I’ve never heard Bryce rage like this over anything. “Sex with a fourteen-year-old boy? Are you serious? God. That’s heavy.”
“I’m so frustrated by Derek right now. The only thing I want to do is deck him, but he beat me to the punch, since he’s dead now and he’s left me this mess behind,” Bryce says, still fuming.
“Bryce, I’m no expert, but fourteen is quite young. I understand it’s safer now to come out earlier as a gay person than ever before in history, but someone like Derek would have had a lot to lose by going after underage boys. If he had a thing for younger men, there are plenty of options over eighteen.”
“Sofia, trust me, I want this to go away badly. I want to wake up from this terrible dream, but there’s proof of Derek in extremely scandalous photos with this young Cody. When I opened the file and laid eyes on these photos, I nearly had a heart attack myself. Was Derek out of his fucking mind?”
Bryce is so angry about this discovery and honestly, who can blame him? Not even Bryce could have had a contingency plan in place to deal with Derek’s second indiscretion.
“Bryce, if this is true then Cody didn’t act alone. At fourteen, you don’t start having an affair with a man old enough to be your grandfather without persuasion,” I say, still puzzled by all this.
“What do you mean?”
“Did Cody act alone or was he pushed into this by someone who was looking for a payoff? I know this is going to sound strange, but if Derek was hiding something, maybe someone was using Cody as a decoy who could be turned into big money when the time was right.”
“Why would you say that?” Bryce asks, surprised by my theory.
I wasn’t going to tell Bryce about Brad Keller. Brad played me from the minute he met me. He kept information on me and my whereabouts so that when the time was right, he had loads of details he could manipulate to fabricate this fictitious story about me. He used it all against me to steal my money and destroy my company.
“Let’s just say I have personal experience with devious people collecting data, unbeknownst to me, and then manipulating it cleverly against me.” I can barely contain the bitterness I still foster for the asshole.
“Well, Derek was a very wealthy man. His father was in the oil business and did extremely well. Derek’s brother took over the company, but Derek still has plenty of shares and when his dad died he inherited a boatload of money.”
“Money makes people do crazy things.”
“I still remember when he told me how much money his dad left him and how nervous he was about doing the right thing in order to grow his fortune for his kids. It was more money than I had ever seen in my life at the time. He seemed quite concerned about protecting his legacy.”
“How much money are we talking about?” I ask, intrigued.
“He showed me his dad’s will and that’s when I found out what wealth really meant. His dad left him twelve point seven million dollars twenty years ago. Derek would have been worth at least twenty-five million dollars when he died from his heart attack, based on what we’ve been able to gather about him, but he had always been obsessively quiet about his wealth and lived a very low-key life. Well, I should say, that’s the image he allowed people to see. This new Derek, who was leading a double life, seemed to love showering his gay lovers in opulent gifts.”
“Why was Derek working for you if he had so much money?” I ask boldly.
“He was a partner in my company and owned shares. Also, Derek gets bored very easily and working kept him out of trouble. Obviously, we all know now that not even his busy schedule could prevent him from finding the time to be with young men.”
“His wife might not have known how much he was worth, but someone else must have. As the French would say, ‘Il y a anguille sous roche.’ There’s far more than meets the eye.”
“Hmmmmm, I’m starting to think you’re right,” Bryce murmurs under his breath.
I have only known Bryce as this strong, self-assured and ultra-confident man. The person on the other end of the phone has nothing to do with the Bryce I love.
“Again, I’m no expert, but it might be good to make sure those photos are legit, Bryce. Photoshopping is so easy. Anyone can do it with cheap fifty-dollar software you buy online. What makes you say this Cody actually had any sexual relationship with Derek? It might not actually be Derek in those photos, and if it is Derek, what makes you say this new lover didn’t grab Derek’s photos from the Internet and Photoshop them to make it look like they were lovers?”
“I hope to God you’re right. This is so out of my league, I can’t even think straight. No one in my team understands any of this. We can’t go asking around who here in the office is gay and can shed some light on this without attracting lawsuits for breaking privacy codes.”
“Bryce, Derek was one of your right-hand men and your company is worth a lot. You’ve just revealed he was worth at least twenty-five million dollars at the time of his death and we all know he was having sex with men while he was married. I think someone looking for a quick payday would suspect that a big enough scandal would warrant a huge payout with minimum questions asked. You want this story to go away, right?”
“Desperately.”
“That’s what seventeen-year-old Cody is counting on and he knows you’d prefer to pay him off than have this leak. Don’t let him win. The man I know and admire would fight for his company. How badly do you want this, Bryce?”
I can’t believe I’m channeling Ciara right now. She’s the one who spends all her time listening to all this success mindset stuff and when I’m down or scared, she knows exactly what to say to boost my spirits.
“Listen to you. When did you become a performance coach?”
“Well, I only oblige in critical cases and this is pretty out there, wouldn’t you say?”
“This is the craziest thing I’ve ever had to deal with in my life,” Bryce confesses.
“So I guess you’ll be stuck in Silicon Valley for a while, right?”
“Yeah, I’m afraid so. I miss you so much and I was looking forward to sleeping next to you tonight.”
