. He is also incredible friendly for such a young lad. I felt like I was talking to someone my own age, Gerald. That's telling."

"[[So the partnership is secure?]]

"[[More than secure. Productive as well as long-term, if we play it right.]]

Gerald was quiet for a moment. Then: [[Is there a way to sway the negotiation? Tip the scales a little more in our favor? Better margins, more favorable terms?]]

Tony's smile faded.

"What do you mean?"

[[Exactly what I said. He's young. He trusts you now. Maybe there's room to adjust things before the final filings. Nothing dramatic, just… a little more for us.]]

Tony stared at the signed papers on his desk.

"He was honest with me from the first conversation." Tony thought to himself because he knew exactly what Gerald was asking.

Kyle had walked into that sticky-menu café, negotiated hard but fairly, and walked out with a handshake and a smile. He had even offered to make Tony look good to his bosses—without being asked.

"And now Gerald wants me to repay that by squeezing him?" Tony thought to himself as his jaws tightened.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Tony said.

[[Why not?]]

"Because trust is the only currency that matters in a long-term partnership. If I break it now, for a few extra points on a margin, I lose everything else."

[[You're being dramatic.]]

"I'm being honest." Tony's voice hardened. "Kyle isn't stupid. He'll notice. And when he does, he won't just walk away from this deal—he'll walk away from Pemberton entirely. Is that worth an extra two percent?"

Gerald was silent.

"He read our annual report," Tony continued. "Page forty-seven. Footnote twelve. He found the royalty structure we buried. That's not a kid you nickel-and-dime. That's a kid you partner with."

Another pause. Then Gerald sighed.

[[You're sure about this?]]

"I'm sure." Tony picked up his pen, tapping it against the desk. "We do this deal straight. We deliver what we promised. And in two years, when he comes back for more, he comes to us first. That's worth more than any short-term gain."

[[Fine.]] Gerald's voice was clipped. [[Your call. But if this backfires—]]

"It won't."

Tony ended the call.

He sat in the silence, looking at the signed papers.

"He earned my honesty."

Tony had been in this business long enough to know that partnerships built on trust lasted. Partnerships built on leverage crumbled the moment the leverage shifted.

"I'm not going to be the reason this falls apart."

He picked up his phone again. This time, he opened his personal contacts.

[[Tony: Dinner still on for Sunday?]]

The response came quickly.

[[Kyle: Wouldn't miss it for anything in the world.]]

[[Tony: Good. My wife's making lamb. She'll kill me if you cancel.]]

[[Kyle: Then I'll definitely be there. Don't want your death on my conscience.]]

Tony laughed—that big, booming, childlike sound that echoed off the office walls.

"Yeah. I made the right call."

He set the phone down and looked out the window at the London skyline.

There were deals were money was the focus but there were also deals were the personal relationship was just as important.