Imagine Us

Chapter 5: A Whole New World

"Let me just get that folder up the top there." He reached for a large, black folder which sat at the top of a shelf. He was clearly struggling to retrieve it. His short, stubbiness was proving to be of no benefit at this very moment. 

Just then, Martha walks in with a steaming cup of coffee. She places it on Ian's desk and she just stares at him in amusement - prancing about to retrieve the folder. She walks up beside him and picks it up effortlessly. Ian is startled by this act.

Girl power.

Ian thanks her as she leaves.

He adjusts his crooked glasses and wipes the sweat off his face with a handkerchief.

"This baby right here, contains documents of monthly updates of all Marcus' properties in regards to their market value and all that. As I've said before, they're all doing quite well as he always had an eye for the good market trends and hotspots for investing. Now I'm talking penthouses in New York City, Shanghai, Tokyo, London, Sydney, Los Angeles, Chicago, you name it!"

He emphasised on the last bit, slamming on the table and startling me. 

"So how many exactly?"

"Twenty, worth thirty-five million dollars in total. Your father was the playboy of the market,       the shark of estates, the aristocrat of the decade." He scoffed. "He knew exactly what was his money's worth." Half was news to me. Half was not. I was never close to Marcus even though he's been married to my mother for four years and they dated for three before that. He'd always be away for months at a time for business trips and vacations. Most of the time he brought my mother along with him. Even though my parents would give me any materialistic thing I wanted they'd rarely ask me to accompany them. Sometimes, they'd ask me but I'd turn down. I'm devoted to my homeschooling. I wasn't even spoilt. I always just did my own things at home and would be happy with whatever latest Chanel handbag my mother brought me from Paris or the most expensive custom Gucci shoes Marcus gifted me and what not. I've never even been to another country. Ian was flicking through the folder which contained gorgeous pictures of my stepfather's estates. "Unfortunately, Alexa, as soon as the statement from your grandmother was A-Okay, I tried to see if any of the tenants renting out these penthouses would be willing to let you live in it but that's where we have limited flexibility. You see, they're on contracts. They've pretty much payed years worth of rent in advance and it would be an absolute mission to get them their money back."

"Can't I just buy a smaller house here in California? I don't see why we have to be looking at my father's estates."

"But you can't just be living in a normal house in a quiet, little neighbourhood."

Okay, that was shocking. 

"Why not?"

Ian sat down on his chair and held his hands together as if to drop the biggest secret ever. "I really hate to break it to you but your stepfather has enemies. Many of them. I don't want to come off as harsh but ever since news got out about his death, guess who's on the hit list now?"

My mouth dropped and my eyes widened beyond their sockets. "People are going to try to kill me?"

"Well that's a bit of a stretch but you know, yeah he did have enemies and he has had a few bumpy encounters in the past, nothing too drastic but we do need to take extra precaution. I hope that's alright with you. You don't only have a lot of money to lose - for goodness sake, in the moments that matter the most - money just won't matter,  no matter how much you have - but I know that you have a whole future ahead of you. You'll go on to do great things. You just need to be prepared."

I sighed. "Yeah, I understand."

"The contract of the tenants living in a penthouse in New York City will end in around eight months so I'll put that place on hold for you. For now, I have a suggestion on where to temporarily reside."