Page 11

Leonard

“ W hat the fuck do you want?”

I didn’t expect to come across this rude guy who thinks he’s entitled to insult me when I mustered the courage to go out tonight and potentially be humiliated. His conceited scowl looks straight out of the worst reality show. If he intended to intimidate me, he’s failing miserably.

I take my time to study him. He’s half my age, good looking and probably attractive for the girls his age, but I don’t even know where to start to approach someone like him. Even picking a fight over his rude behavior is embarrassingly easy. I have a hard time trying to hide a smile.

“Are you dumb? I asked what the fuck do you want,” he repeats when I try to peek over his shoulder and spot a bunch of guys playing video games. Am I even in the right place?

“I’m looking for Roxanne,” I say, bringing my gaze back to the rude boy.

“Well, she sure as fuck isn’t looking for you,” he spits.

I tilt my head, contemplating whether I would get into trouble if I physically remove him from the doorway. It probably isn’t worth the trouble. How can Roxanne live in a place like this?

“Are you going to call her, or do you want me to shout until one of your neighbors calls the cops?” My mouth kicks up in a smug smile.

The guy snorts. “Like anyone would do that. This isn’t your bougie neighborhood. Here, people shout all the time.”

“Should we try?”

He crosses his arms over his chest, challenging me.

“Fire! Please help! There’s a fire,” I shout loud enough for someone to hear me.

His pales. “Shut the fuck up, you idiot!” he whisper-shouts.

“So, are you going to call her?”

“What do you want from her? To end up in another magazine?”

So, this is his problem. He’s trying to defend Roxanne from the big bad guy who gets her in trouble. I didn’t know she was upset about that. She didn’t say anything about it, though she could have reached out through her sister.

“I don’t have to explain anything to you, but I’m feeling generous tonight. I don’t plan to get her in trouble, no,” I reply.

He scoffs again. What’s wrong with this guy? “Your name and the word generous in the same sentence is not even believable.”

Jesus, he’s annoying. “Should I start shouting again?” I smirk at him, just to be irritating too.

He doesn’t have time to reply because a mop of curly black hair peeks out behind his back. A stunning girl with flawless brown skin and two huge, sweet hazel eyes widen even more when she sees me.

“Are you looking for Roxanne?” she asks and rolls her eyes at the guy’s scowl.

“Yes, can you get her for me? I don’t want to come in and disrupt your evening.” I pull a charming smile to mess with the boy.

She lowers her gaze shyly, and the guy is utterly disgusted by the scene. Good.

“Like we would let you in at almost midnight,” he murmurs, and the girl punches him in the ribs before scurrying in.

It takes two long minutes where the blond guards the door like I’m the villain, and finally Roxanne strolls to the door. She has a bewildered look, and I can’t blame her. I would be surprised, too, if she showed up at my door at midnight.

“I need to talk to you,” I say when she comes out the door, leaving it open for everyone to see.

A couple of kids turn around and do a double-take, noticing me standing here like an idiot. I hadn’t thought about not having privacy when I came begging.

“About what?” she barks, now more annoyed than surprised.

I glance at the guy, and his smirk has a “told you so” vibe. I never thought I’d be so bothered by the mere presence of a kid half my age.

“Can we go somewhere more private?” I beg, returning my eyes to hers.

She scoffs. “I’m not inviting you into my bedroom.”

“I told him so, but he wouldn’t listen,” the irritating boy chips in.

“No, you didn’t, and this is a private conversation. You can return to your games.” I have no qualms about calling out his bullshit.

He grinds his teeth, and his grin sours like I’ve touched a sore spot. My smirk reappears on my face.

“Sweet Jesus, can you stop this dick-measuring contest?” Roxanne murmurs under her breath. She grabs my hand and guides me far from the front door.

“I’ll be right back,” she says over her shoulder to the fuming blond.

When we are far from the door, I take charge and guide her to my limo. She stops dead in her tracks when she sees it.

“Can we just talk here?” She is pissed now.

“It’s a confidential matter. I don’t talk about work in the middle of the street,” I point out, and this gets her attention.

