Chapter 4 - The Mask Drops
Harrison arrived at the downtown offices of Apex Metro Partners with a pounding headache and a knot of paranoia twisting his stomach.
The penthouse suite on the twenty-second floor of Meridian Tower was the crown jewel of his ambition. Floor-to-ceiling glass overlooked City Hall and the Schuylkill River. Italian leather sectionals decorated the lobby, while contemporary abstract paintings lined the executive corridor. Harrison had spent every dime of his personal savings and maxed out three commercial credit cards to furnish this office, convinced that prestige was the only currency that mattered.
He opened his laptop to check the bank balances. The joint checking account was untouched. His corporate lines were intact. There was no record of any loan application in Lissa's name.
"She must have sold Eleanor's antique jewelry," Harrison muttered to himself, leaning back into his ergonomic leather chair. A wave of irritation washed over him. "Selfish. She sells family heirlooms for dirt and rocks instead of investing it into my commercial equity."
A sharp tap sounded on his glass door.
Estelle Bowman stepped inside, radiant in an oversized houndstooth wool blazer, black turtleneck, and the fifty-thousand-dollar emerald necklace nestled proudly against her chest. She carried two lattes from the artisan roaster down the block.
"Good morning, handsome," Estelle purred, closing the glass door behind her and setting the coffee on his desk. She leaned down, pressing a lingering kiss to his cheek. "Did you sleep well?"
Harrison pulled her close, burying his face into her neck, letting the scent of her expensive French perfume drown out the unsettling memory of Lissa's cold eyes that morning. "Better now that you're here. That necklace looks incredible on you."
Estelle fingered the pendant, laughing softly. "Daddy loved it when I wore it to dinner last night. He said anyone with an eye for stones that rare must be a brilliant broker. He approved the letter of intent, Harrison."
Harrison's heart soared. "The entire forty thousand square feet?"
"All of it," Estelle smiled, sitting on the corner of his mahogany desk and crossing her slender legs. "Bowman Capital will sign the ten-year commercial lease for the top three floors of Meridian Tower on Friday. And as the exclusive tenant rep, your commission will be close to seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars."
Harrison let out a breathless laugh, scooping Estelle into his arms and spinning her around the office. Three-quarters of a million dollars. He was finally free. He could buy out his partners at Apex Metro. He could buy the luxury condo in Rittenhouse Square that Estelle had been hinting at.
"You're amazing, Estelle," he whispered, pressing his lips to hers.
May you like
"I know," she murmured against his mouth. "And you promised me, Harrison. Once this deal closes on Friday, you're done playing suburban house with that mouse in Wayne. You tell her about the divorce."
Harrison didn't hesitate. "Friday evening. The moment the deposit clears escrow, I'm serving the papers. She can keep her rotting garden and her Victorian wreck. I'm moving into the city with you."
