Now I'm on my way to Paris, hungover from the party last night. A party i met Jessica at, she had moved on. A party of me twitched but that door was closed, she hated me—she couldn't hide it. I can't say I blame her, I hurt her.
I didn't have to hurt her but then I didn't have to hurt anyone. The only issue is it was me or them.
I choose me every time.
I landed in paris, came out of my private jet. The roads I had to take were closed for me.
I went straight to the office of the prime minister, we had contracts to negotiate.
I wanted paris to be my first branch of the new digicorp.
I'm in the lobby of the building, sitting on a bench and someone walks up to me.
"Ass face"
I immediately knew who it is.
"Does paris now allow just anybody in the country or did you have to sneak in, James"
We shared a laugh and a short hug.
"Come come, let's go. he's eager to see you." James giggled excitedly.
James was French, came from old money.
Knew the prime minister, Aristocracy perks.
We on the other hand met in college.
"By the way i heard you and Diane are a casual thing now"
"Leo if you're a psychic you're a pretty shit one"
I chuckled.
"So you're not?"
"Of course not, we're still just friends"
"You're a worse liar than i am a psychic"
We arrived at the Prime minister's office giving James an opportunity to deflect away from the topic.
"Mr Leo, welcome"
"Mr Prime minister, it's a pleasure to meet you"
"Believe me, the pleasure is all mine"
The prime minister was dark haired, white, tall, really tall. 6'7 I'd guess. He was definitely good looking, it's no wonder why he had such a large amount of female following on Instagram.
He continued, straying me from my thoughts and my eyes staring at him which he seemed to take note of.
"So, Mr Leo. James here tells me you're looking to invest in paris"
"Well yes, technically I am. I'm looking to buy out a stretch of land."
"James filled me in quite well, but he didn't say how much land you're buying"
I looked over to James and back to the Prime Minister, then i smirked. "100,000 acres with an option to expand 50,000 more"
He stared in disbelief. "What could you possibly need that amount of land for?"
"Let's just say I'm starting Digicorp back up. The life of overseeing people's interactions on my platform is not my style."
"Ahh, I see. Well, I must say I can't accept such a request, not even for you Mr. Leo and you know I admire you very much."
I think for a moment before getting up. I start pacing slowly while speaking.
"Yes, you're right but I only came to you because I wanted you to be a silent investor. A government-backed program would be—well instrumental to my project."
"Be real Mr. Leo. You came to me not mainly for that. You came to me for privacy."
I catch a glimmer in his eyes, the sense of hitting a home run. I can't argue with the truth. I did want privacy and leniency, something I knew he'd give me. Not just because of his admiration for me, but because of my connection with James.
"Okay, you're right."
I say it firmly, with an edge. No room for deference. It was now or never, and oh boy, I wanted it now.
He pauses to stare at me, going through a thousand variables in his mind weighing administrative backlash with a lifetime decision.
I see it on his face, how he's trying to convince himself if he's doing this for the right reason treating morality like a pedestal and a judge's hammer.
Pathetic really but then most humans were predictable, I shouldn't fault him for being a cog in a machine he knew nothing about but enabled.
He caves, I see it. Of course he does.
"Five hundred million with an additional five hundred million reserved in stocks for my administration to purchase at a premium but I can't sell 100,000 acres. Fifty thousand acres. All satellite oversight will be cut off, and the land will be declared a no-fly zone."
A light chuckle comes from the other side of the room. I tilt my eyes at James, essentially telling him to behave. I look back at the PM.
"Fifty thousand acres now, with an option to expand fifty thousand more. Five hundred million now and three percent equity in my company."
He raises an eyebrow.
"Twine?"
I narrow mine in surprise. "Of course not. Digicorp. You're investing in potential."
He smiles. He gets up, we all shake hands.
Easy deal.
I walk out of that room with James, and he starts laughing unable to contain the excitement.
"A fucking masterpiece Leo"
James was like a brother. However weird he was, I fucking loved him. He goes on.
"What's next?"
"Now we fucking build."
A few days passed, we found ourselves taking meetings from potential investors.
