Page 101 of One Eye Open (The BlackWater)

“You are so like me.” Alfred muttered once the man left.

She narrowed her eyes. “How so?”

“You’re stubborn. Bad tempered. You speak your mind.”

“And yet all those seem to be traits you don’t want me displaying.” She replied.

“When you’re fighting me..”

She sighed taking a sip of her wine. Damn it was good, she thought.

“Fine let’s play pretend.” She muttered.

“Good girl.” He replied taking a sip of his own glass.

“So how are things at work? I hear the AGM was explosive…?” Alfred said with a smirk.

She narrowed her eyes. “How did you hear about that?”

He shrugged. “I have my sources. I invest a lot into Black Industries. I would be stupid not to have my assets protected.”

“That sounds suspiciously like insider trading.” She stated and he smirked even more.

“It’s only insider trading when you get caught.”

“Right.”

“From what I heard you single handedly saved the day. Killing the baddies, saving Cole’s life…” He said.

“And?”

“He owes you a lot.”

She sighed taking another sip of her glass. “Isn’t that what you do when you care about someone? You sacrifice for them?”

He folded his arms looking at her as if he was assessing her. “Is that what you do Maddison?”

She rolled her eyes. “What about you Alfred? You seem to know so much about me, about my life and yet I know nothing about you.”

“What would you like to know?” He asks leaning forward just as the waiter appeared with their starters. He moved to let the man put the plates down then waited until they were alone again.

“Surely you know about me?” He said.

“I know nothing.” She admitted. “I choose not to know.”

“So you’ve never been curious?” He asked.

“No.”

He frowned. “I grew up on a council estate. My parents weren’t poor but we were not comfortable. I knew from an early age that I didn’t belong there, that I would get out, carve my own life, build my fortune.”

“How did you know that?” She asked not able to keep the tone from her voice.

“Call it gut instinct.” He shrugs. “I made my first million the year I left University. I’d gotten a scholarship and after that I started my own fund. Everything grew from there.”

“So when did the women and the partying start?” She asked before she could stop herself and she saw the flash in his eyes.

“There is nothing wrong with enjoying your life and that’s what I did. I could afford too. I could afford to enjoy what most people only dreamed of.”

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