“I love it when I’m able to nestle my body inside your strong arms when we sleep together. I’ll miss that. I had a surprise in store for you and spent the day cooking and getting my home ready for a sexy reunion,” I say with a sigh.
“Oh, no. I feel so badly now about this. Here you go out of your way like this and I’m a no-show.”
“It’s not your fault. I just hope to see you soon.”
“Give me a few weeks to sort this out and I’ll be in touch. I promise to do my best to be with you again. I miss you,” he says before hanging up.
* * *
Two weeks go by without a word from Bryce. I don’t want to keep texting him because I’m brutally aware of the severity of the situation and the fact that this sexual scandal has seriously jeopardized his billion-dollar company.
By the third week I get an unexpected text message from Dennis. He’s going back to South America to close more deals and wants to know if I’ll consider coming with him.
I’ll make it worth your time and will double your fees again. If you’re free, can you confirm with Todd? I’ve already spoken to him.
What great timing—I need the money and the distraction since Bryce is going to be busy for a few more weeks. I call Todd and confirm I’m free and once everything is confirmed, I immediately text Bryce, because I don’t want to make the same mistake I once made.
I’m off to Puerto Rico and then Uruguay tomorrow with the client who is gay. We’ll be gone for the next two weeks and I’ll be in touch when technology permits. I miss you so much and can’t wait to see you. I figured since I wasn’t sure how much longer you’d be dealing with this Derek saga, I’d keep myself busy.
I get a reply from Bryce almost instantly.
I’m very upset right now. I don’t want you to be with another man even if he’s gay and uninterested in having sex with you. When I get back, I wa
nt to talk to you about quitting the work you do for Todd. I have a few ideas in mind, but of course it’s your choice in the end. I don’t want to have to keep sharing you with other men.
I can’t believe his words. If I could have my business back and still have Bryce in my life, that would be the ultimate dream come true. Unfortunately, Brad Keller has made certain I’ll never be able to rebuild my business.
I’d love nothing more than to go back to my former life before working with Todd, but I lost my company and I’m a bit unsure of next steps.
He quickly replies to my lamenting text message.
Sofia, if you’re willing to open up, I’m sure I can help once I’ve dealt with my own company’s mess. I have to go, but know that I’ll miss you and I can help you get back at these people who’ve hurt you.
I know Bryce is invincible, but not even he can deal with the evil nature of a Brad Keller.
The bastard ruined my life.
* * *
I’m truly able to appreciate the epic proportion of Bryce’s scandal when Dennis brings the topic up on the flight down to Puerto Rico.
“Can you believe this poor chap Bryce Van Der Linden and this situation he’s dealing with?”
His words catch me off guard and I’m petrified by the idea that he knows I’m involved with Bryce. I quickly understand what’s prompted Dennis’s remark when he shows me the cover of the New York Times Business section on his iPad and I’m fully able to grasp how much of a nightmare this is for Bryce. When your crisis becomes small talk in people’s lives, it’s a big deal. I know firsthand how embarrassing it is to see your life on the front page of the New York Post or to hear CNN reporters who don’t know anything about you make callous remarks about your downfall. Some say any press is good press, but I have to disagree. Negative press is devastating.
“It must be difficult for Derek’s wife.” I attempt to sound as detached as humanly possible given how much I know.
“No doubt. That’s why I came out to my family before fully taking on the lifestyle. I never wanted anyone close to me to find out I was gay by accident. I’m sorry Derek didn’t take his family into consideration. His choices will traumatize his kids.”
* * *
The next two weeks with Dennis in South America are as grueling as the first two I spent with him. The only difference is that this time I’m in constant communication with Bryce.
The days are packed with meetings and heavy negotiations. Our saving grace is Dennis’ private jet. Traveling in such luxury makes a hectic trip like this one easier to handle. It doesn’t hurt either that his personal assistant had booked the best suites in five-star hotels.
By the time Dennis and I are back in his Puerto Rico office debriefing his team after two exhausting weeks of business negotiations, I’m spent and ready to go home.
To thank me for my hard work, Dennis has booked a full day of spa treatments at one of the top spots on the island. I’m sitting by the pool of one of the island’s most prestigious hotels after a massage, but I can only think of how much I wish Bryce were here with me.
I can’t wait to see him again.
My phone rings.
“You’re not going to believe this, Sofia!” I’m not sure what’s going on, but Bryce sounds elated. “You were right!” It sounds like he’s nearly jumping out of his skin with excitement.
“I’m always right,” I say, even though I’m still unsure what I was right about.
“Cody Wheeler was a fraud! We caught him red-handed in his clever scam. We almost missed the obvious, but after weeks of investigation and undercover investigators, we were finally able to prove all the photos were Photoshopped and fake. Derek was gay and living a lie, but he was not interested in underage boys. We were able to establish without any shadow of a doubt that Cody didn’t know and has never met Derek. We also removed any doubts that Derek might have leaked any private information to Jayden Whitfield, his gay lover. The big win for us was to establish Cody’s age. He’s actually a twenty-three-year-old man and not a seventeen-year-old boy. He just happens to look very young and he’s been deceiving people for years and defrauding them. One of the investigators spotted a few discrepancies when we hacked his computer and then the floodgate of lies opened up,” Bryce says, triumphant.
