Chapter 2

The woman staring hard at Matt was beautiful in an ethereal, bewitching way. Her long black hair was wrapped in a bun behind her head, showcasing her throat. Her cheekbones were chiseled like a model’s, and when she crossed her arms over her breast, he had a quick picture of her sitting cross-legged in his bed.

“Whatever happens in Rome stays in Rome, right?” The voice came from somewhere in his past. He couldn’t figure out why he remembered just now. His thoughts were muddled, and he decided to drop the thought right now.

“Dad, I’m sorry I dropped the files. I was coming to discuss—”

“You were supposed to be home. It’s your day off, Veronica.”

She grinned at him and moved closer to kiss his cheeks. “I don’t mind, Dad. I stayed up all night studying the files, and I think I have a solution to the Berkeley job.”

Matthew rolled his eyes, but he could see the love shining in Adam’s as he looked at her. Adam felt like an intruder, wondering if he should get out of there and find something to eat.

“I can see you’ve met our guest, Adam Livingston.”

She threw one look at Adam and returned her attention to her father. “I know him. He’s the one in trouble.”

Adam glared at her, but she had her back to him. “So, Adam, what is it going to be? Sleeping in the cold or being smart?”

Adam hated being in this fix but knew he had to take up his preposterous plan. He glanced quickly at the beautiful woman beside him and knew he couldn’t say no anymore. What could go wrong with marrying a pretty heiress?

“Deal?” He stretched out his palm, and Matthew held it firmly.

“Deal. We will sign some papers, but that will be some other time.”

Adam was sweating in the palms now. “Veronica, how about you drop those files and take Adam to some restaurant? You have a lot to talk about.”

She looked at him briefly and queried her father. “Is he asking for a loan?”

At that moment, Adam wished he could disappear into thin air.

He smiled ruefully at his daughter. “Not a loan, darling. There’s a matter of urgency you need to discuss.”

She turned to face Adam. “How can I help you, Mr. Livingston?”

“Please call me Adam.”

She gave him a naughty look. “Alright, Adam, what do you want from us?”

“How about we talk over dinner?” He saw her eyes harden, and then she turned to her father.

“Are you trying to matchmake again? Stop trying, Dad. I’m not going to settle for these jerks of your suit.”

A muscle twitched in his face. Jerk! How brazen of her!

“Come on, Veronica, Adam is a worthy man. Ignore his misfortune at the moment.”

“I’m not interested in him or anyone else. Can you just leave me alone?”

She spun around and walked into his office. He listened to the sound of her boots clinking as she moved, and a grin spread across his face. Veronica Hussey was not going to be easy.

“It’s clear she doesn’t like me. How am I supposed to marry her?”

The billionaire, older man gave Adam a look that clearly said he was stupid. “You didn’t expect it to be easy, did you? You should be working out a plan already, or you are screwed.”

Adam left Hussey’s office feeling worse than he did in the morning.

“Damn. Why is this happening to me?” he mumbled to himself. He let down the windows and stepped down on the accelerator. He didn’t care about getting a speeding ticket. His posh white car glistened in the sun and reminded him of a better time. His parents would have been disappointed if they had an idea of what had happened to the family legacy.

“He has my life under her control up until this hour.”

Veronica Hussey! There was something oddly familiar about her. Her voice, he swore he had heard it somewhere in his past. He pushed the confusing thoughts aside and concentrated on driving.

Adam drove in the direction of the Magic Hotel. He had been staying at the presidential suite for three days and knew he couldn’t afford to keep paying for the gigantic room.

“Marry my daughter, then.” The words echoed in his head, and he cursed. The bellboy nodded curtly as he stepped out of his car. He walked past the busy lobby and moved to the elevator. A middle-aged man stepped into the large box before it closed.

“Tenth floor?” he wondered how he knew his floor, but he shrugged and let him press the button, and they began to ascend.

“Are you enjoying your stay here?” He sighed. He wanted to be left alone, but the older man had other plans.

“It’s okay.”

“Okay, are you serious? This place is paradise.”

He scoffed. “I have seen better.”

“You must be some rich folk?”

He grimaced at his words. “I’m nobody. Just a man.”

The man laughed and slapped his arms. “Exactly what a rich guy would say. Especially if you are in the big league.”

Adam had heard enough of the idle talk. “Listen, I’m tired and don’t want to talk anymore.” He saw the other man’s face scrunch up in a frown.

“Hey, man, I was just trying to be friendly.” He gasped and moved closer to peered into his face and whistled. “You are Adam Livingston.”

It wasn’t a question; he was taking his cell phone out of his pocket.

“What are you doing?” Adam held the man’s hand in a tight grip. How could he let himself ride with a lunatic?

“Come on, man. How about a selfie?”

“Stop that, or I’m going to smash your phone right now.” His voice conveyed a subtle threat. The elevator chimed, and he released his breath. Adam hurried out of the elevator and heard the man call after him.

