Forbidden Secrets

Hey! If you are reading this.... Yay for Gabe's story being released...  Daily updates will start on the 1st Dec Please.... If you are reading or intend to read Forbidden Kiss (book 1) or Forbidden Baby (Book 2).... I strongly suggest you don't read any further - It will give away spoilers!  Please note - there will be scenes of a s****l nature throught this book.  Chapter One – Entrepreneur Gabe’s POV Looking out from my penthouse office suite, the night sky was littered with glittering lights, a dull hue from the city smog sitting unwaning from the skyline. It was unintrusive and unassuming yet beautifully breath-taking. In just a few hours, I would be attending an executive dinner and soon I would have to leave to collect my date. I have no doubt she was eager for her night with me, hoping to be the one to tame the beast and make me hers. I was this year’s most eligible bachelor billionaire of the year, to those who didn’t know me and even those who thought they did, I had it all. Money, fame, woman, and an incredibly successful business. The truth, well that was something entirely different. I was not looking forward to either the date or the dinner, but I considered it a necessary evil of my job, connections were key, and this was the best way to get them. I was not a social person, not anymore, I had become my own worst nightmare, just add me to the list of those who I have hurt in one way or another over the years. I am not proud of what I have become, It seemed to have happened in the bink of an eye, but as I look over the city, it’s hard not to contemplate my life and what lead me to be here, at 27 years old, I was a lonely, bitter, man, a ruthless heartbreaker and uncompromising businessman. When I was little, my parents, a vile and uncompromising duo, did everything in their power to destroy any interest I had in the modern world. It was their sheer determination to shield me from this world, that made me crave and invest in learning everything I possibly could. By the time I was 14 I had my own business run from a lock up, every Friday and Saturday night, I would sneak out of my bedroom window and go there. I would pull apart phones, consoles, laptops anything I could get my hands on, fix them for either the customer or to sell on. When I had enough money, I bought a computer system, and spent any free time learning computer programming, encryption, coding, and hacking. I was fascinated with the internet and technology, and with an IQ way above average, my brain was like a sponge. I soaked up the information and always wanted to know more. At 16 I had earned enough money to leave home and with a scholarship, I had enough money to go to a private boarding school and leave the clutches of the adherent people who called themselves my parents. Here, my life changed completely. **Flashback** ‘You know how to fix this?’ Cooper. An incredibly rich and influential kid in my year at boarding school, who until this very moment, had never once spoken to me, the scholarship kid. I was beneath him, and he wasn’t opposed to letting me know it. I didn’t even look up from my laptop ‘What is it?’ ‘Well, if you took the time to look at me, you insolent fool, you would know’ ‘Cooper, I’m busy, I have no interest in you and you have none in me. You know where the door is’ I actually needed him onside, more than anyone, but the only way he was really going to give me the time of day and not play me, is if he thought he needed me, more than I needed him. ‘I have cash and connections, what will it take?’ I looked up from my screen and saw mild desperation in his brow ‘take it to a phone shop, I’m sure it’s an easy fix’ I went back to my screen. ‘I can’t’ and there it was. The sweet smell of desperation, ‘Hayden said you are discreet and good. Please, Gabe, I need you to do this’ I tried to hide my smirk at his begging, I had him exactly where I wanted him ‘What exactly do you need me to do?’ ‘I dropped it down the loo’ ewwww, I pulled a face, and he rolled his eyes ‘It was flushed! Anyway, it won’t switch on and there are files and photos on there that I need, but Gabe, no one can know, and no one can see them. Can I count on you?’ My turn to eye roll ‘You’re here because the people that recommended me have secrets Cooper, and I have managed to keep them. If you don’t trust me, now is the time to turn around and walk out the door’ He handed me the phone and a wad of cash. That was the turning point in my lucrative business at boarding school, and the beginning of my future success. It was only a few months after this that Cooper was back. ‘Want to earn £250,000?’ My ears perked up, holy s**t that was a lot of money. I knew for that kind of cash, it was going to not only be risky, but probably only marginally legal. I just hoped it wasn’t illegal, I had no intention of going down that road, but I really didn’t want to piss Cooper off, he had made me a lot of money from his connections. ‘Shoot’ ‘I need you to do some digging and see if my Dad’s business partner is legit. My Dad has a feeling he is embezzling money from the company, in fact, he is almost certain of it. Only this guy is good, we have nothing on him, but something just doesn’t add up. I told my Dad about you, he is dubious, but I gave him my word you would find anything, if there was anything to find. Up for the challenge? If you say yes though Gabe, you can’t fail. My Dad is a very influential man, if this goes well, you could be set for life!’ **End Flashback** I was in no position to deny him of his request, and legally, I could do what I needed too. All I needed was access to his fathers and the partners computers, which sounded simple, but I knew it was going to take a little persuasion for them to allow me to have it. It took me a little under three months, which sounds like a long time, but trust me, this man was good! I knew after looking into the business Cooper and his father were right, there was no way this guy wasn’t hiding something, but the bastard was sneaky, and he definitely made me work hard for my money. Once I managed to find the file and reverse the encryption, bingo, I had it all, and as a cheeky bonus, I found out he was having an affair, a lovely additional tidbit for Cooper and his Dad. When I handed over the information I felt like the king of the world. It was an addictive feeling, one I had come to thrive off. I’ll never forget what a smug bastard Cooper was, as we handed the documents and information over to his father, but I couldn’t blame him, he put his reputation on the line for me and it paid off. Both Cooper and his Dad won, but so did I. His Dad transferred the money over to my account and added a bonus for a job well done. After that, I didn’t really need to finish school, never mind go to Uni, but I chose to do so anyway. I would be a fool not to have a backup. It only takes one mistake to fall flat on your face in this business. Work was coming in thick and fast from all of Coopers Dad’s connections and I had to start turning work down, or make them wait, but wait they did. I had a waiting list for my services! By the time I had finished Uni at 21, I was already a multi-millionaire, with a Batchelor degree in business management, with honours. I rented an office space and started my business, and the first person I hired was the only person in business I trusted, my sister’s husband, Freddie. Between us, we were unstoppable, but soon, the business was becoming too big for the two of us. I left the running of the staff to Freddie, who obviously in time, delegated the task to someone else, and within 5 years, we had an entire building of employees doing all sorts. They would all no doubt have gone home by now. While I remained in a world of my own, there was a knock on my office door. Started a little by the intrusion, I turned and looked over to the man standing in the doorway of my office. The penthouse could only be entered by the lift, and unless buzzed in, no one could enter. No one except Freddie, who was the only other person who knew the code. ‘Freddie, Don’t you have a wife and some adorable children to get home too?’ ‘An adorable wife and 3 demanding children’ he smirked ‘I am on my way home; just thought I would pop and see if there was anything you needed before I left?’ ‘You mean you want an excuse not to deal with Hallie’s attitude and the boys constant screaming’ ‘Something like that!’ ‘No can do my friend, it’s the weekend, go and enjoy your family’ ‘I’ll see you on Sunday then’ ‘Indeed you will’ As he left the office, I turned back to the mesmerising lights of the city as I thought about my family. I always looked forward to seeing my siblings and their families on Sundays. It was the only day I had off a week, and I never failed to see them and spend the day with them. We had done this every week since we all left home and moved to Oxford, over 11 years ago when we left behind the constraints and chains of our foreboding and disturbing parents. It was our way of remaining a family, even without them. None of us had heard from them since we left, we didn’t miss them. I looked at my watch and realised it was time to go. I had been procrastinating for far too long. Time go and pick up…. s**t, what was her name? I would have to check on the way to meet her. I took one last look in the mirror and checked I looked okay before leaving. Wearing a charcoal grey Brioni suit, white shirt, and deep brown Louis Vuitton shoes, I straightened the Navy blue Gucci tie I had on, ran my hands through my dark brown hair and gave myself a quick spray of cologne before heading straight for the lift. As I reached the reception, there were only a few people left in the building. My driver was waiting with my car out front, and as I walked out the huge glass double door at the front of the building, he stepped out of the car and opened the door for me. I stepped inside and made myself comfortable. ‘Good evening, Sir’ ‘Archer, how many times, it’s Gabe!’ ‘Sorry Sir, I mean Gabe’ Archer hadn’t been my driver for very long, he replaced Greyson, who retired, much to my annoyance, as I had trusted him. However, he recommended Archer, and so far, I was impressed with his dedication and work ethic. He wasn’t much older than me, and I liked him, which didn’t happen very often, so I was going with it. ‘Archer, what is this one’s name?’ He chuckled lightly ‘Jada, daughter of the late Kingsly Blithe. She is the sole heiress of his fortune and now president of his estate’ ‘Inherited money, great, she’s going to be entitled, I can see it now’ ‘Don’t be so quick to Judge, you never know, this one may be different’ I very much doubted it, but I always gave them a fair shot, let’s see if she can change my opinion. We’ll soon see, we turned the corner and Archer slowed down as we reached the gated mansion. We were buzzed in and made our way down the lengthy driveway. The driveway led to the ridiculously huge stone-built mansion, in which she was the sole occupant. How lonely, was all I thought as we slowed down to a stop in front of the well lite building. Archer opened my door, and I stepped out and made my way to the large, heavy wooden, double front doors of this monstrous place. I rang the old-fashioned kitsch hand pull ringing bell and the butler answered the door. ‘Mr. Mathews. Please do come in, Ms. Blithe will be along shortly’ He stepped to one side, and I walked into the ornately decorated entrance hall. It was beautiful, but a little ostentatious. I really hoped this was just her father’s taste, and not a sign of her pretentious self.