Chapter 3 Spy on Milano

Next morning, a very cheerful maid led Zoe to the “small breakfast room” where the Montreal family was apparently having breakfast.

Zoe came to a halt in the doorway, taking in the domestic scene.

A stern-looking dark-haired man was seated at the head of the table, with a very beautiful young blond to his left. The Montreal couple, presumably. The blond girl didn’t look like a gold-digger at all. There was something very soft and affectionate in her eyes as she talked to her husband.

Across from her, two very cute girls around ten were loudly arguing with each other. The girls must be related to the blond young woman: they looked a bit like her, though most of all they looked a lot like each other. They clearly were twins, but they weren’t absolutely identical: one of them had a plumper, rounder face.

There was also a big black dog lying at the girls’ feet. The girls kept sneaking him food when the adults weren’t looking.

The blond was the first to notice Zoe. “Good morning,” she said with a smile. “Come on in, don’t stand there! I’m Wendy. This is my husband, Derek. Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah, thanks,” Zoe said, taking a seat next to one of the twins. She felt a little awkward. Although she wasn’t exactly socially awkward, she didn’t know these people at all.

The girl next to her turned, looking at her curiously. “Who are you? Why are you staying at our house?”

“Melissa!” Wendy snapped, a faint blush on her cheeks. “That’s very rude.”

“It was just a question!” the girl protested, pouting. “Derek, tell Wendy it was just a question!”

Derek Montreal looked up from his cup of coffee and focused his hawk-like black eyes on the girl. They softened considerably. “I’m sure Bee didn’t mean to be rude.”

“Derek, don’t take her side!” Wendy said exasperatedly. “You spoil her rotten.” Wendy turned to Zoe and gave her a weak smile. “Sorry about that. But it’s probably my own fault for not telling the girls about you. These are my sisters, Melissa and Emily. Girls, this is Zoe Cavalier, Xandro’s friend from England. She was supposed to stay with Xandro and Tina, but you know they had to leave, so Zoe will be staying with us for a while. Please be nice to her. Don’t prank her.”

Zoe grinned at the girls. “I’m not too bothered by pranking. I have five siblings. I’ve seen it all.”

The twins’ eyes lit up. They exchanged a look that would have scared Zoe shitless if she hadn’t been on the receiving end of Ryan and Nick’s pranks for years when they were kids.

“Besides,” Zoe said. “It’s only natural that your sisters are confused. I would be, too, if I found some stranger in my home.” She looked from Wendy to Derek. “Really, thank you for your hospitality. I appreciate it, but it feels like I’m intruding in your home—”

“You aren’t intruding,” Wendy said. “It’s really no trouble.” She chuckled. “It’s actually a good thing that we’ll have another person in this mausoleum of a house.”

Even though she really appreciated the sentiment, Zoe still shook her head. “I would feel better if there’s something I can do to help around…” She trailed off, unsure what she could actually do to be useful. It wasn’t as though the Montreal needed help around the house, considering how many employees they had. Any help of that sort would be useless for them, and they would be just humoring Zoe if they let her work. 

Wendy seemed to share her thoughts. Her beautiful face looked vaguely uncomfortable, as if she wasn’t sure what to say without offending her.

Her husband cleared his throat. “Actually,” he said. “There might be something you can help us with.”

Relieved, Zoe looked at Derek.

Those black eyes seemed to be evaluating her before Derek spoke again. “You probably heard last night that our company recently entered into a partnership deal with the Milano Group.”

Zoe nodded, her brows furrowing in confusion. But she didn’t ask any questions, waiting for Derek to elaborate.

Derek took a sip of his coffee. “While the deal is mutually beneficial, I’m concerned that Martin Milano, the owner of the Milano Group, might have ulterior motives. We aren’t exactly friends.”

Zoe cocked her head to the side slightly, her confusion growing. 

“You might be wondering why I agreed to this deal if I have concerns,” Derek said. “I’m not a businessman, Zoe. I have neither the patience, nor love for business. Nor do I have the time. I’m a tenured professor at Harvard. Montreal Enterprises was my father’s pride and joy, and until his death, I had nothing to do with it.” Derek grimaced slightly. “Since my father’s death, my brother-in-law was doing all the managing work, but he and my sister died in a plane crash half a year ago.”

Oh.

Before Zoe could express her condolences, Derek continued, “So since neither Wendy nor I are interested in—or capable of—managing such a large company, we had no choice but to involve outsiders.” Derek pinched the bridge of his nose. “At first we tried to promote a few senior managers to the position of the CEO, but it wasn’t a good solution.” His lips twisted into a sardonic smile. “My father was a controlling son-of-a-bitch who didn’t understand what the word ‘delegation’ meant. My brother-in-law was the only other person in the company who understood how to efficiently run it.”

