The Billionaire's Oldflame

Chapter One

Ace

The morning light seeped into the room through the unfurled curtains and I heard the buzzing of my phone against the nightstand,making my eyes flutter open.

I pulled my upper body up with my arms as I reached for my phone on the nightstand.

The headache hit me in full wave,causing a hiss to escape my lips and making me knock down the glass cup on my nightstand.

I spat a curse at the sight of the mess on my carpet, my damned phone resumed its buzzing.

Pulling the duvet away,from my body,I sat up placing my feet on the floor beside the nightstand.

I held my head in my palms and let myself enter a losing battle with the throb in my head.....shit I shouldn't have drank so much.

The memories of the previous night came rushing back to me in a harsh blur, the way I had downed shots after shots when I had hit the club with my friends.

I reached out to grab a painkiller from my drawer, I always had it there for mornings like this.

When I'd downed the pill, in hopes for a quick effect, my f*****g phone buzzed again. I had completely forgotten it. I picked up the phone with mere ease, checking the caller ID, Gael's name flashed across the screen.

My eyes also caught the notifications of my other missed calls from my father,his assistant and more calls from Gael. He better have a f*****g very good reason for disturbing me.

I swiped up to accept the call, "what the f**k Gael?", My voice came out as gruff as my morning mood as I glared at nothing in particular.

His voice came out relieved,yet swarming with tension as he spoke from the other end. " Why haven't you been picking up your calls...I've been trying to reach you ever since" he paused for a second and his next word hit me like a wave. "We have a problem.."

"What problem?" I asked getting up, my eyes darting around suspiciously.

"There was a robbery attack....last night." I shut my eyes instinctively and my palm folded into a fist as I let his next words sink in. " They were after the Blaine diamond...again."

Again.

Another f*****g time.

Not once,not twice,not thrice but four times. Four f*****g times. Those robbers had some f*****g nerve.

"How the f**k could you let that happen Gael?..I trusted you" My voice rose with the anger surging up within me. I left him in charge last night, I trusted him with the security at the office yesterday before I left. My friend had a big win and we went about popping some wines last night but f**k who cares,I left Gael in charge.

"They didn't take it..we got there on time" he mirrored my tone in his voice,but I could hear how much he was holding back from raging out on me. I was his boss.

I let out a frustrated sigh as I ran a hand through my hair "where ...?" I asked.

"The diamond is safe.." he answered misinterpreting my question.

"Where the f**k are the robbers?" I asked,and pinched my nose bridge.

"They escaped..but we caught one."

That was a relief,atleast he could be the scapegoat.

"We've called the police.. they're on their way.."he continued but I cut him short.

"Keep the captive for now... don't turn him in until I arrive..I'll be there soon"

"Okay boss" and that was the last thing I heard before I cut the call. I threw my phone back to the bed and went into the bathroom to do my thing.

That was my fastest shower.

I picked out my black suit, I never skipped my diamond curb and my rings.

I was buckling my watch as I stepped out of my room. My bouncers who were already waiting outside beside my entourage of cars,all gave a nod in my direction as I proceeded to the already opened door of my rolls Royce. I saw the pissed off look on their faces,they were already informed.

Twenty minutes later and my driver was pulling up into the driveway of our grand store. The name Ace jewellers,hung in bold letters from the front edge of the roof and glowed because of the Neon lights within.

It was a really tall storey building,with tall tinted glasses,replacing the walls of the building,except the ground floor which had see- through glasses,that gave a magnificient view of the grand showroom within.

Ace jewellers, NYC,the headquarters to over two thousand branches of our business,all around the world and I was the CEO and overall president of our business.

My eyes scanned the area. The paparazzi was swarming the area..as expected.

These days they made my business their breakfast and this type of topic would make headlines for two weeks straightt but I wasn't going to give them that pleasure.

As I stepped down from the car,my men made way for me to pass,shielding me from the paparazzi. They called out to me,they threw questions,they wanted details,they kept asking about the Blaine diamond, but I had a criminal to attend to.

The doors slid open as I made my way into the building with my men.

I saw Gael,pacing the area,and scanning his phone and I stalked towards him. He looked up,acknowledging my presence.

"The police are on their way" he stated as I neared him but that wasn't my concern. "Where is the fucker?" I seethed with rage. The anger within me needed a release and my patience was hanging by a thread.

"In the storeroom..this way" he nodded and he led us to an elevator that went downwards into the basement of the building. He led us through the narrow corridor as he filled me in with details of the robbery.

He opened a door on the left as he motioned for me to go in.

I sralked in and my eyes zeroed in on the thief,bound to a seat,with his hands and feet tied to the chair and his head hung low. The room was slightly dark,with the most light coming from the lamp that hung from the ceiling above the thief. I noticed my security guards were around the room,watching over him.

"We could only get to him..his allies got away" that was all I heard Gael say before I let my brutal side take over. I strutted towards him,with a slight c**k of my head and a half smirk plastered on my face,I greeted him, "ahh..the sticky handed man."

"You like shiny stuff don't you...especially when it isn't yours correct?" I proded, pulling off my jacket and rolling up my shirt sleeves.

He slowly raised his head to look at me but his cheek was met with a brutal punch, "aaargh" he groaned. I raised my knuckles and relished the sight of his tiny flesh and specks of his blood on my rings and knuckles.

"Pleeease" he groaned,attempting to look up at me again.

"Please what?" I asked in a mocking tone.

I took in his face. My guards had already given him a nice beating,he was bruised and battered but he deserved more.

"Let...me......go" he was exasperated and having problem breathing. Then without warning,my fist collided with his jaw again. This time I made sure to deepen my ring into his flesh.

He groaned out in pain and my eyes went to one of my men. I signalled him to bring me a seat.

