Chapter 256: Geneva Confirmed

Chapter 256: Chapter 256: Geneva Confirmed

Troy stepped out of ’The Spade Hart’, the crisp night air biting against his face as he walked toward the waiting black sedan. He pulled his phone from his coat pocket, dialed a secure line, and brought the receiver to his ear before the driver even opened the rear door.

It picked up on the second ring.

"What do you want this time, Troy?" a raspy voice asked without greeting.

"Watch your words," Troy said, sliding into the leather back seat and shutting out the street noise with a heavy thud. "I need to know Rivers’ moves for the next few days. Every flight plan, every meeting, every dinner reservation. Where is he going to be?"

There was a brief rustle of papers over the line, followed by the faint clinking of glass. "The guy’s schedule is pretty hard to obtain, but word is he’s heading to Geneva on Friday for the international auction."

Troy leaned forward, his brow furrowing as his fingers dug into his knee. "Geneva? Why do you think he’s going there?"

"Leon Hart and Noah Chen are confirmed to be going to Switzerland on Friday," the voice replied smoothly. "And three separate brokers in the capital confirmed that Golden Investments has put out an urgent request for an ultra-long-range jet available by Friday noon through Rivers Aviation. Put two and two together. He’s twenty-three, sitting on billions, and his circle is flying to a high-society luxury and supercar auction. Of course he’s going."

A slow, cold grin spread across Troy’s face, his eyes glinting in the dark cabin.

If Jake left for Europe on Friday, the time difference and the long flight meant he wouldn’t touch down or check his phone properly until late Saturday at the absolute earliest. He would be completely out of pocket, trapped at thirty thousand feet, and entirely unable to run immediate damage control.

’A well-timed leak on Friday afternoon would burn through the capital’s press like wildfire while the boy was utterly helpless in mid-air.’ Troy thought.

"Good," Troy said, his voice dropping into a hard, decisive tone. "That’s all I needed. Keep your ears open."

He ended the call, tossed the phone onto the leather seat beside him, and tapped the glass partition. "Take me home."

---

The next morning, golden sunbeams cut through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Jake’s penthouse, warming the polished oak floors. The rich aroma of fresh espresso and toasted sourdough filled the modern kitchen as Catharine set down two plates near the marble island counter.

"We’re running low on espresso pods and those oat milk cartons you like," Catharine said, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear as she poured herself a cup. "And don’t forget we promised to host dinner for my roommates."

"I’ll have the staff restock the pantry this afternoon," Jake said, leaning against the counter in a charcoal suit jacket with no tie. He was scanning a tablet screen showing the initial charter quotes Alice had compiled for the Geneva trip. He looked up at her, a soft expression touching his face. "It’s a shame you can’t come to Geneva with me this weekend."

Catharine sighed, resting her chin in her hand with a playful, exaggerated pout. "Believe me, I’d much rather be looking at custom hypercars in Switzerland than grinding through stack loads of corporate filings. But I’m still just an intern at the firm, remember? I can’t just vanish if I actually want that full-time position on my own merits."

"You could buy the firm," Jake teased gently.

"And ruin all my hard work? Not a chance," she chuckled, rolling her eyes affectionately.

Before Jake could take a bite of his breakfast, his phone vibrated violently against the marble counter, its ringtone buzzing incessantly. He glanced at the caller ID, saw his sister’s name flashing, and snorted softly before picking up.

"Hey, Aliya."

"Jake! Tell me you didn’t forget!" Aliya’s energetic voice exploded through the speaker, so loud Catharine caught every single word from across the counter and burst out laughing. "In three weeks it’s the semester break! Carroll’s leg is finally out of the cast and she’s walking without the crutches now! We can do the France trip!"

"I didn’t forget," Jake said, taking a calm sip of his coffee. "Alice is already putting the itinerary together for you two. Private transfers, top-tier hotels in Paris, the whole five-star package."

"You’re literally the best brother alive!" Aliya squealed. "Oh, by the way, I went over to Mom and Dad’s house last night for dinner. Mom spent an hour complaining that both of us forgot where home is because we haven’t been visiting lately."

Jake winced slightly, rubbing his temple. "I’ll swing by and see them early next week. I’m leaving the country tomorrow, so my weekend is locked up."

The line went dead silent for two solid seconds.

"Wait... you’re leaving the country tomorrow?" Aliya’s tone instantly shifted from casual gossip to sharp, razor-focused curiosity. "Where are you going? Why are you going? When are you coming back? And who is going with you?"

Jake closed his eyes, instantly regretting the slip. He could practically hear the gears turning inside his little sister’s head at lightspeed.

"I’m flying to Geneva in Switzerland for a weekend auction," Jake replied cautiously, keeping his tone as boring as possible. "I’ll be back by Saturday night or Sunday. And I’m just going with the rest of the guys."

"Wait, so Noah, Adrian, Marcus, and Leon are all going too?" Aliya asked, her voice raising an entire octave. "So it’s one of those absurd rich-people auctions? Like, supercars, private islands, and ridiculous watches?"

