Accepting the information as sound, Logan inquired about his wife's plan for them to approach the Russian businessman.
Aurora suggested renovation drafts for Leroy's Hillside Mall and the surrounding neighbourhood. Unfamiliar with the mall and its location, Logan quickly searched for it online. The images and videos he found appalled him.
"How do you know about this place? And why would Nikolaev be interested in its renovation?"
"We stumbled upon it recently. Nikolaev's children love vacationing here. He deliberately gets involved in philanthropy to counter his bad press."
"He's a criminal."
"He isn't. There's no definitive evidence against him."
"He has ties to the Russian government! And is suspected of money laundering. Are you trying to put a target on me?"
"As long as you don't get involved in illicit deals, you're fine. By upgrading that neighbourhood, you make the city better and safer for his children. If Nikolaev isn't grateful, you can bet the mayor will be."
"Fine. How do you propose we make contact with him?"
"He's coming in a week to celebrate his daughter's twentieth birthday. While he's here, he'll also attend Rochelle's exhibition. As her partner, interacting with him is a natural part of the evening."
The couple continued planning their approach to Nikolaev, leaving Adam unattended. As they talked, the boy toured the office, looking at the books and figurines on the shelves. He was tired and bored.
To stave off his boredom, Adam walked out of Logan's office and toured the rest of the floor.
He peered into a conference room, watching a man give a presentation to a group. The room was open, so Adam stuck his head through the door, watching the man go through the presentation slides. When that no longer interested him, he looked into the other offices. There were teddy bears, sleeping bags, and even Legos in some of the offices. One office even had a train set. On his way around the networked floor, he crossed paths with a few workers who gave him confused looks.
Still bored, he recalled the models at the reception. Upon seeing him return, the secretary took an interest in him.
"You said your name was Adam, right?" She asked while walking towards him.
"Yeah."
"Adam what?"
"Jordahl."
"You're Mr. Jordahl's son?"
"Yeah."
"I've never seen you before, and he's never talked about you."
"I was with mom," Adam said, deliberately turning away from her.
"I've seen her loads of times too. But never saw you."
Adam turned to face the young woman. Annoyance was etched on his face. She was pressing him on questions he'd rehearsed, but he didn't like her tone or being alone with her.
"How old are you?" She asked when he didn't give her a reply to her previous statement.
"10."
"That's older than they've been married." she remarked.
"Because you can only have kids when you're married." He shook his head in disappointment. "Stupid."
The woman chuckled. "I didn't mean that. But everyone knows that 10 years ago, Mr. Jordahl was in a relationship with Selene Anderson."
"Aurora and I got together right after I broke up with Selene." Logan and Aurora approached the two. "She was sick shortly after having Adam. Any other questions?" Logan's tone carried anger and annoyance, which embarrassed the woman.
Aurora hugged Adam and gave the young woman a disappointing look.
"Sir I—"
"You'll live comfortably if you keep your head down, Jenine," Aurora warned.
There it was again—that meanness that he'd felt at the party. Everyone made threats, but not every threat had danger in it. Aurora's threats seem to carry a hint of danger that Adam couldn't figure out how she could be. She was likeable, nice, and gentle. How could she be dangerous? Jenine nodded and returned to her desk.
Aurora turned back to Adam. "So what do you think about your father's designs?"
"Everything's so square. Like I know they're buildings, but they're like boxes."
Aurora turned to Logan with an I-told-you-so look on her face. "Adam's just a boy, and even he thinks they're too square."
"And yet neither of you have a degree or experience in architecture. This sells."
"My love, that kind of design works for people who can afford to splurge. You're trying to get into a different playing field, one that appreciates uniqueness and personality. They need to be able to look at your work and say, That's Jordahl's design. It's the only way."
Before she could continue, Logan kissed his wife.
Adam threw his hands in the air in defeat. "Again?!"
"You took your mother from me last night." Logan said breaking the kiss. "You don't get to complain."
"My lov—"
"I know." He kissed her hand. "I'll think about it. See you at dinner."
Aurora and Adam walked out, before they bent the corner, Adam turned around. "Bye dad."
Logan nodded and called after him, "Keep an eye on your mother."
Adam saluted him and hurried after Aurora.
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