Seventeen

Book:Rich Love Published:2024-6-2

Eduard Payne loved marbles, his whole mansion was made of it. White pillars propped up the entire structure, and the painted ceiling gave the place an ancient greek nuance. He also liked gold, all of the door handles were plated in gold. Not Gabriel’s taste, he was more of a wood kind of person.
Gabriel sat in Eduard’s private office, he insisted on holding the meeting at Eduard’s home so he was willing to wait for him to get home. It didn’t take long until he arrived. To be asked for a one on one meeting with Gabriel Love was a rare occasion on one would miss.
“Gabriel? What brings you out of your cave?” Eduard jokes.
They shook hands, Eduard offered him a drink and closed the door.
“Thank you for meeting me on such short notice, I hope I wasn’t dragging you out from an important affair,” he was being polite.
“Oh not at all … I was at The Q actually, didn’t expect you to choose my home for a meeting … what can I help you with?”
They’re not friends, nor they knew each other on a personal level. They only knew each other by reputation, and among the elite 10, it was enough to treat each other as if they were friends.
Gabriel sat back on the armchair, made himself at home with a glass of Cognac and rested one leg over the other. “Eduard, … actually … I have recently become acquainted with your wife.” He looked at Eduard’s face to catch his reaction.
“My wife?” he was obviously taken aback by the question.
“Yes, Jamie Knox … she is your wife, is she not?”
Eduard’s face turned serious, “What had she done now? Look … Gabriel … whatever trouble she’s causing you, I had nothing to do with it, she walked out on me years ago.”
Gabriel tilted his head to one side, “Really? How is that you’re still married?”
Eduard shrugged, “We just didn’t want to go through the hassle, you know? She left me four years ago and we haven’t had any contact since, I promise you, whatever trouble she got you into, I have absolutely nothing to do with it,” he made sure it was clear.
“Funny … you sound like you’re avoiding her like a plague, yet, I know for a fact that you’re still doing business and buying assets under her name?” he asked calmly.
Eduard scoffed, “You know how it is? It’s business, I try my best to pay the taxes but sometimes it’s just too much of a burden for the companies, having a prenup is good for the business, and good for a safety net … you know?” he let out an obnoxious laugh.
Gabriel’s eyebrows creased, “No, actually, I don’t know how it is … I always pay my taxes … and I’ve never been married … so, you’re telling me you forged your wife’s signature all these times? ‘Cause I have the impression that your wife doesn’t know anything about it, she thinks you’ve divorced her.”
Eduard leaned forward to his desk, “What is this about exactly, Gabriel? Has she done something to your company? Are you getting lawsuits like what happened to her family?”
Gabriel curved a smile, “She is a bit of a trouble maker, isn’t she?”
“Hah … you don’t know half of it, women … I don’t understand them, you know? We gave them everything they needed and more, still it’s not enough, always try to find something to be fixed, something to complain about, I mean … who leaves a very comfortable security blanket to be a hippie? I’m glad that didn’t work out, though, there’s so many to play with … so much younger, you know what I mean?” it’s that obnoxious laugh again.
Gabriel studied his face, he gulped his drink, “She sounds like a very difficult wife for you.”
Eduard rubbed his face, “Difficult is an understatement, she’s one of us, you know?” he pointed to Gabriel and himself. “But she acts like she didn’t belong here, she hated the privileges, she hated my friends, it’s weird … I mean, do you know what those girls would do to be in her place? Of course you know … you’re single, the things they’d do for you for a piece of jewelry or one of those Birkin bags,” he shook his head, his eyes wandered away as if he was reliving a good place in his memory.
Gabriel took a deep breath and smiled, “It seemed like you’re having a better time without your wife?”
Eduard sat back and drank his whiskey, “Oh absolutely … marriage is in the past, Gabriel, I don’t wish it upon my worst enemy, … wives … they nag you for everything and point out all your flaws, all your shortcomings … but these young girls, they praise you, they made you their King, just as we deserve.”
“Maybe you just married the wrong woman, Eduard, you should be marrying one of those 17 year olds who would do anything for a piece of jewelry, make you her King,” he grinned. “But then again, that would be illegal,” he sipped on his cognac.
“Well … that brings me to the reason why I’m here, Eduard, I’m actually here to ask you a favor.”
He caught his attention, “What kind of favor?”
“I’m asking you to follow through with your divorce from Jamie Knox, it’s been four years overdue, don’t you think?”
Eduard paused for a moment, stared into Gabriel’s eyes and burst out laughing. “Why would I wanna do that?”
Gabriel shrugged, “Well … for a piece of mind, for one, you sounded like you hated to be married, and the other reason would be because you wouldn’t want people to know what you’ve been doing with 17 year old high school girls … even 15 year olds … and since you conveniently did it at my hotels, I have them all on tape,” he winked at him.
Eduard’s jaw dropped, “Are you blackmailing me?”
“Of course not, Eduard, I’m simply asking you for a favor, in return for another favor, let’s just say … your secret will be safe with me,” Gabriel stood up and helped himself with his drink.
Eduard sat shell shocked on his chair, “What’s in it for you?”
“Nothing, I’m just doing everyone a favor here, I’m keeping your secret safe with me and your wife will get her freedom, I can’t imagine what shame she must bear to be married to someone who enjoyed the company of little girls in bed … who are young enough to be your daughters,” he explained in a cool tone.
“She’s blackmailing you too, isn’t she? She has something on you and she’s putting you up for this?”
“Eduard, nobody is blackmailing anybody, it’s just a simple favor, a gentleman’s agreement shall we call it? Now … you need to be in touch with your lawyers to remove your wife’s name from all your businesses and assets and file the divorce papers as you should’ve done years ago … my lawyers will be in touch with yours to follow up on this, you have one month … I’m being generous here, any property or contract you have ongoing under her name will be eligible for liquidation once the divorce is final, and I have them all listed, one month … or I can’t promise you those tapes will not make their way out to the world … say … the giant screen on the main avenue?”
“You fucking bastard! Do you know how much money I have to spend to do all that?”
“More than a few jewelries and Birkin bags, I assume? But that’s not my problem, Eduard, I suggest you do it fast, you have one month, and please … if you’re ever going to take another underaged girl to bed, don’t do it in any of my hotels … I have to watch these tapes and it’s disgusting,” he tilted his head back to finish his drink.
He put the empty glass on the table, “Thanks for the drinks, we’ll be in touch.”
He didn’t wait for a response and he walked out of that room and showed himself out of the marble mansion. A house that was once home for Jamie but not a trace of her left anywhere in that building.