AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He reached behind him and retrieved a pad and pencil from the desk. “I can take a look at the property, but I’m not sure what you expect me to find there.”
“I think it was Kyle and his wife.”
He stopped, pen suspended midair over the paper. “What? So, you want me to tail them?”
“Can’t you tap into their phone calls, texts, and emails?” I shrugged. “Things like that?”
“Not without a warrant. Are you insane?”
“Well, isn’t there something you can do?” I asked.
“I’ll ask around,” he said, rising to his feet and flipping the pad of paper closed. “See if anyone has heard anything about it. Though to be fair, I didn’t even know you had a house in town.”
“It’s my grandmothers,” I said, following his example and standing. I had already taken up too much of his time to pursue a silly whim aimed at his one-time best friend. Not to mention, I had my own appointment to keep with the same man I knew was responsible for setting the fire.
“And you think Kyle and his wife torched it?” Flynn asked, disbelief saturating every word. “Kyle? The one who’s had his eye on Hummingbird Hollow since he was eight?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Maybe it was one of those ‘if I can’t have it, no one can’ situations. You know Kyle. He can be ruthless.”
“I’ll see what I can come up with,” Flynn said, pushing me toward the door. “But for now, lie low. Don’t go poking the bear or anything. If Kyle is involved in this, then you’re going to want to keep your distance.”
Great. Keep my distance.
I turned toward Flynn. “That may be a problem.”
* * *
“I can’t say that we’re pleased to have you here,” Vanessa said, leading me down the long corridor to the conference room. “However, your parents have given me full-license to fire you if you break any of our policies and procedures. Which I intend to see to the letter.”
“You’re all heart.”
“Don’t think we aren’t all completely convinced that you schmoozed your way into Grandma’s pockets,” Vanessa said, without looking over her shoulder at me. Anyone watching us would have assumed she was simply briefing me on the latest policies or sales they had in place. “That house and this company rightfully belonged to Kyle and me. We are the ones working our asses off to keep Grandma’s estate afloat, while you run off to play the delinquent college student to a fault.”
“I didn’t realize Grandma’s multi-million dollar assets were in such disrepair.” To be fair, the estate was probably closer to a billion dollars by now, but who was counting?
“Yes, well, after you foolishly caused the fire in that house,” Vanessa said, “her assets have significantly diminished, haven’t they?”
I stopped her, forcing her to look me in the eye. “You know as well as I do, I didn’t start that fire.”
Her scowl softened into a smirk that was half malicious and half cloying sweetness. “Why, Lyndsey. I haven’t the slightest clue what you mean by that.”
The look she gave me was practically a confession. Though a sardonic smirk wouldn’t really hold up in court. I knew this woman and her sleazy husband were responsible for what happened to my home, and now they also held the reigns to my future.
Flynn was right. I needed to tread carefully. My life was in the hands of people who wanted to see me ruined. Which meant I’d have to play nice, despite how much I wanted to see justice served.
Eventually, they would get what was coming to them. But for now, I had to play this little game.
“First things first,” Vanessa said, and pivoted on her heel down the hall. “Number one rule, no fraternizing with the clients. I know holding back that famous Saunders’s charm may be a challenge for you, but these clients are completely off limits. You can guide them and instruct them in how to interact with potential mates, take them to the locations, things like that. But there is to be no inappropriate behavior whatsoever.”
“Got it,” I snapped. “No sexing up the clients.”
The muscles in Vanessa’s jaw twitched. I wasn’t doing a very good job at playing nice, though neither was she.
“You also want to maintain the client at all times. We offer a one hundred percent satisfaction guarantee. Which means, if our clients aren’t happy, then we aren’t happy,” Vanessa explained. “It also means doing everything in your power to ensure they receive the best quality experience as possible. Most of our clients are interested in arranged marriages, something simple to make their lives easier. So, it really comes down to knowing the client you’re working with, as well as all the other clients in the database. Compatibility is key.”
“Sounds romantic.”
“In my experience, romance has little to do with marriage,” Vanessa explained, completely serious. “It’s more about going in the same direction. Someone who helps you attain your goals. That’s what it’s all about. That’s what these people are looking for when it comes to a match. Someone who will take care of them. Someone who will look good on their arm at company galas. Someone who will provide strong, healthy, beautiful children.”
