Chapter 47

**LUKE**
Rebecca called me as soon as I received her email in the morning. I was busy with the expansion of Hotel B in Seoul, but she insisted that she had to speak to me. What she sent me was a film about the fucker, Raoul Velazquez.
“What are these?” I asked, scrolling through the email.
“That are the details about the club he owned. It’s called The Hightower Club. It’s an elite club. Most guests were VIPs, celebrities, and even politicians. It has a good reputation, surprisingly.”
“He’s not an ordinary man to run a club like this. I know this club. What else?”
“He’s a wealthy man, Luke. Hightower Club has a branch in London. It’s bigger than the one in Boston.”
I gritted through my teeth. This man was something. I scrolled to the next page. It was the list of his VIP guests in London. I found tons of celebrities on the list.
“Do you think he may be in London?” I queried.
“He’s currently in London.”
I clenched my fist. “Wait. Do we have a lead now? Did you confirm?”
“Yes. The information Scarlet gave us about this club gave us a lead. He’s currently living in a penthouse in—” I heard a sound of turning pages in the line “—Lombard Street.”
Goddammit. That son of a bitch lived in luxury when Scarlet was here suffering alone.
“How did you get all of this stuff?”
“Our investigator got the files.”
“Good. Tell Ryan I want to talk to him.”
“No problem.”
I opened the next file. He sure had put the necessary details here. But I stopped as I read the first paragraph. It’s a prosecutor’s file. A dismissed criminal case.
“The prosecutor’s file… Why is this case dismissed?”
“No further evidence, unfortunately.” Rebecca sighed sharply. “He got away.”
Fuck! I ran my fingers over my head in damn frustration, then banged the table with my fist.
The realization took over me. Everything makes sense now. This was what she couldn’t tell me. She was abused by that fucker… That explained her reaction when she abruptly broke down at Aries’ clinic.
A case had been filed against him. A rape case was filed by Nathaniel Archer.
“I’m going to fucking kill him, Rebecca,” I promised.
“Don’t do anything out of anger, Luke,” she warned. “You don’t want your hands to get dirty. Besides, he’s not someone you’ll take lightly.”
“They said there's a lack of evidence? I’ll give them the evidence.” I clenched my fist.
“Luke, calm down. You cannot change anything now. Can I suggest something?”
Silence.
“Just think of this,” she went on. “We already know where he is, but he doesn’t know about you. The good cards are on your deck. Let him bite the bait.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“I’m saying that you keep your enemy close. Buy his club.”
“What?”
“He might be rich, he has the money, but he’s not a billionaire. Cut his legs. What is he?”
“Wait. What made you think that he’s going to sell it?”
“I already talked to his secretary and arranged a meeting schedule.”
It did sound like a good idea. No, it was a great idea.
“Do you have a plan?”
“Yes, but we need Ryan.”
“Call him, ask him to come here.”
“Will do. By the way, Luke. Do you play cards?”

***

I gawked at the two people in front of me after informing me about their plan. What they were asking from me was fucking dangerous.
“I’m not going to allow you. It’s not an option, period.”
“But Luke, you can’t show your face to him. You must work behind the curtains. I’m sure he knows you’re related to Scarlet,” Rebecca said.
I squeezed my temples with my fingers. “But you’re asking me to put you in charge. It’s dangerous, Rebecca. Dad wouldn’t want you to do that.”
“Rebecca’s right, Mr. Alejandro,” Ryan said. “No one knows who she is, while people know who you are.”
“I want to see him face to face,” I nearly shouted.
“We understand your position, but why do you think Scarlet doesn’t want you to meet Velazquez?” Rebecca’s voice was filled with apprehension.
I clenched my fist.
Apparently, I wanted to fucking crush his face. But they were right, yes. I don’t think I’d be able to control myself if I saw him.
“Ryan, what do you think?”
He looked at me. “He’s not an ordinary man. He is rich. He has people who work for him. We should have a clear plan. These are the list of his assets.” He handed me a black folder. “This is the only thing I can get.”
“I have tons of folders like this in my hand, you know? Should I build a library just for these?” I rolled my eyes in displeasure.
“But you did give us a lot of jobs to do since that kid came into your life,” Rebecca complained. I knew she was referring to Scarlet.
“Don’t call her a kid. Dad would definitely ask you to do this if it's not me.” I didn’t open the folder. “I’m too tired to read this. I don’t care how rich that man is.”
“That’s why you have to let me. I have a good profile. It’s enough for him to bite the bait.”
“We’re going to buy a club at triple its price. The more I think about it, the more I realize it’s crazy.”
“It’s still a good investment, Luke,” she said positively. “Didn’t you say you were planning on opening a club?”
“Opening,” I corrected. “Not buying someone else’s business. Not when the owner is that fucking rapist. What else do you have in mind?” Thinking about it just made my blood boil.
“Ryan is planning something. Ryan?” she prompted.
“I didn’t suggest that to her. She just thought it was possible. But there’s an advantage to that. We’re just going to make it look like you are buying the club—not actually buying it.”
I crossed my arms. “What do you mean?”
“He’s a regular at a casino in Marylebone. It’s the easiest way for us to meet him.”
I was tense. “Sounds like you’re determined with this plan.”
“Yes, we are, Luke. Ryan and I will have to travel to London for a week.”
“A week? Don’t you think it’s a short time?”
“I think that’s enough time.”
I nodded, finally agreeing. “All right. I will allow this, but I’ll come with you. Don’t worry. I won’t show up in action. I’m just really concerned about you two.”
A sudden knock interrupted me, “Sir, excuse me.” It was my assistant. What does she want? She wouldn’t bother me in the middle of a meeting if it wasn’t necessary. I told her that.
“Yes, Grace. Come in.”
My assistant came inside and shyly told me her concern. “Someone is looking for you.”
“Who is it?”
“It’s Miss Stacy, sir.”
Rebecca and Ryan shifted their eyes to Grace in astonishment. It was unexpected for her to visit me in the office. She never came this close. She didn’t dare come here because I didn’t want her to. I told her not to tell anyone about us.
What did she want this time?
She shouldn’t be here. I didn’t want her wandering through my office.
“Rebecca, Ryan, I’ll call you again.” I checked my watch, and it was already past six. I don’t want to stay late. I had to get home early to see Scarlet.
“Send me the report tomorrow.”
“You’re really going to see her?” Rebecca asked, surprised. She was one of the only people in the world who knew about my relationship with Stacy.
“You know Stacy. She would use every advantage she had against me. I won’t let her make a scene here.”
I signaled Grace to let Stacy come in.
“Yes, sir.” My assistant vanished from the door, and then Rebecca and Ryan followed her.