The meeting lasted two hours. Two hours of projections, valuations, market penetration, and men in expensive suits pretending they understood what they were investing in.
By the end of it, they were convinced. That was all that mattered.
The moment the last investor disappeared through the doors, James leaned against the wall and exhaled.
"Fuck."
I glanced at him.
"That bad?"
"That good." He replies.
He straightened his jacket and looked at me.
"You know, normal people celebrate after securing billions in potential funding."
"I'll celebrate when deal is complete."
"See, that's why you're miserable."
"I'm not miserable James."
"Right."
We got out of the room and started walking down the corridor.
James was quiet for a few seconds before speaking again.
"So."
I looked at him.
"Camille."
I already knew where this was going.
"What about her?"
"She called me before you came to France."
"When?"
"A day before."
"What did she want?"
"To complain about you."
"Sounds like her."
He laughed.
"She really just asked how you were doing."
"And?"
"And I told her you're still an emotionally unavailable sucker."
I smile.
James shook his head.
"You know Leo, sometimes I genuinely wonder how you managed to become a trillionaire while being completely incapable of understanding women."
"I understand women."
"You understand algorithms."
"Women are significantly less predictable."
"Exactly my point man."
We stepped outside. The afternoon sun hit our faces as we walked toward the cars.
James shoved his hands into his pockets. "You know what your problem is?"
"I suspect you're about to tell me."
"You could've gotten with Camille."
I stared at him with a blank look that still managed to spell confusion.
He smiled.
"She liked you."
"I know."
"And you liked her."
"I never said that."
"You didn't have to."
I said nothing.
James shook his head.
"You two would've made sense."
I felt a chill go through my body as he said that.
"Love doesn't make sense." I replied
"Here we go."
"It's fickle. Irrational. Temporary."
James stared at me.
"Jesus Christ."
"What?"
"You sound like a cynical sixty-year-old divorcee."
"Doesn't mean I'm wrong."
"My brother would probably agree with you."
"No, your brother is an idiot."
"My brother has been married for twelve years."
"Exactly."
James laughed again.
"You're impossible."
"I've been told. Then again I'm an impossible trillionaire so it's fine."
We decided to drive together.
We took my car.
The site was roughly forty minutes away.
By the time we arrived, most of the temporary structures had already been erected. Construction crews moved around the perimeter while heavy machinery tore through sections of earth that would eventually become roads, laboratories, housing, and whatever else I decided to build.
There was nothing particularly impressive about the land yet. Fifty thousand acres of dirt, grass, trees, and enough empty space to make Civilization feel like a distant rumour.
That was exactly how I wanted it. No neighbours, no curious tourists. No journalists. No drones.
No government officials wandering around asking questions they had no business asking.
Privacy, finally.
The temporary command center sat near what would eventually become the central complex.
I stepped out of the car and immediately noticed a woman standing beside a black SUV.
She was talking to one of the engineers. White shirt, black trousers. Sleeves rolled to her elbows.
Her hair was pulled back, leaving her face completely exposed.
She wasn't dressed like someone who came here to admire a construction project.
She looked like she belonged here.
I didn't know who she was.
That was the first thing that interested me.
The second was that she was beautiful.
Annoyingly so. She turned toward us.
Her eyes briefly met mine before moving toward James.
Then back to me.
No excitement.
No nervousness.
No visible recognition beyond the fact that she knew exactly who I was.
She walked over.
"Mr. Leo?"
"Yes."
She held out her hand.
"Dr Meadow."
I shook it, firm grip.
She withdrew her hand.
James looked between us.
"That's it?"
Meadow looked at me.
"What else were you expecting?"
"A last name would be nice."
"You don't need it."
James grinned.
"I like her already."
Meadow looked back at me.
"I'll be working as the Prime Minister's proxy on the project."
That caught my attention.
"Why?"
She raised an eyebrow.
"Why what?"
"Why you?"
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"I have a medical degree."
I waited. "And?"
"And a PhD in microbiology."
I studied her for a moment.
"And the Prime Minister thought a medical doctor should oversee a project of this magnitude?"
She smiled.
"Apparently he has terrible judgment."
James laughed.
