Simone Laurent
1300 Words
Finally, Selena cleared her throat.
"We should head back. Adrian has a lot to process."
Madalena hugged him again at the door.
"Come back soon, please."
"I will," Adrian promised.
Ricardo shook his hand.
"Remember what we told you. Be ruthless, trust no one completely, and always watch your back."
Adrian nodded.
On the drive back to the city, he sat in silence, staring at the check.
"How are you feeling?" Selena asked.
"I don't know," Adrian admitted honestly. "Overwhelmed, mostly."
"That's normal," Selena said. "You just met your parents and received five hundred million dollars on the same day. Anyone would be overwhelmed."
Adrian looked up at her.
"What should I invest in?"
Selena smiled.
"We'll figure that out together. But first, you need to rest. Today was a lot."
"Where are we going?" he asked.
"To get food," Selena replied. "Then to your office."
"I thought we were going back to the penthouse."
Selena shook her head.
"After what I've learned today, we don't have time."
Adrian straightened.
"Three board members have prepared a case arguing that you should step down. It'll be reviewed at the next board meeting." Selena's lips tightened into a grim line. "You have to prove them wrong."
Adrian felt his chest tighten.
"So what do I do?"
Selena pulled into a parking garage.
"That's what tonight is for."
They parked and took an elevator up to street level.
Adrian stepped out and stopped.
The restaurant before them screamed wealth.
A sign above the entrance read NECTAR in elegant script.
The doorman opened the door without being asked.
"Good evening, Ms. Hart."
Selena nodded and walked inside as though she owned the place.
Adrian followed, feeling completely out of his depth. He wondered if he would ever get used to the wealth that came with his bloodline.
A hostess approached immediately.
"Ms. Hart. Your usual table?"
"Yes, please," Selena replied.
They were led to a corner table overlooking the entire restaurant.
Adrian picked up the menu, and his eyes nearly fell out of his head.
A simple salad cost eighty dollars.
Pasta was one hundred and fifty.
The cheapest appetizer was two hundred.
"Order whatever you want," Selena said without looking up from her menu.
"This is crazy," Adrian muttered.
"This is normal for people in your position," James said. "You need to get comfortable with it."
A voice interrupted them.
"Adrian Frederick?"
Adrian looked up, and his brain nearly short-circuited.
Standing beside their table was Simone Laurent, the model whose face covered billboards all over the city.
She was even more beautiful in person.
"It's Adrian Vale now," he replied without thinking.
Simone's smile widened.
"I heard the rumors, but I wasn't sure they were true. May I sit?"
Selena raised an eyebrow but nodded.
Simone pulled out the empty chair and sat as though they were old friends.
"I'm Simone. Though I guess you probably already knew that."
Adrian felt his face heat up.
"I've seen your work."
"My work?" Simone repeated with amusement. "That's a polite way of saying you've seen me half-naked on a billboard."
Adrian hadn't expected that response and laughed awkwardly.
To his surprise, she laughed too.
"Well, Nectar has partnered with the Vale dynasty for years. I just wanted to tell you that you're welcome here anytime."
He leaned forward, impressed.
"You own Nectar?"
"My father does," Simone replied. "But I manage this particular branch."
Adrian glanced around the restaurant.
There had to be at least a hundred tables, each producing bills that most people couldn't afford.
Then he thought about the five hundred million dollars waiting to be invested.
His mouth opened before his brain could catch up.
"I want to buy this branch."
Simone tilted her head.
"What? The restaurant?"
"Yeah. I mean this location specifically." Adrian felt his palms begin to sweat. "And the franchise rights."
Selena's foot nudged him hard beneath the table, but he kept going, convinced it was the perfect first investment.
"For the right price, I'd sell," Simone said, her voice suddenly serious.
Adrian had no idea how to negotiate, and Selena clearly disapproved.
So he settled on a question he'd heard an investor ask on television.
"What is its fair valuation over a month?"
A smug smile appeared on Simone's face.
"The restaurant averages one million dollars in monthly revenue."
Selena remained silent, watching Adrian Vale conduct his first business negotiation and deciding not to interfere.
"Right."
Adrian took a slow breath, trying to sound confident.
"So based on the one million a month you mentioned, that's twelve million a year in revenue. Assuming the profit margin, that's around seven million in annual profit."
He had no idea whether he sounded intelligent, but he pressed on before losing his nerve.
"I'll pay forty million for this location plus the exclusive franchise rights. I'm trying to be fair, and I genuinely think this could work for both of us."
Selena's foot kicked him even harder.
Simone pulled out her phone.
"Most people spend weeks negotiating. You just threw out numbers based on a guess."
Adrian stayed silent.
She typed for a moment before looking up.
"I'm impressed. Your calculations are correct."
A smile spread across her face.
"It's a good deal."
"I'm sold."
Adrian and Sinclair let out identical whoops.
Simone finished typing and looked up.
"But my father wants to meet you."
Adrian's heart jumped.
"Really?"
"Yes. Since he's the COO, he'll be the one signing everything over to you. And he's very interested in meeting the mysterious heir of the Vale dynasty."
She smiled.
"So tomorrow at ten. His office is on the top floor."
Simone stood and handed him a business card.
"This is my personal number. Call me after the meeting. I want to know how someone with zero negotiating experience manages to convince my father to sell."
Adrian accepted the card with trembling hands.
"I will. Thank you."
Simone smiled again, and this time it looked genuine.
"You're either very brave or very stupid."
"I haven't figured out which yet."
"Maybe both," Adrian replied.
She laughed.
"Definitely both."
The restaurant door opened.
Adrian's attention shifted, and his stomach dropped.
The person walking in was the last one he expected to see.
Maya.
She looked around until her eyes landed on him, and she smiled.
It seemed she'd come looking for him specifically.
She was dressed elegantly, her hair perfectly styled and her makeup flawless, as though she were meeting someone important.
Adrian snorted.
Whatever she had to say, nothing would convince him to take her back.
She walked toward their table before noticing Simone Laurent.
The anger and shock that flashed across her face filled Adrian with quiet satisfaction.
"Friend of yours?" Simone asked, following his gaze.
"Ex-girlfriend," Adrian scoffed.
"Ah."
Simone made no move to leave.
"This should be interesting."
Maya stopped beside the table.
She looked at Adrian, then Simone, then back at Adrian.
"Really?" she asked.
"You're with her now?"
"We just met, actually," Simone replied cheerfully.
"But Adrian here is full of surprises."
Maya's face flushed red.
"Adrian, can we talk? Privately?"
"No."
He dismissed her with a casual wave.
"Please. Just five minutes."
"I said no, Maya."
His voice came out colder than he intended.
She looked as though she wanted to argue, but a waiter appeared beside her.
"Ma'am? Your table is ready."
Maya shot one last glare at Simone before walking away to a table on the opposite side of the restaurant.
Simone watched her leave before turning back to Adrian.
"She seems pleasant."
Despite everything, Adrian almost laughed.
Simone slipped her phone into her purse.
"So tomorrow at ten."
"Don't be late."
"My father hates people who waste his time."
"I won't," Adrian promised.
Simone walked away, leaving Adrian staring at the business card in his hand.
- Writer
