Chapter 48

Derek POV

I hesitated, taking a deep breath and deciding whether to knock on Madison's door.

I lifted my fisted hand to knock, and right then, the door flew open.

Madison stood in front of me as she leaned on the door.

Her bright red lipstick matched the bright red mini-dress she was wearing, leaving very little to the imagination.

She smiled as I tried to reflect on how I had convinced myself to do this.

"For you," I said, handing her the white roses my left hand had clung to.

She happily accepted the gesture, drawing the flowers closer to her nose as she took in the scent.

"You should come in," she whispered, standing away from the door.

I scanned the room. The blinds in the whole suite had been closed, blocking the outside view of the skyscrapers. The natural light from outside was replaced by dim lights lighting up the house.

I decided to move over to the living room area, which was just an extension of this room.

"A total gentleman and as punctual as always." I heard Madison say.

I looked at her from over my shoulder and tried my best to convey a convincing smile.

I settled down and took a seat on the couch. For a while, she disappeared from my view in the direction of the kitchen, probably to put away the flowers.

She returned minutes later, hands-free of the flowers. She took a seat next to me.

"I still can't thank you enough for what you did for me. Who knows what would have happened if you weren't there?" She drew a breath, pretending to hold back tears.

"I'm glad to have been there," I answered.

She leaned in, placing her hands over mine as her fingers brushed against mine. It took everything in me not to flinch.

"We are doing our utmost best to find those men. I'll make sure that whoever is responsible for this pays dearly," I said. "It's just that so far, we have not had any luck. The criminal seems a lot smarter than we could have expected." I added. This time, it was my turn to pretend to be disappointed. Your safety is of the utmost importance. We will do everything in our power to protect you."

"Thank you," she muttered, brushing her hair from her face.

She turned away from me, her eyes drifting toward the kitchen.

"Why don't we just skip over to dinner? I figured I owed you after you saved my life. I had the chefs prepare the utmost best." She suggested.

I had no reason to object, right?

"Sure," I replied, moving away from her.

We both stood off the couch as she led me toward the dining area, a door away from the kitchen.

The table was already set up with two plates, a red wine bottle, an extra bottle of wine, and candlelights to set the mood.

I pulled out a chair to sit in. We both began digging into the food. If not for the bitter taste that Madison's presence brought, I would have thoroughly enjoyed my meal. I must say, I had exquisite taste in finding the best chefs.

Madison's calculating gaze was fixated on me as she whined about a Paris story. Pretending to listen was exhausting. It's no wonder therapists get paid so much. I'm starting to think they've earned it.

"You aren't drinking any of your wine, and perhaps you should have some. It's simply the best." She drew out her words seductively.

I nearly choked on my food. I coughed to recover.

I would know that the wine was good. I handpicked every single wine brand sold here.

"I'm just saving the best for last," I answered.

"You don't look okay, and you should have a little bit of your wine." She insisted.

I smiled as I lifted the glass to my lips.

"You know," I paused halfway as I placed the glass down. "I was thinking we could discuss a little more about our business deal. I never saw or heard of any of those plans you said you had." I said. I folded my hands as I looked at her amusingly.

"You know, today is a very special occasion. Why don't we leave the business talk for now?" she asked. With a smile, she leaned in and narrowed the distance between us.

"You are probably right. Why don't we move on to talk about things that we'd both find amusing?" I suggested. I ran my finger across the base of the wine glass.

"Like?" She whispered, resting her chin on her hand. She stared at me with the same level of amusement.

"So, will you tell me what exactly you put in my drink?" I asked.

She blinked as a terrified expression swept across her face. She quickly masked it with the carefree look she looked on earlier.

"I-I..." she stuttered.

Fortunately, I was able to save her from her disaster. "You don't have to lie to me, and I know exactly what you've been up to," I said casually. "I'd offer it to you to drink yourself, but I'd appreciate it a lot more if you left this hotel while sober and still awake."

She stared at me, perplexed.

She looked away. "I-I have no idea what you are talking about." she stuttered as she tried pushing out of her chair.

I placed a tight grip on her hand, pinning it to the table.

For the first time, I saw Madison truly horrified, and this time, she didn't hide her horror.

"Sit down," I demanded.

Her hand trembled under my grip as she reluctantly obeyed.

I released my hand from hers.

"If you like and if this makes you uncomfortable, we can move to the business part of this conversation," I suggested. "Like how you planned the robbery," I said.

Tracking down the culprit was a lot easier, considering my contacts. The formal 'assistant' or 'friend' wasn't too difficult to find. People can do a lot of things when they are under pressure to avoid prison, including giving a full confession on videotape. From there, finding those guys wasn't that hard either. I knew she was behind it, and it had just taken me time to get the needed evidence.

