Ravenous Book 2

MIA

After hearing what David said, Mia went rigid. She held her breath for a second and heaved a deep sigh like a dying man breathing out his last breath.

“Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you. I did say you’ll likely want to eat something or else you’d lose your appetite,” David expressed after a few beats of silence.

Mia sighed again, giving herself time to calm down. “Did he say why he wanted to meet with me?”

“Do you think I had the guts to ask?” He scoffed and picked a loaf from the bread basket and put butter on it.

David took a few bites before Mia pressed some more. “How did you become his errand boy?”

“I didn’t. I just happened to be there where he is.”

“Which is where? Because I know you haven't gone to the house since you left for college.”

“The hospital, a week ago,” he replied abruptly.

“Hospital? You mean, at your workplace? Did he seek you out just to give me a message?”

David nodded unassumingly. “I thought so too. It was the only place he’d know I’d be. I didn’t give him the address to my new place.”

His eyes widened like something crossed his mind. “Oh yeah, he also gave me something,” he added and paused, grabbing his bag.

He rummaged around in his things until he found what he wanted. David handed over a small white envelope to Mia. “Here, he wanted me to give this to you.”

Mia arched one of her eyebrows and didn’t make further comments. Instead, she took it off David’s hands and studied it for a moment.

Momentarily, she hesitated to look inside the letter. A lot of things crossed Mia’s mind. However, she kept it to herself.

“What do you think is this about? Is it a threat?” Mia thought loudly. “What do you think, David?”

Her brother shrugged. “I didn’t look inside, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Well, thank you for your consideration. I wouldn’t have minded if you did. And maybe you could have summarized the contents of this letter,” she replied dryly.

“Are you going to read it now?” Richard asked, seemingly worried.

She scoffed and folded the envelope into a small size, enough to fit in the front pocket of her jeans. “No. I’ll need to do this somewhere private. I might react badly. I don’t want to make a scene.”

David smiled and gave her a thumbs up. “Good idea, sis.” He then glanced around the open dining area. “Where is that waiter? I’m getting famished.”

***

After their food arrived, there was hardly any conversation between them. Instead, Mia asked David for more details about his life and work, which took most of his time.

Likewise, David inquired about Mia and Richard’s life in Seattle. And then, once they finished, David walked with them to the lobby, where they exchanged a brief farewell.

“What time will you be visiting Aunt Leanna?” David asked.

“After my lunch meeting,” she replied and paused to think. “Around two in the afternoon? But not later than three, for sure.”

David nodded and slowly backed towards the main exit. “It’ll try and stay for as long as I can. I need to get to sleep in the afternoon since my night shift starts at nine.”

“No worries, you don’t have to wait for me. But thanks anyway,” Mia called out as David had distance further than her.

“Got it,” he said and waved at them. “I’ll be seeing you. Later you two.”

Richard and Mia watched until David exited the lobby before heading to the elevator. They entered the empty lift and ascended up to their room floor. Richard turned and leaned on the opposite corner, looking at her.

“D’ye want me to join with ye on yer meeting with the lawyer? Or would ye rather I wait for ye in the room?” he asked.

Mia shook her head and held out her hand to Richard. He took her hand and pulled her closer, nesting her in his arms. “I want you with me in the meeting for support if you don’t mind.”

“I dinna mind.”

“Thank you.”

Once they reached their floor, hand in hand, they walked to their room. There was time yet before Mia met with the lawyers. This gave them personal time for a mini-vacation, and they enjoyed each other’s company.

Mia jumped on top of Richard’s bed and nested there. She then patted the empty space on her right, beckoning Richard to join her. He chuckled at her comical actions yet otherwise humored her offer and sat down.

Without her prompt, Richard wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Mia moved closer to him, placing her head on his chest, and held out the television remote.

The screen came to life, and they watched the last part of the CBS morning news in comfortable silence. However, Mia was barely listening to the reporter.

Her thoughts brought her back to the events earlier in the lobby. The man she’d seen who looked similarly to Erik made her apprehensive. She had recurring dreams since she received the letter from Erik three years ago.

Every time she felt like she got rid of him in her waking moments, an invisible force brought him back, in her dreams and mind.

Mia spoke about these troubled thoughts to Richard when she got his letter, but then stopped telling him about it after seeing how it affected him.

But then, from the conversation they had two nights ago when Richard told her about burying the dead, Mia realized he’d known she was still haunted by him.

Yet, he’d only been considerate to her. Not addressing her concerns until she was ready to talk.

It shamed her to have kept something from him. Why does she doubt him when he hadn’t given her a reason to doubt?

