Page 66 of Misdeeds of a Billionaire
The receptionist gave us one look and she knew we didn’t belong here. Well, to hell with her.
“Hello, we’re here to see Mr. Morrelli,” I stated with the confidence I didn’t feel.
“Do you have an appointment?” she questioned. I hesitated, and it was all she needed to make assumptions. “No appointment, no Mr. Morrelli.”
I wasn’t sure why she couldn’t just call him and tell him someone was here. He wouldn’t have replied and asked us to come in if he wouldn’t see us. Right?
“Can you call him?” My voice shook. My words stumbled. This was our last hope. We couldn’t leave without seeing him. “He sent me an email asking me to come today.” The look she gave me clearly said she didn’t believe me. “I can show you,” I offered, pulling out my phone from my purse.
This time she hesitated, biting down on her maroon-glossed lip.
“Just call him.” I jerked my chin toward the switchboard phone.
She did. The conversation lasted less than thirty seconds. “Head to the elevators. The top floor is the executive floor,” she instructed. The surprise on her face told me she didn’t expect that we actually were allowed to go up there.
A relieved breath escaped me, easing the weight on my chest.
“Mommy, are we going to take the elevator high up in the air?” Ares asked, tugging on my hand.
I smiled softly.
“Yes, we will. Do you see an elevator?” I asked.
His eyes roamed over the grand lobby and flickered with light.
“There,” he exclaimed, pointing his finger across the lobby.
“Excellent, my little explorer. Lead the way.”
My sister and I followed him as he eagerly tugged on my hand. Billie and I shared an amused look. Ares was nothing if not curious and eager for adventure. Our entire time in Ghana, it was impossible to keep him inside. He’d explore the vast land around the little hospital with Billie, or even inside the hospital, until he crashed at night.
Ares pressed on the button impatiently after I showed him which one to push, and it took no time for the elevator door to open. The three of us entered, and I smiled when Ares’s blue eyes met mine, asking for permission.
I nodded. “The last button with the highest number,” I instructed. He didn’t need me to repeat it, because his little finger already found it and pushed it.
As the elevator shot up, I sent a silent prayer up to whoever was listening. Maman. Dad. Anyone.Just save us.
The elevator dinged and we strode out of it, one hand holding Ares’s, the other smoothing down my dress nervously. The room opened up to the executive floor, and there was only one corner office in sight.
“Why can’t we go to the movies with friends?” a whiny young voice traveled over the air.
“Because you’re too young to go without an adult,” a woman’s calm voice scolded. “And you’ll only go with Dad or me as chaperones.”
“But—”
“That’s not fair!” It had to be a teenager arguing with her parents. “Their parents are responsible too.”
“I’m sure they are,” a man’s voice argued. “But like your mother said, one of us goes with you or nobody goes to the movies.”
“Come on, Hannah. We can just watch a movie at home. I’d rather be in pajamas and comfortable in our home theater anyway.”
It had to be her sister. Billie and I exchanged an amused glance.
A stomp on the floor and then the door swung open. Two girls, identical twins no older than ten, rushed out of the office and almost slammed into us. Their blonde curls bounced and the soft freckles over their noses were pronounced with their agitation.
I couldn’t help but smile. Billie had the same thing going on with her freckles.
“Hello, girls,” we greeted them. Their cobalt eyes studied us, and I wondered how anyone could tell them apart. Even their freckles seemed to be in the same spot.
