THE BILLIONIARE DON WANTS ME DEAD

CHAPTER 4

Adrick’s POV

They stole my money.

I should have found the person who did—Lucia. But it was harder than it seemed.

Someone in ADC is working with her, someone close by, because I know, I just know she couldn’t do it alone.

A woman played me.

A woman.

I shouldn’t even have been so invested in her. But I was.

Lucia. Oh, Lucia. I will find you, find my money and kill you.

ADC has four main branches, divided by their separate heads.

The first was Damanos. Julius on the second, Rustag on the third and Mellow as the last. I’m suspecting one of them, but not Damanos. Damanos has been working with me the longest, he handles too many things to have wanted money from my home.

If Damanos wanted money, he could steal from the company, he could have so many easier options that didn't mean emptying the safe in my home. Whoever helped Lucia was an i***t.

I already dealt with everyone else in the mansion, I already had the main purge, and I almost fired Martha too, but that would have been unreasonable. Martha has been here since I was a kid, she’s like a mother to me, but that also doesn’t mean she’s off the hook.

I’m in a meeting with the heads of my branches. I sit on the chair in the front while two people sit on each side. Damanos was in charge of Talent Acquisition, since he’s always been a people’s person. But the people he’s been acquiring, “Are shit.”

“Your work has been sloppy, you don’t even know what talent is anymore.”

He looks at Rustag then looks back at me before he says, “Well we thought we could mix things up a little bit and—”

“Well you thought wrong.”

I look at Rustag, he was the one who handled the signings before it reached me. Anything legal that had to be with contracts was Rustag’s work. “And you,” I say with my eyes on him. “You’re even worse.” He coughs, then he says, “I’ve only passed things through you before confirmation.”

“But you still pass through rubbish.”

“It’s not my wish to do that. I’ll make sure I do better.”

Julius bursts out with his own message. He said he wanted to present what he had going on, and honestly, he was the only one I would let present since he wasn’t doing s**t.

He stepped forward and connected his pc to the projector. The wall had a power point presentation on the Marketing analysis of ADC over the past three months in comparison to the last six months.

He yapped about how there were some slight changes in the marketing team and they were able to increase the general revenue. With his hands swinging as the slides change, I know he has a point, and maybe some more solid points but I’m looking at his body language, not only his but the others.

Who moves when? Who flinches when? Who makes a point to do something when? Who stole my money?

Julius is wrapping up his presentation, then he looks at Mellow then says, “If we could work better. Mellow and I. Marketing laced with Events, it’s going to take ADC up to a new level.”

“What are you suggesting, Julius?"

“We merge the two branches. If only we could—”

“We couldn’t.”

“But…”

“This company has strived long enough the way it is. It climbed the ranks and became the best by being the way it is.”

“Times are changing.”

“It’s still the best. It’s still standing. You do what I ask you to do, how I ask you to do it, or you kill yourself.”

“I—Okay sir.”

“Is that clear?”

“Yes sir.”

I look at Mellow, “Is that clear?”

“Yes sir.”

I stand at that moment, looking down on my staff, my employees, my replaceables because all I truly need for success is myself. “End this on a good note.” And I walk out of the conference room.

I go back to my office and sort through the documents I’m not done with, or in other words, the ones that keep appearing. I spend hours behind my desk, because I can’t let this be done half ass. Most people want ‘good,’ most people want ‘okay,’ but okay doesn’t keep a job running.

I finish my job for the day and walk out of my office then into the elevator. I press the ground floor and watch each number as the elevator goes down.

I pass the security and see Samuel who has been waiting. He opens the door and I get in. I relax as he gets into the driver's seat and he starts driving home, to my mansion.

With time he drives into the mansion gates, the climb from the gates to the front door is steep. And once we get there, he’s out of his seat again and walks to mine. He opens my door and I step out. He bows and I walk past him.

Martha and the three Lucia copies stand at the entrance. I have a plan for them, the three of them, but I remember when I had the one that looked like Lucia most in my room. I remember how much I wanted then.

I wanted to squeeze the life out of her. I wanted to wrap my hands around her neck and choke her. I wanted to see her face turn purple as I squeezed the life out of her. I wanted so much. I wanted to do so much to Lyra—seventeen.

But as I held her up, I wanted her out of my sight. I wanted her gone, I wanted her hurt but I needed her gone at that moment.

As I reach my room, I take off my watch first. The only one Lucia didn’t steal, because it was on me the day she vanished with my money. I open the door to my room and walk in, the smell hangs onto me. Mine, and since she was here a day ago hers too.

I keep my watch in my drawer then sit on my bed, analyzing what else I need to do to find Lucia. Analyzing what I am going to do when I find her too.

My vision goes far and wide, but I need to sort her copies out first. The urge to have had seventeen gone in that moment will be dealt with. It already has, the next time I have her in here, I’ll do everything I’ve dreamed of.