Page 32 of Endless Whispers
“Nathanial will always be in good hands. Keep your head in the game. It’s all going to work out.”
“How do you know?”
“Because those guys only care about money. You’ve got something real you’re fighting for. That matters more than you can imagine.”
CHAPTER 28
CHARLIZE
Charlize sat at an opulent table in an exclusive private club, surrounded by extravagance and luxury. The club's lavish decor, impeccable service, and the finest cuisine were all part of the package, but her companions truly captured her attention. There was nothingnonprofitabout this place. These were three extremely wealthy people, hiding out in an exclusive restaurant, pretending they were worth every penny.
Maybe the lure of greed couldn’t be ignored. They were certainly trying to test her will. Treating her like royalty and showing her how much they could gain by crushing the people around them. Brenda, Stephen, and Fiona exuded an air of sophistication and power that was hard to ignore. They were dressed impeccably, their smiles as polished as their shoes, and the service staff was falling all over each other to meet their every need. If Charlize didn’t know how these assholes made all their money, she might actually be impressed.
Brenda, in particular, seemed to have an uncanny ability to try to woo Charlize. She seemed motivated to try to get her warmed up.
"You know, this wine pairs perfectly with the steak. Make sure you get the filet. It cuts like butter.”
“This is quite the lunch. You guys know how to live.” Charlize laughed and raised her wine glass in gratitude.
Stephen slid his napkin off his plate and onto his lap. “What’s the point of life if you aren’t enjoying yourself? These are long days. Difficult decisions. It’s nice to be able to come here and enjoy the finer things.”
Brenda nodded at the waitress to show her agreement that they’d take another bottle of wine. “Charlize, it’s very interesting. You and I have quite a few mutual acquaintances," she mentioned casually, taking another sip her fine wine. "People who have worked with you in the past. They say you're solid, trustworthy, and that you certainly know how to game the system."
Charlize arched an eyebrow, feigning surprise. “Gaming the system? I like to think I find a way to maximize everything available so that my clients are happy with my services.” She offered a devilish smile. “But I can’t deny that my reputation has some truth to it.”
Stephen leaned in, his voice low and conspiratorial. "That's exactly what we need, Charlize. People who can get things done. You see, the three of us are risk takers. That’s how we’ve made it to where we are today. The risks are calculated, but they do require a lot of discretion. People we can trust.”
“So what are we talking about here exactly?” Charlize asked, playing dumb. “Is this insider trading? Are you funneling some of the fundraiser money for personal use?”
Fiona chimed in, her eyes gleaming with ambition and pride. "We've found an almost endless supply of resources. It became obvious pretty early on that the women we support are the best workforce imaginable.”
“Workforce?” Charlize asked, checking her body language. She couldn’t look concerned, but needed to instead seem intrigued. “You find them employment, right?”
“Yes, they have day jobs,” Stephen snickered. “But that’s barely enough for them to live on. We utilize their hours at night to make the real money.”
“Interesting,” Charlize said, leaning back in her chair and smiling. “They are truly in debt to your help so they’re willing to take on more work?”
“It’s better than that,” Brenda sang, seeming unbothered by how horrific her words were. “These women are highly motivated, resourceful, and they have an unbreakable loyalty to their children. It's a visceral bond, Charlize, one that drives them to excel in whatever they do. They want very few things. Food for their children, a roof over their heads, and time to be with them. If they have that, they are incredibly"—she seemed to think on the word for a long moment—“compliant.”
Charlize's curiosity deepened as she listened intently. They were very boldly revealing their hidden world. Unbeknownst to them, she was recording it all. There were usually only two things that would make people act this recklessly. Love and money. They’d all heard the chance for twenty-two million dollars and decided that was enough of an opportunity to take the leap and trust Charlize.
"I'm intrigued," she admitted. "But what exactly do you have them doing that’s so profitable? If we’re talking entertaining men, I’ll be honest I—”
“Absolutely not,” Brenda cut in. “There’s too much risk there. Too many problems with that. We’re talking distribution of some products. We started small, but it became very clear that the demand for drugs was at an all-time high and if we could find a way to meet that need, we’d do very well.”
“And it’s not hard to make the women cooperate? They’re willing to take the risk of selling out on the streets? I’d be concerned that they’d get arrested and then turn over incriminating evidence. That’s a lot of risk.”
Brenda leaned back in her chair, her gaze steady. "A mother will do anything it takes to have her child with her. We regulate their time together to make sure they’re highly motivated to stick with what we expect. It turned out to be the perfect formula. We are making more money than we imagined, and we have complete compliance from all the women involved.”
“Is everyone in the program?” Charlize took a piece of the thin bread and buttered it as if they had only half her attention.
“In one form or another, yes,” Brenda explained. “There are different arrangements depending on how valuable they are. But we have control of all of them.”
“How do you decide who gets what arrangement?”
Stephen was smug as he replied. “The women with drug problems in their past that would have otherwise lost their children. Or women coming out of domestic abuse situations. Really the ones who are the worst off are willing to do anything. It sounds harsh but they’d likely be out there selling drugs and doing god knows what else. At least this way we give them a shot at still having a relationship with their children. It’s actually symbiotic.”
Charlize wanted to flip the table over, dumping the contents in their laps. This was not some mutually beneficial arrangement they had. They were blackmailing and extorting the women for their own gain. She’d had to play along with a lot of things in her life, but this was making her stomach churn.