Devastated

“Because I’m a liability.”

“And this Montana has nothing to do with that decision?”

Why couldn’t women leave well enough alone? He had provided a reasonable explanation, based on business and political practicalities, but a woman had to assume there was more going on.

He jerked his head in the direction of one of the dancers in the cage nearest to May. “She looks like your type.”

May looked over. “She’s cute, but I heard she’s a total Iero kyabu.”

A Iero kyabu, supposedly a reference to the ease with which yellow cabs in New York could be hailed, was someone who allowed herself to get picked up by foreigners.

“Now about this Montana...” May said.

At first Ben was glad to hear his mobile ring, but upon seeing the name displayed on it, he frowned. It was Phyllis. Thanks to his conversation with May, he was in no mood to talk to his older sister and decided to let the call go to voicemail.

Half a minute later, May’s mobile rang.

“If it’s—” Ben began.

But May had already answered, “Yes, he’s here.”

May handed him her mobile, which Ben received with his lips pressed grimly in a line.

“She said she needed to talk, like it was urgent,” May explained.

“It’s nice to know you’re avoiding me,” Phyllis said through the phone.

“I didn’t think it was a good time to talk, given the sort of club I’m at right now,” Ben replied. Phyllis had a vague idea of the sort of establishments Ben visited. Knowing that it was sometimes on behalf of business clients, she looked the other way even though she didn’t approve.

“Oh.”

He could her the frown in her tone.

“Well, we can make this quick,” she said. “You want to tell me more about this latest acquisition?”

“No.”

“Huài dàn,” she cursed. “I’m the CFO. You can’t just go around acquiring random business without bringing me into it.”

“I don’t go around acquiring random business,” he said.

“Then what is this?”

“An acquisition, but hardly random.”

“How is this San Francisco Tribute, a newspaper, not random? What are we going to do with a newspaper? Nowhere in the business plan is there an expansion into media, especially with a company that has posted losses for six consecutive quarters. This makes no sense. Based on what I saw of their financials, there’s no way you can turn this business around and make a profit.”

“I’m not planning to turn them around,” Ben replied evenly. “I’m shutting them down.”

Chapter Three

“Don’t you think it’s from that guy Jake?” Sam asked when Kimani showed him the letter the following day.

“It’s possible,” Kimani acknowledged as she put the letter away in her desk. “Claire wasn’t too happy that she didn’t get paid by the Scarlet Auction because she didn’t complete her week with Jake, but it doesn’t seem like something she would do. At least she got an emerald ring out of the whole thing, provided Jake didn’t ask for it back. But I don’t think the other women got anything.”

Somehow, Lisa, the auction participant won by Ben’s cousin, Jason, didn’t strike her as the type of person who would send threatening notes. Kimani would have bet on Ryan, the anti-feminist won by Jake’s buddy, Derek, over Lisa...but Jake was still the most likely culprit. He hated her for sure. She had seen it flaring in his eyes several times, not only when he had thrown her to the floor of his cabin.

“Are you in touch with the other women?”