Chapter 7

Matt Wolffe seldom worked on Saturdays. Saturdays were for social activities and he honored every social invite religiously. Acquaintances were made at such social events and for someone like him, they presented opportunities to strike business deals. Today was not one of those days, however.

His chauffeur was waiting outside with the door of his car open. He slid into the back seat. The chauffeur moved round the back of the car and took the driver’s seat.

This was a visit to the only father figure in his life. Simone Pierce.

As a child under the iron hand of his father, he was forced out of his comfort and thrown into the jungle of business. At age 18, against his wish, Zach Wolffe forced him into business school. He was intelligent, graduated with good grades and was introduced to the business world. Groomed to take over his father’s banking-investment company, he was introduced to several of Zach’s colleagues and friends in business. When his father began to fall apart and rumors of bankruptcy got out, Simone Pierce, his father’s business partner had taken him under his wings and taught him the mechanics of business. After Zach got himself killed from a deal gone wrong, Matt closed down Zach Wolffe’s business and started a new one of his own, untainted with his father’s cruelty and bloody hands. Simone Pierce was responsible for his success, responsible for his climb in the business world.

After a long drive away from the busy city, the chauffeur rounded a bend on the road and a large white house surrounded by a tall, white grill fence and a wrought iron gate came into view. The security cameras attached to the sides of the gates moved slowly, taking in the perimeter of the property. The gates slid open and Matt’s chauffeur drove in. The house was serene, surrounded by manicured lawns with various pretty flowers growing among thick branches. There was a large foot-shaped pool at the side with a shaded patio and garden chairs around a metal table painted black.

Even before he got out of the car Simone was already outside in a loose flowery shirt and white shorts. The man was in his early sixties with a full head of wispy graying hair that he kept at shoulder length. There was a huge smile on his face as Matt walked toward him. The house and every other property he owned were a testament to his successes in business before he retired to the countryside.

“Golden boy.” His voice was deep and firm.

Matt took his hand in a firm handshake and Simone clapped his shoulder. He led him to the patio where a servant dressed in casual clothes brought glasses of whiskey for them.

“How is the business?” Simone asked as he waved a dismissive hand at the servant.

“Great.”

Simone cocked one graying brow. He knew Matt too well not to know there was more to his visit.

Matt cocked a smile at the old man’s watchful gaze. “Not too great. I have nothing on Ethan Lowe.” Ethan Lowe was the obstacle in the new business deal he was trying to close. Ethan was the current owner of a small but successful packing company. It was a family business run by the eldest son with 6 members of the family, including Ethan Lowe, making up the board of directors. But recently, under his leadership, the business was failing. The other members of the family wanted to sell since there was no hope of restoration for them, the only option left was to take a loan but they were in debt. Ethan held the majority vote and he refused to sell. Matt was frustrated. The company had a promising future if it was under his control. He offered a merge and Ethan refused.

A month ago, he learned from an insider that Ethan was planning to sell to another company, a rival company run by an old nemesis, Noel Greer. Even though he offered more money to Ethan he still refused to sell. Now he needed to play the dirty game to get Ethan to surrender the company to him which was why he was pissed at Ricky for the delay.

“Be patient. That’s the rule of the game. Ethan will fall into your hands in no time.” Simone sipped his drink and leaned forward. “But I am worried about Noel Greer, he is not a man to be played.”

“Noel is not a problem for me.”

“Then why are you here?”

“To see my godfather,” he said with a charming smile.

Simone laughed. “This is one of the reasons you’re successful, your smooth lying tongue.”

Matt laughed with him then he turned serious. “I am worried about Ricky.”

“And you need my help looking into him?”

“Yes. I trust Ricky but every man has a price and he is human. I hate to think he is delaying this assignment because Ethan has paid him for it but I need to be sure that that is not the case.” He looked at Simone over the rim of his whiskey glass. “I know you have the resources to watch him without his knowledge. That is why I am here.”

“You could have just said this over the phone.”

“I told you old man I really wanted to see you. It’s been a long time since I saw you, old man.”

“You appeared in the gossip column with Penelope on your arm again.”

“I always appear in the gossip column,” Matt retorted with a roll of his eyes. “The media want something to talk about and I give them enough fodder to feed their hunger.”

“And is Penelope the one?”

The one

He never believed in The one. Believing there was someone out there meant for him, someone to spend the rest of his life with was a fantasy. His parents made that obvious with their disastrous marriage. Even if that fantasy did exist, Penelope was not the one. Although she knew him better than the others since they had grown up together, they both knew that what they had was just a fling. They would part ways when one of them grew bored of the other. People grew bored of each other, no one stayed forever.

But he wasn’t thinking about Penelope. He was thinking about Sophia who has left his hand hanging in the backroom of Ricky’s club. Her eyes were feline-like with how they turned up at the corners. She had the most expressive brown eyes he had seen. When she cocked her brow at him there was a slight hint of amusement in her eyes.

Sophia.

That was all he knew about her. If he asked Ricky he was sure to get more information about her. And he would. He would find out about this woman who captured his attention with her voice