Meadow glanced at him then snapped back at me curiously.
"I was joking."
"I know."
"You didn't laugh."
"I don't laugh often."
"That's unfortunate."
James stepped forward.
"Don't worry. I can make you laugh."
She looked at him.
"You can?"
"I've been told I'm very entertaining."
"By whom?"
"Women."
"That's interesting."
"Beautiful women, specifically."
She shook her head.
James smiled. "So you do have a sense of humour Dr meadow."
"I never said I didn't."
He laughed, I watched the exchange. He seemed to be enjoying himself.
"You do talk too much," Meadow said.
James put a hand over his chest.
"That's hurtful."
"It's true."
"I can be quiet."
"Can you?"
"Around you? That's a definite no"
She smiled. "Thought so."
James looked at me.
"I think she likes me."
"She tolerates you."
"Same thing."
Meadow rolled her eyes.
"Do you always flirt this much?"
"Only around beautiful women."
For the first time, her composure cracked completely.
She laughed.
Not a polite laugh.
A genuine one.
It was brief, but I caught it.
The woman I'd met a few minutes ago had seemed almost painfully composed.
This was different. Younger, lighter, almost childish and annoyingly I found it nice.
Meadow turned toward the construction site.
"So this is Digicorp."
"No."
She looked back at me confused.
"This is where Digicorp will be." I replied cheekily.
She smiled and her eyes moved across the land.
Something changed in her expression.
The professional indifference remained, but her eyes were suddenly alive with curiosity.
"So what exactly are you planning to build?"
"A technological force of nature that encompasses just about everything"
"That's vague, anything specific from the playboy genius?"
"You'll find out."
"That sounds ominous."
"It isn't."
"You're sure?"
"Trust me."
She looked back across the land.
Then she started talking, about the laboratories, the research facilities, the biological division. The possibilities.
At first, she was composed then he got carried away.
Her words came faster, her hands moving as she explained what she thought could be accomplished here.
She talked about research capabilities with the kind of excitement I hadn't expected from someone who had introduced herself with such clinical indifference.
Then she realized she was rambling.
She stopped and cleared her throat.
Returned to her professional expression.
"Of course, that's assuming the facilities are built to the specifications."
I looked at her.
"Wow. You're excited."
"No."
"You are."
"I'm being professional."
"You were smiling."
"I smile."
"Apparently."
James chuckled beside us.
"I told you she liked us."
Meadow looked at him.
"I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to."
She shook her head.
I almost smiled.
Almost.
My phone rang and I pulled it from my pocket.
Unknown number.
I stared at the screen for a moment.
Then answered.
"Hello?"
Nothing.
A woman's breathing came through the speaker. Uneven and shallow.
My expression changed. My immediate reaction should be ending the call but for some reason i stayed.
"Who is this?
Silence then a broken breath.
"Leo…"
My stomach tightened.
"Mrs Williams? Is that you? Are you okay?"
She tried to speak.
Nothing came out.
"Mrs. Williams, what's wrong?"
Something was wrong. I knew it before she said anything.
"It's Camille."
The world seemed to narrow around me. My hands lost blood, my body grew cold. My chest couldn't stop beating, my heart felt it before my mind could process what was happening.
"Is she alright? I asked anxiously. What happened?"
"She…"
Her voice broke, tears rolled out.
I could feel it, the uneasiness, the panic. She hadn't said anything yet but i could feel my world crumbling.
Maybe because some part of me already knew.
"Camille is dead."
I couldn't breathe, my throat went dry. For a moment, I couldn't understand the sentence.
Camille. Dead?
The words existed separately in my mind.
They refused to connect. My mind searched desperately for something to do with the information.
Nothing. No explanation.
Just an empty space where thought should have been.
"Leo?"
James's worried voice called out.
I looked at him.
"What's wrong?"
I couldn't answer, I ended the call then walked to my car.
"Leo?" James called out again.
I kept walking.
"Leo what the fuck happened?"
I opened the door, got inside, started the engine and drove off.
James stood there, completely confused.
Meadow was staring at my car leaving.
I didn't look back at either of them. Neither of understood what had just happened. Neither did I.