Chapter 6 First Jealousy
An Interested Investor
By the beginning of his second month at the penthouse, Oliver had become familiar with one unavoidable truth about Ethan Blackwood's world.
Everything revolved around business.
Every week brought new meetings.
New investors.
New partnerships.
New negotiations.
People constantly entered and exited the penthouse carrying presentations, contracts, and ambitious plans.
Some stayed for hours.
Others stayed for days.
All of them wanted something.
Money.
Influence.
Access.
Opportunity.
The requests changed.
The objective never did.
At first, Oliver had found the endless flow of executives fascinating.
Now he mostly viewed them as obstacles standing between him and a peaceful dinner service.
Particularly on Thursday evenings.
Thursday evenings had somehow become sacred.
Not officially.
Not intentionally.
Yet those late-night dinners with Ethan had quietly evolved into the best part of Oliver's week.
The realization remained dangerous enough without examining it too closely.
So he didn't.
Instead, he focused on cooking.
That particular Thursday began normally enough.
The dinner service involved six guests.
Several board members.
Two senior executives.
And an investor flying in from California.
A man named Daniel Hart.
Helen handed Oliver the schedule while he reviewed ingredient deliveries.
"Important dinner tonight."
"Aren't they all important?"
She smiled.
"Fair point."
Oliver scanned the document.
Daniel Hart.
Founder of a successful venture capital firm.
Early investor in several technology companies.
Worth more money than most small countries.
The usual sort of guest.
At least by Ethan's standards.
"Anything special?"
Helen considered.
"Daniel is... social."
The pause caught Oliver's attention.
"What does that mean?"
"You'll see."
That wasn't remotely helpful.
Unfortunately, she refused to elaborate.
The mystery lasted until seven-thirty that evening.
Dinner preparations proceeded smoothly.
The menu featured grilled sea bass, truffle risotto, seasonal vegetables, and a chocolate dessert Oliver had spent nearly three hours perfecting.
Everything looked excellent.
Everything smelled excellent.
Everything felt under control.
Then Daniel Hart arrived.
The investor immediately stood out.
Not because of his wealth.
Everyone entering the penthouse possessed ridiculous amounts of money.
Daniel stood out because he looked like someone who belonged on a magazine cover.
Tall.
Athletic.
Dark hair.
Perfect smile.
The sort of man who probably made attractive people nervous.
Oliver noticed him for approximately three seconds before returning to work.
The observation should have ended there.
Instead, Daniel apparently noticed him too.
The first interaction happened while Oliver delivered appetizers.
A routine task.
Simple.
Professional.
He placed the plates carefully in front of each guest.
Most people barely looked up.
Daniel smiled immediately.
"Well, now I understand why Ethan hired a private chef."
Oliver paused.
The comment felt harmless enough.
"Hopefully because of the food."
Several guests laughed politely.
Daniel's smile widened.
"That too."
The response carried a hint of something.
Not enough to cause concern.
Just enough to register.
Oliver continued serving.
The conversation moved elsewhere.
Problem solved.
Or so he thought.
An hour later, Daniel wandered into the kitchen.
Alone.
Oliver immediately became suspicious.
Guests rarely visited the kitchen.
Especially investors.
"Looking for something?"
Daniel leaned casually against the counter.
"You made dinner?"
"That's generally how this works."
The investor laughed.
Apparently he appreciated sarcasm.
Interesting.
"It was incredible."
"Thank you."
"I mean it."
Oliver nodded politely.
Compliments came with the job.
Accepting them gracefully had become second nature.
Daniel didn't leave.
That should have been his first warning sign.
Instead, he continued talking.
Asking questions.
Where are you from?
How long have you been in New York?
Did you enjoy working in restaurants?
The conversation felt friendly enough.
At first.
Then Daniel's attention became increasingly obvious.
The prolonged eye contact.
The easy smiles.
The compliments extending beyond food.
None of it crossed a line.
Yet the direction felt clear.
Oliver wasn't stupid.
People flirted.
People always flirted.
Restaurant kitchens practically ran on flirting.
The difference here was that he hadn't expected it.
Not inside Ethan's penthouse.
Not from one of Ethan's investors.
Not while technically working.
Daniel seemed completely unconcerned by any of those details.
"So what brought you to New York?"
Oliver focused on slicing vegetables.
"A plane."
Daniel laughed.
"I deserved that."
"You kind of did."
The investor shook his head.
"Most people try harder to impress me."
Oliver glanced up.
"Should I be trying?"
For a moment, Daniel looked genuinely surprised.
Then amused.
"Definitely not."
Something about the answer felt sincere.
