Chapter Six
As we stepped out of the car in the driveway, the magnificence of the hotel unfolded before me. It was a seven-star Oasis of Luxury. Sure, I have been to a few hotels in my life, never have I ever been to a sleek, modern facade gleaming with gold accents and crystal glass.
As we stepped into the lobby, I felt as though I'd entered a realm of heaven. The ceilings just above us were adorned with glittering chandeliers.
"Wow! The Waters' sure spared no expense in this hotel." I said admiringly.
"I'm glad someone appreciates beauty. Beauty knows beauty." He commented.
The elevator whisked us away to the 20th floor, where a warm smile from Dayne's personal butler greeted us. He ushered me into my lavish suite, where floor-to-ceiling windows framed breathtaking views of the city skyline.
"Good evening, Miss Stalling." A young lady in a professional suit greeted me.
"I will be your concierge this evening. Please, do not hesitate to ring me up if you need anything." She was very polite with an intoxicating smile that could make anyone's heart melt for her. For all I know, Dayne may be sampling her from time to time.
"I will call you tomorrow by 5am." Dayne said as he was escorted by his butler to another room on the floor. I turned to the lady and she took me to the room that I'll be staying in.
"Wow!" I uttered before I could stop myself.
Soft, golden light spilled across the room, illuminating the plush, creamed carpets and the sumptuous, emerald-green bedding. Every detail, from the delicate, hand-painted porcelain to the exquisite, crystal wine glasses, whispered luxury and refinement. It felt like heaven.
The nice lady handed me a keycard and reminded me to ring her up whenever I needed her.
After admiring the place for over thirty minutes, I decided that I have seen enough.
I tuned on my phone and put a call through to Joseph. I had already masked my location with a VPN showing that I was in Singapore. I needed to get my story straight with him.
"Hello, Joseph." I tried to not sound too interested, but also sound as though I needed him.
"Hello, my love." I was disgusted by the use of his words.
"I need to tell you something." I was frantic.
"Your phone was stolen at the airport. I know."
"Really? How did you know?" I pretended to be surprised.
"I missed your calls so I called back and some ruffian answered asking me to bring five hundred dollars for your phone. I knew it was a waste of time anyway. You'd get another phone as soon as you landed in Singapore. I'm so sorry for that incident. I hope he did not hurt you?" Joseph Stone acting like he cares.
"It was a snatch and grab, he did not have time to hurt me. I sent airport security after him, but I could not wait to get feedback from them because the plane was already ready for takeoff. But I'm okay, let's just forget about the phone. There's something more important than the phone that I need your help with." I made sure that my breathing was regular. Who knows whether Joseph is a master lie detector? I must not make it easy for him.
"Sure! I thought about why you called me several times. What do you need me to do?" He asked, so innocently. Forget the master lie detector, he's only a master liar. If I did not catch him on top of my sister, I would never have believed.
"I know you said that you'd join us for the conference on Friday, but I need you to book for the next flight tomorrow." I said, with all alacrity.
"Oookaaay… May I ask why?" Gosh, he's good. Sooo good.
"Silly me! I forgot the partnership documents in my room. So, I'll need you to go to my house. You still have my spare key, right?" I paused.
"Sure, I think so. Let me check my drawers." I chuckled silently as he made me wait for over a minute before he answered.
"Got it! For a while, I thought I had lost them. Thank your stars that luck is in our favour, babe." He laughed. Yup! I'm sure that he can kill if given the chance.
"Good. Please I need you to take the earliest flight tomorrow morning and meet me at Saint Boulevard suite. We will all be submitting the contract and partnership document by four pm. I really need you." I made sure I sounded very desperate at that point.
"Don't worry, babe. I will make sure that we get this deal. We'll rule this empire together. And maybe, just maybe, you can thank me later on your bed with your soft and smooth…" he was sounding very seductive and I knew I had to put a stop to this, so I laughed.
"Thank you, Joseph. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I'll be expecting you as soon as possible. Goodnight." I cut the call like I should have. I needed to give him no room for suspicion.
I was very livid! How could I have let such a crazy person into my own space? Even though I did not fall in love with him, he still managed to deceive me. Just like Dayne did.
I flipped open my laptop and connected my phone to it to access the videos that I had gotten from the house. I replayed the recording to ensure that I was not dreaming at all. Joseph and Helen, who I'm sure is in agreement with my family to rob me of my inheritance before I can touch it. I shut the system almost as soon as I had opened it. This must be some sort of twisted game. I know that at this point, there's no one in my family that I could trust at all. Not with my money, or with my life.
But can I trust Dayne? Dayne Waters, the gentle and smooth talking tall, dark and handsome young man that I fell in love with deeply. Even though he hurt me in ways others hadn't dreamt of, he still respected me and steered clear off of my sister. After the incident, he did not pursue after Helen. That was the reason why I could still reach out to him after all these years.
He always said that he did not know why I broke up with him and he deserved to know why. But I was too hurt to recount what I saw in David's house party that night. It was too painful to recall and he must have figured out that I knew his deceit after all these years.
But what if he hasn't really figured it out? What if what I saw there was a misunderstanding? Don't I owe it to him to explain himself to me too?
I stood up from the bed, with my heart racing, I put on my slippers and rushed to the door. I will look for his room and tell him what I saw and maybe, there's a reasonable explanation to all that happened over ten years ago.
I unlocked the door and when I opened the door, I nearly swallowed my heart. He was there, standing at my door. He was not wearing his designer suits or his Gucci shoes. He was wearing his joggers and sleeveless hoodie like someone going for a run.
I was panting heavily, I couldn't tell why my heart was beating so fast.
"Hi." That was all I could say.
"You couldn't sleep too?" He asked.
He did not wait for me to answer before he grabbed me and kissed me ferociously without waiting for my permission. It felt like a gust of fresh air mixed with passion. I was surprised; shocked, but elated. He pushed the door behind him, while still sucking my face. This night is going to be a long one.