Chapter 2 – The Billionaire Interview
1548 Words
Elena should not have gone.
Every instinct she had, sharpened by grief, fear, and the echo of last night’s warning, told her to stay hidden, to disappear, to pretend she had never seen the notes, the photograph, the name that now refused to leave her mind.
Yet here she was, standing before Wolfe Enterprises, staring up at a tower of glass and steel that gleamed like something untouchable, something designed not just to impress, but to intimidate.
This was where Daniel’s trail had led.
This was where it had ended.
Or perhaps, she thought, this was where it truly began.
Her phone buzzed in her hand just as she stepped through the revolving doors.
Unknown number.
Her pulse spiked instantly.
She opened the message.
You’re walking into his world. Smile when he lies.
Elena’s fingers tightened around the phone.
Too late to turn back now.
---
The elevator ride felt longer than it should have, each floor lighting up with quiet precision as her reflection stared back at her from the mirrored walls, pale, controlled, but betraying just enough tension to remind her that she was not prepared for whatever waited at the top.
Daniel had stood in a place like this.
Had asked questions.
Had pushed too far.
And it had cost him everything.
The doors slid open.
Silence.
Not the natural quiet of an office, but something curated, controlled, as though even sound needed permission to exist here.
“Ms. Hart.”
The receptionist’s voice was soft, measured, almost rehearsed.
Elena nodded, offering her credentials, forcing her hands not to shake, and within seconds she was directed to a waiting area that overlooked the entire city, Lagos stretching endlessly beneath her like a living organism, unaware that somewhere above it, decisions were being made that could ruin lives without consequence.
Minutes passed.
Or maybe seconds.
Time felt distorted.
Then the door opened.
And he walked in.
Adrian Wolfe did not enter the room.
He took it.
Everything shifted the moment he crossed the threshold, the air tightening, the silence sharpening, and Elena felt it immediately, the kind of presence that did not need to demand attention because it already owned it.
He looked exactly like power should look, controlled, precise, effortless, yet there was something else beneath it, something darker, something that did not belong in boardrooms or headlines.
Something dangerous.
“Ms. Hart,” he said, his voice calm, smooth, but carrying an authority that settled deep in the chest whether you wanted it to or not. “I was expecting you.”
Not thank you for coming.
Not nice to meet you.
I was expecting you.
Elena’s stomach tightened.
“Mr. Wolfe,” she replied carefully, matching his tone as best as she could. “I appreciate the opportunity.”
His lips curved slightly, not quite a smile, not quite anything reassuring.
“Do you?”
The question lingered longer than it should have.
Then he turned. “Walk with me.”
---
The corridors were glass.
Everything was visible.
Everything was exposed.
Yet somehow, Elena felt like she was the only one being seen.
Employees worked quietly behind transparent walls, conversations muted, movements efficient, but as Adrian passed, something subtle shifted, people straightened, eyes lowered, conversations died instantly.
Power did not announce itself here.
It was understood.
They entered the boardroom.
The city stretched endlessly behind him now, framing him in light, turning him into something almost unreal, a figure carved out of influence and control.
“Sit,” he said.
Not a suggestion.
A directive.
Elena sat.
Her notebook felt heavier than usual.
Her questions suddenly inadequate.
Still, she began.
“Wolfe Enterprises has expanded aggressively in the last five years,” she said, steadying her voice. “Some analysts suggest your growth pattern is… unconventional. How do you respond to that?”
Adrian leaned back slightly, watching her, not the question.
“You’re not here for business analysis,” he said quietly.
Her pen stopped.
A beat of silence.
“Am I not?”
“No,” he said, his gaze sharpening. “You’re here because your brother died.”
The words landed with surgical precision.
Elena felt the air leave her lungs.
So he was not going to pretend.
Good.
Neither would she.
“Then let’s not waste time,” she said, her voice tightening despite her effort to stay composed. “What did Daniel find?”
For the first time, something flickered across Adrian’s face.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
He stood slowly, walking toward the window, his back to her now, the city reflected faintly in the glass.
“Daniel Hart,” he said, almost thoughtfully. “Persistent. Reckless. Brilliant in ways that often lead to early graves.”
