Billionaire by Chance

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Erick and Megan keep talking about other things I don't understand and can't even pay attention to because I keep thinking that every person sitting here wants to vote me out of this table and that the Dell family is probably plotting my death or wishing with all their might that I die on my own.

I meet Derek's gaze directly at me and although I try to be professional as Erick asked me to, I can't stop myself from sticking my tongue out at my brother, just to annoy him, which works.

Dereck grimaces as if I've just given him the finger or worse and his shoulders start to rise and fall with his sharp inhalations of air. Poor Draco Malfoy, he can't stand a little tongue.

I don't take my eyes off Draco during the rest of this boring äss meeting and I'm enjoying how that makes him angrier and angrier by the second, until my phone vibrates on my leg and I quickly pull it out thinking it's Tamara, except it's not her. It's Mauricio.

"What happened to you? The boss wants to know how you're doing and if you really sold everything at that party you went to a few weeks ago. he's starting to distrust you again."

The message leaves me cold. Usually Big John expects his payment after a month and I was waiting for that mark to arrive to throw him off, but now I think it's best to pay him as quickly as possible and close that chapter of my life once and for all.

A while later, everyone gets up from their chairs and I realize that the meeting is over. Erick approaches me and beckons me to follow him, which I obviously do.

"Next time, try not to be so immature, okay?" blurts Erick when we are in the elevator, snorting and shaking his head, "How can you even think of saying they want to kill you? The board will think you're too immature to carry so much shares and so much power, they'll try to vote you out."

"Dude, no matter what, they're going to vote me out. There's not a single soul who wants to have me in there with them," I reply, "And I don't want to be in there either, seriously. The best thing will be for them to vote me out and have someone buy me those shares. That sounds fantastic."

"No, Adrien. The best thing for your future is to keep those shares, believe me. You have no idea what a great gift your father left you," he blurts out, glaring at me, "You have to grow up at some point, Adrien. Please. I'm on your side and I want what's best for you, but I can't work miracles."

With that, the elevator opens on the seventh floor and he steps out, leaving me alone in there. I think Erick thinks I'm ambitious and that I want more money and more power... but the truth is, I'm not.

Just a few days ago I was a poor sap with nothing to my name and now I'm a multi-millionaire overnight... why does he think I want to keep getting more and more money or more responsibilities? I'm literally just waiting for this year to be over so I never have to work again.

Instead of getting off on the fourth floor where the sales department is, I keep going down to the first floor and leave the building, heading to the bank. I need the money for my old boss.

Viktoria

Just as I'm starting to think that today will be another boring day where Adrien won't do anything interesting and I'll have to waste my damn time outside this building once again, I see him leave the building, walking briskly to his car.

This is the first time I don't see him grinning like a stupid dog. He has a big scowl on his face, actually. Before getting into the car, he takes off his jacket in annoyance and tosses it inside before ripping off his tie and undoing the buttons on his shirt, as if he's annoyed.

For some reason, I can't believe this. What happened? Why is he upset? Adrien is the easiest-going guy I've ever had the displeasure of meeting, I can't explain to myself what has him in this state.

Very carefully, I walk to my own car and wait for him to leave the parking lot to follow him.

I have no idea where he might be going, but when a couple of minutes later he pulls up outside a bank, I park too, obviously, to go see what this is all about.

I wait for Adrien to come in and then I go in as well, grabbing a turn to wait in line as if I'm sure I'm here for my own business, not to spy on anyone.

While I'm waiting, I let my eyes wander until I find Adrien, who is being escorted to one of the desks. Luckily, there are a lot of people in line, so I don't look strange standing here, looking around.

I watch as Adrien talks to the clerk, still looking serious. Something weird is going on, because Adrien doesn't smile at her once, not even to make conversation or anything. Surprisingly, in this way, Adrien has a hard, intense face, as if he is someone else entirely.

The employee nods several times when Adrien makes his request and gets up to go to an office, leaving him alone there for about five minutes. I hope the woman gets back quickly, because the line is moving too efficiently for my liking and I haven't even thought about what I'll say when it's my turn.

Just as I'm three people away from passing, the clerk comes back out with a manila envelope obviously filled with money and hands it to Adrien, who only looks inside for a second before getting up and thanking her, exiting the bank at that moment.

"Ugh, this line is taking ages," I complain loudly, making several people turn to me, "I don't have all your time, bank!”

With that, I'm out of there. People roll their eyes as I pass by them, but I manage to make my escape and get into my car just as the Lamborghini starts up again. As I'm following it again, I start to feel excited for the first time since I started following Adrien. I finally have something interesting to work with.

Except my excitement dies down a bit when I see that we're heading back to the hotel where he was staying before he bought his Beverly Hills mansion.

What the hell? What does he have to do here again, why doesn't he go home?

I stay in the car when Adrien gets out of his, thinking he will go into the hotel, but he doesn't. He stays leaning against his car for a couple of minutes and in the meantime, he raises a hand to tousle his hair and unbuttons his shirt to leave it inside the car as well, staying only in dress pants and an undershirt.

I think he's waiting for someone to give them the money he just took out of the bank. A hefty amount, judging by all the drama with the clerk. What's it going to be? Drugs? Blackmail? Is he hiring a hitman of his own to kill Derek? That would be interesting.

Except that no special person arrives but a car, as if he just ordered an Uber? Adrien gets in with his manila envelope and as soon as the car starts driving, I obviously follow him.

To my surprise, the car starts driving through places that look worse and worse by the second. We are entering the slums of Los Angeles and I'm understanding a little bit of why Adrien was smart enough not to come to this place in his Lamborghini.

Almost fifteen minutes later, we're pulling into an awful place. There are small houses and lots of old buildings. And that's where Adrien gets out.

"Oh, fück," I mutter with a grimace. I have to get off here? I don't want to do that. But there's no way around it, so I park my car and get out of there, waiting for Adrien to walk away a bit before I start walking behind him, but I think all his senses are activated because Adrien tenses up and I know he's going to turn around, so I hide in a wall until I hear him start walking and I give him some space before I start following him again.

Adrien walks down a small, lonely street and I start to feel stressed. There are a lot of strange people outside houses and obviously homeless people lying on the sidewalks. It's a horror. I've never had to come to a place similar to this before and I can't say I like it. On the contrary.

The horror of being in this place makes me lower my defenses, because this time when Adrien turns to see who is walking behind him, he catches me. His eyes connect with mine and my heart drops to my feet.