“Hey, I just saw the news. You lost everything. Is that true?”

Adam took a cold shower, ordered a heavy dinner, and settled back in the king-size bed to enjoy a glass of wine. His parents had died five years ago in an auto crash. They were taking a road trip to celebrate their anniversary. The sheriff had declared it an accident, but Adam knew better.

His father was a careful man; he drove carefully and slowly. Swerving off a cliff didn’t look like his style. He had hired the best private investigators, and they had met a dead end. There was nothing to prove his parents were murdered, even though he knew deep down they were.

Shortly after their funeral, Derek had urged him to join Leo’s club. It was made up of elite young men from wealthy homes. He had thought it silly at first, but Derek was adamant.

“This is going to be the best decision of your life.”

They were suntanning after a swim in the pool. He ignored Derek and flipped to another page of the finance book he was reading.

“Adam, this move will change your life, trust me.”

“I’m not joining some spoiled brat for a sorority night. Come on! We are grown-ups now. Why do I have to bond with some rich-ass strangers?”

Derek sat up and bent to face him. “You know Jeremy Salez, the guy who’s got Gregory’s account? He’s a member.”

Adam was stunned. He needed that deal with Jeremy. Maybe the club wasn’t such a bad idea. If only he had known better, it turned out to be the worst decision of his life. A sharp rasp on the door shook him out of his reverie, and he moved to the door.

Bruce Morgan stood outside his door in his signature black-on-black attire. His six-foot frame filled the doorway, and he felt his heart hammer when he handed over a pile of newspapers. The media was awash with stories of his misfortune, and some reporters took their pound of flesh, ridiculing his predicament in their columns.

“How did this happen?” Adam fought to control his shaking hands.

“I don’t know, boss. Someone seems eager to spread the news. I went sniffing, and I found something.”

He felt Adam’s heart grow cold with fear.

“What did you find out?”

“It’s Derek. He’s behind everything. The fire at the nightclub was arson, and I got a tip that he hired the guy to do his dirty work.”

He sagged against the door, breathing hard. He had hoped Derek was just being jealous, but with the news, he knew he had just lost a friend. He trusted him with everything, and now he was snatching it away.

“Are you sure it’s him?” A part of him wanted Bruce to say no.

“Yes, boss. He’s fled the town, probably reading the news from some exotic country or a hideout.”

He didn’t want to believe it. It hurt just thinking about it.

“Have you tried calling Daniel again?” I asked after a minute of thinking.

Bruce shook his head sadly. “It’s being redirected to voicemail.”

“Great. How splendid!”

Daniel Meyers was Adam’s PR guy. He had been helpful with some of his past scandals. He was hoping he could work his magic once more. He thought about his worsening predicament and knew he had to get serious about wooing Veronica Hussey.

“Find me a restaurant. Nothing too expensive; we need to save money now.”

“A restaurant?” He nodded and walked to the closet, flinging some clothes on the bed.

“Are you going on a date?”

“No. I’m going to save myself.”

He seemed to consider Adam’s words, and then he smiled. Adam stopped in his tracks and turned to him.

“Get me everything you can on Veronica Hussey. I need to know what she likes, what she hates, and what kind of relationship she has with her father. I need it ASAP.”

He dressed quickly in his favorite pair of slacks and a crisp white shirt. He undid the first two buttons and wore a pair of loafers. Casual but classy.

He thought of Veronica again, imagining her dressed and having dinner with him. He was looking at his smart reflection in the mirror when Bruce returned.

“She’s twenty-five, got a Master’s in Business Management from Harvard.”

Adam whistled. She’s probably some nerd.

“She wants to run the family business, but her father would hear none of it. He thinks she’s too weak for the job. The relationship between them isn’t exactly heart-melting.” Adam stowed the information away in his head, processing it.

“I need more.”

“She likes kids. She’s working with some NGOs to help kids. She reads many books and has few friends. Her best friend is a gossip blogger girl called Sabina Blair.”

Adam knew Sabina Blair; her gossip blog @Celebrity_Trash was a popular choice for many in the city. He had been featured several times in her blogs and had gotten the nickname Playboy King from her readers.

Bruce continued. “She’s smart and picky with men.”

He raised an eyebrow at him. “How did you figure that out?”

“She called off her engagement to the Russian billionaire just because he spoke rudely to a waitress. She wants the impossible man, perfect, kind, faithful, and smart. She’s a hopeless romantic.”

Adam laughed at his words. An image of her in the body-hugging jeans sprang to his head again. He already found her very fascinating. He had that uncomfortable feeling that they had met somewhere in his past.

“What about her love life?” He was curious about that part, an idea growing in his head.

“Her last relationship was a year ago. A college professor. He cheated on her with a student. She rarely goes out with men, and the rumor mill thinks she’s never going to marry.”

“She will,” Adam said confidently.

”Huh?” Adam turned to his head of security and smiled coolly.

“She’s going to marry me soon.”