Chapter 115: An Annoying Guest

Jude kept the chat with Sabrina short for a reason...

He didn’t care about Sadie, and letting Sabrina get her hopes up was a waste of time.

The bigger reason was thirty feet ahead by a marble column: Chelsea Lee was standing there with a glass of red wine, chatting up a woman in an evening dress.

Chelsea had just landed from London two days ago and had zero business being here.

He’d met her two weeks ago when closing an $8 million shipping deal with her family.

As the spoiled heiress to a major European logistics empire, she was basically an annoying client’s kid he felt obligated to keep out of trouble...

Sneaking into a ballroom where entry badges cost $20,000 without breaking a sweat was just typical Chelsea. Now that she was bored, she was just making random small talk.

Jude started across the carpet to pull her away before security started checking badges.

"Jude."

A familiar voice spoke right behind his shoulder.

Jude turned and saw Salma Thompson standing under the warm chandelier light.

"Didn’t expect to see you here," Salma smiled.

They had crossed paths six weeks back during a private bond auction in lower Manhattan.

Flirting came easy to a banking heiress who sat on a $3 billion escrow fund, treating a legendary lounge like spare change between friends.

She was wearing a stunning, dark backless gown, her high heels putting her almost at eye level with him.

"Same here, looks like," Jude looked at her. "What brings you up here?"

"Grandfather dragged me along," Salma sighed. "Didn’t know I’d run into someone I actually know. Are you here to bid on the club too?"

"Just checking the place out," Jude said.

Salma’s face turned serious. She stepped closer, keeping her voice low over the room’s chatter. "If you’re thinking of putting in a bid, save your money."

"Why’s that?"

"Grandfather already made up his mind this morning," Salma said frankly. "He told the team to buy this place no matter how high the bidding goes. He refuses to lose."

Jude looked at her with mild curiosity. "The Thompson family already owns massive banks and prime real estate. Why fight so hard over a single lounge?"

"It’s not about the building, Jude," Salma whispered, looking around the room. "Look who’s here. They aren’t bidding on cocktail profits. They want the records. For twenty years, the biggest deals and dirtiest backroom politics in the state happened right in these booths. Whoever buys the club gets all those secrets."

"Makes sense," Jude nodded.

That juicy intel was the exact reason Jacob Ward had sent offshore cash through Kyle Zhu.

Salma looked at him closely.

She knew he had serious private money, but going head-to-head against a mega-bank was suicide.

"Just friendly advice," Salma added. "Our bank moved $3 billion in pure cash into an escrow account this afternoon just for this deal. If you don’t have that kind of money sitting in your pocket tonight, don’t even bother."

"$3 billion?"

Jude paused.

Three billion in cash was easy for him to cover, but moving that much liquid money on the spot showed just how crazy rich the Thompson family really was...

With three billion sitting around in raw cash, they could buy out five luxury skyscrapers on Fifth Avenue by midnight and still have change left over!

Seeing him pause, Salma smirked playfully. "Gives you an idea of what we’re packing, huh?"

"That’s serious cash," Jude said, shrugging it off.

Salma hesitated, her smile turning teasing as she leaned in a little closer. "There’s an easier way if you really want this place, you know."

"Let’s hear it," Jude said.

"Break off your engagement and marry into my family," Salma said, half-serious, half-teasing. "The club is yours, along with the family fortune. Clean deal."

Jude looked into her eyes for two seconds. "Sounds like an excuse to live off your family’s dime."

"Most guys in this room would take that deal in a heartbeat," Salma tilted her head.

Jude gave a laugh, shaking his head. "Creative pitch."

"Think about it," Salma said, watching him closely.

Jude kept his face calm, stepping aside as waiters walked past with drinks, his eyes scanning the floor again.

Jude looked Salma dead in the eyes. "My answer is no. I’m not interested."

The smile vanished from Salma’s face. She stared at him, completely caught off guard.

In her billionaire circle, nobody turned down an offer backed by infinite wealth and status, especially not right in the middle of a VIP ballroom...

Her face tightened, her voice dropping. "You’re actually turning me down?"

"I am," Jude said evenly. "I’ve got business across the room. Enjoy your night."

He turned on his heel and walked toward the columns along the north wall, leaving her standing alone under the chandelier.

Salma glared at his back, her jaw tight, before turning back to the bar in frustration.

Over by the buffet where Chelsea Lee was standing, Jude caught her eye and gestured toward the curtains by the corner.

Chelsea excused herself and slipped behind the decorative palm trees near the balcony doors, holding a glass of wine.

"What’s wrong?" Chelsea took a sip.

"Do you even know who you were talking to?" Jude asked in a low voice.

"Never met her in my life," Chelsea said.

"Then keep your head down," Jude warned. "We sneaked up here to look around. If security starts checking badges because someone asks who you are, they’ll lock this whole floor down in seconds."

Chelsea frowned. "She walked up to me first! I was just having a drink."

"Doesn’t matter, stop chatting people up," Jude told her. "Draw any attention, and you’re getting thrown out to the street."

Chelsea crossed her arms. "I came up here to see this big auction, not hide behind a curtain like a ghost."

Jude pointed to a serving cart nearby. "Grab some food and stay out of sight."

"I’m not hungry," Chelsea grumbled, leaning back against the wall. "You’re being paranoid. Nobody is checking badges unless someone starts a fight, and I’m behaving. Go do your thing."