My Boss's Hidden Heir (Elara and Marcus) novel Chapter 81

Chapter 81

Penelope’s POV

Penelope’s morning started with an unwelcoming phone call.

Luca had called yesterday asking to meet today, claiming he had important information to share. When Penelope suggested he come to her office, he’d immediately backtracked, saying he didn’t have money for transportation.

“What about the five hundred I gave you?” Penelope had asked, irritation creeping into her voice.

“I spent it,” Luca admitted without a hint of shame.

Of course he did. Penelope had resisted the urge to hang up right there. “Fine. I’ll send you another five hundred. Just meer me at my office at ten.”

“I don’t know,” Luca had said, his tone suddenly suspicious. “How do I know this isn’t some kind of setup? What if Marcus finds out and sends people after me?”

Penelope had gripped her phone tighter, reminding herself that she needed this idiot. “Then where do you suggest we meet?”

“There’s a spot in my neighborhood. A café. I’ll text you the address.”

And that’s how Penelope found herself sitting in the back of her Bentley at nine thirty in the morning, her driver navigating through increasingly unfamiliar streets while an escort car followed behind them for security. She’d insisted on the escort after seeing the address Luca had sent. The neighborhood wasn’t just questionable, it was actively concerning.

When they finally arrived, Penelope understood why Luca had felt safe here. This was the slum of the slummest. Buildings with crumbling facades. Trash piled on street corners. People sitting on stoops drinking from bottles wrapped in brown paper bags even though it wasn’t even ten in the morning yet.

Her driver pulled up to what Luca had generously called a café. It was really just a rundown food stall with a few plastic tables and chairs set up outside under a torn awning. The kind of place that probably had more health code violations than menu items.

Penelope spotted Luca immediately. He was sitting at one of the tables, wearing the same stained clothes from two days ago. He still looked like he’d been sleeping in his car, if he even had a car. The five hundred dollars she’d given him clearly hadn’t gone toward personal hygiene.

She climbed out of the Bentley carefully, her heels clicking against the cracked pavement. Every eye on the street turned to look at her. She was wearing a Chanel suit that cost more than most of these people made in a year, and her jewelry alone could probably pay someone’s rent for six months. She stuck out like a diamond in a dumpster.

“Mrs. Penelope!” Luca called out, waving like they were old friends meeting for brunch.

Penelope walked over slowly, her driver staying close behind her. She sat down on the plastic chair across from Luca, trying not to think about what might be living on its surface.

“Mr. Vance,” she said coolly.

“Just call me Luca”

smelled like a distillery mixed. Concealed disgust. His heard was still unkempt, his eyes were bloodshot and he sull

She looked him over with barely

body odor

“If we’re going to have any kind of working relationship,” Penelope started, her tone sharp, “you need to change how you look and stop the drinking. There’s a lot of money to be made here, but the journey is long and it requires you to be presentable. Do you understand?”

Luca’s expression shifted slightly, some of the drunken casualness fading. “How much money are we talking wond

“Enough that your one million dollar demand to Marcus will look like pocket change”

That got his attention. He sat up straighter, his eyes focusing properly for the first time since she’d arrived.

at do I have to do?”

we need to establish what w was paying attention. “Tell

ca scratched his beard begging everyone for money for upkeep

“And you four

“Hell yea she’s

any

nelope leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice even though so o

know about this sudden marriage between my stepson and your day

don’t know much. One minute she was here crying about not having money e’s suddenly rich, paying for her mother’s hospital treatment, giving her extra someone flipped a switch.”

1. s. Girls like Elara don’t just stumble into money like that. Something had to happen. Either or someone’s paying her for something” He leaned back in his chair. “What do you care

ad of smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “My husband

s seventy percent. There was a clause in his grandf irthday or he loses his shares”

ho??

Shareholders. Meaning me and my husband.”

dened slightly. “So you’re saying-”

that if this marriage is real, Marcus l marriage is fake, that it was arrang ould be split between the rema

sed, letting that sink in. Shed, we’d have full con

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify