He strode into the living room to find Lucy sound asleep, sprawled like a starfish on the sofa. He gazed at her lovingly. In recent months, he’d made a concerted effort to steady their relationship. He had become a better husband and father. Nothing like a near-death experience to get your priorities straight. He placed his right arm behind Lucy’s head and his left around the back of her knees. Lifting her up like a newlywed, he carried her to their marital bed. She mumbled half asleep, in a deep dream, “Oh yes take me, Joooh.” He almost dropped her on the cold marble floor.
Did she just say take me, John? What the fuck?
She opened her eyes realizing that she had been dreaming. “Oh baby, thank you for carrying me,” she cooed. He glared at her with fiery eyes. She knew instantly that he was angry, something was wrong.
“What happened, Kev, babe? Why’re you angry?”
He dropped her on the mattress suppressing his urge to throw her.
“When I lifted you up, you said, ‘Take me, John.’ Where the fuck did that come from?”
She positioned herself upright in the bed, staring at him in disgust like he was a vile creature. “I probably said oh joy or something, who the hell knows? What is wrong with you?”
He paced around the room from side to side, he wanted to punch the wall in. She watched him closely, her head tracking his side movements like a tennis match.
“Come on, Kevin, why would I say something like that? The last time I saw John and Alice was at the Intelias function with you.”
The cracks of infidelity had sown their seeds in their relationship and he wasn’t convinced that he was solely responsible.
“Oh, I remember. Yesterday Alice sent me a picture of the huge rock John bought her for their anniversary. Here take a look at the picture, that’s why I can imagine I might’ve mentioned his name subconsciously.”
She handed him her phone. Alice’s delicately posh hand illuminated by an extravagant diamond ring. He studied the image, no sign of a severed finger. He must’ve looked surprised because she chimed in, “I know it’s huge, right?”
He quickly flicked through the rest of her pictures; he was more interested to see Alice.
“Do you have any other recent pictures of Alice on your phone?”
She leapt up from the mattress and pushed him hard in the chest.
“Did you fuck Alice? Is that why you’ve been behaving like a jealous bastard?”
She was livid; somehow the tables had turned. He felt like a fool.
“You know, Kevin, one of the main signs of cheating is when your partner becomes obsessively suspicious. I’m seriously starting to believe that you cheated on me.”
Her eyes were a lethal mixture of liquid and pain, tears on the brink. He hugged her tightly as she beat at his chest. “No, Lus, baby, never. I love you.”
He felt her teardrops dampen his white cotton T-shirt. He slowly pulled her chin toward him and passionately kissed her moist, salty lips. “We’ll go to Miami soon, baby,” he whispered.
On the drive to Intelias the next morning, the thoughts of the previous night whirled in his head. Maybe he was overly paranoid regarding Lucy. What she said was definitely possible but plausible. Either way, the make-up sex that followed was fucking awesome. What currently worried him more was the fact that John and Alice were behaving like their normal narcissistic selves as if nothing was going on. Initially, he placed it on their strong personalities and live every minute like it’s your last attitude, but he wasn’t so sure. When he confronted John about the fact that Alice was never admitted to Mount Sinai, he shrugged his shoulders and simply brushed it off by saying, “They’re a meticulous bunch, aren’t they? Going to extremes in covering their tracks like that.”
The problem with that reasoning was that the Et Decem didn’t go to any lengths if they didn’t have a motive. Kevin doubted Alice’s “gardening accident” was worth the hassle for them to actually go in and wipe hospital records. It also seemed highly plausible. Another issue was the huge rock that John bought her just seemed excessive and odd timing. He wasn’t one to judge, it’s possible that it was their way of coping with reality. However, he saw the picture of the glittering rock perfectly perched on top of her left ring finger. All the fingers on her left hand were there, no damage visible.
It’s possible they severed a finger on her right hand. Did she wear an eternity ring on her right hand? Strange.
“We’ve arrived, sir,” said his trusted driver Tony, snapping Kevin back into the moment.
“Thanks, Tony. I’ll see you later.”
He hastily pounced out of the Mercedes and entered the Intelias Building. He headed directly to his office. As he walked in, he glanced over at the large G5 model overlooking his desk, which made him uneasy every time. He plopped down into his executive chair and flipped open his MacBook. Straight away, an email popped up in the top-right corner of the screen, CALL ME. It was from Daichi Sato. They hadn’t spoken in months, ever since he was promoted to Tokyo CEO. The Et Decem had planned the near perfect move. The death of John and Kevin would have eliminated anybody knowing anything. Daichi was oblivious to what was really going on. John explained to Kevin that a few days before the VC news broadcast they instructed him to fly Daichi in to New York and train him in the art of presentation. Once Daichi was ready, they instructed John to promote him to Tokyo CEO and gift him his Patek watch. They probably figured John would be killed soon anyhow, so he’d have no use for it and at least Daichi would look and feel the part. With no John Lukach or Kevin Voss in the way, he was supposed to be the new global CEO of Intelias. However, Kevin drastically altered their plans, so everybody remained in their positions per status quo.
He punched in Daichi’s number on the conference phone’s touchpad and instantly recognized her sultry voice.
“Hello, Mr. Voss. It’s been a long time since you graced us with your presence.”
He hesitated. He was in no mood for games.
“I’ve been really busy; can you transfer me to Daichi?” he said coldly, hoping she would get the point.
“I wouldn’t mind to get busy with you again,” she purred.
Fuck what does she mean by AGAIN? I was so out of sorts in Japan, fuckkkk.
Flashes of her naked body flooded his mind but he recalled nothing more. It made him nervous.
“Give me Daichi now!” he barked into the speaker.
“Relax, just let me know when you’re here next time and I won’t wear any panties to work. We can do it in Daichi’s office if you want. Hope to see you soon, I’m transferring you now.”
The phone beeped as she pressed the keypad. It was followed by a ringing tone indicating that the call was transferred.
Damn, she sure knows how to give a man a hard on. She seems way too comfortable, we must’ve fucked already if she is talking like that.
He leaned back in his chair aghast with himself.
If I can’t remember it and I’m not a hundred percent sure, it doesn’t count.
He heard Daichi’s throaty voice “Hi, Kevin, it’s been a long time. I hope all is good.”
He could pick up a faint hint of agitation in his speech.
“Hi, Daichi, good to hear from you, all is great. What’s up?” he said coolly, conveying business as usual. Daichi let out a deep sigh, this was something big.
“Look, I don’t know how to say this exactly. I’m going to need to ask you something personal, and I need to know the truth.”
He paused, taking a few more deep breaths. Kevin could already feel the perspiration building up in his armpits and forehead.
“Yeah sure, Daichi,” he mumbled nervously.
“Did you have sex with my secretary?”
Kevin’s jaw dropped. “No, why the hell would you think that?” he responded quickly, to avoid sounding guilty.
“Look don’t get me wrong, she is hot. I’m not blind. I’m not judging you. The problem is that I wanted to fire her today and she said that I can’t do that be
cause you had sex with her and that she’s going to file a sexual harassment case if I do. She said she has proof. I obviously asked her to show it to me but she said she prefers to keep it for the media. What do you suggest?”
Kevin’s mind was spinning at a million miles a minute. The price of VC would be slashed if any scandal within Intelias went public. Also, this would be a fatal blow to his relationship with Lucy, she would never believe him. She already had doubts regarding his fidelity. He couldn’t let that happen.
Seems like an excessive monetary cost to punish me. Maybe the Et Decem are testing if I have a way to keep the VC price high despite the scandal. That would render me useful to them. If the price of VC drops, then the test failed and they kill me. Or they’re checking their own methods of keeping the price high. NO, it can’t be. It doesn’t make sense. Every move they make is calculated. They don’t rely on maybe. Or is Mai not related to them? Just a random coincidence in the shit storm that went down in Tokyo? Could it be that she is just a bat-shit crazy bitch? Hmm . . . unlikely.
He rubbed his temples, another tough decision.
