THEY STAYED IN the air for close to an hour, Jon had no idea where they flew to or the route they took. But he was very satisfied with the sound of the engine. He drank his champagne slowly as he mulled over thoughts in his head. He tried to figure out what Maxim was up to and the part that that dumb Kim had to play in it. He knew Kim was nothing but a puppet in the grand scheme that Maxim had. He thought of texting Kim and asking to meet her, but he knew that it would arouse suspicion and possibly blow Lucas's cover and he did not want that. He still needs Lucas in that circle of his enemies. He needed the information that his stepbrother got from Maxim. "Penny for your thoughts?" Nicole's voice brought him out of his reverie and to the present.He smiled, "Even thousands of dollars can't buy my thought," He said. Nicole chuckled, "You just bought yourself an aeroplane. One of the biggest in the world… you should not let anything bother you except pride. You should be proud of yo
"HE DIDN'T LOOK so enthusiastic to be here," Kimberly said. "Lucas is always glum," Maxim said. "That was not it," Kim said, shifting closer to Maxim, "This was more. As you talked on the plan, he kept his gaze on me." "You are a very pretty lady, you should have gotten used to the stares." On closer relations, he realized that Kimberly Berkley was not a shallow person. She was a bit superficial at times but had something deeper to offer. She sometimes came up with good ideas and had smart opinions on some matters."It was not a lustful stare," Kim said, "I can't place a finger on it." She moved closer. Maxim pushed her off and said, "It's nothing. Lucas is down for this. He doesn't like Jon." "Okay, if you say so," Kim said. She sulked for the next 2 minutes until Maxim said, "Tell me the plan," She brightened up and replied, "I'll call Jon tomorrow and set up an impromptu meeting in his office.""And?" "He can't refuse because he's always had a soft spot for me." Kim continue
THE FLIGHT FROM New Jersey to Jew York took only 35 minutes. Jon was still half asleep from take off to touch down. But he was in a light mood after the talk with Lucas. Their private jet touched down and Stefan and Jon walked out and into the black limousine that was waiting for them. Stefan spoke in low tones to the Bluetooth earpiece inserted in his ear. He had been on the serious call since before they left New Jersey. The limousine drove slowly through the gates and out a back way into the parking lot and out into the main way. Jon looked out the window at New York City. This was his first time here. "Okay, I will talk with you later," Stefan said and ended his call. He sighed and reclined back into the soft leather of the car. "What was the call about?" Jon asked, "it sounded pretty serious." Stefan waved it aside, "Don't give it any worry. A certain senator is giving me a hard time." Jon's eyes popped, "You were on call with a senator?" Stefan chuckled and reached for a
"ARE YOU READY for today?" Maxim asked when Kimberly came into the kitchen. Kimberly yawned slightly and went to open the refrigerator, "Do I have a choice?" She asked, before slamming the door shut and opening the carton of milk that she had gotten out. Maxim sneered as he stirred the eggs in his frying pan, "You have a choice, Ms Berkley," Maxim said, "Although you made the right one." "Yeah, right," Kimberly said. She opened the carton and drank the milk, "What you're cooking smells good," She said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and dropping the carton on the counter. Maxim raised an eyebrow and muttered, "Everything is cook always smells nice," He turned off the stove and took the pan down. Kim rested on the counter and folded her arms, "Why are you staying in this place?" She asked, looking around. "What do you mean?" Maxim asked as he took out two plates and served the meals." "Even your office… and then the house too," She said, taking her seat and putting a
THE FOUR OF THEM – Stefan, Jon, Vincent and Jeffery – had breakfast together before leaving. Jon had changed from the ash-coloured suit that's had worn from New Jersey. Now, he wore the same colour as Stefan – Cream coloured. They looked impeccable together as they got into the limo. The four of them got into the long car and it drove out of the compound. "Liking the feel of New York yet?" Jeff asked as they merged with the road and got stuck in traffic. Jon shrugged, "Not really," Vincent chuckled and said, "It will grow on you, sir. Give it a few days." Jon looked out the window at the traffic moving slowly. Stefan followed Jon's gaze and looked out the window too. He scoffed slightly at the luxury cars that were stuck with them in traffic, "We all try to avoid the rush hour, so we stay back," Stefan said, "We want to give it an hour thereabouts, you know, to let everyone go to their jobs…" They looked at Stefan, trying to see where he was going with what he was saying. "So
"NOW, REMEMBER… YOU are not supposed to even know who I am," Maxim said to Kim as he sped on the highway, "Do you understand?" Kim was focused on applying some brown powder beneath her eyes. "Kimberly." Maxim snapped, " Are you listening to what I am saying?" "Uh, yeah. I am listening and I understand you," she shot Maxim a glance. He parked a few blocks away for her to step out of the car. "I'll be waiting for you at my office, head there when you're done," Maxim said before driving away. Kimberly was not stupid. She was vaguely aware that Maxim had no feelings for her, but she hoped that that would change when all this was over. An empty taxi was passing by. She waved it to a stop and entered it, "I am headed to the Stone's building," She said to the driver. "You mean Stone Avenue? That's where the tower is located," the driver said. So Jonathan has an area in New Jersey named after his family. Now, that is impressive, Kim thought to herself, "I am not familiar with this are
THE CLUB 69 was located in Broad Street, New York. It was a brick, discreet building that was set back from the rest of the street and surrounded by a thick wrought-iron fence. It was so invincible that one could pass by it without noticing and it was the most exclusive club in the world. The easiest way to become a member was to have a father who was a member and if one did not have that privilege, he can be brought in only by the recommendation of five members. Applications and proposals were only brought up twice in a year and only 2 people were accepted. It only took a slight scandal to be kicked out of the club for the rest of his life, because once a person is out, he could not be brought back in. Stefan's father, Edward Stone, was a pioneer and one of the founding members of the club. And whenever Stefan was in the city, he often dined in the club a couple of nights per week and spent most of his weekends there. The inside of the club's hall had been decorated by the world's
"SO JONATHAN HAS it," Maxim said thoughtfully as he swirled his whiskey in the glass cup he held, "But I should not be so surprised. it must run in the genes or something.""Has what?" Kimberly asked. Since that first time, she had refrained from the drinks in Maxim's office, "What do you mean?" Maxim walked back to his seat. His mind was still reeling since Kimberly came back from the Stone's tower 30 minutes ago. "Not everyone has it, you know," He said, still not answering her question, "Having it set him apart from the crowd of this business world." "Are you going to tell me what it is that you're talking about?" Kimberly asked sourly. "Instinct, Kimberly. Sixth sense. Luck. Call it whatever," Maxim replied, "But he has it. He knew you were coming and luckily escaped it." Kimberly did not look like she bought into what Maxim was saying. "And if he can just know how to harness it, it would save him from a lot of trouble," Maxim kept on saying. "Yeah, right," Kimberly muttered