Page 5 of Billionaire Corruption

I had managed to completely block that episode from my mind.

Mostly, because I thought I was about to die. In those seconds when the lift had fallen, I had some very strange images flashing through my brain, ideas that I didn’t want to think about ever again. I had refused to think about that afternoon, and I hadn’t at all, not until now.

I couldn’t believe that the same woman was in the building now.

I had never kissed anyone like that before, without even knowing her name. I could only explain it as being part of the whole near-death experience thing. When I realized that I hadn’t died and that nothing I had thought would happen, had in fact happened, I was so relieved that I had simply kissed the girl in front of me. I recall her eyes, big and blue, young, and wise somehow, everything that my life could still be, and would be.

But then we were rescued, and she was taken away before I could even introduce myself.

It was a strange encounter and as soon as I was able to get out of there, I quickly left.

I had not appreciated being confronted with the possibility of my life ending like that. I liked to be in control, and that episode had shown me very definitively how little control I had over my life. I had almost died in that elevator, smashed to bits, like a cockroach flattened by a shoe. This was not how I’d intended to go at all.

Now, looking at the woman coming up to our offices, I wondered whether she remembered that afternoon at all. Did she know she was coming to investigate me and my company?

This was a complication I didn’t need.

I saw Alana addressing the group at the top of the escalator. She pointed towards the office and proceeded to lead them towards the boardroom we had allocated to them. Files that had been requested had already been delivered to the room.

My instructions were clear, we would co-operate and give the accountants whatever they wanted.

As they walked off, I came out from my hiding place and followed them into the office. I heard Alana’s voice pointing out bathrooms, the cafeteria, and vending machines. I kept looking for the shape of the young woman I’d seen on the escalator, wondering if perhaps I’d made a mistake.

But as soon as I saw her again, I knew it was her.

I could feel it in my gut, the way I held my breath.

This was the woman who had almost been the last person to see me alive.

As if she could feel me watching her, she turned around and looked straight at me.

Even though I was standing across the room at a door, I could clearly see her, and I knew she could see me too.

Her face registered recognition and something else.

There was a small smile on her lips and, even though I had not intended to engage her at all, I found myself responding with a smile of my own. It was as if we were again in that elevator, just her and me, all alone. None of the people surrounding us mattered.

We were the only two people in the room.

Chapter 3

Grace

I arrived at home in a daze.

My grandmother spoke to me, but it went right over my head.

“Are you all right, child?” She asked me and I sat down, shaking my head, trying to think of what to say.

“I’m sorry… it’s so late, I lost track of the time. Have you guys eaten?”

“Toby went out to get us some pizza,” she said.

I nodded. I had stayed on at the Ladden Ltd. offices long after everyone else had gone home, hoping to see Paul again, willing him to come look for me, but that didn’t happen. Eventually, I had to concede that he probably had gone home for the day and decided to leave too. Only then did I look at my watch and see how late it was.

“Did something happen?” My grandmother asked, concerned.

I didn’t know how to tell her what was going on.

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