“OK, Daichi, we have no choice. We can’t afford a scandal, doesn’t matter whether I’m guilty or innocent. For now, just be patient and don’t say a fucking word to anybody about this. I’ll find a way to sort this out. In the meanwhile, just sit tight and restrict all her security clearances.”
He wanted to see her proof as well, find out who she was working for and understand exactly what happened.
Everybody has a price. No chance she’s the mastermind.
“All right, I’m with you.” Daichi said reassuringly. They said their goodbyes and Kevin dropped his head on the table with a plop. His life was about putting out the never-ending fire. He closed his eyes; his temples were pulsating. He used to walk about life content. Through hard work, he had erected a secure and stable existence. A solid relationship with his wife, financial prosperity, and beautiful children that he adored. He finally understood that it was all an illusion. Security and stability were only a factor of his mindset. When he earned his first million dollars, many years back, he felt a sense of joy at the financial security that he’d achieved. It was short-lived. Quickly, he realized it was no longer enough for him, his expectations and living standards had altered. Financial security now meant a hundred million dollars, knowing full well that eventually this would also not be enough. That’s the nature of the beast. Regarding his relationship with Lucy, what assurances were there that it couldn’t come crumbling down tomorrow? With or without Mai’s threats. The answer was absolutely nothing. In a constantly evolving world, everyone clings to a sense of security. It was time for him to drop the pretenses and embrace the temporary. In truth, there were very few things in life he could control. Only his mindset and choices were controllable. His first choice was to take a few risks and step out of his illusionary sense of security. He would touch the sun, either basking in its glory or burning from its power. He picked up the phone and dialed Daichi’s office.
“Hi, Kevin, so soon. Tell me, you phoned again just to hear my sexy voice. Am I right?” Mai said cheekily in a husky tone. “That’s right, baby. I’m buying you a plane ticket right now. Get your sexy ass over here.”
19
Mai Money
He flashed a glance at his watch, 7 p.m. Mai would be landing from Tokyo in thirty minutes. He instructed Tony to pick her up and take her directly to the Four Seasons. He’d booked a suite in her name. Tonight was going to be crucial. In truth, he wasn’t sure what to expect. The thought of it made him anxious. He stood up from his cushy office chair and poured himself a Macallan. He sipped it slowly, enjoying the smoky smoothness of the drink. It was weightless. He settled back down in his seat and stared at the VC chart on his laptop. It was trading at $460 per VC. Economists and analysts worldwide were already running a goose chase in terms of predictions. The growth rate exceeded even the wildest forecasts. He pulled up a chart of the credit card company stocks and smiled proudly, satisfied by his ingenuity. It was almost an exact opposite, their value sinking like a stone. It had made him a bloody fortune. Besides his natural intelligence, he gained another equally powerful weapon, excessive amounts of money. The Et Decem didn’t deliver the 100,000 Voss Coins they had promised him. They wanted him dead at some stage in the future, so handing over more than $40 million in cash at the current VC value was out of the question. Luckily, he’d made other plans.
He analyzed again the VC forecasting charts, lost in thought.
This can’t be good. Even though it’s keeping me alive, it’s creating another problem. There’re already murmurs in the market that it’s a bubble-like Bitcoin and other cryptos. Maybe the fuckers want the Mai scandal to go public in order to slow down growth. A corrective downward move will calm the skeptics and possibly add credibility for the long term. The image of the VC needs to change from “too good to be true” to a realistic one. Yes, that makes sense. They’re looking long term. Motherfuckers!! They’re going to ruin my marriage.
The veins on either side of his temples swelled. The adrenaline was suffocating. He closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh, flapping his lips like a motorboat.
Whatever it takes, I’ll get it done tonight.
Suddenly, he heard John’s booming voice. “Hard day, huh buddy?”
He opened his eyes completely startled, he hadn’t noticed him until he stood only a few feet away from his desk. He was looking all the bit his usual former cocky self.
“Yeah, you know, just thinking about options,” Kevin answered sheepishly.
John grinned and eased himself coolly into the chair opposite him. “I’m calm, Kevin. You know why I’m calm? Because I know you have a plan. Just like you saved our ass the last time, you’re going to do it again. This time, though, you’re going to tell me about it in advance. So, what’re you thinking?”