“What is this all about?” She crosses her arms over her chest and waits for my answer. She is a stubborn little thing.

I sigh. “I need your help.”

There, I said it out loud, and I didn’t choke on my words. This is significant progress.

She raises an eyebrow, interested in the turn the conversation took. She enters the limousine without further complaints.

“Only you would come to Venice Beach in a limo.” She shakes her head. Her tone is amused, but she tries to hide it.

“Would you rather I came in my helicopter or one of my luxury cars?” I challenge her. I know she despises my money, and I take pleasure in poking her with that.

“You’re such a show-off,” she mutters.

“Maybe, but here you are.”

After our exchange she keeps silent until we enter the downtown area.

“Where are we going?”

“My office.”

“Why?”

“Because you have to sign a nondisclosure agreement”

“You have got to be kidding me,” she whispers but doesn’t add anything else.

I brace myself for a confrontation, but to my surprise, she seems intrigued by what I’m about to ask. Although she tries to appear uninterested, I can sense that she’s up for a challenge. I believe my job would be an excellent opportunity to test her abilities.

We park in the garage below the building and ride the private elevator up to the top of the building. I don’t miss how she rolls her eyes when I swipe the keycard on the reader and the doors open before us. I have a hard time hiding a smile.

When the elevator opens with a ping, we walk silently to my office.

The same keycard opens it. She steps inside and takes in the art on the wall.

I let her gawk over the expensive couch and signature desk that cost more than a car.

She notices the two-hundred-dollar pen on my desk, next to the monogrammed paper laying on a leather folder.

She says nothing but she can’t hide the fact that she is impressed.

I don’t know if she expected tacky golden furniture or sculptures of myself, but I’m not that kind of billionaire. I pride myself on collecting tasteful objects.

“Have a seat.” The words come out of my mouth bossier than I intended. She looks at me with a raised eyebrow that reveals all her contempt for my tone.

I gesture to the chair in front of my desk without apologizing for my behavior and she reluctantly sits down. I’m not the kind of person who tiptoes around her.

“So, why am I here?” She finally gives in to her curiosity.

I reach for a nondisclosure agreement contract in the desk drawer and give it to her along with my expensive pen. She rolls her eyes and doesn’t even read the contract before signing it.

As soon as she gives it back to me, I explain. “Someone’s stealing from my company.”

She stares at me for a long moment before she frowns. “You’re going to need to be more specific. I’m not a mind reader here.”

I take a deep breath and exhale slowly. “One thousand four hundred seventy-six dollars disappeared from this company without a trace.”

She scoffs. “You’re wasting my time for that ridiculous amount? You’re a billionaire!”

“The keywords here are without a trace,” I point out calmly, studying her reaction.

Her frown deepens. “What do you mean? That’s not possible.”

Now I have her full attention. I know her insatiable brain wants to know more. This is how genius works, and she is undoubtedly a genius. She may have pink hair and a sharp tongue, but you don’t get that kind of reputation in this industry by having a pretty face.

“I thought so too, but apparently nobody can track where that money went; we just know that it got out,” I say, and I’m surprised when she starts to chuckle.

“Come on! You can’t be serious. I’m sure you’ll find a solution if you take some time to look into it. Aren’t you the genius behind this empire?”

She thinks I didn’t look into it. “I’ve lost sleep over this for the past month. I have exhausted all my resources.”

She sobers up pretty quickly. “You mean you personally looked for that money?”

I nod.

“And you came up with nothing in one month? I don’t believe it,” she scoffs.

“Well, this is why I’m asking for your help. Your sister told me you’re a computer whiz, a true genius.” My lips curve up in a hopeful smile.

I don’t want to give her the satisfaction of telling her I looked her up and spent the last week debating whether I should risk the humiliation of rejection. She is smart enough to understand how desperate I am and how much I need her help.

“What if I say no?” she challenges me.

“I’ll strongly ask you to reconsider,” I say without hesitation.

