Chapter 15
Adrien
D iane greets me with a scowl as I enter the office. “Well, well, well, who decided to show up.” She eyes me up and down. “Did you have a good time with your little plaything?”
I shoot Diane a warning glare, not in the mood for her snarky comments. Instead, I focus on the task at hand.
“What’s the update on the Dean Carter situation?” I ask as I take a seat at my desk.
“We had little to go off of, but Matteo was able to access some security footage. We’re still looking into the details, but it seems Silva’s people have been following Miss Carter for the past two weeks.”
Damn it.
If Rafael Silva is part of this, things just got a lot more complicated. Everyone in this business knows he’s ruthless and doesn’t shy away from dirty tactics. His involvement in human and illegal organ trafficking is notorious, and I have no doubt he’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants. If he’s involved in this, then Tiffany’s safety is even more at risk than I thought.
“This is the last thing we needed,” I mutter under my breath, running my fingers through my hair.
Five shipments of two thousand units each. The volume is too high for it to be human trafficking or organ harvesting. It could be guns or drugs, but either way, this is bad news for me, for Tiffany, and for everyone else caught up in this mess.
Diane eyes me, fully aware of what’s on my mind.
“Reach out to Bruce and see if he has any information on Dean and Silva’s involvement. We need to handle this immediately and decide whether replacing those five shipments is an option or not.”
She nods, her eyes scanning through some notes on her tablet. “I’ll get right on it. On another note, call your sister.”
Instantly, alarms start blaring in my head.
“What about my sister?”
Diane arches an eyebrow. “Your sister’s face has been splashed across every French tabloid. She and Pierre Benoit have been caught cozying up at some exclusive club.”
This is news to me.
Pierre Benoit is my business partner, and while I trust him with my finances, I don’t trust him with my sister’s heart. Not only is he older than her, but his history with women is far from respectable.
I clench my teeth. “How long has this been going on?”
“Since yesterday,” she says, passing me a tablet filled with pictures of my sister and Pierre Benoit standing too close for comfort in a nightclub. “The media are making a big deal out of it.”
Sylvia is an adult and can make her own decisions, but that doesn’t mean I have to like them. Especially when it involves someone like Pierre. I flip through the photos, my jaw tightening with each image. Sylvia looks radiant, as always, her dark hair cascading in loose waves, her smile bright but guarded. Pierre, on the other hand, looks smug, his arm draped casually around her shoulders as if he’s staking a claim.
I pace back and forth in my office while dialing my sister’s number. My heart rate increases as the line rings.
She picks up, her voice groggy. “Do you know what time it is, Adrien? It’s five in the morning. I hope there’s a good reason you’re calling me in the middle of the night.”
“Sylvia,” I try to keep my voice calm. “What are you doing with Pierre Benoit?”
“Well, at this moment, I’m lying in one of Pierre’s fancy bedrooms, per your request,” Sylvia responds sarcastically. “But during the day, I work as a nanny for his five-year-old son.”
“You’re working for Pierre Benoit as a nanny? I thought you wanted a break, not to work a job that could easily be found anywhere else.”
“Working isn’t the right word.” Sylvia yawns. “Volunteering to help a single father out of the goodness of my heart is more accurate.”
Volunteering for a billionaire who can afford the best nannies in the world is certainly a strange choice, but I keep my thoughts to myself.
“You volunteer to work with kids? Who are you, Mother Teresa?”
“Don’t sound so surprised, Adrien. Pierre’s son is adorable, and it gives me something to do while figuring out my next move. Plus, you asked me to stay with him while you were busy with your own affairs.”
Yes, because you were causing trouble and meddling in my personal life.
“Sylvia, listen to me. Pierre Benoit is not to be trusted.”
I can almost hear my sister rolling her eyes on the other end of the line.
“Oh please, Adrien. I’m not a child. I can take care of myself.”
“Sylvia,” I repeat, my patience wearing thin. “I mean it. Stay away from him. He’s not someone you want to get involved with.”
“Fine, whatever,” Sylvia responds with an exasperated sigh. “I assure you, nothing is going on between Pierre and me, anyway. It was just a silly mistake that won’t happen again.”
Those photos of them together tell a different story—one that I can’t ignore. Pierre Benoit has a reputation for being a womanizer, and my sister is far too trusting for her own good. This situation is a disaster waiting to happen, and I can’t let Sylvia get caught in the crossfire of whatever mess Pierre might be involved in.
Telling Sylvia that she cannot do something is a bad idea because it tends to have the opposite effect on her. She’s always been fiercely independent and stubborn, and my attempts to protect her usually end up backfiring. Instead, I need to approach this delicately so she doesn’t feel like I’m controlling her every move. Sylvia is stubborn, and pushing her too far will only push her closer to Pierre.
“Just be careful,” I say, my tone softening. “I don’t want anything bad happening to you.”
“I will. You always worry too much, Adrien. I can look after myself. Now tell me if you’ve been able to handle that situation with Tiffany Carter yet.”
“I’m working on it.”
“Once again, sorry for causing so much trouble. I just wanted to make things easier for you, not more complicated.”
“I know,” I say, thinking about the question that’s been on my mind since last night. “I actually wanted to know if you still have our mother’s engagement ring or not.”
There’s a pause on the other end, and I can sense Sylvia’s surprise through the phone. “Why do you need it?”
“I think it’s time.” I choose my words carefully. “Time to move on from the past and let go of things that no longer serve us. To let someone else into my life.”
There is another moment of silence before Sylvia speaks again, her tone much gentler this time. “I still have it. It’s in my apartment, in the jewelry box my mom left me. Mom always said that this ring was intended for true love. She wanted you to have it when you found the right person to share your life with.”
I feel a lump form in my throat at the mention of our mother. It’s been years since she passed away, but her presence is never far from my mind.
“Maybe it’s time for me to find that person,” I say softly, almost to myself. “To find true love.”
“Mom would be happy to know you’re ready to open up your heart again, Adrien.”
“I hope so.” I stop to look at the panorama of the city spreading out before me. The sun is high in the sky, casting a warm glow over the bustling streets below. “Thank you, Sylvia. Take care of yourself, alright?”
“You too, big brother.”
Turning away from the gorgeous view, I take a seat in the sleek leather chair. The images of my sister and Pierre Benoit keep flashing in my mind, a warning sign of potential danger ahead. I need to figure out what Dean Carter and Rafael Silva were involved in, and quickly. But first, I have to make sure Sylvia is safe and keep her away from Pierre and the potential heartbreak he could cause.
I grab my phone and scroll through my contacts list until I find Laura’s name. We went to a few events together a long time ago, and even though we haven’t spoken in years, I’m confident she knows exactly the person I’m trying to find.
She answers on the third ring, her voice smooth. “Adrien, it’s been a long time. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Hello, Laura,” I say. “I need your help with something.”
There’s a brief pause before Laura responds, her voice laced with curiosity.
“My help? Well, this is unexpected. What do you need?”
I glance at the photo of Sylvia and Pierre before answering. “I know you are friends with Emma.”
Keeping those closest to me safe is my priority, and Tiffany and Sylvia are at the top of that list.
No matter how much Sylvia might hate me for this, I can’t let her get hurt.