One Night In Amsterdam (23 page)

“This explains why you hate him. You had a big loss. But why does he hate you? It seems like he was the big winner. My father always finds a way to pull through.”

“I am getting there. I just wanted you to know how it all started.”

“Okay…I’m listening.”

“Two years ago, Max and I were working on another deal in Singapore. After losing OAM to Reed Capital, we were being extremely careful. But I knew Chuck. He didn’t play fair, so we decided to change the rules of the game and play like he did.” Dylan spoke slowly, and then looked deeply into my eyes as if he was gauging my response. “Do you remember Trisha, your father’s girlfriend?” He asked hesitatingly.

“The one before Marlene. Yes, I remember her. I also remember that they had an ugly break up. My father never explained us what she did. But I heard she cost him a lot of money.”

“Yes, she did. I was the reason for that.”

“What do you mean?” I asked curiously.

“We didn’t have anybody or any way to get to Chuck the way he did to us.  So, Max and I made a plan. We knew that Trisha was Chuck’s girl. We studied her for a month and knew everything about her. What she liked, she didn’t like…What her weaknesses were.  Our plan was to use her against Chuck. I wanted Max to carry on the plan, flirt with her and win her heart, but in order to do that he had to give up his wicked bachelor life and only date her. Of course, Max couldn’t do it.” He paused, took a big sip from his glass. “So I did. She was easy to fool. Since I studied her so well, she fell for me. She continued her relationship with Chuck as I told her to do. But she was coming to my apartment, spending her days in my bed after she left Chuck’s.”

“What? You… you were…” I stuttered. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“Yes Emma. I used your father’s girlfriend for six months to get to your father. She was so in love with me that she was ready to do whatever I asked. She had access to all his files. She fed me all his business information. Now that we had the insider information, we closed all the deals when we were competing against Reed.  We acquired an even more powerful company in Singapore for the Asia Market and we turned a record profit that year.” He explained. His face was solemn, eyes not blinking. “Of course, Chuck found out about Trisha and me eventually, and we’ve become mortal enemies ever since.”

“Oh, Dylan. How could you? What you did is…”

“I know, it is disgusting. Horrible. Immoral.”

“Yes. All that…and more. I don’t know what to say, or what to think?”

“That was old me Emma. I promise you, I’ve changed. You’ve changed me. Since I’ve met you, I’ve become a different person. Can you forgive me?”

“I am not the one to forgive. You used a girl to get to my father. I don’t care how you made my father lose millions, but using a girl the way you did… it’s unacceptable.”

“Trisha wasn’t a good girl Emma. She was using me as much as she used your father. She saw that I was a better catch, so she played an ugly, unethical game to get me. I am not proud of what I did but please believe me when I say, she wasn’t in it for love, she was in it for money.”

“I don’t know what to believe any more.”

“I know. You asked for nothing but truth. This is the truth. Please let me hold you?” He said and wrapped his hands over my waist. He leaned in, his face a few inches away, breathed in the side of my neck. His lips were close but not touching my skin.

I put my hands on his chest and pushed myself away from him since I knew the moment we kissed, I wouldn’t be able to stay away. I needed time to think and make up my mind about of all of this. “I think I should stay at Sydney’s apartment tonight.” I said after a long silent minute.

“No, I can’t let you leave.” Dylan rejected. “You won’t come back.”

“Dylan, please… ”

“I’m scared Emma.” He muttered and buried his face into my hair. He wrapped his arms tightly around me again and whispered in my ear.  “I’m scared that I am going to lose you.”

“I love you Dylan. I can’t just turn off my feelings for you. But I need some time. Give me some time.”

He crossed his arms over his chest and gazed deep into my eyes. When I opened the door to leave, “Please come back to me, Emma,” he said and watched me get into the elevator with doleful eyes. Oh, God… What was I going to do?

