Page 14 of Mr. Billionaire's Second Chance

Chapter Four

Preston

“I believe Ms. Hollis is closing in on something, Preston. This place has been in an uproar ever since word got out. I heard one of your interns discussing something about Katherine looking into the 2019 accounts. We have to talk about what’s going to happen if she digs up something that could ruin us,” said William.

“The year father passed. I was a mess that year, William. I didn’t look over every document and spearhead every account like I do now. Even you had your hands full. Is it possible that something could have slipped through the cracks?” I asked. I felt my heart thumping loudly in my chest, this would all go away. If only I could be so lucky.

“I can’t say for sure, Preston. We need to get ahead of Ms. Hollis’s investigation before we find ourselves being hauled out of here in handcuffs for something we may not even have had a hand in. We pulled Kingsman Enterprises out of the gutter the year your father died, and a lot of that time is a blur. I’ll see what I can find out. In the meantime, I think it’s time you keep Katherine preoccupied,” he said, and I nodded.

“I can do that.”

“Good. We have no idea what we’re walking into here, but we can keep it from getting worse if we just figure out what she may know.”

I sighed, watching William make his way out of my office, and I sat at my desk, trying to find a way out of this mess. This was exactly the kind of thing that made me want to give up running the company in the first place. I’d spent so much of my life dealing with my father calling me weak, belittling me every chance he got, and I promised myself I’d never become him. If it wasn’t for William, who knows how things would turn out. He is family, he would never betray me. I know I can trust him and I need to do this for him.

I pulled out my cell phone, dialing a number I hadn’t called in ages, waiting patiently as it rang.

“Hello?”

“I need to see you. Meet me outside the Astoria in an hour. We need to talk.”

“I’ll be there,” said the voice on the other end of the line.

The overcast skies left the city feeling dark and gloomy as I took the limousine down to the Astoria, patiently waiting for Richard to show his face. I ran through a few emails on my phone, hoping that no one was going to spot me through the tinted windows because I couldn’t deal with another reporter begging for a comment on the story of the century.

The door to the passenger side opened up and in slid Richard with his dirty blonde hair and overgrown beard. I could practically smell the cigarette smoke on him, as he waited attentively for his assignment.

“What do you need, Mr. Clarke?”

“I need you to keep an eye on Katherine Hollis. She’s the auditor sent by Eland and Ballard. I need to figure out who her client is and what kind of vendetta they have against me. You probably heard about all the shit that’s been going down and how all my secrets are making front-page news, so I’d like you to remain discreet. Do you think you can do that?”

“Of course. Is there anything specific that I should know?”

“She’s been looking into the 2019 accounts. I need to know which one and exactly what she thinks she’s found. If anything else suspicious comes up, you let me know, okay?”

“Yes, Mr. Clarke. I’ll contact you when I know something.”

“Thank you, Richard.”

I watched as he took off down the sidewalk, disappearing around the corner and I sat there in the backseat in desperate need of a pick-me-up. I pulled out my cell phone, texting Chris to meet me at the nearest bar because I was in damn need of a drink or two. Manhattan was blanketed in darkness, and there was a cool crispness to the air when I stepped out onto the sidewalk. I headed inside the quaint little place, taking one look around to see that no one recognized me. Let’s hope it stays that way.

“You beat me to it,” I said, spotting Chris over by the bar.

“I was around the corner checking out a new property I’m thinking about purchasing. Good to see you again, Preston. I’m surprised you even called. We didn’t exactly leave things on the best note.”

“You may be a pain in my ass, but I can’t think of anyone better to get a drink with right about now. You’re buying,” I told him, and he laughed.

He ordered us two glasses of scotch, and I relished in how it felt trickling down my throat, taking the edge off for a little while. We chatted, keeping the conversation off of the drama for the night and got back to sharing old stories like we were right back at Yale. Halfway through my second glass, I spotted a beautiful blonde woman sitting alone at the bar, and Chris nudged me.

“The hell are you waiting for? She’s eyeing you. You might as well buy the woman a drink,” he said.

I nodded, heading over to her, waving down the bartender to get her whatever she wanted. I tried to listen to her talk about what she was doing there, taking in how her beautiful legs glistened in the warm lighting, but the entire time, there was only one woman taking up space inside my mind. So much for a distraction.

“You’re one interesting man, Preston. What do you do?” she asked, and my eyes widened. It felt nice not to have to explain myself to another woman, and if it were any other time in my life I would’ve jumped on the opportunity to take her home with me, but I couldn’t shake how much I’d been thinking about Katherine. You’re going to drive me crazy, Hollis. I can’t allow that to happen.

“You’re not from around here, are you?”

“No, but I’m sure you can give me the tour. I’d love to see Manhattan through the eyes of a man like yourself,” she said. She ran her fingers along my arm, and I pulled away instantly. She furrowed her brows at me and I apologized before heading outside to get some air. What the hell is going on with me?

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