billion book
Chapter 99
Chapter 99
Chapter 99 After he finished speaking, he took Cecilia and left; even his retreating figure screamed “cold fish".
| never expected we’d end up at each other’s throats, ready to duke it out in court. And | was totally blindsided by the fact that Hogan had his ear to the ground about us secretly chatting up lawyers.
“We can’t rush these things.” Darren comforted me before we parted ways, “I'll dig a little deeper on my end and hit you up when I've got something.”
Thinking back to the way Hogan was all up in Darren’s grill at the dinner table, | diplomatically said. “You've helped us a lot. I'll handle the rest on my own.”
Darren did a double-take, hesitated for a hot second, and then said, “Sure, it’s your call.” After seeing Darren off, night had just started to light up the town, and before long, Wallis was on the horn with me. “Come scoop me up at the Bluebell Bistro & Bar.” Her voice was all stumbly—bumbly, clearly liquored up, “It’s an emergency.”
| didn’t drag my feet; hit the gas and bee—lined there. Busting through the door, Lsaw her, one woman hemmed in by three or four dudes, and my heart just went out to her.
| had to knock back three drinks before | could get her out.
Once we hit the parking garage, Wallis dropped her act and started griping, “If | wasn’t fishing for info on that FreeMan, | wouldn’t bother shooting the breeze with those clowns. And you, | said | could handle my liquor, why’d you start chugging?”
It didn’t sit right with me, “Next time you're in a tight spot like that, you're bringing me along.”
Wallis caught my drift, scooted over, threw an arm around me and said, “Chill, | can take a little booze. What's lit is, | snagged the intel on FreeMan.”
She said that in two days, FreeMan would be making a low-key appearance at an upcoming fan meet-and-greet. That was like manna from heaven for us. | really didn’t want to drag Candy into anything that would bum her out.
After dropping Wallis off at her place, | chewed it over and decided we absolutely couldn’t let Candy’s thing blow up into a courtroom circus.
Looked like groveling to Hogan was my only play. Wallis put her neck on the line for the company, so my pride wasn’t worth squat.
When the cab pulled up at Rainbow Capital, night had already thrown its cloak over the city. | took a deep breath and stepped into the building. But then | got stopped by a security guard on
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duty.
“I've got a meeting with Mr. Zade.” | bluffed with a straight face, “My phone’s dead. Could you pass the message?” The guard gave me the side—eye, half buying it.
Desperate times, | went all in, “Don’t sweat it. Mr. Zade and | go way back; he won’t hang you out to dry.”
Right as | finished, the guard suddenly snapped to attention and bowed towards someone behind me, “Mr. Zade.” | spun around and wanted to crawl into a hole. There stood Hogan and Zachary, just a stone’s throw away.
Judging by Hogan’s stiff expression, he’d caught my little chat with the guard.
“Mr. Zade.”
Not wanting to be blacklisted by Rainbow Capital’s security detail, | forced a smile and cut in, “Mr. Zade, you're finally back. I've been waiting for ages.”
Maybe it was the booze talking, but my voice came out softer than usual, sounding a tad ingratiating and eager to please. Hogan seemed to sniff that out, his frown deepening by a degree, his tone unfriendly, “You’ve been drinking?”
He didn’t shoo me away though. | nodded, pinched myself, and thickened my skin to ask, “I’m a bit dizzy; could | trouble Mr. Zade for a cup of tea?”
At this, the man’s eyes flickered with scorn, and after a snort, he strode towards the elevator, not sparing me an extra line.
In a heartbeat, | felt like | was dropped into an ice bath, my heart sinking. Clever as Hogan was, he could see right through my little ploy.
But | was no Cecilia, not worthy of even a shred of his pity. It had been true then, and it was true now.
Just as | was about to leave, Zachary’s voice unexpectedly reached my ears, “Xaviera, don’t just stand there; the elevator’s almost here.”