Chapter 91: Brilliant

Chapter 91: Brilliant Jamal walked into the house, his footsteps measured, his expression unreadable. As he walked into the living room his eyes went straight to Abigail. She stood in the middle of the room, flipping through a row of corporate clothes displayed on a metal rack. Soft pastels, bold charcoals, crisp whites—elegant and carefully selected, like they belonged to a woman who had to be taken seriously. Ryan stood beside her, one hand tucked into his pocket while the other held a half-full glass of whiskey. He looked at Abigail, speaking in a low, measured tone. She listened, nodding occasionally, her fingers trailing over the fabric of a navy-blue blazer. But the moment her gaze lifted and she spotted Jamal, her heart fluttered. She averted her eyes, not wanting Ryan to read any meaning into that. Jamal took the cue and shifted his gaze from her, keeping his focus on Ryan. Ryan, on the other hand, turned to face him with a slow smile. "Come with me," he said, his voice smooth, as though they were nothing more than two men having an ordinary conversation. Jamal nodded, following him, and Abigail watched from the corners of her eyes as they left, wondering why Ryan was taking Jamal inside. Ryan led the way through the hall, past the elegant sculptures and artwork that screamed wealth. They moved through corridors lined with heavy wooden doors, the scent of aged oak and faint cigar smoke clung to the air. When they reached Ryan’s office, he pushed the door open and strode in like a man who owned everything he laid eyes on— including the people in his world. A bar cart stood in one corner, its crystal decanters filled with amber liquid. Ryan went straight to it, then, without looking at Jamal, he picked up a bottle of wine. He poured Jamal a glass, the liquid swirling like blood in the dim light. "Drink," he said, setting the glass on the edge of the desk. Jamal remained still. "No, thank you," he said, not wanting to share a drink with a bastard that almost completely ruined the life of the lady he loved and not only kept her away from him all these years, but was also holding his son hostage. Ryan turned, slightly surprised by his blunt refusal. His lips curled in amusement. "Why not?" Jamal shook his head but held his gaze. "I don’t drink with my employers." Ryan chuckled, swirling the whiskey in his own glass. "I wasn’t asking as your employer, I was inviting you to share a drink with me." Jamal’s expression didn’t change. "I’d rather not. I don’t drink while on duty. I might need to drive in case of an emergency." Ryan exhaled a short laugh, shaking his head. "You’re quite impressive, Pete." He lifted his glass in a silent toast before taking a sip. "I have to admit, I didn’t expect someone like Genevieve to have the eye to hire someone like you." Jamal tensed. He wanted to ask what Ryan meant by that, but he knew better than to ask a man like Ryan questions. It would be too bold a move. So, instead he remained quiet and watched as Ryan moved to his desk and lowered himself into the high-backed chair with the air of a king on his throne. "Make yourself comfortable. Sit," Ryan said, gesturing to the chair across from him. Jamal obeyed, sitting but not relaxing. Ryan studied him for a moment before speaking. "Do you have a college degree, Pete?" Jamal nodded, "Yes, I do," he said, wondering why he was asking. Ryan smiled and nodded, "You seem to me like a very brilliant young man. I’m fascinated by brilliant minds. They always prove useful to me. Why are you a driver? Why aren’t you working in some company? I think you have what it takes to rise up a career ladder fast." Jamal shrugged, "Perhaps you’re the only one who can see the brilliance in me. This is the job I could get," he said with a straight face. Ryan threw his head back and laughed. "Indeed. Not many people of my foresight. It takes a mind like mine to recognize yours. I’m sure with time I can do something about that. But that’s after you’ve shown me how loyal you can be. Now tell me, how was your day? What did you observe about Genevieve and Jamal today?" He asked, getting right down to the reason he had called Jamal. Jamal kept his expression neutral. "I only saw them at the restaurant having breakfast. They seemed to be getting along." Ryan’s brow lifted slightly. "Getting along?" He leaned back, fingers tapping against the armrest. "I’d like to hear your thoughts on Jamal. What kind of man do you think he is?" Jamal chose his words carefully. "He seems like a gentleman." Ryan’s eyes gleamed with interest. "From your observation, would you say he is taking a liking to her?" Jamal considered it for a moment and nodded once. "I think he likes her." Ryan took another sip of his glass before setting it down. "Really? Why do you think so?" Jamal shrugged, "The first day I drove him back to his hotel, he kept smiling and laughing to himself. He kept saying something about being unable to believe he had finally met her again. He called her his Dawn or something like that. I remember the name because I kept wondering what sort of pet name it was. And then he made a call to someone saying he finally met her and she was just perfect and had not changed much since she was a kid," Jamal lied easily, wanting Ryan to believe that ’Jamal’ had been fooled. Ryan laughed, pleased with what Jamal had said since he doubted ’Pete’ who knew nothing about Genevieve being Dawn could cook up something like that. "You’re observant and very thoughtful," Ryan said with approval. "Thank you, sir," Jamal said with a polite nod. "Do you think there’s any... chemistry between him and Genevieve?" Ryan asked, watching him closely. Jamal met his gaze steadily. "Chemistry? I’m not sure how to respond to that. It depends on what exactly you want to know and why you’re asking. I wasn’t exactly looking at them and looking out for chemistry," Jamal said, wanting to see if he could find out the reason Ryan and Genevieve were interested in him. Ryan chuckled again as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. He looked at Jamal for a moment wondering if he was right to follow his guts and to trust Jamal. After a moment he decided that he could start by entrusting him with little information and if Jamal did well he could slowly make him his person. He needed someone as ambitious and principled on his side. They could do lots of great things together. "Jamal is a successful billionaire. He used to be Genevieve’s childhood sweetheart and they were quite close. When she was younger her name was Dawn hence he referred to her that way. I want him to marry Genevieve. Marrying him would make things easier for Genevieve when I eventually hand everything over to my son."