Derek shook his head. “After his death, the company started suffering heavy losses from incompetent management. So when the Milano Group approached us, offering a mutually beneficial partnership, with their CEO agreeing to manage both companies and us just reaping the benefits, it seemed like a good solution.”

“But now you don’t think that anymore?” Zoe said, still unsure what all of this had to do with her. It wasn’t like she had any clue about how to run a corporation, either. She might be a business major, but this situation was way beyond her experience.

“I have… doubts,” Derek said, his lips thinning. “The deal is almost too good for us, considering how much a manager of Martin Milano’s caliber is worth and the fact that our companies have been rivals for decades.”

Zoe looked at him curiously. There was something Derek wasn’t telling her. Had she known Derek better, she would have pushed, but since she didn’t, she settled on asking the other question on her mind, “How can I help?”

Derek looked at her steadily. “I need someone I can trust to report to me if Milano is up to something.”

Zoe blinked. Derek wanted her to spy on the guy? 

“Why me?” she said, beyond confused. “Wouldn’t it be better and more convenient if you asked one of your company’s employees?”

Derek shook his head. “I already tried that, but either there’s nothing or Milano is too careful around my employees. Not to mention that now that he’s their boss officially, it will put them into a very awkward position, torn between the loyalty to the owner and the CEO.”

Zoe nodded, frowning. “But how am I even supposed to get close to him to be able to tell if anything is off?”

“Aren’t you a business major?” Derek said before sipping his coffee.

Zoe nodded again, a little unsettled that Derek knew this about her.

“You will be a British student on a summer internship program. It will be believable, because Montreal Enterprises really has an international internship program. I’ll sort out your documents and arrange for you to be put in the CEO’s offices. You can start tomorrow.”

Zoe could only stare at the man, feeling a little dazed.

“Derek,” Wendy said with a look of fond exasperation. “Tone it down. You’re overwhelming the poor girl.” Turning to Zoe, she smiled apologetically. “Sorry, he doesn’t even notice how intense he can be.” She looked back at her husband. “Don’t pressure her. Zoe is here on vacation, not work.”

“She can always say no, Wendy,” Derek said, not looking contrite at all.

Zoe thought, not without humor, that she wasn’t exactly in a position to refuse, no matter what Derek said. If she refused to help them, staying at their house and enjoying their hospitality would be beyond awkward. 

“Obviously it will be a paid internship,” Derek said as an afterthought.

Wendy gave her husband a sharp look. “Don’t even start,” she said with something that sounded like reproach and amusement at the same time. “Money isn’t the solution to everything.”

The couple exchanged a look Zoe didn’t understand.

Derek’s mouth twitched. “I still think it was the best thing I’ve ever spent my money on,” he said, looking at Wendy intently.

Wendy flushed and licked her lips. “Derek,” she hissed, glancing at Zoe and the twins.

The girls rolled their eyes as one. “Ignore them,” Melissa told Zoe with an important look on her cute little face.  “We do when they’re being gross and adulty.”

“Adulty isn’t a word,” Emily said, earning a scowl from her twin.

Glancing at his watch, Derek said, “Girls, aren’t you late for your self-defense lessons?”

“Dammit!” Melissa said, jumping to her feet.

When Wendy shot her a stern look, the girl smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, Wen! But we have to run! Let’s go, Em! Star, come on!”

And they ran off, the dog trotting behind them.

Zoe found it kind of amusing that Wendy was the stern parent in this relationship.

“So,” Derek said, looking at Zoe. “What is your answer?”

“No pressure, remember,” Wendy added with a pointed look at her husband.

“Okay, I can do it,” Zoe said with a shrug. “It’s not a big deal. You’re really helping me out, and I want to return the favor. But… I’m not going to stalk the guy and search his pockets or something.”

Wendy let out a laugh. “We aren’t asking you to do that. Just keep an eye on him, okay? Derek doesn’t trust easily, and his unease makes me anxious by proxy.”

Relieved that they didn’t want her to be some kind of pseudo-spy, Zoe smiled back. “I don’t have my passport, by the way. Won’t it be a problem?”

Frowning, Derek shook his head. “A CEO isn’t going to ask you for your passport. The company-issued ID will be enough.” He stood, checking his watch again. “It’s decided, then. I’ll swing by the office to arrange everything.” Leaning down, he gave Wendy a short but hungry kiss that made Zoe look away.

Ninety percent of the time Zoe was perfectly fine with her lack of personal life. 

But at times like this, she had to admit she felt a little jealous. 

Just a little...

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