Unfortunately, sincerity didn't make the situation less awkward.
Fortunately, Helen appeared before the conversation could continue.
"Daniel."
The investor turned.
"Ethan's looking for you."
A flicker of disappointment crossed his face.
Gone almost instantly.
"Business calls."
"Tragic."
Daniel laughed again.
Then, before leaving, he looked toward Oliver.
"We'll continue this conversation later."
The statement sounded suspiciously like a promise.
Oliver pretended not to notice.
The moment Daniel disappeared, Helen appeared beside him.
"I warned you."
"You absolutely did not."
"I said he was social."
"That's your definition of social?"
Her smile grew.
"Oh, you noticed."
Oliver groaned.
Helen's amusement became downright dangerous.
The rest of the dinner progressed without incident.
Mostly.
Daniel continued finding reasons to interact whenever possible.
Compliments.
Questions.
Conversations.
Nothing inappropriate.
Nothing he could reasonably object to.
Yet the attention remained constant.
And increasingly difficult to ignore.
Several executives eventually noticed.
Grant definitely noticed.
His occasional smirks made that obvious.
One board member appeared entertained.
Another looked confused.
The entire situation felt ridiculous.
Oliver was a chef.
Not a networking opportunity.
By dessert, he hoped the evening would end soon.
Unfortunately, Daniel seemed to have other plans.
The investor arrived in the kitchen again shortly after ten.
This time carrying two glasses of wine.
A terrible sign.
"I come in peace."
Oliver eyed the wine suspiciously.
"That's exactly what people say before causing problems."
Daniel handed him a glass.
Oliver didn't take it.
"I'm working."
"Technically."
"Definitely."
Daniel sighed dramatically.
"A tragedy."
The performance should have been annoying.
Instead, Oliver found himself fighting a smile.
The man possessed undeniable charm.
Dangerous levels of charm.
The kind responsible people avoided.
Daniel noticed immediately.
"There it is."
"What?"
"The smile."
Oliver regretted smiling instantly.
"You're impossible."
"I've been told that."
The conversation continued despite his better judgment.
Nothing serious.
Nothing meaningful.
Just easy banter.
Yet somewhere in the middle of it, Oliver became aware of something.
The room had grown quieter.
Not silent.
Different.
The shift triggered instinct.
He looked toward the doorway.
And froze.
Ethan stood there.
Watching.
The billionaire's expression remained neutral.
Completely neutral.
Yet something felt off.
Something Oliver couldn't immediately identify.
Daniel followed his gaze.
"Oh."
The investor smiled.
Apparently oblivious.
"Perfect timing."
Ethan's attention moved between them.
The wine glasses.
The conversation.
The obvious chemistry.
A strange tension settled over the room.
Subtle.
Yet unmistakable.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Ethan crossed the kitchen.
Directly toward them.
Oliver's pulse unexpectedly accelerated.
The reaction made no sense.
None whatsoever.
Ethan stopped beside the counter.
Close enough that Oliver became aware of expensive cologne.
Close enough to notice faint tension around his eyes.
"Daniel."
The billionaire's voice sounded calm.
Controlled.
Dangerously controlled.
Daniel remained entirely unbothered.
"Ethan."
"We need to discuss tomorrow's presentation."
The statement sounded suspiciously like an excuse.
Daniel apparently noticed too.
Because amusement flickered briefly across his face.
"We do?"
"Yes."
No hesitation.
No uncertainty.
Just a simple answer.
The investor glanced between them.
Something seemed to click.
His smile widened slightly.
"Oh."
A very dangerous word.
Oliver immediately disliked it.
Ethan's expression hardened almost imperceptibly.
Daniel wisely decided not to push further.
"Business never sleeps."
"Apparently not."
The exchange lasted less than thirty seconds.
Yet the atmosphere had completely changed.
Daniel placed the untouched wine glass on the counter.
Then he looked toward Oliver.
"It was nice talking to you."
"You too."
The response felt oddly formal.
Daniel smiled one final time.
Then followed Ethan from the kitchen.
Oliver remained exactly where he stood.
Confused.
Bewildered.
And strangely aware of his heartbeat.
The entire interaction replayed inside his mind.
Again.
And again.
Something about Ethan's interruption felt unusual.
Not inappropriate.
Not obvious.
Just unexpected.
The billionaire rarely involved himself in personal conversations.
Rarely interrupted guests.
Rarely inserted himself into anything unnecessary.
Yet tonight he had.
Without hesitation.
Without explanation.
Almost as though he hadn't liked seeing Daniel flirt with him.
The thought appeared suddenly.
And immediately seemed ridiculous.
Completely ridiculous.