Kevin stared at him blankly. John’s attitude was beginning to aggravate him. Over the last few years John had ridden the gravy train that was called Kevin Voss. It had never really bothered him before. He was always compensated accordingly and that’s what mattered to him most at the end of the day. He didn’t do a job to get his ego stroked. John, on the other hand, was a vanity chasing ego maniac and he was taking his efforts for granted.
Does he think I owe him something? His life is on the line and he is leaving it solely in my hands, with no plan of his own? Strange.
They stared at each other in tense silence for a few moments.
“Tell me, John, on which hand was Alice’s finger severed?” John gasped and spread his arms wide with the palms facing upwards,
“Whoaa, man, where did that come from?”
Kevin didn’t let up and gave him a look that he meant business. “Just fucking tell me, was it the left or the right?”
John squirmed in his seat, the powerhouse facade diminishing like smoke.
“It was on the right, what the fuck are you implying?” John volleyed back.
Brrringg Brrinng, Kevin’s phone interrupted the stand-off. He glanced at the number, it was Tony. “Is everything OK?” he asked quickly.
“Yes, all is good, baby. I’m here. Sorry, I asked to use Tony’s phone. He’s such a nice guy. Meet me in the room in thirty minutes, my panties are already soaked.”
Mai’s sexual tension was palpable through the phone. Kevin chuckled, “OK, I’m on my way.”
He stood up and grabbed his briefcase. John looked on in disbelief. Kevin placed a firm hand on his shoulder on the way out, “I’m sorry, John. I’ve just been under a lot of stress. I don’t have a plan yet, but I’ll think of something. I have to go.”
He charged toward the elevator. Mai was his priority now.
Thirty minutes later, the yellow taxi pulled up to the entrance of the high-rise art-deco building that housed the Four Seasons hotel. Kevin’s heart was in his throat; this had to go well. He was also wary of her motives. She was a beautiful, dangerous creature who could make a man�
�s knees buckle. He was in no mood for sex. He had a clear objective. However, a lot of less beautiful woman have convinced many a man to do stupid and dangerous shit.
She is super dangerous. I have to keep myself under control.
He entered the domineering lobby of the Four Seasons hotel. It was filled with its usual repertoire of nouveau riche men and Botox-abusing dolls. Despite the crowd, the stylish art-deco design still maintained an air of opulence. The Onyx ceiling served as an encompassing classically elegant sky. He strode with purpose into the central elevator and pressed the button for the fortieth floor. The doors rapidly slid shut in front of him, instantly drowning out the lobby’s chatter. The warm glow of LED lights reflected off the elevator doors in a golden hue. He watched the elevator’s digital screen quietly devour the floors. It was a silent, isolated oasis, ahead of the impending whirlwind. He composed himself, expanding his lungs with deep nasal breaths.
Just stick to the plan.
He stepped onto the corridor’s flat weave carpet, walked four rooms down, and paused in front of the wide royal door to her suite. It was slightly ajar and he could see the faint glow of candlelight streaking from within. He puffed his cheeks and knocked.
“It’s open,” she purred from within.
He pushed the door open with his palm and stepped inside hesitatingly. The living room was partially dark, illuminated by a light spread of scented candles and the glow of the sprawling panoramic view of the Manhattan skyline. She lay on a grey sofa in a silky white gown, exposing her naked right leg, sensually rubbing body milk into her skin. Her creamy, toned thigh glistened in the candlelight. Her smooth, straightened black hair fell like a waterfall over her shoulders. She smiled at him and pouted her full European-looking lips.
“Hi, baby, just had a shower. Come help me cream.”
He walked toward her in a hypnotic state, mesmerized by her beauty. He was like a remote-controlled robot and she held the remote. He sat down next to her on the sofa and placed his palm on her exposed thigh. It was so delicate and warm to the touch. The sexual energy from her body flowed through him like an electric current. Her eyes radiated with passion and she cheekily shifted her hand to his groin.
The Voss Coin Page 16