"Speaking of, have you handled the loose end he told you of?"
Ryan's expression shifted slightly, his eyes narrowing. "No."
Morrison's frown deepened. "Why the hell not?"
Ryan exhaled. "We've halted it indefinitely."
Morrison narrowed his eyes, knowing that Ryan was up to something. "And why exactly would we do that?"
Ryan's voice was firm. "Because the name of this person is very special to me." He stared at the wall. "This person you see, is my soulmate. My friend."
-----
And through the grand entrance of Golden Hay Hotels, Darren Steele stepped in, with Rachel by his side.
Like usual, the air smelled of wealth, expensive colognes, fine whiskey, and polished leather mingled into an atmosphere of silent opulence.
Darren's new black coat — picked by Rachel herself — flowed behind him, her heels clicked sharply against the tiles.
Abruptly, Darren stopped walking and checked the time on his watch.
This caused an impact.
A firm shoulder from behind, collided with Darren's back, leading to a flurry of papers scattering into the air like autumn leaves.
A man let out a startled "Oh!" before bending down in a frantic rush, muttering apologies under his breath as he scrambled to collect the mess.
Rachel's reaction was instant. She snapped her head toward the man, the brow of her visible sharp eye furrowing.
"You are not blind, are you?" she said, coming in defense of her boss. "How about watching where you're going before you run into people?"
The man — a wiry, average-height individual in a slightly disheveled navy suit — looked up, eyes wide behind thin-rimmed glasses.
His sandy brown hair was slightly ruffled, and his tie was loose, as if he'd been pulling at it all day. His movements were hurried, nervous energy practically radiating from him.
"I'm so sorry!" he babbled, shuffling papers together. "I'm just overwhelmed by today, truly I apologize. Meetings, calls, people breathing down my neck— ha! You know how it is — well, maybe you don't, but, uh — wow, this is a mess. I apologize," he looked up at them. "Once again."
Darren's gaze fixed on him.
"It's fine, Rachel. It was my fault he ran into me."
Rachel turned to Darren, clearly about to protest, but he gave her a subtle shake of the head. With a sigh, she relented.
As the man picked his papers, Darren's eyes caught one that had fluttered further away. He stepped over, crouching to pick it up. But before returning it, he took a glance.
The heading read:
'Andy Nashville
Senior Analyst, Consultant, and Head Hunter
Sagomoto Wealth Offices'
Beneath the name, bolded text read:
'Profile Build-Up for the Head Hunting of Mystery Investor: FuglyDuckling.'
Darren's eyes turned curious. 'Sagomoto Wealth Offices. I remember them well.'
In his last timeline, they had been one of the few firms that stood strong in a major court battle against Moon Wealth Management Offices, defending a client against all odds.
As far as Darren could recall, they had a reputation for integrity, something rare in the financial world.
'So they are looking for me as well?' he thought. 'Wow. Didn't know I was that much of a hot draft pick.'
Keeping his face neutral, he returned the paper.
"Here," Darren said, offering it back.
Andy Nashville looked up, flustered but grateful. "Oh! Thanks, thanks, man, you're a lifesaver. That would've been a problem if I lost that!"
Darren gave a slight nod. "No problem. I'm Darren Steele. This is my secretary, Rachel Teschmacher."
Andy fumbled to shake his hand, but when his fingers gripped Darren's, he stiffened slightly, his pupils dilating just a bit.
'Oh wow. He has some intimidating aura for such a young face.'
Darren exuded something beyond wealth or confidence. The boy had presence, and that was something that Andy knew helped greatly in the world of business where deals had to be made and contracts had to be signed.
He knew this because he himself lacked greatly in presence, but at least he made up with it using his nerdy charisma!
"Uh — right! Andy Nashville," he managed, clearing his throat and withdrawing his hand. "I work for Sagomoto Wealth Offices. Senior analyst and... all that."
Darren studied him for a moment before saying, "I'm actually just starting a business. We're new, still growing. We don't have much money, but I was wondering if Sagomoto Wealth Offices would consider taking us as a client."
Rachel glanced at Darren with curiosity.
This was a test by Darren to know whether Sagomoto Wealth Offices were as genuine as they claimed.
Would they agree to sign him and manage his wealth, or would they dump him to the side, catering only to the elite and wealthy companies like Moon Wealth Management Offices did?
Andy blinked, then immediately straightened. "Oh, absolutely! It's no problem if you're just starting out. I think that's when it's most important in fact! We help businesses grow. As long as your business is legal and has been cleared by the State Office, we'd be happy to work with you."
Rachel's lips quirked. "It has been cleared." Her voice was firm, making Andy chuckle nervously.
"Your secretary is quite stern, huh?" he remarked.
"She isn't always like this," Darren said, smirking.
Rachel's cheeks turned pink and she nudged his arm slightly.
Darren held back a smile.
Andy then tilted his head. "So, uh, what kind of business is it?"
Rachel answered, "A diversified investment firm specializing in both traditional and digital asset classes, including equities, real estate, and cryptocurrencies."
Andy's brows lifted. "Oh, okay. Crypto currency, huh? That's funny, actually — I'm looking for a mystery investor who's been making waves in the crypto world recently. He's called FuglyDuckling."
Darren's expression stayed bland. Rachel, however, glanced at him, raising a brow slightly.
Andy chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "You probably don't know anything about that, though."
Darren still stayed expressionless.
"Well, anyway," Andy continued. "I'm on my way to a meeting to finalize a deal with Grant Hayes. It's exciting to know that one of the youngest multimillionaires in the country is going to be our client."
He handed Darren a business card.
"Here's our card, Mr. Steele. Do call us or visit our head office when you have the time."
Darren accepted it, glanced at it briefly, then slipped it into his pocket. "Thanks. I'll make sure to call."
With a friendly nod, they parted ways — Darren and Rachel heading up the short stairs to the elevators, while Andy turned left into an exclusive meeting room.
The room had two sculpted wooden doors below the left stairs.
It seemed like a place where a room shouldn't even be, but that's what made it appear exclusive.
Men in custom-tailored suits sat around a gleaming oak table, swirling expensive whiskey in crystal glasses. They were engulfed in separate high-stake discussions.
Except the man at the center. The young, Grant Hayes.
Even though he was technically their boss, it seemed they were all swallowing him at that moment. He looked fairly out of place.
He was staring right at Andy Nashville who was approaching, but his gaze shifted to the man that was heading for the stairs. The man Nashville just finished talking to.
Grant's eyes widened.
Even in a simple coat and suit, the man again! He carried himself like a force of nature, a presence demanding attention without a word.
Grant's heartbeat quickened. It's him. I'm very sure this time.
He got up from the couch, his instincts screaming at him to act before the man disappeared again.
But before he could reach the door, the man entered the elevator with the woman he was with, and the doors slid shut.
Grant clenched his jaw. Damn. Missed him again.
Andy, oblivious to Grant's frustration, stopped in front of him. "Is there a problem, sir?"
Grant exhaled sharply, his gaze still fixed on where the man had stood.
"You were talking to that man just now," he asked. "Do you know him?"
Andy blinked. "No, sir. We just met."
"Oh. Did you get his name?"
"Ah, yes. He said his name is Darren Steele. We talked about possibly signing him under us. He views our company as..."
But Grant wasn't listening anymore.
'Darren Steele.' His eyes narrowed in thought. 'I really need to talk to that guy.'