Adrian threw his head back and laughed, a loud, harsh sound that echoed in the sleek lobby. "You fool! You're out of prison but it's mentality Is still with you. Let me remind you that this isn't prison, Talking nonsense here has consequences."
Elena nodded in agreement, her lips curled in a sneer. "I didn't know that squatting in a cell for two years could make a person so delusional and shameless. You irritate me."
The secretary, a woman named Ms. Higgins, frowned deeply. She looked at Leo, his simple clothes a stark contrast to the expensive suits around him. "And what proof do you have of this invitation?" she asked, her voice dripping with doubt. "I mean, look at you and...
"I have a gift from her father," Leo stated, calmly cutting her off. He began to reach into his pocket.
But before his fingers could touch the black card, Elena's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist, her nails digging into his skin. "Stop your crazy lies! Stop this nonsense this minute!" she hissed. "This is not a place for ex-cons like you to cause trouble." She turned to the secretary, her expression stern and commanding. "He's clearly disturbed. Have security throw him out immediately. He doesn't belong here. If your boss finds out you let a crazy man from prison into her building, she might fire you."
Ms. Higgins looked from Elena's confident, angry face to Leo's calm one. The decision seemed obvious. The well-dressed CEO and the heir to the Wright family had to be the important guests. This other man was just, well... a nuisance.
"You heard the lady," Ms. Higgins said to a pair of security guards who had been watching the interaction. She gestured at Leo. "Please escort this gentleman out." She then turned back to Adrian and Elena, her demeanor instantly shifting to one of deep respect. "My sincerest apologies for the disturbance. Please, right this way to the VIP room."
She led the smug couple away, leaving the guards to roughly usher a silent Leo toward the main doors.
Just as Ms. Higgins was closing the door to the VIP room, leaving Adrian and Elena inside, her personal phone vibrated urgently. It was a direct line from the CEO's office. She answered quickly.
"Ms. Higgins!" Chloe Briggs's voice was like ice on the other end. "Why, on my surveillance monitor, do I see you failing to bring my honored guest to the VIP room? And why have you let two irrelevant people inside instead?"
Ms. Higgins was completely confused. "I-I'm sorry, Ms. Briggs? Irrelevant? I don't...Aren't Mr. Adrian Wright and Ms. Elena Vance the honored guests you mentioned?"
"Adrian Wright?" Chloe's tone became dangerously stern. "Do you still want this job?"
"Yes ma'am...yea...i...
"You've worked with me for a reasonable amount of time. When did a playboy heir of his mediocre caliber become my honored guest? Use your head, secretary!"
Feeling wronged and panicked, Ms. Higgins stammered, "But ma'am, there was no one else downstairs besides them and... and the man we removed."
"Think carefully!" Chloe snapped. "My important guest is handsome and tall. He has sharp facial features, a strong jawline... and he was just released from prison today!"
The description hit Ms. Higgins like a physical blow. Her blood ran cold. Handsome. Tall. Sharp features. Just released from prison.
It was a perfect description of the man she had just ordered security to throw out. What the hell had she done!
Terror seized her. Her hands began to tremble so violently she nearly dropped the phone. "I-I understand! Right away, Ms. Briggs!"
She hung up and sprinted back through the lobby, her heart pounding in her chest. "Dear Lord ! What a horrible mistake I've made!" She muttered under her breath.
She saw the two security guards still shoving Leo toward the exit, telling him to "get lost."
"Stop!" she screamed, her voice shrill with panic. She skidded to a halt in front of Leo, her face pale. Without a second thought, she dropped to her knees on the cold marble floor, bowing her head.
"Sir! Please, forgive me! I made a terrible mistake! A huge error in judgment! Please, accept my most humble apologies!" she begged, her voice shaking. "He mercy on me sir."
Leo glanced down at the kneeling woman. He felt no anger, only a cold sense of how quickly things could change with a little power. He had seen enough groveling in prison to last a lifetime.
"Adults don't hold grudges against petty people," he said, his voice flat. "Get up. Take me to your boss."
Ms. Higgins scrambled to her feet, relief washing over her. "Yes, sir! Right away, sir! Please, follow me!"
She led him past the stunned security guards, directly to a private elevator that went straight to the top floor. She didn't dare say another word. She was just so thankful he didn't take offense and hoped her boss would do the same.
The elevator doors opened into a breathtaking office with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking all of Boston. Chloe Briggs was standing behind her massive desk. The moment she saw Leo, she immediately stepped forward and offered a deep, respectful bow.
"Mr. Vance," she said, her voice filled with genuine remorse. "I am so deeply sorry for the poor hospitality and the mistreatment you suffered in my lobby. It is completely unacceptable." She then glared at her secretary. "You are dismissed. We will discuss your future here later." Ms. Higgins quickly fled, closing the door behind her.
Leo looked at Chloe. He was momentarily stunned. She wasn't what he'd thought she's be. She was young, but she carried herself with an excellent bearing, a mix of intelligence, pressure, and grace that was rare. And she was beautiful too. If there was any word weightier than beautiful, that's what he'd use to describe her.
"It's nothing," Leo said, dismissing the apology with a wave of his hand. He wasn't here for pleasantries. "Your father said you needed help. What is the problem?"