10x Cashback: Your Wealth Is Mine

40  Welcome To Monaco

The car ride to the airport was quiet with Matt glancing over now and then as if he wanted to say something, but he kept his focus on the road.

The incident with Wang had given me a focus that Matt had admitted he found scary.

I'd gotten a loan from another bank but the process had taken longer as I had to start again from the beginning. Fortunately, I'd been able to finish it before my trip.

Finally, we pulled up to the terminal and Matt put the car in park. He turned to me, grinning.

"Well, this is it. Monaco." He said, nodding at the entrance. "Don't let those billionaires intimidate you."

I chuckled, grabbing my bag from the backseat. "Intimidate me? I'm here to make them uncomfortable."

Matt laughed, giving me a playful punch on the shoulder. "Good luck, man. You're gonna need it."

I nodded, returning his grin. "See you on the flip side."

I turned and walked inside, feeling Matt's eyes on me. I couldn't help but grin at that. "Sentimental bastard." I muttered under my breath.

I followed the directions to the boarding area where Gray was already waiting. He was dressed in business casual, wearing a dark blue jacket over a white shirt.

"Morning." I greeted, taking a seat beside him.

"Morning, Mr. Voss." He replied, smiling at me.

"You can call me Nico, by the way. No need for all this 'Mr. Voss' formality. We're fellow soldiers now, not boss and employer." I said with a grin.

He raised an eyebrow before nodding slightly. "If that's the case, then I expect you to call me Romulus."

"Deal." I said, grinning. I would one day like to meet whoever named him because Romulus Gray is quite the cool name.

We waited for half an hour before our flight was announced. We made our way to the gate, heading through and making our way toward the first-class cabin. The original Nico had flown first class plenty of times but this was a first for me personally. As we boarded, the first thing I noticed was the spacious seat. I'm sure there are people who would be willing to kill for the amount of legroom in the first class cabin. Seeing all these, it was easy to understand why people spent absurd amounts of money for this kind of comfort.

My head swiveled around the place, taking it all in. I must have looked like a country bumpkin.

It was my inattention that made me bump into the woman in front of me. I glanced up, already apologizing. "Sorry about that."

She looked back, giving me a polite smile and a nod of acknowledgment. She slid into her seat and I walked forward to find mine.

I frowned, thinking about it. There was something vaguely familiar about her. The blonde hair, the expression of amused politeness, an outfit that screamed taste and wealth. Well, the outfit wasn't unique to her. Most people in the cabin were similarly dressed.

I paused in my stride as it clicked. I knew where I'd seen her before. I'd seen her picture when I'd been researching the Adams family.

Her name was Margot Adams. She was the wife of the Adams family eldest son, which made her Oliver Adams' sister-in-law.

I kept moving, not wanting to stare or draw any attention. We were here on business, not to make accidental headlines. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

I settled into my seat, Gray taking the one beside me. He glanced over, reading and misinterpreting my expression. "First time?"

"Yeah. It's a bit… different." I grinned. It was much easier to just admit that this was my first time in first class than to explain that I found it odd that a woman was not using her husband's private jet.

Or maybe I'm the odd one for thinking husbands and wives had to share private jets.

"Best way to travel." He replied, settling in comfortably. "You might want to get some rest. We've got a long way to go. Santiago, Chile first, then Nice, France. With all the flights, layover and transfers, we're looking at around twenty hours."

"Twenty hours." I let out a low whistle, nodding. "Good advice, then."

He relaxed into his seat and I mimicked him. I put the issue of wives and private jets out of my mind, drifting off to sleep.

The flights passed in a blur of comfort and sleep, broken only by the occasional gourmet meal and conversation with Gray.

By the time we landed in Nice, the sun was dipping low in the sky.

From Nice, a helicopter was waiting to take us straight into Monte Carlo, Monaco. Monaco didn't have an airport of its own, which was why we had to land in France.

I stepped out with a smile on my face. "That's the plan, my good man." I said. "That's the plan."

15:32

I couldn't suppress the wave of excitement that swept through me as we lifted off. I grinned, fixing my eyes on the beautiful view of the Mediterranean beneath us, sparkling in the late afternoon sun. Monaco was everything I had cooked up in my head and more. It had the glitz, the glamor and the kind of wealth that only an exclusive few could even fathom.

After the seven minute helicopter ride, we landed in Monte Carlo where a driver was waiting to greet us.

The man was dressed impeccably and from his manner, I could tell he was experienced at catering to high profile guests. He collected our bags with a professional nod and as we settled into the car, he glanced back with a welcoming smile.

"Welcome to Monaco." He said in a warm, accented voice. "Beautiful, beautiful city, sirs. It might be small but it has a lot to offer. We have the beautiful architecture, the casinos, and the Grand Prix, of course."

Gray and I exchanged grins as we started our drive. My eyes remained fixed on the sight outside the window as we were driven to our hotel.

The city was like something out of a movie set with those buildings that make you wonder if the architect was also a part time artist. Then, there was the harbor where the yachts were lined up like jewels.

It was hard not to imagine myself among them one day, owning a slice of this world and creating my own legacy within it.

A few minutes later, the driver pulled up in front of our hotel, the view of Monaco stretching out before us like a scene from a dream. "Here we are, sirs." He announced, opening the door for us with a courteous nod. "Enjoy your stay, gentlemen. Monaco has a way of making the impossible possible."

I stepped out with a smile on my face. "That's the plan, my good man." I said. "That's the plan."