She Helped a Homeless Stranger… Not Knowing He Was a Billionaire in Disguise
Chapter 2
The next morning, Olivia arrived at Bellweather Construction fifteen minutes early.
She barely remembered the night before.
She had spent most of the morning wondering whether Daniel had actually slept at the motel.
She had left him breakfast at the front desk.
She told herself it was nothing.
Then she walked into the lobby and saw a black SUV parked outside.
Three men in expensive suits entered the building.
Everyone immediately straightened.
Olivia recognized the man in the center.
Marcus Bell.
CEO of Bellweather Construction.
He was rarely seen without his security team.
But something was different.
He looked furious.
He walked directly toward the elevators.
“Where is the executive conference room?”
His assistant hurried behind him.
“Mr. Bell, they’re waiting upstairs.”
Olivia watched him disappear.
Ten minutes later, she was called into the conference room.
Marcus stood at the head of the table.
Around him were six executives.
Olivia carried a stack of reports.
“Put those there.”
She placed them down.
Then Marcus looked at her.
“Did you see anyone unusual around the building yesterday?”
Olivia froze.
“Unusual?”
“A man.”
Her stomach tightened.
“What man?”
Marcus’s expression hardened.
“Gray coat. Mid-fifties. Possibly homeless.”
Olivia said nothing.
Marcus stepped closer.
“If you saw him, tell me.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s dangerous.”
Olivia frowned.
“How?”
Marcus didn’t answer.
Instead, he told security to distribute a photograph.
Olivia looked at it.
Her heart stopped.
It was Daniel.
But the photograph was different.
He wasn’t wearing the gray coat.
He was clean-shaven, dressed in a dark suit, standing beside a helicopter.
Olivia stared.
“Who is he?”
Marcus’s face changed.
“That’s Nathaniel Cross.”
One of the richest men in America.
Owner of Cross Meridian Holdings.
Investor.
Philanthropist.
And Bellweather Construction’s biggest potential buyer.
Olivia looked at the photograph again.
“No.”
Marcus frowned.
“What?”
“I don’t think that’s him.”
“You’ve seen him?”
Olivia realized her mistake.
Everyone in the room turned toward her.
Marcus stepped closer.
“Where?”
Olivia swallowed.
“Yesterday.”
The room went silent.
“Where?”
“Outside a pharmacy.”
Marcus’s eyes narrowed.
“What did he say?”
“His name was Daniel.”
Marcus stared.
Then he whispered:
“He’s using an alias.”
Olivia looked at him.
“Why?”
Nobody answered.
Marcus took the photograph from the table.
“Nathaniel Cross disappeared from public life three months ago.”
Olivia felt a chill.
“Disappeared?”
“He stopped attending meetings. Stopped appearing at events. His security team lost contact with him.”
“Then why aren’t the police looking for him?”
Marcus gave her a strange look.
“Because his family knows where he is.”
“Where?”
“That’s what we don’t know.”
Olivia thought about the motel.
The soup.
The cardboard sign.
The man who had said he didn’t want money.
She suddenly felt sick.
Marcus noticed.
“Did he tell you anything?”
“No.”
“Did you give him anything?”
Olivia hesitated.
“A motel room.”
Marcus stared.
“You paid for him?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he was cold.”
Marcus looked genuinely stunned.
Then he said something Olivia didn’t understand.
“That’s exactly why he chose you.”
She frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Before Marcus could answer, the conference room door opened.
A security guard rushed in.
“Mr. Bell.”
“What?”
“We just received word.”
The guard handed him a phone.
Marcus read the message.
His face went pale.
“Nathaniel Cross is back.”
Olivia stared.
“Where?”
Marcus looked directly at her.
“Here.”
The elevator doors opened downstairs.
A man stepped into the Bellweather lobby.
Clean suit.
Perfect posture.
Silver watch.
Security team behind him.
Olivia’s heart nearly stopped.
It was Daniel.
But he didn’t look at her.
He simply walked toward the elevators.
And as he passed the reception desk, he quietly said:
“Tell Olivia Bennett I need to speak with her.”
