Never Giving Up

Chapter 4

"The man standing by the revolving door is Morris," Jones notifies as we come to a complete stop outside an office building. I look out the car window to the dark skinned male dressed in a black suit with white shirt and black tie. He's well-built like Carlo. His suit fits well and doesn't seem like he will burst out of it like Carlo seems to do in his. "He's one of Nick Madden's bodyguards."

I grip the strap of my bag with one hand as my other hand gets ready to open the car door. "Does he know what's happening? Is he in the loop with everything?"

"He does," Jones confirms before Morris makes a move towards the car. "He'll take you straight up to Luca." He checks the time on his watch as the car door opens. "You have ten minutes to spare which will come in handy waiting for an elevator."

I mutter my thanks to Jones as I get out the back of the car.

"Miss. Miles," Morris greets, his voice deep. He closes the car door and places an arm over my shoulders as a way of both guiding and protecting me from those passing.

I take a quick glance up at the building in front of us that we're walking into. It is exactly the type of building I expected Luca to have his company based in. It's exterior is clad in glass, reflecting the light and surrounding buildings from all angles like an illusion. The higher up the building you look, the more you begin to wonder if it's really as tall as it looks or if it's just the clear sky above.

Morris allows me to enter the building first through the revolving door and as soon as I'm off the street and in the lobby, I feel out of place. The men and women who are coming and going are smartly dressed in business attire. Then there's me who is sticking out like a sore thumb in faded red jeans, white top with matching cardigan, and trainers.

Not a good look.

The sound of heels on the polished floor has me looking in the direction of the occupant before I move out her way as she passes. It's like she doesn't see me and it's no wonder she doesn't because she's too busy with pulling her sunglasses out her bag and slipping them on over her eyes. The young female who is behind her is trying to move quickly with a stack of folders clutched tightly to her chest.

Morris's hands find my shoulders and he turns me back round so I'm walking in the right direction. I take a deep breath and catch the small looks some of the other people there are giving me. The middle-aged woman sitting on the couch to my left with a younger woman next to her do a double take as they look up from the magazines they're reading. They look back down at the magazines then back to me, mouths falling open when it clicks in their heads as to who I am. I avert my eyes to their magazines and groan a little inside when I see that it's People magazine that they're reading.

Not again.

"I'll check you in," Morris says, letting me go.

He approaches the reception desk and asks the redhead female there to call up to J.N. Holdings to say there is someone here for a meeting with Luca. She doesn't hesitate in handing him a visitors pass and then looks at me. She smiles at me and I return it before she starts asking Morris a range of different questions she thinks I can't hear.

They're pretty much what I expected them to be. Is that Luca Madden's girlfriend? Is she he one he was talking about in the interview he did? Why is she here? Does he know she's here? Is she here to surprise him? Can I ask her a few things about Luca?

I roll my eyes as the girl continues with her ridiculous questions that Morris isn't answering. I move away from the reception desk to the wall close by which is filled with writing and numbers indicating which floor each company is on. I look long and hard for Luca's company name but I can't see it. I go over every number and company name on the glass board, the white writing easier to read in front of the dark grey wall.