Chapter 1 - Madison Accidentally Confessed Her Loneliness to Chicago’s Most Feared Landlord—Then He Asked Her to Tell Him Everything About the Man Who Broke Her Heart
“And?”
Madison stared at Adrian.
“And he cheated.”
Adrian's expression didn't change.
“With whom?”
“His assistant.”
“Coworker?”
“Marketing coordinator.”
“That's worse.”
Madison blinked.
“Why?”
“Too predictable.”
Despite herself, she laughed.
It was the first real laugh she'd had in weeks.
Adrian watched her.
Then he leaned forward.
“What happened?”
Madison took a breath.
“He said he needed space.”
Adrian nodded.
“That usually means someone else already has it.”
She pointed at him.
“That. Exactly that. That's why I shouldn't be talking to you.”
“But you are.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
She looked at the rain outside.
“I don't know.”
Adrian was quiet.
Madison didn't know much about him.
She had heard the rumors.
She had seen his name in business articles.
She had listened to neighbors whisper about him.
But she had never sat across from him at two-thirty in the morning and noticed how carefully he listened.
“So what happened tonight?” he asked.
“I got drunk.”
“How drunk?”
“Three glasses.”
“That's not drunk.”
“For me it is.”
“You're a lightweight.”
She frowned.
“You're judgmental.”
“Accurate.”
She smiled again.
Then her eyes filled with tears.
“I miss him.”
Adrian's expression softened.
“You miss who you thought he was.”
Madison looked at him.
“What's the difference?”
“A person can break your heart because they changed.”
He paused.
“Or because you finally saw them clearly.”
The words hit harder than expected.
She looked down.
“I hate you.”
“You met me tonight.”
“Exactly. You're already irritating.”
His phone buzzed.
He glanced at it.
Something changed in his face.
“Stay here.”
“Why?”
He stood.
“There is a problem.”
The man near the elevator immediately moved.
Adrian spoke quietly to him.
Madison caught only fragments.
“…warehouse…”
“…three men…”
“…police…”
Then Adrian looked at her.
“Have you ever seen anyone following you?”
“No.”
“Think.”
She did.
Her stomach tightened.
“There was a black sedan.”
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
“Where?”
“Outside my office.”
“Same car as downstairs tonight?”
She swallowed.
“I don't know.”
Adrian picked up his jacket.
“You're staying here.”
“No.”
His expression hardened.
“Yes.”
“I can go home.”
“You can.”
“Then why can't I?”
“Because whoever has been watching you may be waiting for you to leave.”
Madison stared.
“How does my terrible breakup turn into organized crime?”
Adrian's eyes held hers.
“It didn't.”
He paused.
“You were already connected to something.”
“To what?”
“I don't know yet.”
The man by the elevator returned.
“Boss.”
Adrian turned.
“The plate came back.”
“And?”
“Registered to a shell company.”
Adrian looked at Madison.
“Which company?”
The man gave him a name.
Madison recognized it.
Her blood went cold.
“That company…”
Adrian looked at her.
“What?”
“My company uses them.”
“For what?”
“Property title services.”
His expression changed.
“That's impossible.”
“Why?”
“Because that company doesn't exist.”
Madison frowned.
“What?”
“It was dissolved six years ago.”
She stared.
“No.”
“Yes.”
Adrian took her phone.
“Show me.”
Madison opened her work email.
There it was.
Invoices.
Contracts.
Transaction IDs.
All associated with the same company.
Adrian read them.
“Who gives these instructions?”
“My supervisor.”
“Name?”
“Daniel Price.”
Adrian's jaw tightened.
“Get me his address.”
The security man nodded.
Madison felt dizzy.
“This doesn't make sense.”
“No.”
“Why would my supervisor use a fake company?”
“To move money.”
“What money?”
Adrian looked at her.
“That is what we're going to find out.”
Madison stood.
“I need to go home.”
Adrian stepped closer.
“No.”
She glared.
“You can't tell me where I can go.”
“I can when there are men outside.”
She looked toward the windows.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
She moved closer to the glass.
The black sedan was parked across the street.
Her heart began pounding.
“How long has it been there?”
Adrian looked at the car.
“Long enough.”
Madison whispered:
“Why didn't anyone call the police?”
“I did.”
“And?”
“They won't arrive in time.”
That frightened her.
“Who are you?”
Adrian looked at her.
“The man your landlord warned you about.”
“You're not answering.”
“My name is Adrian Mercer.”
“I know that.”
“No.”
He stepped closer.
“You know the public name.”
Madison looked into his eyes.
“What is the other one?”
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then:
“Most people call me the man who owns the buildings.”
His voice dropped.
“People who work outside the law call me something else.”
“What's that?”
“Boss.”
Madison's mouth went dry.
She looked toward the security man.
He didn't smile.
She looked back.
“You're really…”
“Yes.”
“Exactly what people say?”
“No.”
“Which part is true?”
Adrian held her gaze.
“The part where people are afraid to cross me.”
Madison swallowed.
“And now I'm in your apartment.”
“Yes.”
“At two-thirty in the morning.”
“Yes.”
“Because I accidentally texted you that I missed my ex.”
“Yes.”
She closed her eyes.
“This is humiliating.”
Adrian laughed softly.
“No.”
“What?”
“It's unfortunate.”
Then his phone rang again.
This time, he answered.
He listened.
His face became colder.
“Where?”
A pause.
“Keep him alive.”
He hung up.
Madison stared.
“Who?”
“Your supervisor.”
“What happened?”
“He's been taken.”
“By who?”
“We don't know.”
Adrian put his jacket on.
Madison grabbed his sleeve.
“Where are you going?”
“To find him.”
“You can't go alone.”
Adrian looked at her hand.
“You're worried about me?”
“No.”
She hesitated.
“Maybe.”
A faint smile crossed his face.
“That's dangerous.”
“For whom?”
“Both of us.”
He walked toward the elevator.
Madison followed.
“I'm coming.”
“No.”
“I need answers.”
“No.”
“I work with Daniel.”
“You work beside him.”
“That is different.”
Adrian stopped.
“Madison.”
“Yes?”
“I don't know yet whether your supervisor was using you.”
Her heart sank.
“But?”
“But if he was, whoever is behind this may believe you know something.”
“I don't.”
“I believe you.”
She stared.
“Then let me help.”
He studied her for several seconds.
Finally he pressed the elevator button.
“Stay beside me.”
Madison stepped in.
“Was that an order?”
“Yes.”
“You're terrible at asking.”
“I wasn't asking.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Definitely a mafia boss.”
The elevator doors closed.
Neither of them noticed the tiny red light blinking inside the ceiling.
Someone was watching.
Someone had been watching for weeks.
And that someone had just heard Madison say the one sentence they had been waiting for.
“I don't know.”
Because they knew something Madison did not.
Her mistake wasn't texting Adrian Mercer.
Her mistake was trusting Daniel Price.
And Daniel knew exactly where the missing money had gone.
He knew who had ordered the fraud.
And he knew why Adrian Mercer had been brought into Madison's life.
It had nothing to do with her breakup.
May you like
It had started years before Madison ever moved into Apartment 6C.
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