Seducing The Ice Queen

In a small conference room the members of SKY were gathered, along with Phillippe and Alice. While all the boys were adamantly supporting Adam like he had supported them through the years, Phillippe was imploring them to talk some sense into Adam. 

Adam snorted and refused to comment on anything as Phillippe continued," Look! We are getting pressure from not just those companies that you all advertise as a group but also from individual brand endorsements as well. They are all coming forward to cancel the contracts under the clause that you have done something that has smeared your reputation. If these contracts are cancelled, a hefty chunk of your earnings over the years will go in compensating them for the breach of contract. All because that Adken Parry has ruined your image! Would that not mean letting him win? Is that what you want? To let that man win and lose what you have earned over the years? Do you think that you have become invincible. There are only a few people who will support you through this crisis. The rest will abandon ship and you know that there is no scarcity of bands who want to suppress you.

Silence reigned once Phillippe stopped talking. Everyone of them understood the repercussions of his words. If this continued, everything they had worked so hard for would be down the drain in a blink.

Adam steepled his fingers against his chin and looked out of the windows thoughtfully. He had expected Adken Parry to attack directly. Even though he was used to the man's sly means, he did not expect that the attack would be even more fierce this time and the man would use people's emotions. 

Adam looked up at Phillippe and then said, "I will not forgive and forget. I have more incriminating evidence against the man. All those people that have come forward to testify his kind deeds, I can have them all exposed."

Even as he said this, Adam knew that there was no use. He could see it in Phillippe's face. No amount of physical evidence and appeal was going to work against emotions. In their own way to the stardom, it was the people's emotion for them that had mde them what they were and Adken Parry had used that.. But still Adam wanted to try... Try and fight emotion with cold logic..

Finally Alice, who had been silent until now spoke," You need to go and visit Adken Parry in the hospital like a filial son.."

Adam looked at the woman who understood him the most. She knew what he had suffered and what she had suffered at the hands of that man and still. He wanted to protest but could not find the words. 

Alice saw the instinctive refusal in his eyes and walked over to him, placing a hand on his, letting him know wordlessly that she understood him and that he should trust her. "You need to use acting skills, Adam. And that too to the most.. Do you remember how I had to act to keep my father at bay, you have to act to be willing to forgive the man.. You don't need to patch up or even really forgive the man. You don't even need to be civil to him. You just need to visit the hospital that he is admitted in and stay there for a few minutes after which..."

As Alice explained her plan, everyone was wide eyed. Soon they remembered that the past woman who was called the Ice Queen. Because they had come to accept her as a part of their group, they had forgotten that the woman had the ability to freeze anyone with a single word. And she was ruthless as she reminded them that she had once ousted her own father from the position of the CEO.

Finally, as everyone agreed with the plan, they started on the work assigned to them. First they had a live broadcast with only K missing as he went back to their country, ostensibly to meet his sick father. The group addressed the opinion and firmly placed their opinion on the matter by stating that if a person who was sentenced to the guillotines was really sick and stated that he regretted his action, was the law obliged to let the man go? After putting this question out there they however also spoke about forgiving someone and the strength needed to do it as well as the right of the hurt party to decide what they wanted to do. In the last part they added about how Adam had also been previously willing to establish a connection but the objection had been raised by Adken Parry over his choice of wife. Of course this was only discussed as if it was an ending thought and not the main point of the entire broadcast.

As the numbers of the live viewers for the broadcast expanded exponentially, Alice smiled at this. At least they now had some time a few hours to handle the current crisis.  The group's collective appeal as well as a non judgmental stand where they discussed both options was supported by their fans who wasted no time in spreading their idol's words. After all everyone who had ever been forced to forgive someone just because the other party apologized only to have the same thing repeated in their face again and again had made them  stand firmly on Adam's side.

When Adam alighted at the airport a few hours later, his eyes were red and the eye bags around his eyes showed his exhaustion. A few members of the press secretly followed him as he took a cab and went straight to the hospital to visit his father. The reporters then proceeded to report the sensational news to their live streams as they debated over Adam finally relenting and meeting his father. 

As Adam reached the VIP floor of the hospital, the two guards stopped him from entering. Without saying much, he let them check over thoroughly wondering if his father suspected that he would bring a bomb to visit him. What was with them checking so much? When the man ran the security wand over Adam for the third time, Adam could not help but comment sarcastically," Do you want me to take off my clothes?"

The security guard felt a bit embarrassed at this and stepped back. He could not help doing this as he had been told that if the man smuggled a recording device inside, he would be the one to take the blame. But the man had nothing on his body.

Adam entered the room after a brisk knock and went inside. Lying on the bed, he saw Adken Parry sleeping on the bed making himself pitifully small. Adam did not say a word as he saw the man opening his eyes a bit and looking at him. He simply went to the couch in a corner and sat down quietly. 

He switched on his phone and started to play games with no expression on his face. Finally Adken Parry who wanted to gloat could not take it anymore. He opened his eyes and asked," I thought you would bring some recording device to expose me. But you have come empty handed. Are you really thinking of forgiving me?"

Once again Adam said nothing and continued to play games. Adken Parry did not understand this tactic and quietened trying to think. He had already instructed the guards to be wary of anything that could be a hidden camera or a recording device. Could it be that Adam had turned on his cell phone camera and was going to record that? Well if he did then there was no point in showing his anger. 

Putting on an expression of pain, he extended his trembling hand and said," Adam... my son. Did you come here to see me out of love or out of pity?" He waited a breath and then continued, "It doesn't matter why you did, all that matters is that I am able to see you during my last moments."

Adken Parry felt that he had put on a commendable act and slowly lowered his hand when the other man did not make any move. Now let Adam try and expose him. 

When Adam still did not reply, but simply turned off his phone and placed it aside, Adken Parry was even more confused. He was about to act some more, when Adam spoke," Adken Parry. You are being so paranoid about being recorded and exposed. Here is my phone. It is turned off. I have no intention of recording nonsense that you speak. I actually came here for only one reason. So you can just lie there quietly and I will be on my way soon. 

As Adken Parry lay there in shock, Adam Parry made his way out of the room after a few minutes. A little while later, he went to speak to the doctor. As the spies that Adken Parry had ordered around Adam continued to follow him, they could not help but be confused...