Chapter Seventy-Nine
People rarely knocked on Kelley’s study door. Lee and Mason would just walk in and Connor cleared his throat right before walking in. If he needed privacy he’d lock the door, at least that’s what he told Mason when he asked about walking in on something he’d rather not see.
The knock on his study door came again, a bit harder this time and Kelley stood up from behind his desk with annoyance. He yanked the door open ready to lay in to whoever it was since he’d made it clear to the staff that he didn’t want anyone near the study.
Kelley blinked and relaxed his stance. Milana’s eyes found him and then she lowered her gaze. She held the schedule in her hands and Kelley looked her up and down. Her shoes were worn, her denim frayed at the ends and the t-shirt she wore a little washed out.
“I didn’t mean to disturb you. I mean … you said the study was off limits … I’ll just go.”
“Milana, wait.”
She stopped halfway in her turn but didn’t turn back, her hand now clutching the schedule like she was nervous. She nodded her head absent-mindedly, almost as if she were giving herself a pep talk to turn around and talk to him.
“Did you need something?”
He took her gently by her elbow, opened the door wider and led her inside. Kelley left her in front of the sofas and sat down while looking at her. She took a deep breath and sat down opposite him and placed the schedule on the table between them.
“There’s a lot of parties on this schedule.”
“Most of them’s just to show face, I usually don’t stay long and more than half of them’s for charity.”
“I take it I’m supposed to go with you to these.”
Kelley leaned back in his seat and crossed his ankles. “You are my wife, aren’t you?”
“Yes … it’s just …”
“Just say whatever you need to say, Milana.” He was busy, he had a shit load of work to do and sitting around with idle conversation was not productive to his day.
“I don’t have the wardrobe to accompany you to such functions.”
Did she really just ask him for permission to buy clothes for herself? The woman certainly made him think but then again her demure act could just be a ploy until he messed up or worse, fell into a trap where he had no choice but to mess up.
“I’m sure there was a credit card in your welcome package for you. It’s yours to use as you see fit. You tell Black where you want to go and he’ll take you there. You’re not a prisoner here, Milana. You can go wherever you want, I just want to know where you go.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Was there anything else?” Kelley was already standing.
“Should I tell you every morning that I’m leaving for work or will a schedule in advance be sufficient?”
Was she playing with him? Work? Ernesto had informed him that none of the Romano daughters had worked a day in their life, they hadn’t needed to. What was she busy with?
“You have a job I’m not aware of?”
She shook her head. “No, not yet but I’m not one to sit around and do nothing.”
Kelley decided he’d wait and let her play her little game. Black would report back to him whatever he wanted to know. He nodded his head and walked back to his desk and sat down. “Close the door when you leave.”
Kelley almost laughed at the expression on her face. He’d see how long she could keep this ploy up. If she wanted to work then she should work, he’d always believed in hard work. There was a sliver of doubt as he watched her walk out and close the door softly behind her but he shook it away.
She wouldn’t be the first woman to try and fool him, he’d been there too many times before. ‘The clothes,’ Kelley thought to himself. Every day since she’d been here she’d dressed basically the same, nothing flashing, nothing with a label.
‘It’s a trick, Kelley.’
She was a Romano after all. Kelley had already received a proposal for a business deal that he hadn’t even looked at. He wanted no dealings with Ernesto and he was sure that sooner or later Milana would mention it. He could be patient.
His phone buzzed on the coffee table where he’d left it and he stood up again with irritation. Didn’t people have better things to do than bother him? Lee’s name flashed on his screen and he answered it immediately.
“Lee.”
“Have you seen the papers?”
Kelley sighed. “No.”
Lee chuckled. “You might want to.”
The line went dead and Kelley opened a tab and typed in the name for Yorkdare Bay’s Online Newspaper. Charles’s image was splashed on the front and the heading made Kelley smile. It was time to let JenCorp soar.
‘Charles Alexander, hotel magnate and Yorkdare Bay’s own multi-millionaire has announced his plans for the expansion of the Alexander Hotels. The international sector of the hotel industry has boomed since the first Alexander Hotel opened its doors in 1978.
Mr Alexander plans to open luxury boutique hotels on the previously uninhabited islands of Montoya and plans to create a private holiday destination that will be to die for. Mr Alexander plans to reveal more information at Friday night’s charity fundraiser for the underprivileged youth.’
Kelley dialed a number from his burner phone tapping the pen against his desk as it rang. He hadn’t looked forward to the fundraiser but now he couldn’t wait to see the look on Charles’s face when he introduced his wife to him.
“Yes.”
“Send the file.”
“Done.”
“Congratulations, Mr Isleworth, you just became a millionaire.” Kelley smiled as he listened to the man’s intake of breath.
“We won’t speak again. Good luck.”
‘I don’t need luck,’ Kelley thought to himself as he ended the call. Kelley was a planner and luck had nothing to do with it, but analyzing and weighing his options, making room for any failures and counter-planning for them, that's what made you a success or a failure.