"None of the stuff there is going to be cheap, if that’s what you mean," Jake said flatly.

"So... what time are we leaving tomorrow?"

Jake paused, bringing the phone away from his ear to stare at the screen in utter disbelief before putting it back. "We? Who on earth is ’we’?"

"Um, us! You and me!" Aliya said, sounding as if she were explaining basic math to a toddler.

"Since when were we a ’we’ on a business trip?"

"Since the exact moment you dropped ’I’m flying to Geneva for a billionaire auction’!" she shot back without missing a single beat. "You can’t just say that to me and expect me to sit home while you guys buy mansions and castles!"

"Friday is a school day, Aliya," Jake said, trying to muster his most stern, authoritative older-brother voice. "You have classes."

"I have no lectures on Friday! My schedule is completely clear!" she countered instantly, her voice dripping with triumphant attitude. "Besides, I just finished all my grueling tests and presentations. I deserve a pre-break reward for surviving second year!"

"You’re literally going to France in a few weeks!"

"France is in three weeks! Geneva is tomorrow! It’s called efficiency, Jake, look it up!"

Jake pinched the bridge of his nose, looking over at Catharine, who had her hands over her mouth, her shoulders shaking violently as she suppressed her laughter.

"Fine," Jake relented with a heavy, defeated sigh. "Be at the Zenith by noon sharp tomorrow. If you’re even one minute late, the car leaves without you. No exceptions."

"Yes! You’re an absolute legend!" Aliya cheered. "Oh, can I bring Fancy?"

Jake blinked, his eyebrow twitching. "Fancy?"

"Yeah, Fancy! My best friend since high school! She’s staying over at the apartment with me and Carroll tonight anyway!"

"Sure," Jake muttered under his breath, completely outmaneuvered. "What’s one more headache?"

"You’re amazing! See you tomorrow at noon, bye!"

The call cut off before he could even utter a single condition.

Jake set the phone face-down on the marble counter and slumped into his seat, reaching blindly for his espresso.

Catharine set her cup down, her blue eyes dancing with vibrant amusement. "Look on the bright side."

"There is no bright side to taking Aliya and her friend on an overseas luxury trip," Jake deadpanned, staring into his black coffee. "She’s going to spend the entire flight trying to convince Leon and Noah to buy her a custom Porsche."

"She’s just excited," Catharine said smoothly, leaning over the counter to plant a sweet kiss on his cheek. "And honestly, she deserves a bit of fun. She’s been buried in schoolwork for weeks, even though she desperately needed a break after that whole chaotic wedding incident."

"I know, I know," Jake said, the corner of his lips twitching into a reluctant smile as he put an arm around Catharine’s waist. "I just hope Geneva is ready for her."

---

Later that evening, the sun had dipped below the skyline, casting long, purple shadows across the penthouse office. Jake sat behind his heavy desk, checking over the final flight permits for the next day, when his phone chimed.

It was an incoming call from Mark Thompson. Jake swiped the screen and brought it to his ear. "Mark. Give me some good news."

"Mr. Rivers," Mark’s voice came through the speaker, crisp and overflowing with professional relief. "I’m calling to confirm that your Bombardier Global 7500 has been cleared, fully prepped, and positioned on the tarmac at the capital’s executive airport. She’s fueled up, fully staffed, and ready for takeoff tomorrow at your command."

"Excellent work, Mark," Jake said, leaning back in his leather executive chair. "I knew leaving the order with you was the right call."

"It’s the least I could do, sir," Mark replied, genuine gratitude lacing his tone.

"Speaking of which," Jake continued smoothly, clicking open his secure bank portal on his desktop screen. "I’m sending over your performance advance right now. That way you don’t have to stress about the medical payments for your daughter’s treatment."

Mark went dead silent on the other end for three full seconds before stuttering slightly. "S-Sir? The advance already? We haven’t even completed the rest of the order—"

"You’ve worked around the clock to get jet in record time," Jake cut him off calmly. "You’ve earned it. Focus on your daughter’s health, Mark. Rivers Aviation still needs to complete the order."

"Thank you, Mr. Rivers... I... I don’t even know what to say. You won’t regret this, I swear it."

"I know I won’t. Have a good night, Mark."

Jake ended the call and executed the transfer. A moment later, he authorized the secondary release funds tied to their acquisition contract.

On the other side of the city, Mark Thompson stood in his office, staring in absolute shock as his phone buzzed with two consecutive banking notifications. The advance bonus was an astounding 14.3 million marks, and it was cleared into his private account.

Mark sank into his chair, his hands trembling slightly as he stared at the screen. He had hit the absolute jackpot. Switching loyalties to Jake Rivers wasn’t just a career move; it was the miracle his family had been praying for.

Back in his penthouse, Jake leaned back, watching the warm glow of his monitors. He distinctly recalled his meeting with Mark just a few days prior. When he first saw Mark, a glowing, brilliant green bullish trend line had hovered above Mark’s head—a unmistakable indicator of massive future value and potential.

Jake smiled to himself, closing his laptop. He had secured an important piece.

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