"I have no idea what you are accusing me of." She mumbled, her eyes staring down.

I pulled out my phone to show her the video of the full confession. I enjoyed watching her panic throughout every second of that three-minute video.

"You are just trying to set me up," she replied as she tried to choke back her fear.

I decided to go on to the next video on my playlist.

I decided to install some hidden cameras in the suite. She was too dangerous not to keep a close eye on. From my busy schedule, I had asked Luke only to pull out the important footage. Who knows what else I could have found?

I played the video of how she had slipped some powder into the wine before I arrived.

That was a rookie mistake. Everyone knows that if you are trying to drug someone, at least put it in both the food and the drink. That way, it has better chances of working. Not that I'm encouraging this.

"If you like, we can have the police test it out. They'll tell us exactly what you slipped in there." I said.

She shook her head in denial. "You can't do this, it's illegal. You can't just put secret cameras around the hotel. What would your guests do if they found out about this?" She said in a panic.

"I promised to prioritise your safety, didn't I? This happens to include it. I can't help it if you are a danger to yourself." I answered. "You, on the other hand, imagine what people would say if they found out this is what you do. You'll never be able to show your face again," I said.

She pushed back her chair with full force, causing the chair to hit the ground.

She looked around in a panic, almost as if she had started seeing ghosts.

I was tired of being poor little Derek; everyone thought they would fool me. If my grandfather were right about one thing, I'd allowed people to walk all over me for far too long.

"I know who is behind this. It's your mother. She planned this whole thing." Madison yelled.

I wouldn't be surprised if my mother had been a pain in Madison's life for the past week. After all, we were Montenegros for a reason.

"Blame it on whoever you like," I said casually.

Her fear had turned into hate. She was on the verge of pulling out her hair.

"Because I'm such a nice guy, I'm offering you a way out, and we can continue our lives," I said. "I need you to leave this city, preferably out of this country altogether," I suggested.

"What makes you think I plan on going out quietly?" She chuckled.

Some people don't know when to lose.

"Your other alternative is a mental institution, surely you agree. You are a danger to society." I paused. "Although, come to think of it, prison would serve as a very good alternative for you," I warned.

The only reason I wasn't sending her to jail was because I'd have much better use for her later. It's always useful to have leverage over your enemies. She would be a lot more useful in the future than you think. Maybe my grandfather was right. In some ways, we were alike.

"I want you to leave immediately, pack all your things and get out," I said.

"I wouldn't want anything more," she said, stamping her feet as she moved to her bedroom.

Because I wanted to boast, I followed her to her bedroom and watched her throw her clothes into her suitcases.

She paused, staring at me, terrified. "The least you can do is send one of your stupid employees to help me," Madison yelled.

I leaned into the door frame. "Why would I do that? You didn't need help while plotting, so why should anyone help you now?" I asked.

It was a couple of minutes as I watched her struggle with all her clothes. I would have loved it if she was out of here sooner, but I was enjoying it.

"I know why you are doing this. It's because of that whore. I'll make sure that I deal with her." Madison spat vehemently.

She tried to manoeuvre her suitcases but nearly tripped in the process.

"Don't you dare get anywhere near her? If you even as much as breathe at her the wrong way, you'll be in an orange jumpsuit faster than you know it. No one would be able to save you." I threatened.

"She is worthless and poor. Sooner or later, you'll find that she'll betray you. "She couldn't stand you if you had no money." She said vehemently.

"You mean the same money you wanted?" I questioned. "She might not have as much money, but you, you surely have a way of taking the class out of the upper class," I said coldly.

I watched her struggle with her bags out of the suite. She never worked a day in her life.

If she left anything behind, she'd have to find it in the trash can.

I walked towards the front door to open it. It was the least I could do to ensure she left this place even sooner.

I opened the door. To my surprise, I was met by a very panic-stricken Clara who looked like she was just about to knock. At first, relief swept across her face, but fear soon replaced it.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

I didn't want her to be here because I knew just how unhinged Madison was. I didn't want her to be in any danger. Now, here she was on a silver platter.

"I forgot why I was here," she mumbled.

Madison reappeared.

Clara and I stepped out of her way as we watched her push out her luggage.

Clara didn't say anything, and she just stared confused.

"What happened to her?" Clara asked, pointing at Madison, who was now down the hall.

Madison's hair extensions were loose, and make-up smudged all over her face. Her appearance now fitted the psychotic person that she was.

"It turns out she didn't like the hotel as much as she thought. Now she is leaving." I answered.

Clara looked at me with her brow raised. She wasn't convinced.

I pulled her into a hug. After everything, I just wanted to hold her. She didn't pull away; instead, she wrapped her hands around me.

"What are you still doing here at this time? Maybe I should take you home," I suggested. I kept her in my arms.

Maybe today would be the day that I finally met her family.