CHAPTER 17

DYLAN

“Just give her some time…” I kept repeating to myself on my way to work after I got out of the gym. I couldn’t sleep all night. Being alone in a cold bed and her absence in my arms was horrifying. My apartment felt like a strange place without her. It was so bothersome and uncomfortable that I couldn’t stay inside. I rushed out of my apartment before dawn broke.  I crossed the empty street and started my usual five mile jog around the park. I ran faster than my usual pace. I was out of breath and sweating like crazy by the time I completed my run but it wasn’t enough to distract me. So I went to the gym next, worked out for another hour, took a shower and then called Jeff to pick me up.  I was staring at the New York skyline through the tall windows in my office blankly, absorbed in deep thoughts when Max came in.  With one look at me, he noticed my miserable mood. I was in anguish and my face obviously showed it.

“What the hell is wrong with you again?” Max growled.

I turned around and glared at him without saying anything. I was still on edge and felt like I was ready to punch someone in the face. If Max wasn’t careful with what he said, he was going to be the unlucky victim of my burning rage.

“Come on, man. You look like shit.” He commented bluntly. “What’s up with your hand? I left you all fine and chirpy on Friday. Tell me what happened.”

“Chuck Reed happened.” I mumbled.

"I thought you guys didn’t do face-to-face anymore. Is it the same old shit again?”

“No.” I sighed deeply before I told him the disturbing news. “He is Emma’s father.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Just as I said… Chuck Reed is Emma’s father. We had a very pleasant brunch yesterday.” I said facetiously.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. How is that possible? She’s Dr. Collins.”

“I guess she took her mother’s last name when she got into Columbia. She doesn’t talk much about her father and definitely does not act like the daughter of a billionaire. I’ve never suspected anything.”

“No, I wouldn’t have guessed Emma was that son of a bitch’s daughter either.” Max replied unbelievingly and shook his head. He looked as shocked as I was when I found out about Emma’s father. “So… You met Chuck and had a fight. Is that why your hand is bandaged? Don’t tell me you hit him, broke his nose or something?”

“If Emma didn’t step in, I would have. The old bastard ordered me not to see his daughter ever again.” I snorted. “Of course I got mad, punched a window, cut my hand, and then we went to the ER, and I got stitches. All that fun stuff.”

“Oh, wow. Too much shit for one weekend. So…how is Emma? What does she think of all this?”

“I don’t know. I told her everything when we got home…and then she left.”

“What do you mean you told her everything? Did you tell her about Trisha?”

“Yes, even Trisha…”

“Oh, God. You‘re in trouble, man. Good luck!”

“Yeah…She said she needs some time to think.” I muttered and started looking at the folder Max brought in. I had to distract myself and stop thinking about Emma…what she was doing or what she was going to do.

Max and I were going over Steve’s ten year projection numbers for South America when Mrs. Donnelly called in. She spoke through the office intercom in an unusual panicky voice.

“Mr. Hamilton. There is somebody in the lobby and he demands to see you immediately. I told him you are in a meeting but he refused to listen.”

“Who is he?”

“He didn’t give me his name. He said something about your brunch on Sunday. He is a very unreasonable person and he is on his way.” She said anxiously.

“Oh, shit!” I yelled at her inadvertently.

“I am sorry, Mr. Hamilton. I tried but he didn’t listen.”

“It is not your fault Rose…” I said and saw Chuck Reed’s tall figure approaching my office behind the frosty glass door.

“What’s going on Dylan?” Max asked, but before I could answer, Chuck entered my office.

“What are you doing here Chuck? Yesterday’s meeting was unpleasant enough. It is seriously unhealthy for me to see your face two days in a row.” I said.

“Believe me, I’d like to avoid seeing your god damn face for rest of my life and I am here to ensure that happens.” He threw his usual insults at me immediately.

“If you are going to start up about my relationship with Emma again, don’t bother. We’ve talked already…”

“And…”

“And I told her everything. She loves me and I love her. She just needs some time to think. But I trust that we’ll get pass this. I was honest with her and that’s what’s most important.”

“I am sure you missed a few details.” He narrowed his eyes and couldn’t hide the subtle twitch on his face.

“No… I told her about everything, even Trisha.” I said, self-assured.

