The Penthouse
1214 Words
After leaving the airport, Darin followed Ruby into a black limousine waiting outside. The driver loaded their bags while Darin stood on the curb staring at the vehicle.
"Do I own this too?" he asked.
Ruby laughed.
"No."
"Good."
"Your transportation company owns it."
Darin groaned.
She smiled and slid into the back seat.
"Get in, Mr. Steele."
The limousine pulled away from the airport and merged into Atlanta traffic. Darin sat quietly near the window, taking in the city. Fragments of childhood memories surfaced the farther they traveled. Certain streets looked familiar. Some buildings triggered flashes of recognition. It wasn't enough to make him feel at home, but it was enough to make him realize he had once belonged here.
"So what happens now?" he asked finally.
Ruby looked up from her tablet.
"What do you mean?"
"I've got all this money. Where am I supposed to go?"
She stared at him.
"You didn't read the documents, did you?"
"What documents?"
"The ones I gave you."
"There were like a thousand pages."
Ruby rubbed her forehead.
"You own multiple homes."
Darin blinked.
"What?"
"Several homes."
"What?"
"Multiple estates."
"What?"
"A penthouse downtown."
"What?"
Ruby laughed.
"You keep saying what."
"Because this doesn't make sense."
"It will eventually."
The limo continued toward downtown Atlanta while Darin struggled to process the conversation.
An hour ago he was shocked by having money.
Now he was apparently shocked by having real estate.
At some point his brain simply stopped trying.
As they approached the city center, towering buildings rose around them. Glass skyscrapers reflected the afternoon sunlight.
"This city got bigger."
"It has."
"Last time I was here I was a kid."
"Last time you were here your life was very different."
Darin nodded.
That was an understatement.
Eventually the limousine turned onto Peachtree Street and descended into an underground parking garage beneath a twenty-story luxury building. The vehicle came to a stop near a private elevator.
Darin frowned.
"Why are we here?"
Ruby smiled.
"Home."
The driver opened the door.
Darin climbed out and followed Ruby toward the elevator. The doors opened only after she used a security card.
Inside, neither spoke.
The elevator climbed rapidly.
When it finally stopped, the doors opened directly into an apartment.
No.
Not an apartment.
A palace.
Darin took one step forward.
Then another.
Then stopped completely.
Floor-to-ceiling windows stretched across an entire wall overlooking the Atlanta skyline.
Expensive artwork decorated the walls.
The living room alone was larger than some of the homes he had lived in growing up.
For nearly a full minute, he couldn't speak.
"This is mine?"
Ruby couldn't hide her amusement.
"Yes."
He slowly turned in a circle.
"Mine?"
"Yes."
"The whole thing?"
"Yes."
"The entire floor?"
"Yes."
Darin sat down on the nearest couch.
Then immediately stood again because he was afraid he might damage something.
Ruby laughed so hard she had to turn away.
"You are going to be fun."
He ignored her.
His attention remained fixed on the view.
Cars moved far below.
The city stretched endlessly in every direction.
Everything felt unreal.
For years he had slept in crowded foster homes, tiny rooms, shelters, and places he preferred not to remember.
Now he owned a penthouse overlooking Atlanta.
His mother had somehow planned all of this.
The thought hit him harder than expected.
Everywhere he looked, he saw evidence of her love.
Even years after her death, she was still trying to protect him.
Ruby eventually handed him a small card.
"Penthouse access."
He accepted it.
"You really trust me with this?"
"You own the building."
His head snapped around.
"What?"
"You own the building."
Darin stared.
"I'm sorry..."
"You own the building."
"The whole building?"
"Yes."
"I need you to stop saying things like that."
Ruby couldn't stop laughing.
"You really need to go through your portfolio."
The next hour disappeared as Darin explored the penthouse.
Three oversized bedrooms.
Luxury bathrooms.
A professional-grade kitchen.
A private gym.
A library.
A rooftop pool.
A theater room.
Every room seemed bigger and more expensive than the last.
At one point he opened a closet larger than his first foster bedroom.
Nothing about his life made sense anymore.
By early evening Ruby gathered her things.
"I'll have someone pick you up tomorrow."
"For what?"
"To discuss the company."
"The company?"
"Your mother's company."
Darin closed his eyes.
"Please don't tell me I own another company."
"You own several."
He pointed toward the door.
"Leave."
Ruby laughed.
"Get some rest, Mr. Steele."
"You are enjoying this way too much."
"Absolutely."
After she left, silence filled the penthouse.
Darin stood in front of the giant windows watching the city lights slowly appear as darkness settled over Atlanta.
For the first time all day, he was completely alone.
The excitement faded.
The shock faded.
The reality remained.
His mother was still gone.
His father was still gone.
The family that should have raised him had abandoned him.
Money couldn't change those things.
No amount of wealth could give him his childhood back.
Yet despite those painful truths, she had not forgotten him.
Sarah Steele had spent years planning for his future.
Years protecting him.
Years building opportunities he never knew existed.
A lump formed in his throat.
He lowered himself to the floor near the windows and sat quietly.
The city stretched endlessly beyond the glass.
This was home.
Or at least it was supposed to be.
Hours later his stomach growled loudly.
Darin laughed.
"Still gotta eat."
He realized he owned practically nothing besides the clothes on his back.
No food.
No toiletries.
No extra clothes.
No phone.
Nothing.
A billionaire who needed a shopping trip.
The thought made him shake his head.
He grabbed his wallet and headed toward the elevator.
A few minutes later the doors opened into the lobby.
The moment he stepped out, an angry voice cut through the room.
"What are you doing here?"
Darin looked around.
Nobody else seemed nearby.
He kept walking.
The voice came again.
"Hey! I'm talking to you!"
A middle-aged woman with bright red hair marched directly toward him.
She stopped in front of him and crossed her arms.
"What are you doing in this building?"
Darin frowned.
"I live here."
The woman's expression hardened immediately.
"No you don't."
"Yes, I do."
"I've never seen you before."
"I moved in today."
"You're lying."
Darin blinked.
The entire exchange happened so quickly that he wasn't sure he heard her correctly.
The woman moved closer.
"People like you don't belong in this building."
Silence.
Years of foster care and street life had taught Darin exactly what those words meant.
His expression darkened.
"Move."
"I'm calling the police."
"Move."
"I said I'm calling the police."
Around them, residents began looking over.
Some watched from a distance.
Others openly stared.
Darin's irritation grew by the second.
One perfect day.
That was all he wanted.
Instead, trouble had apparently followed him to Atlanta.
The woman already had her phone out.
"Police? There's a suspicious person in the building."
Darin slowly pulled out his own phone.
He knew exactly who to call.
Ruby.
When she answered, he only said four words.
"I need your help."
And suddenly, what should have been a simple trip to buy dinner became something much bigger.
- Writer
