RAVIEL (TWENTY)

The warning alarm on my phone rang. All the nerves in my body woke up and were on alert. Someone was entering my study without my permission.

I quickly took out my phone to check it. Seth, who was explaining some technical stuff to me, stopped with a frown.

“Wait a sec, Seth.”

“Something happened, boss?”

“Just a warning alarm that suddenly went off.”

“Did someone break into your house?”

“I don’t think so.”

I grinned after checking all my cameras. Claire was apparently walking around my study. This was the first time she had entered my study after she became part of the family. I could feel her curiosity towards me was very high. She used to be almost indifferent to me, and vice versa. After I tried to approach her and get to know her better, she started to notice my presence. She saw me as… Not a stepfather. Not even close. She saw me as a man she admired from afar.

“So who has entered your territory without permission?”

“My stepdaughter. She might need something. Take a ten minute break. I need to make a call.”

Seth nodded briefly and went back to busying himself with his iPad screen. Before leaving this dim room, I suddenly remembered that I wanted Seth to do something for me.

“Find me information about Olivia. She’s a third-year student at the University of California.”

“Okay, boss.”

“I want to see the results after talking to Claire.”

“Understood.”

Good

I knew I could count on Seth for everything. He was the best and the one who had been with me for the longest time. My uncle was the first one who gave him to me to be my assistant.

 “Claire.”

I knew she was shocked because I caught her in my study. Claire's body tensed on the monitor screen. She stood with her back to the camera, giving me a view of her beautiful round ass.

Shit

I never get tired of looking at her body even though I watch her almost every hour. She was beautiful in every curve of her body.

“Why aren’t you sleeping yet?”

“I...”

“Claire?”

“Oh, sorry. I haven’t slept yet because Olivia just got home. I was checking every room in the house to make sure everything was safe before going to bed. Alberta is already in her bed, so I feel responsible to make sure the house is completely safe.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. The guards will make sure the house is safe without you having to go around the house to check.”

“Umm… Ok.”

“No need to worry. You can sleep soundly in your room.”

“Raviel.”

“Yes?”

“Where are you?”

“In a hotel in Miami. What’s wrong, Claire? Do you need anything?”

She started to show her possessiveness towards me. And I didn’t mind at all. I couldn’t tell her where I was right now. I definitely wasn’t in a hotel in Miami. At least not tonight, but tomorrow. I was in an old warehouse on the outskirts of town that my uncle had used as a base for years.

“Nope. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. By the way, how did you know I was in your study?”

“I don’t know, but Glen does. I just called him to make sure the house was safe. He saw the lights on in my study. I assumed it was you.”

“I’m sorry I came into your study without permission. I just wanted to make sure everything was safe since I’m the one in charge of this house after Mom died. Please forgive me.”

“Hey, it’s okay. I don’t mind you coming into my study. I didn’t even lock it since I don’t have anything dangerous hidden in there. You can even read my books if you like.”

“No novels,” she whined.

“Your books look so boring and too heavy for me.”

“Yeah, I don’t read novels. Maybe we can go to a bookstore and buy some novels that you like after I get back from my business trip.”

“Seriously? Do you want to go to a bookstore with me?”

“Why not? I’ve never been to a bookstore with you before. And I have a feeling it’ll be fun.”

“Alriht. I can’t wait for you to get back from your business trip. Take care.”

“You too. Good night, Claire.”

I had to end my call with Claire because I still had a lot of things to do. Honestly, I wanted to linger to hear her voice and see her blush from my phone screen. She was so adorable. And sweet.

“Boss, I’ve got everything you asked for.”

Seth looked up at me as I walked into my uncle’s former study, which was now my office. My conversation with Claire was going well. She swallowed all the lies I told her whole. What a naive girl.

“Show me what you found, Seth.”

“Her name is Olivia Rodriguez. Her family has never been involved in any scandals and is very straight. She is the only child of Theobalt Rodriguez and Maria Rodriguez. She isn’t a particularly brilliant student, but she isn’t stupid, either. Her academic performance has been average since kindergarten.”

“Her voice is certainly anything but average,” I scoffed.

“Never been involved in any scandals. She has never had a DUI.”

“Okay, that’s it. I don’t have to worry about Claire’s circle of friends anymore.”

I glanced at the paperwork scattered on the desk.

“Is everything set?”

“Yes. You need to sign some documents to send to James Howard. He is very pleased with your weapons, boss.”

“That’s what I expect from all my clients. Make sure every delivery goes smoothly, Seth.”

“Got it.”

I quickly signed each document, then tossed them on the table.

“I’ll take Alan’s project from here.”

“Okay. The price has been agreed upon. He asked for it to be done ASAP. Before next week.”

“I will start the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow I have an important meeting in Miami with some important clients from the Middle East.”

“The day after tomorrow, Alan will be at Montage Laguna Beach to have dinner with his colleagues and discuss election strategy.”

“Okay. Arrange a room for me. Choose a place as close as possible to where Alan is staying.”

Seth nodded and began scrolling through his iPad to book a room in my name. A fake name. I had dozens of IDs, passports, credit cards, and even insurance cards with fake names. So far, no one had ever suspected me. Either because I was lucky or because they were a bunch of idiots who were overpaid by the public tax.

“Done. You will be staying in one of the best suites at Montage Laguna Beach under the name Arthur Doyle.”

“Great name. You are the best, Seth,” I patted his shoulder briefly.

“Thanks, sir.”

Even though he dropped out of school at seventeen, and never got his high school diploma, Seth was as brilliant as any PhD student. He absorbed new knowledge quickly. He was the only one who could understand my train of thought, and he worked just as effectively with me. But even though he had been with me for years, he never dropped his formality when talking to me. He was the same as he had been all those years ago, when he first came into the organization.

“And now, our rat. I want to see him before I end tonight’s meeting.”

“He’s in the torture chamber in the basement.”

“What’s his name?”

“Hans Barnes. He’s been with us for two years now. He was a courier who made the leap to supervisor about two months ago.”

“If he’s been doing that well for over a year, why is he stealing from us all of a sudden?”