Elena’s grip on her pen tightened.
“You knew him.”
“I knew of him,” Adrian corrected smoothly. “And I knew what he was looking for.”
Her heartbeat accelerated.
“The Wolfe Project,” she said.
Silence.
Not empty.
Loaded.
Adrian turned.
Slowly.
Now he was looking at her differently.
Not as a journalist.
As a variable.
“Careful,” he said softly. “That’s not a name you should say lightly.”
“So it’s real.”
“You tell me,” he replied.
Deflection.
But not denial.
Elena leaned forward.
“He died because of it.”
Adrian studied her, long enough to become uncomfortable, long enough to feel like he was measuring not just her words, but her limits.
Then, unexpectedly, he smiled.
Not warm.
Not kind.
Sharp.
“Tell me, Ms. Hart,” he said, his voice lowering, “if I told you the truth, would you even recognise it?”
Her breath caught.
“What does that mean?”
“It means,” he said, stepping closer now, closing the distance in a way that felt deliberate, “your brother stepped into something far larger than a story, far darker than corruption, and far more dangerous than anything you are prepared to face.”
Elena stood abruptly.
“Then why invite me here?”
The question snapped between them.
Adrian did not hesitate.
“Because I wanted to see,” he said, his eyes locking onto hers, “if you would come.”
A chill ran down her spine.
This was not an interview.
It never had been.
“You’re testing me,” she said.
“I’m assessing you.”
“For what?”
He stepped even closer.
Close enough that she could see the precision in his control, the absence of hesitation, the certainty of someone who never miscalculates.
“For how long you’ll survive.”
Silence crashed into the room.
Elena’s pulse thundered.
This man knew.
Not just about Daniel.
About her.
About everything.
Her phone vibrated again.
She did not want to look.
But she did.
GET OUT NOW.
Her breath hitched.
Too late.
Adrian’s gaze flicked briefly to her phone.
He had seen.
Of course he had seen.
“Ah,” he murmured, almost amused. “You’re being watched.”
Elena’s stomach dropped.
“You knew.”
“I know many things,” he replied calmly.
“Are they yours?” she demanded, anger breaking through the fear. “The ones watching me, the ones sending messages, the ones who killed my brother, are they yours?”
For the first time, Adrian’s expression hardened.
Not anger.
Something colder.
More dangerous.
“No,” he said.
And somehow, that was worse.
Because he did not deny the rest.
A sharp knock interrupted the moment.
Both of them turned.
The door opened without waiting for permission.
A man stepped in, breathless, tense, clearly not someone used to interrupting Adrian Wolfe.
“Sir,” he said urgently, “we have a situation.”
Adrian did not look at him.
“What kind of situation?”
The man hesitated.
Then his eyes flicked to Elena.
“Security breach.”
Everything inside Elena went still.
Adrian finally turned his head slightly.
“Explain.”
“They’re inside the building.”
Silence.
Heavy.
Explosive.
Adrian’s gaze returned to Elena, slower this time, more deliberate.
And then, to her shock, something almost like irritation crossed his face.
“Interesting,” he said quietly.
Elena’s heart slammed violently against her ribs.
“They followed me,” she whispered.
Adrian’s expression darkened further.
“No,” he said. “They didn’t follow you.”
A pause.
Then, colder.
“They came for you.”
The weight of that truth hit instantly.
Not coincidence.
Not chance.
She was the target.
Adrian moved suddenly, decisive, controlled.
“Stay close,” he ordered.
“I’m not—”
“You don’t have a choice,” he cut in sharply. “If they reach you first, you die. If you stay with me, you might live.”
Might.
That was the best offer he had.
Alarms began to sound.
Soft at first.
Then louder.
Footsteps echoed in the corridor outside.
Running.
Shouting.
Chaos breaking through control.
Elena’s breathing became shallow.
“This is because of Daniel,” she said.
Adrian glanced at her.
“No,” he replied.
A beat.
“This is because of you.”
The door behind them slammed shut automatically.
Lights flickered.
Security lockdown.
And somewhere, very close, something heavy hit the glass.
Once.
Twice.
Then shattered.
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