Page 15 of The Next Door Billionaire's Deception

Anonymity has never been more thrilling.

“I don't see the man of the moment. He’s a no-show today as well, huh? I thought you’d be able to bring him this time, Melissa.”

“I tried my best to invite him, Mr. President. He eludes even me.”

“Who are we talking about?” I ask with the intent of worming my way into the conversation.

“It’s the CEO of Vibrant Corporation. I extended an invite, but I didn’t get a reply.”

Her eyes are on me as she says this. The implication in her tone is evident, but why would I go out of my way to validate it? For all I know, I may just be reading meaning into her words.

“Humility is needed in business. I don’t think he’ll make it very far,” one of the men around us says.

I fight the urge to roll my eyes. Which one among them is the poster child for humility? Hypocritical judgments and gossip are the reasons I avoid gatherings like these. The only reason I’m here is to look for evidence.

“It was really an enjoyable time with you, gentlemen. I wish I could stay longer, but I must greet my other guests. I’ll be back to say goodbye.”

Excusing herself, she walks off with her arm still hooked around mine.

“Lovely people, aren’t they?”

“Hmm. I need another glass of wine.”

“Wine’s aged. Don’t drink too much.”

I chuckle. “I know aged wine, Melissa. Retired hockey stars take wine too.”

“I know nothing about hockey stars.”

“Then how did you know about me?”

She hesitates. “I think there are more things to learn about you than what one can see.”

“I appreciate your comments, but don’t make me look more interesting than I actually am. I’m just a person who wants a peaceful life.”

She doesn’t look like she believes me or is going to leave me any time soon. I don’t know if she’s doing it on purpose, but if she keeps sticking to me, I won’t get the chance to get what I came here for.

“Lissa! Over here!” Someone calls out to her. She smiles at her friend and turns back to me.

“I have to go. Don’t get lost, Richard.”

“I’ll try not to. No promises, though.”

Even though it looks different, the basic layouts of our apartments are the same. If I search properly, then I’ll be able to find the master bedroom. I might not find much, but any lead will do wonders for the investigation.

I drop the wine glass on the tray of the server walking past me and grab another one. With the house full of guests, she’ll be hard-pressed to find me easily.

Past the living room, there’s a corridor littered with paintings hung on an ivory-painted wall. Two chandeliers cast warm lights on the paintings. The consideration she put into the décor of her home is a lot more intense than I expected. After stumbling around in the array of rooms, I reach the end of the corridor and finally locate the master bedroom.

As expected, the door is locked. I fumble with the locks for a while, then a slow smile forms on my lips. Breaking into rooms isn’t exactly my expertise, but if one has been through a pandemic, they will find themselves with a lot more skills than they thought they would ever use in the real world. I only learned how to unlock doors for fun during quarantine. I never knew I would ever use it in such a situation.

Smirking, I get to work. Normally, it’s a skill that requires patience and concentration, but I have no one to watch my back.

Click!

The satisfying noise of the lock coming undone makes me grin widely. Taking slow, measured steps, I enter her bedroom. If the living room is the icing on the cake, then her bedroom is the entire cake. She transformed the simple bedroom into one fit for royalty.

A velvet canopy king-sized bed occupies the middle of the room, while a full-length glass window, covered with velvet curtains, is parted just a little to let the sun in. Two giant fluorescent gold chandeliers light up the room, highlighting the aesthetic luxury of her velvet curtains and canopy.

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