Page 54 of Billionaire Neighbor

We say our goodbyes, I take a quick shower, and grab my briefcase as I make my way out the door and down to my car. Amelia has been calling nonstop, demanding I come in and take care of some of the paperwork I’ve been blowing off for these past week. In truth, I think she just wants help battling the influx of phone calls coming in.

“Take me to the office, Ed,” I say.

He nods and closes the door once I’ve settled into the back seat.

I wait for him to get into the driver’s seat. “Last night, did you see any photographers hanging around the gallery?” I ask.

Ed glances up at me in the rearview mirror. “No, sir. I saw the picture first thing this morning and I hate that it happened, especially on my watch. While I’m no Nathan, I do try to look over your shoulder when we’re out, Mr. Jordan. If I would have seen anybody hanging around taking photos, you know I would have gotten rid of them for you.”

“I know,” I say, acknowledging his use of my formal name, a clear indication of the seriousness if I’d missed it in his tone.

I sigh and stare out the window for a few moments before my vibrating cell phone grabs my attention. The number isn’t saved, but the digits do look vaguely familiar.

“Hello?”

“Well, hello there,” says a seductive and inviting voice.

My jaw tenses immediately and the urge to throw my phone out the window causes my fingertips to tingle.

Magdalene.

“Hello, Magdalene. How can I help you?”

“It’s been a while,” she says. “I thought I would give you a call and see how things are going.”

I loosen my tie and shake my head. “Great. Everything is great.”

She must have seen the photo and put the pieces of the puzzle together, because there’s no way this is a coincidence.

“What have you been up to lately?” she asks.

“Not much,” I say. “Listen, I’m heading into my office and can’t really talk right now. I’m doing well, and I hope you are too. Take care.”

I end the call before she has the chance to utter another word.

Shit.

I’ve been lucky up to this point but I think that’s about to come to an end. I need to get my hands on a DNA sample from Jacob as soon as possible. The least I can do is ensure Jade he’s not my kid. That should at least give her a silver lining.

What if Magdalene says something to Jade before I do?

I reach for my phone and consider dialing Jade’s number. Even though I don’t have the paternity test, I can still explain what went down with Magdalene. But I really don’t want to come clean without the proof. I know the minute I mention our past, the timeframe will come off suspicious. Before Jade has a chance to suspect anything or jump to conclusions, I want to have all the answers available.

For now, I’ll have to bide my time until I get the information I need, or until Magdalene says something. How did I get mixed up in such a mess? The tabloids and gossips sites will have a field day if they find out about this faux love triangle.

We pull up in front of my building to a sea of reporters posted outside. I’m met with a firestorm of questions as soon as I open the car door.

“Who’s the mystery lady?”

“Is it serious?!”

“Are you officially off the market?”

“Mr. Jordan!”

I keep the expressionless look on my face as I wade through the reporters, microphones and cameras.

“Make sure you all do not cross this line!” I hear Ed yell behind me as I turn around to face the crowd. I point down at the clearly marked line indicating where my private property ends and where the public property begins.

I made sure a long time ago to clearly indicate how far the press can come onto my property and the second one of them crosses the line, they’ll be arrested for trespassing without question.

I stroll into the building without giving a statement about the picture or my relationship status.

They’re like vultures, so I know they’re going to keep hanging around, fighting for the tiniest morsel of information.

Amelia meets me at the elevator as soon as it opens to my floor. Her face is red and she’s fanning herself with a stack of papers.

“Thank goodness you made it!” she says, out of breath. “This stress is giving me hot flashes, and I’m in no mood for any of this nonsense today. Did you get rid of the swarm of reporters downstairs?”

“No,” I answer absentmindedly, walking into my office as I struggle to focus my mind on business. “I did show them the line though.”

Amelia shakes her head while rolling her eyes. “You and that damn line. You do realize that just keeps them off your property, but doesn’t make them go away, right? I can’t even make it out the building for lunch without them surrounding me with questions.”

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