Alex sat in the waiting area, studying the minimalist decor with detached interest.

Italian marble floors, abstract art that probably cost more than most people's cars, the kind of calculated elegance that whispered wealth without shouting it.

Through the glass walls, he could see the city stretching out below, a landscape of ambition and carefully maintained hierarchies.

Coming here alone, without Victoria by his side, he'd half-expected a shift in tone... less warmth, less deference.

But the staff's professionalism surprised him. Or maybe it wasn't just professionalism. Maybe it was something else.

Well, he'd know soon enough.

For now, he waited in the reception lounge, sitting back against the leather chair, the low hum of conversation and muted keystrokes filling the air around him.

Then came the sound of hinges... the main door opening.

"Mr. Hale."

The voice belonged to Edmund Carlisle... tall, fastidious, early fifties, the kind of manager who wore a suit like armor and kept a Rolodex of favours tucked inside his smile.

He moved with practiced deference, every gesture designed to reassure. "Welcome back. I hope the new home is suiting you."

Edmund's eagerness was easy to read: the slightly too‑bright smile, the quickened blink, the way he took an extra moment to fold a presentation folder before handing it over.

Alex watched him without hurry. From Edmund's manner, he could tell two things at once: this man recognized Victoria's gravity, and Edmund wanted a piece of whatever orbited her.

He'd expect nothing less. They all want in, Alex thought. Some more earnestly than others.

Alex rose smoothly, accepting the offered handshake. Edmund's grip was firm, confident, but there was the slightest additional pressure... the subtle communication of respect between equals.

"It's perfect," Alex said. "Which is why I'm here."

"Please," Edmund gestured toward his private office. "Let's talk somewhere more comfortable."

Edmund's eyes flickered with interest, and Alex caught the micro-calculation happening behind them.

This wasn't a service call. This was opportunity.

***

Edmund's personal office was everything the waiting area suggested he'd be... leather and dark wood, floor-to-ceiling windows with a view that reduced the city to a conquered territory, shelves lined with industry awards and photographs of Edmund with governors, CEOs, people whose names appeared in financial sections.

"Caroline," Edmund called toward the outer office as they entered. "Would you bring us something? Coffee? Tea?"

"Coffee, please," Alex said before she could ask. "Black."

"Of course." Her voice was cool, professional. She disappeared without further comment.

Edmund gestured to one of the leather chairs facing his desk, taking his own seat with the casual authority of someone who'd owned this space for years.

"So," Edmund began, folding his hands on the desk's polished surface. "What brings you back so soon? Not having second thoughts, I hope?"

Alex smiled. "The opposite, actually. I'm interested in expansion."

Edmund's posture shifted... subtle, but Alex's enhanced senses caught it. A slight lean forward, pupils dilating fractionally, fingers pressing together with more intent.

The body language of someone who'd just heard exactly what they wanted to hear.

"The surrounding properties," Alex continued, watching Edmund's reaction. "The other villas in the development. What's their status?"

Edmund's professional mask cracked just enough to show genuine pleasure. "What remarkable timing. And what excellent instinct."

Caroline returned with a tray... two cups of coffee in bone china, a small plate of biscotti, everything arranged with the precision of ritual.

She set it down, poured both cups with practiced efficiency, then took a position near the door. Not hovering, but... present. Alert.

Edmund waited until she'd finished before continuing.

"The Roland Estate development," he said, "was originally conceived as a unified project. Seven premium properties, each designed by the same architect, meant to create an exclusive enclave for discerning buyers."

He sipped his coffee, the pause deliberate. "The challenge was finding buyers who understood the vision. Most wanted individual purchases, not a collective investment."

"So you sold them separately," Alex said.

"Eventually, yes. After the first three years of sitting on the market, we made the decision to break them up. Your property was actually the first to sell." Edmund's smile turned slightly self-deprecating.

"After that, we assumed the others would move quickly. But buyers at this level are... particular. They want exclusivity, but they also want neighbors they approve of. It's a delicate balance."

Alex understood immediately. The properties hadn't sold because the kind of people who could afford them were waiting to see who else would buy in. Wealth protecting itself from the wrong kind of wealth.

Then Alex said, casually, "I'll take them."

Edmund blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"All of them. I want all remaining properties."

The words landed like a stone in still water.

Edmund's expression went carefully blank... the professional reflex of someone processing information too large to immediately react to.

Then, slowly, a smile began building at the corners of his mouth.

"Mr. Hale," he said carefully, "that's a combined investment of approximately..." He glanced at his tablet, though again, Alex suspected this was theater. "Fifty-million dollars."

"I'm aware."

"And you want to purchase all of them. As a single transaction."

"That's correct."

Edmund set down his coffee cup with deliberate care, as if afraid sudden movement might shatter whatever spell had just been cast.

"May I ask..." he began, then paused, recalibrating. "What you're planning is essentially creating a private compound. Your own gated community within an already exclusive area. That's... unprecedented. Brilliant, but unprecedented."

Alex let his smile widen just slightly. "Privacy is valuable, Edmund. And I prefer to control my own environment rather than trust it to chance."

"How quickly can you process everything?" Alex said simply.

Edmund's pupils dilated, pleasure flashing across his features. "We can move fast. I'll have the legal team assemble preliminary contracts by tomorrow. With your authorization, we can close within weeks."

He hesitated then, a small, human ripple of warning. "There is one complication."

Alex watched Edmund's expression and felt the small prick of annoyance... this was business; complications were expected... but his face stayed neutral. "Go on."

Edmund exchanged a glance with Caroline at the doorway. The exchange was brief, measured. Caroline's jaw tightened imperceptibly; she mouthed a syllable and Edmund nodded.

"One of the villas has been sold," Edmund said. "It closed 15 days ago. The buyer paid cash, full price, no contingencies. The purchaser is… a private buyer, but not a small one."

Alex's eyes narrowed minutely. "Who?"

"That's where it becomes delicate." Edmund glanced at Caroline again, and this time she gave a barely perceptible nod. Permission.

"The buyer," Edmund continued, "requested confidentiality. At this level, discretion is standard. But given your significant investment in the area, and your relationship with the Blackwood family..." He let the implication hang.

"I believe you have a right to know who your neighbor will be."

Alex waited, saying nothing. The silence was its own pressure.

Caroline spoke for the first time since entering the room. Her voice was cool, precise, the tone of someone delivering information they'd carefully verified.

"The property was purchased by...

... Vivienne Vanderbilt."

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