CHAPTER 101
ROBERT’S POV
~ “Who does he think he is?”
“We’re all CEOs, he’s no better or richer than us.”
“What makes him think he can just walk in and out of this boardroom like he owns the place after that cringe episode with that lady?”
“I bet he wooed her to his bed and fucked her and now, she had come to her senses, realizing what an arrogant jerk he is.”
“If he feels he’s way above our league and can’t sit down to listen to what the chairman has to say then he should have continued fucking his whore and not bothered coming.”
“Why is the side of his cheek red? He must have been slapped by his whore.” ~
“Not only is his agency sinking lower than the gutter in the rankings, but he’s also stooped so low as to resort to screwing desperate whores and dragging them into professional meetings like this.”
Their sniggering voices and prickly comments had me baring my teeth, hissing at them. I wanted to find whoever made the last comment and gouge his eyes from their sockets, but I maintained self-control. I don’t understand why they’ll be calling Lily a whore when they knew perfectly she was also a CEO like the rest of them.
Nonetheless, I paid no attention to their pathetic asses as I had better things to do like find the company Lily was heading and also find out if there was any chance it was operating in this city.
I turned my attention to Will who was staring at me with a puzzled expression on his face. I could see traces of anger in his expression too. Not only did I ignore him earlier when he had asked Lily and me to take our seats, but I also interrupted his presentation and caused a commotion in the boardroom. Knowing how arrogant these CEOs seated in front of me were, it was only a matter of time before they got impatient and threatened to leave. The last thing I want to disrupt the meeting had worked hard on.
Leaning forward, I whispered in his ear. “Will, please I need your help. It’s something urgent. I promise I won’t take more than two minutes of your time.”
I looked at him with a pleading expression. He gave me a hard look as if contemplating his answer before exhaling loudly and huffing like he had no choice.
“Fine…” He said, removing the microphone in his ear and keeping the tablet he was using for the presentation on the table.
He apologized to his audience before stepping out with me. They grumbled in disapproval and frustration, but that didn’t stop him.
Once outside, Will stared at me expectantly, urging me to be quick so he could get back inside. “What is it, Robert? What can I help you with?”
“That woman you saw me earlier with?…” I tried to remind him. “The one with the chestnut hair and cream gown…?”
“Yeah…” he nodded rapidly, showing he remembered as he crossed his arms around his chest. “She ran out earlier and you chased after her. What’s going on between you two?…” He asked, staring at me intently with his brows furrowed slightly.
“She’s my ex-wife,” I revealed and his mouth fell open, his brows pinched tightly as he stared at me in shock.
“I…I thought you were married to that skinny, beautiful one. What’s her name again?…” He trailed off, trying to recall, then snapped his fingers the moment it came to him. “Scarlett! When did you leave her for this one whom you divorced too?”
The marriage between me and Lily was based on a contract, and as a result, kept hidden from the public eye. Only a select few knew about it-my family and a handful of individuals very close to us. I’ve never been the type to share details of his personal life, so most people who knew about my marriage to Scarlett either attended the wedding or stumbled upon it online. They don’t even know she was dead and buried.
Quickly, I changed the topic as I had limited time to keep him here and wasn’t interested in talking about that sort of thing now.
“Is there any way for me to know the agency she’s heading?” I asked.
Since Will set up this conference meeting and sent out the invitations to the CEOs, he must have some sort of database management system where he stored and organized the names of the CEOs and important information about their agencies.
His expression shifted, brows furrowing as though he was thinking deeply about it. Taking out his phone, he made a few taps and scrolls before handing it over to me. “Here.”
On his phone screen was a zoomed-in image of a document with rows and columns showing Lily’s name which went by Lily Jones, not Lily Wilson as I had thought, and another name, Noah Hills. They were partners managing the same agency. On the side were details of their agency which included the location. As luck may have it, they were based here in LA with no branch in any other part of the country. I breathed out in relief to see this.
Quickly, I copied the agency address on my phone before giving Will his phone back. Overwhelmed with joy, I thanked him immensely and gave him a hug which caught him by surprise because I hadn’t done that sort of thing before. He deserved it and more because he was a lifesaver.
Rushing out of the building, I called for an Uber. I travelled from New York for this meeting, so I didn’t bring my chauffeur or any of my cars along. However, I was considering purchasing one or two and having my chauffeur brought over because I knew I’d stay longer than I expected, all because of Lily.
During the ride, I couldn’t stop thinking about who Noah Hills was. I knew most of the CEOs in that room but his name sounded so foreign to me. Who was he, and how did Lily manage to get into a partnership with him to own that agency which was currently in the number three spot in the ad agency rankings just two years after leaving prison? Not to mention the agency was not more than three years old.
It wasn’t a long ride. We got to the office of the agency some minutes after driving. I looked up at it, taking in its features. It was an impressive, modern glass building that stood out from the rest of the structures around it. The exterior was sleek, with reflective windows that shimmered in the sunlight, making it appear almost futuristic. Its name, AdSpire Creations, was boldly displayed at the top of the building in large, sleek letters that also reflected in the mid-day sun.
I knew Lily wouldn’t be here right now, which is the reason I decided to come. I needed to see where she worked, know more about the agency and Noah Hills, and find out every possible info I could to locate where she drove off to in that taxi. Her house? Or did she tell the driver anywhere just so she could get away from me? I didn’t mean to be nosy but I wanted to know everything about her because she has changed so much over the years I haven’t seen her. She was like a new book I couldn’t wait to delve into. A world I couldn’t wait to explore.
When I saw her back in the boardroom, I couldn’t deny how breathtakingly beautiful she’d become. It was like she was a whole new person on another level altogether. I almost didn’t recognize her until I came close enough. She’d cut her long black hair short, just at neck length and dyed it a rich chestnut brown. Though I preferred her black hair, she also looked beautiful in her new look.
Taking a deep breath, I adjusted my suit and tie as if preparing for a job interview and walked into the building. However, a man who looked to be in his mid or late thirties, dressed in security uniform wouldn’t stop following closely behind and trying to stop me due to how I ignorantly entered.
“I’m sorry sir,” he said, settling in front to barricade me. “But I can’t allow you to go any further without showing me a reliable means of identification. It’s part of our safety protocol to make sure unauthorized individuals don’t gain entry to the building.”
I sighed exhaustively and rolled my eyes. I wondered just what it was I was going to do with him. I wasn’t with my ID or any means of identification. I left them in my hotel room. So I’ll have to be rid of him some other way. I dipped my hand in my pocket and took out a note. I brought it forward to hand it to him. Surely he’ll accept and let me pass because he seemed like the type of guy that’ll lick the sole of a shoe for money, just like Frank used to be.
He chewed on the inside of his lips and occasionally glanced at the money and back at me as if contemplating his response. Letting out a sigh like he had no choice, he reached out to take it but I retrieved my hand. A sinister smirk curved my lips as I scrutinized him from head to toe with a keen gaze. I realized something: he was going to come in handy. He’ll be my ears and eyes in this agency. There was no need to bother myself because, through him, I would find out everything I needed about Lily where she lived, when she arrived and left for work, about Noah Hills and his relationship with her. This security guard will do all that for me.
“How would you like to make way more than your boss pays you here?” I said temptingly.
His eyes widened with greed. I could already see dollar signs flashing in them.