Hearing her name caused the effect I expected. He was irritated and pissed off. “I’m pretty sure you’ve skipped a few heated details. Like these…” He growled with a smirk on his face and threw a sealed yellow envelope on my desk. “I wanted to hand deliver it to you personally and make sure that you got it. If you don’t remember the night, I bet these pictures and Max will refresh your memory. Wouldn’t you Maximilian? You are the perfect friend. The perfect son. Always making your daddy proud! ”

“What the hell you are talking about? What is in the envelope?” I asked angrily.

“It is proof showing what a fucked up person you are and the same goes for your dear friend Max.  Emma needs to stay away from both of you, and I will do everything in my power to make that happen. Why don’t you enjoy the nice photo album I prepared for you?” He said, mockingly. He was trying to intimidate me and I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of showing that I was worried. I glared back at him and then turned to Max to see if he knew what the hell he was talking about. Max crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head.

“Go ahead open it…” Chuck snickered.

Max and I reached for the envelope at the same time and I let Max tear it open.  He pulled a stack of photos out and the instant he grabbed the first picture, his eyes grew wide. Almost in shock, he started swearing and cursing, while Chuck smirked back and lifted his eyes, daring me to look. I took the stack of photos from Max’s hands and checked them out quickly.

They were photos of me and Max at the Fleur-de-lis party from a year ago. Obviously they were taken secretly in the mansion, in one of the private rooms without our knowledge. The photos were very graphic, showing Max and I having sex with the same girl while she was blindfolded and handcuffed.  We were wearing masks, but the tattoos on our arms were visible, giving us away. Neither Max, nor I denied our ‘not so spotless’ bachelor past. The business we were in, the wild parties, the call girls, it was all almost normal.  Unfortunately, the way the photos were taken, it looked as if we were torturing her, while in reality it was nothing like that. It was consensual sex between Valerie, Manhattan’s wealthiest and most famous nymphomaniac, and us.  Valerie was every bachelor’s dream in Manhattan. She was the female equivalent of Max, who also happened to be Max’s impossible catch. He wanted to fuck her for years, but Valerie was a member of an invitation only club and she only hooked up with club members. No one else.

Last fall, after my sweet victory over Chuck and I turned a billion dollars in revenue, and Chuck found out about the game I played behind his back, I had a horrible confrontation with Trisha. I needed a night out to blow off some steam. I knew what we did was unethical and it bothered me in more ways than I thought it would. Wanting a way to put Trisha and my terrible fight with Chuck behind me, Max came up with one of his ‘not so smart but supposed to be fun’ ideas. He knew about Valerie’s club and some of her connections. After some surreptitious meetings and many phone calls to some high up people in the Manhattan socialite, he got us in to an invite-only party that only certain people knew about.  He didn’t care what the party was about as long as he got to be with Valerie and he didn’t even mind that I had to join them. At first, I wondered what he meant when he said I had to join them. A second after I saw Max’s intense glare and insinuating smirk, I understood we were going to do it together; fulfill Valerie’s fantasy, satisfy the most insatiable woman in Manhattan.

It was a cold, blistery night when we drove out of Manhattan, two hours north. We arrived at a huge mansion in the middle of nowhere, close to midnight.  A tall blonde girl with a feathered masquerade mask greeted us at the door and invited us in.  She was wearing only a thong and a boa hanging over her neck, covering her nipples slightly.  She handed us our masks and told us to wait in the vestibule. It was my first time at a party like this. I was nervous and had no idea what to do.

A dark haired lady wearing nothing but a gold cloak and matching gold mask came out shortly and told us that our date was waiting for us. She offered us a red pill and explained that it was going to make the night, our first experience in the club, more satisfying and intense.  A small red pill that all the guests took. It was supposed to be magical and all natural, better than ecstasy… or so we were told. Max didn’t hesitate of course. He swallowed it immediately and assured me that we would be fine. I downed it with some whiskey after him and sure enough, the magic began in less than five minutes. Before I knew it, I was wearing a mask, and nothing else, with so many beautiful and naked girls around me, all eager to have sex. I was half-hallucinating, half-awake in a complete blissful state. For the rest of the night, I followed Max around the mansion without a clue what the hell I was doing.