“Wow! Bryce, that’s incredible news. I’m so happy I was able to help in some small way.”
“I thought you had lost your marbles when you suggested the fake photo thing, but I woke up suddenly that night and it hit me that some of those photos didn’t look right. Something about them was too perfect. It took us weeks to tail Cody, but we finally figured him out. He looks extraordinarily young and he has a slim physique, but we tailed him for weeks and noticed he had a tendency to frequent hardcore gay bars in the city. These underground places are way too lucrative to the owners and they’d never take a chance on allowing underage boys under their roof. The security in some of those places is tighter than at JFK.”
“What a story, Bryce.”
“You can’t even imagine, Sofia. Once we caught him visiting several of these bars we knew he had to be operating with two identities and we just had to figure out his adult alter ego. We also found six other married men who were being blackmailed by Cody. With all this digging, we finally discovered his real name. Cody really is András Mihály Király, an illegal Hungarian living in the good ol’ U.S.A. We got a judge to seize András’ computers and six external hard drives.”
“Why does anyone need six external hard drives?”
“We found tons of footage of his victims and tens of thousands of photos. This creep knew exactly what he was doing.”
“I’m always amazed at what people choose to specialize at in life. Cody was obviously a master crook.”
“He was, but that’s not it, Sofia. The same judge who allowed us to take possession of his computer also issued a warrant for his arrest. He was escorted by a group of unfriendly cops who took him into custody earlier today for the entire country to see. Once he’s been tried, fined and forced to pay back all the people he’s been blackmailing, he’ll go to jail and most likely he’ll be sent back to Hungary.”
“I don’t know what to say. That’s amazing. This guy was cheating everyone.”
“He was, but the buck stopped with me. I wasn’t going to take it lying down,” Bryce proudly admits.
“I wouldn’t have expected anything less of you.”
“It’s over, baby. It’s freaking over!” I can hear him laughing uncontrollably on the other end of the phone. “I want to come to New York tonight to be with you,” he announces joyfully.
“You can’t, Bryce.”
“What do you mean I can’t? Did you take on a new client?” His voice quickly changes to a more serious tone.
“Do you remember I told you I’d be away with Dennis? We just got back to Puerto Rico and we’ll be here for another few days before flying back home.”
“When you get to New York, buy a ticket to Vegas and I’ll pick you up myself at the airport. Don’t worry about the price of the ticket. Get a first-class ticket and I’ll pay for it when you get here,” he orders.
“You mean that I immediately get back on a plane to Vegas when I arrive in New York in two days?”
“I know you’ll be tired, but come down to Vegas for a few days and we can catch up and we can be together,” he pleads.
He’s so hard to resist. I thought I was going to be able to unwind at home, but instead I’ll have to get back on another flight. I guess it’s a small price to pay to be with Bryce again.
“Okay, you win. I’ll see you in Vegas in two days.”
“Great. I’ll book a suite at the Bellagio.”
I sit there basking under the Puerto Rican sun looking at my phone, still taken aback from my conversation with Bryce.
The Bellagio is quite the luxury stay in Vegas, but Bryce makes it sound as if it’s no big deal to book a last-minute room in one of the Strip’s most prestigious hotel
s. It’s good to have money.
Chapter 7
I nearly choke when the flight attendant tells me the price for a last-minute first-class ticket from New York to Vegas. There really isn’t anything Bryce can’t buy.
As promised, he’s waiting for me at the airport and when I see his beautiful face, I have to force myself to keep my composure in order to avoid making a fool out of myself. I want to run towards him and tell him how much I’ve missed him and how much I love him, but since I’m still uncertain where his affection for me ends and where the thrill and power of being able to afford to hire an escort starts, I decide to play it cool.
“Look at you,” he says, as he picks me up in his arms in front of thousands of preying eyes. “I’ve missed you so much,” he confesses after putting me back on the ground.
“I’ve missed you too, Bryce.”
There’s no point in lying to myself. I have completely fallen for him.
“Dean, can you grab her luggage and put it in the car?” he orders the chauffeur. “Let’s get the hell out of here and let’s go have some fun in Vegas.”
Bryce sounds like a schoolboy looking forward to summer vacations. It’s a side of him I’ve not seen yet.
“It must have been hot and sunny in South America. You’re so dark and tanned.”
He’s asking all these questions and I’m still too mesmerized by this man to answer them intelligently.
“Yeah, it was pretty hot and I did spend time in the sun when we got to Puerto Rico,” I finally manage to answer.
“I hope you’re ready for the next few days.”
“I’m so happy to be here with you.” I’m unable to take my eyes off of him.
“So am I, baby. I’m happy Derek can finally rest in peace and I can move on with my business and life.” Bryce grabs the back of my head, lifts my chin and kisses my lips softly. “Are you tired?”
Unbearable Passion - Exposed: Billionaire Erotica Romance (Unbearable Passion series Book 3) Page 6