“Richard,” she said. Her voice was barely above a whisper. “There is something I need to tell you. And I should have told from the moment it started affecting me.” Mia moved away and repositioned herself to face him.

“Dinna feel ye have to force yerself to tell me, Mia,” he replied with a weary smile.

She felt a bit choked by the weight of his words. “I always wonder why I’m so blessed in life to have you in it. I’m undeserving—”

Richard reached out and tugged her back to his side, holding her close in his arms. “Who said yer undeserving? I think I’m the one who’s lucky to have ye,” he said.

Mia closed her eyes and breathed in the smell of his aftershave with a hint of citrus and lavender. “How do I stop fearing him?”

“Time heals all wounds. But the wound in the heart takes longer.”

“How long?”

“As long as you need.”

***

At half-past noon, Mia and David headed down to the restaurant again for their lunch meeting. Mia informed the maître d’ of the name their reservation was under, which was hers, and they were escorted to their seat.

After which, they merely waited a few minutes before men in typical business suits approached their table.

“Ms. Harnett?” The man closer to her, who seemed to have more seniority than the other, held out his hand to her. “I’m Walter Raymond, and this is my associate,” he said and gestured to the other man beside him.

“I’m Owen Porter, ma’am,” he said.

Mia got up and shook Walter’s hand first and then Owen’s.

“It’s nice to meet you, gentlemen,” she greeted and gestured at Richard, who also stood up. “This is Richard McKenzie. He’s with me, so I hope you won’t mind him joining us for this meeting.”

Walter nodded and turned to Richard, holding out his hand to him. “Nice to meet you, Mr. McKenzie.”

“Likewise, Mr. Raymond.” He turned to Owen. “And nice to meet you as well, Mr. Porter.” Owen and Richard briefly shook hands as well.

After they finished their initial pleasantries, they sat down, and on cue, the waiter introduced himself as their server, offering each one a copy of their menu.

They ordered their meals first to avoid hindering their flow of discussion later. Once the waiter jotted down everything, he excused himself and left the four of them into their business.

“How are you doing, Ms. Harnett?” Walter initiated the conversation. “I’ve visited Mrs. Stanton this morning and thought I might see you there,” he informed.

“Oh, that’s kind of you. I’ll be visiting my aunt this afternoon,” she replied. “How is she this morning?”

Walter smiled. “Much better.”

“That’s good to hear.” Mia felt relieved by his response.

“Before we get to business, Ms. Harnett, I’d like to thank you for seeing me at such short notice and having us join your lunch today,” Walter stated.

He gestured at Owen, who pulled out an envelope from his satchel. “I’d like to discuss the current situation and responsibilities you’ll handle while Mrs. Stanton is recuperating.”

Mia straightened her back, gearing up to get into business mode. Walter took out a handful of the files inside the envelope and laid them neatly in front of her.

The first thing Mia saw was her name at the bottom, which needed her signature.

“I didn’t know I’d be signing anything today. Do I need some sort of legal representation for this?” she asked nervously, peering back up at Walter.

“Actually, Ms. Harnett, other than discussing your temporary position, I will be walking you through the process of having you sign in as our client.

“In terms of business, Stanton Enterprise is a client of our firm. Since the late Mr. Stanton started purchasing properties and turning them into real estate, we have represented the company.

“Before his passing, Mrs. Stanton legally signed our firm to represent Stanton Enterprise if Mr. Stanton passed.

“However, Mrs. Stanton decided to deal with this process later after you’ve settled as an employee of Stanton Enterprise.

“But in light of the current situation, from the contracts Mr. Stanton had with our firm, we have to legally bind you to Stanton Enterprise before turning over any business information to you.

“Even if you are merely a temporary representative, we cannot take the chance of having someone with sixty percent shares of the company legally unprotected.

“So it is for your benefit and the company, other shareholders, and employees to have your name legally on Stanton Enterprises papers.”

Mia nodded, and she listened to Walter’s explanation. Then, Leanna had notified her about the legalities of her future position. However, she was no expert in terms of the law.

Even her associate’s degree in business management barely dealt with the matter of the law. Nonetheless, Mia wanted to be smart about it before making rash decisions.

“Mr. Raymond, since I’ll only be temporary chairman of Stanton Enterprise, could this contract last only until Aunt Leanna’s recovery?” she asked.

“We can negotiate to get you a temporary contract, but then you won’t be able to receive most of the legal benefits,” Walter replied.

“I know this is a decision you have to think about. But Mrs. Stanton assured me before that you accepted being her successor. So whether you sign this now or later, you will still have to go through this process to succeed.”