I would do anything to discover who stole from me and how they did it. At this point, it’s a personal matter, and I won’t stop until I have all my answers.

“Start begging because I’m not doing it.” She says this like she’s already made her decision, and there’s nothing I can do to change her mind.

I knew it wouldn’t be easy to convince her, but I hoped there would be room for negotiation. Asking me to beg sounds more like a way to humiliate me than playing hard to get.

“I’ll give you fifty thousand dollars now and another hundred thousand when you finish the job.” I lay out my first proposal.

Her eyes widen when she hears the amount I suggest, but she recovers quickly, hiding behind a smug mask.

That smirk is so irritating I almost kick her out of the office.

But she knows it’s a lot of money; she probably needs it, considering where she lives.

All is not lost, and I can feel the hope rising timidly in my chest.

“I don’t work for money or I’d be rich by now. Plenty of billionaires have offered me money to do their dirty jobs, and I’ve never accepted. Why should I help you?”

I tilt my head and look her straight in the eye. “Because I’m not asking you to do something illegal. If this news gets out, this company will crumble like a sand castle, leaving millions of people without the protection of our systems.” And my heart will break, but I can’t tell her that.

She snorts. “That’s hardly a problem. There are plenty of companies that can do your job.”

“How much time do they need? And are they equipped to handle massive clients like the government, or the privacy of patients at the biggest hospitals in this country? Because what we do for them is tailored to their needs, it takes months to switch from one system to another made exclusively for them,” I point out and see doubt darkening her eyes.

“You can’t go down that fast. You’ll have time to support the transition.”

“Are you sure about that?”

She doesn’t answer, and this is enough for me to go a step further. I pick up a second contract and push it across the table at her.

“What’s this?” She picks it up and scrolls through the pages.

“If you assist me in uncovering the whereabouts of the funds, I am prepared to provide you with the financial backing and resources necessary to establish your own business. I’ll guide you in navigating the legal boundaries of your actions, but how you help others will be entirely up to you.

I won’t interfere in any of your decisions unless you want my advice. ”

She gapes at my proposal. For the first time since I’ve known her, I’ve surprised her in a positive way. I don’t know how to feel about that. Am I so terrifying that people expect the worst from me?

“Why are you doing this?” She frowns.

Does she want me to spell it out? “Isn’t it obvious? I’m desperate to save my company, and you’re the only person who can help me do it.”

She shakes her head. “I mean, why are you doing this?” She waves the contract in her hand. “Why a company? You could have covered me in money.”

I inhale deeply. I didn’t want to expose myself so much, but this conversation is turning more truthful than I anticipated, and I can’t lose her trust now.

“Because I did my homework. Like you said, you could be rich. You have skills that go way beyond common knowledge, but instead of using them for profit, you still live in a shitty apartment with those kids.” I can see the shame cross her eyes when I mention it.

“If you wanted an easy way out, you could have had it years ago, but you want to help people. I’m offering you the opportunity to do it like never before. ”

A long silence follows my speech as she studies me.

She is interested in my proposal. I know I went in the right direction because I learned a long time ago to read people.

The only doubt comes from her hatred toward me.

I don’t know how deep it is, and I can’t foresee if she will throw the opportunity away because she doesn’t want anything to do with me. That is a real possibility.

“And you won’t have a say in it?” she finally asks.

“No. Not even a share of the company. I’ll give you the money, and that’s it. No need to give it back,” I assure her.

“You’re really desperate, aren’t you?” She sighs.

There is no need to answer her question; it’s more than clear that I wouldn’t have asked for her help if I had another way to solve it.

“Fine. Give me that fancy pen.” She finally accepts, and I feel a burden lifting from my chest.

“You can take your time reading the contract,” I point out.

She arches a brow, pinning me to the chair with her stern gaze. “Are you trying to screw me over?”

“Have you heard a single word of what I’ve said?”

“So, there’s no need to read the contract.” She smiles smugly, lowering her gaze over the paper and signing it.

I watch the pen rolling over the paper in a smooth motion, and I wonder how we will manage not to rip each other apart while working together.