I sat before him and dropping my shoulders,with a low growl,I snarled into his face, "give me a name...."

He let out low groans. With my eyes steady on him,I reached into the pocket of my slack,and pulled out my cell phone. I handed it to him, "here....call your boss.....tell him to come save you" and a mocking laughter resonated from my men in the room but I was being serious, "tell him to come and face me instead of sending his minions like a coward."

Then he let out a low menacing chuckle and he finally looked me in the eye,returning my glare. "are you afraid of my boss?...afraid he will take the diamond away from you?..he is this close..." he brought his thumb and index finger really close, "to succeeding in his plot" he sneered back at me.

I bowed my head and let out a bitter laugh,I laughed and laughed but it got replaced with a primal growl as I forcefully kicked the seat away from underneath me,standing up.

I launched towards him,landing more brutal punches. I kept his head by fusting his hair and threw punches carelessly around his face.

He screamed,my men begged me to stop, Gael tried to hold me back but I was relentless.

The door burst open and the police scurried into the room,holding me back.

"Mr. Linton we'll take it up from here..." the head investigator spoke as his men started untying the fucker from the seat. My eyes snapped to the investigator I had gotten used to seeing due to the recent robbery attacks.

"I see you derive a joy from frequenting here...you want to lose your job...don't you?" I sneered. He lowered his gaze.

"I'm sorry sir..." but I cut him short, " bullshit...last time you employed two hundred of your men here with a f****d up assurance and look where we are today...another f*****g break in...deploy all of your useless men here...I think I'm done with police help" I said,my eyes scanning the room for his men who were my guards in utter rage before I made my way out of there.

As I stepped out,I heard him say again "sir..it won't happen again" but I was done,I was officially f****d up,my father would surely give me an earful. I disposed of my stained rings as I made my way to the office.

I had just washed my bloodied fingers and settled down on my seat,wiping my fingers,when my door was flung open. My father strode towards me with a bunch of daily articles as he shook it in his hold, "So much for trusting you with our family business".

He slapped the papers onto my desk and my eyes went to them. On the front of each page of the papers from different news bodies,were topics about the Blaine diamond.

"the jewel thieves strike again",

"how is this Blaine diamond that alot of people seek it?"

"the quest for this diamond is raising insecurity in our province" and more topics flowed on. I let out a sigh as I pinched my nose bridge,something I had started to do more often.

"Father please..." the last thing I needed from him now was a scolding but he went ahead anyways.

"Another robbery break-in recorded,not once but twice this month,and for the fourth time with Ace on seat" he scolded.

"where were you last night you weren't at work and you weren't picking up your calls....." he asked,his tone laced with seriousness.

"That is not important dad..."I tried waving it away but he was relentless.

"Not important?... we were at the bottom..the very bottom in business. Your great grandfather worked hard to get us to this point,to give us a name and your grandmother continued in his steps, I did my best and it got to you...and you are about to throw it all away? That diamond in that room used to be their pride, it cost a fortune and it was kept away for a reason. Your prime target as president is to keep it safe but you have managed to put it in more danger than it has ever been in the last fifty years" and I could only sigh, "Dad,I'm trying" I tried to reason with him but he shut me up again.

"I could say that you are doing the exact opposite..... your carelessness is costing us alot and once that diamond gets into the wrong hands..it's a major loss for us."

"They won't take it away from us......" I cut in as I mirrored his glare.

"Then you better act on your words...because I have already lost my trust in you" he stated as he turned to leave and an unbelievable scoff escaped my lips as I shifted my gaze.

"I hope you remember the meeting tomorrow...with the delegates from Rebel Records ....they are arriving by nine" he uttered once more with a hold on the door handle and after that,he walked out, slamming the door behind him.

I reached out and roughly grabbed the articles on my desk. I squeezed them roughly and I threw them away. I needed to get rid of this anger brewing within me.

How was I the failure? How was it my fault that predators now sought the diamond? It was probably the most sought after thing right now....that stupid stupid diamond.

I reached out to grab more papers and I instinctively stopped,as I read the contents of the paper in my hold. It was a business letter from Rebel Records music company to us,requesting to shop from us.

They wanted to meet with the CEO and have him show them our best pieces,they wanted a sit down jewellery survey and purchase and they would be here tomorrow. Just great.

I had a horrible day at the office,from signing paperworks,to foreseeing the new designs,everything irked me today at work and at night,I found myself driving to Romano's club.

Romano was a friend of mine,who ran an illegal billion dollar drugs and ammunitions business. He was the involved with a crime family but he covered his means of income by going into dealing with petroleum. Irrespective of his business,he was my real man.

I strolled into his office,and caught sight of two of my other friends,Chase,whom we celebrated his big win yesterday. He was into import and export,and he owned a chain of hotels and resorts in the state and Raph, the only son of the chief of staff of the state who was into politics too. He was a member of the house of Representatives and he was a high end lawyer, he was also running for a seat in the upcoming governorship election for New York.

They sat on couches in his office,downing alcohol. Romano sat at his table,legs crossed on his desk as he puffed out a smoke.

"And here comes the man of the hour" Romano announced as I made my way to the couch near his desk. He threw a box of cigarettes my way once I was seated and as I caught it, Chase handed me a lighter.

"We heard of the break in....damn you must be pissed" Romano spewed as I lighted my stick.

Raph came over to me with a glass of wine,and as he handed it to me,he added, "Ace is good,for real...leave it to me and that diamond is gone."

I took the wine from him and as I twirled the glass cup in my hold, I finally talked. "I don't want to talk about it...that s**t pisses me off" and I downed my wine, as I listened to their conversation.

Chase was now talking about how he wanted to invest his money into buying a new resort and they were weighing the pros and cons. I was just glad the topic had changed, this should lighten my mood. I had one f****d up day.