CHAPTER 119: THE VISIT
James came down the next morning expecting to find Diana waiting for him. Instead he was greeted by Nicodemus's stoic expression at the foot of the stairs.
"Sir, your wife prepared breakfast for you very early this morning and packed lunch for you in a flask," Nicodemus informed, bowing slightly.
James frowned and clenched his fist. "When did she leave, Nic?"
"Fifteen minutes ago, sir," Nicodemus responded calmly.
James nodded, heading to the dining room with his mind racing.
After a quick breakfast, he grabbed the flask and went to his office.
Throughout the day, he struggled to focus, thoughts of his wife clouding his mind. The fear of her being in danger nagged at him. Before, he had nothing to fear, nothing to lose.
But now, with Diana in his life and the knowledge that they were expecting a child, he felt like one wrong move would make her slip off his fingers, thereby causing him to lose everything he held dear.
• • • • • • • • • • • •
Diana sat in her office, scribbling furiously on some papers, when her secretary knocked on the door.
"Come in," Diana called out.
The door opened, and Vanessa, her secretary, stepped in. "Ma'am, you have someone here to see you," she announced cheerfully.
"Are they on my appointment list?" Diana asked without looking up.
"Yes, ma'am, it's one of our big clients," Vanessa replied, a smile in her voice.
Diana glanced up, curiosity piqued. "Then by all means, please let them in."
Vanessa nodded and left. A few moments later, a familiar figure walked through the door—Cassandra.
"Cassandra?" Diana called out, startled, before hardening her expression. "What are you doing here?"
Cassandra smiled and made herself comfortable, sitting casually in one of the chairs across from Diana's desk. "I have a proposition for you," Cassandra replied, her eyes glinting with a knowing glint. "A very lucrative one."
"See it as me being here to offer you a deal you can't refuse".
Diana narrowed her eyes, a wary look on her face. Her instincts screamed at her to be cautious. But the offer intrigued her. She needed to know more.
"And what kind of deal or proposition would that be?" she asked, her voice steady.
Cassandra leaned forward, her eyes locked on Diana's. "I want you to host a party for the Prime Minister of the UK."
"Come again, the *what*?" Diana asked, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"Yes, you heard me right, Diana. The Prime Minister," Cassandra repeated confidently. "He's having his 60th birthday at the end of October, and I need you to host it."
"And how am I supposed to trust this source?" Diana asked suspiciously.
"Because I'm his woman." Cassandra smirked as she pulled out a special seal bearing the Prime Minister's insignia—one that only he used. "This is for me to stamp on the contract. Is this evidence enough for you?"
Diana examined the seal, her mind racing. She swallowed hard and nodded slowly. "So, what kind of budget are we talking about here?" she asked cautiously.
"Let's say a party worth up to two billion. We'll wire the first billion upfront, and once the event is successfully hosted, the remaining billion will follow. Now that's a total of two billion, Diana".
"Two billion?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"That's right," Cassandra replied, a smug smile playing on her lips. "A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So, what do you say?"
Diana eyed her warily, her mind racing. This was a golden opportunity she could not afford to pass up. Hosting a party of this magnitude would be a massive breakthrough, not just for her but for her entire team.