“I see,” she muttered and glanced down at the contract. “Would you mind if I read this first?”

“Of course, Ms. Harnett. If you have any questions, I’m happy to clarify them.”

Mia carefully read through each line of the contract of Stanton Enterprise’s major shareholder, owner, and chairman of the board. There were terms and statements she couldn’t recognize.

But Walter stayed true to his word and accommodated her every query until she understood its meaning.

Although Richard barely pitched in on their conversation, he became active once Mia asked for his opinion.

First, he helped Mia with the questions, asking a few things she might have missed. Then, a minute before their meal was served, Mia turned to Richard. She looked a bit uncertain with a hint of fear.

“I’m with ye whatever ye chose,” Richard whispered softly, giving her reassurance to her choice.

With a deep breath, Mia signed the papers and handed them back to Walter and Owen.

Walter smiled and gestured to Owen again, who handed him another set of papers.

“You don’t have to worry, Ms. Harnett. You are our official client, thus putting you as one of the top important people in our firm.

“And one of the benefits so being our top client, you can call us anytime in any day, including holidays. If it is within our legal power, we will fix the problem for you.”

He handed Mia a business card with the necessary contact information.

“I’ve also included my personal work mobile, which only a handful of people have,” Walter added and pointed at the handwritten number at the top of the card. “I only give this to priority clients that I personally sign.”

“Thank you for your consideration, Mr. Raymond. I appreciate it.”

Since their meal order arrived, they had to briefly pause their business talk. Walter was a good conversationalist, making it comfortable for Mia and Richard to discuss a few matters in their personal lives.

Nonetheless, Mia knew the subject would come up. Anyone who heard or read the news three years ago would ask out of interest.

There were a lot of pieces that weren’t printed or reported in the news. Many questions were left unanswered to the public’s knowledge.

Although the media weren’t known for their respect for people’s privacy, they considered Mia’s case and her family. However, she suspected there was a cover-up.

Yet the journalist and news outlet hadn’t censored Erik being the mastermind of what happened to Mia and Richard in Scotland. They were brutal in their portrayal of him.

“I wanted to say, it was truly an evil act about what happened to both of you in Scotland. His death felt like an injustice, yet at the same time, I hope it brought you peace of mind,” Walter said sincerely.

“Thank you for your kind words, Mr. Raymond,” Mia replied. Her words sounded a bit rehearsed. Maybe it was since it was how she responded to those in the past who sympathized with her.

“The judge was fair in sentencing everyone involved,” he added.

“Although I know it must have been hard for your family with the court hearings and the media attention. And then, with your brother, Graham, involvement with Mr. Kingsley—”

“Aye, she kens it well, Mr. Raymond. She dinna need to be reminded of it now,” Richard interjected, sensing her unease.

Walter looked apologetic and nodded. “I’m sorry for bringing this up, Ms. Harnett. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”

Mia forced a smile. “No worries, Mr. Raymond. I know people are curious about what happened in Scotland and why Erik did what he did. He left many unanswered questions, and even I have questioned myself about him.”

“So, he never told you why he…”

“No,” she lied smoothly. “I don’t know what drove him to do what he did to me.”

With that, Walter moved on to a different conversation, asking Mia and Richard about their plans in Chicago.

He then quickly transitioned to the main topic of their meeting, which were Mia’s duties as Leanna’s temporary replacement.

“I hope you’re comfortable dealing with the main operations of the job here in Chicago. Although, there are other offices that you can use as your base of operation.

“But then, the first main office of Stanton Enterprise is here in Illinois. And most of the shareholders are here. So, my advice is to stay in the city and meet with the associates and business partners.

“You can learn under the current CEO of the Chicago branch about the ins and out that Mrs. Stanton might not have covered yet.”

Mia turned to Richard with a weary smile. “Do you think you can live without me for a month?

Richard scoffed. “Who said I won’t try moving in with ye here?”

“But your job—”

He grabbed her hand underneath the table, giving it a brief squeeze. “I moved to a different continent for ye. What’s another state?

“And besides, I can talk to my boss. And ye ken his boss is yer aunt’s friend. He willna be daft wi’ me. He’ll listen.”

“My God, you can’t be using your connections like that. Is this how it will be when I am chairman and co-owner of Stanton Enterprise?” she asked. Her lips twitched, holding back her grin.

“Oh, aye, I’ll be like those trophy wives and start using yer name to scare people to get in my favor,” he said, smiling.

His teasing and laidback remark gave her confidence that she had made the right decision. And Richard would always be there with her through the darkness and into the light. Her partner, friend, and lover.