Business: Phoenix #1 Read online

  BUSINESS (Phoenix #1)

  Book 1 in the Phoenix Series

  By Zoe Danielle

  © 2015 by Zoe Danielle

  All rights reserved. This book is intended for audiences age 18 and over. Content from this book may not be used or distributed without the express written permission of the author, with the exception of written reviews.

  Except for the original material written by the author, all songs, song titles, and lyrics mentioned in the novel are the property of the respective songwriters and copyright holders.

  This book is a work of fiction.

  Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used factiously. Any resemblance to living or dead is entirely coincidental.

  The following story contains mature themes, strong language, and sexual themes.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-one

  Chapter Thirty-two

  Chapter Thirty-three

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Chapter Thirty-five

  Chapter Thirty-six

  Chapter Thirty-seven

  Chapter Thirty-eight

  Chapter Thirty-nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-one

  Chapter Forty-two

  Chapter Forty-three

  Chapter Forty-four

  Chapter Forty-five

  Chapter Forty-six

  Chapter Forty-seven

  Chapter One

  Friday 14th Jan 2011

  “Campbell’s Car Garage, Casey speaking, how may I help you?” I said answering the phone for the umpteenth time this morning.

  “Hi Casey, baby,” My boyfriend Darren said.

  “Happy 21st Birthday! I’ve been thinking about you,” I replied with a grin.

  “Why don’t you tell your boss that you aren’t feeling well? You can come make this birthday a happy one for me?”

  “Oh Darren, I can’t. I’m the only receptionist here today, because Julie has the day off and one of the guys already called in sick. I’ll probably have to work late,” I said remorsefully.

  “Come on, baby....My parents will be back from their trip tomorrow. This is our last day to have the house to ourselves. You already said you couldn’t come after work, so tell them you feel something coming on and get over here.”

  “I really can’t. I wish I could, but I just can’t skip out. I have responsibilities here,” I said with a heavy sigh.

  “Whatever, baby. I’ll just be having a lazy day. Relaxing, sleeping and wishing for some birthday ...fun.”

  I gave a little laugh, “Yeah, I bet. I’ll be over tomorrow night before the party starts; I know it will be great! How many people did you say your mum invited?”

  “I don’t know, over a hundred. You know how she gets carried away. Well, go take care of your responsibilities,” He said before hanging up.

  Feeling guilty, I looked at the filing and paperwork on my desk. If I skipped lunch and break, maybe I could leave early tonight and surprise him...

  ~~~~~

  I was so thankful to leave my shift early. It had been a long, stressful day and all I really wanted was to go home to my parents’ house for a bath and an early night. I thought about Darren spending his 21st birthday alone and knew I couldn’t do that. He would never do that to me. He was always thoughtful.

  I made a quick plan that started with the nearest supermarket. I looked through the bakery section until I found the perfect luxury chocolate cake. I grabbed a bottle of champagne, a sexy card, and a lottery ticket. I was starting to look forward to a cozy night in together; maybe I could still get that hot bath before celebrating in our own special way.

  It has always been a tradition in our family to buy a lottery ticket and stick it in a card on birthdays. I'm not sure why, it is just something we have always done. Even though the odds of winning were practically nonexistent, the odds of Darren getting lucky on his birthday were practically guaranteed.

  I added some gloss and fluffed my hair before getting out the car. I grabbed the goodies and made my way to the side door which was locked. It was dark inside. I tried to call his phone twice but there was no answer. After repeatedly knocking and nearly dropping the cake, he answered the door. Darren was wearing only boxer shorts, hanging low on his hips. He was so cute with his hair all messed up.

  "Surprise!" I give him a wide smile, holding up the champagne in one hand and holding his cake in the other, “Happy 21st Birthday!”

  "Oh…Hi, Babe." He seemed uncomfortable as he looked away from me.

  "W-What’s wrong...? You don't seem too happy to see me. Are you still upset that I couldn’t spend the whole day?" I ask with disappointment. I thought this would make up for it.

  “No....it’s not that…exactly…”

  I felt my heart drop and my stomach churn as I see someone enter the room behind him. I squint and am speechless. My eyes fill with tears as I realize it is Sarah, one of my oldest friends. She was wearing nothing but one of Darren's oversized t-shirts and a head full of disheveled blonde hair. She immediately looked away.

  It didn't take me long to put two and two together. I look from Darren to Sarah and back again.

  "You asshole…" I barely whisper, as the champagne slips from my hand and shatters by our feet.

  “You asshole!” I scream this time as I throw the cake at him before turning on my heel and heading straight back to my car where I locked the doors and cried in my hands for what seems like forever.

  When I eventually got home, I had a deep bubble bath and threw my favorite pajamas on. Then I just sat in my bed and cried. I had been with Darren for over 3 years; he was my teenage sweetheart. I could never imagine my life without him. How could he do this? Why would he do this? Was it my fault?

  My thoughts were interrupted by my best friend, Hannah. She smiled sympathetically and held up chocolates and a bottle of wine.

  "What did that bastard do?" Hannah asks, plonking herself down on the other side of my double bed and wrapping her arms around me.

  “How’d you know?” I sniffled.

  Hannah shrugged, “Andrew called me, but I wish you had.”

  My older brother, Andrew, knew me well. I hated to burden anyone with my problems; I tried to deal with them on my own. So when I had problems, he would call Hannah. Hannah always knew what to say when I was feeling down in the dumps.

  "I called round to surprise Darren and he came to the door...he looked as if he had just got out of bed after a sexathon...seconds later Sarah appeared behind him, and she looked the same!" I explained between sobs.

  "Oh Case, it’s okay they are both ugly anyway," Hannah tries to make light of the situation; she is normally the only person who can cheer me up whenever I am feeling down, ‘my rock’ if
you like but this time it doesn't work. "Hey, I brought chocolate and wine, why don't we watch the Notebook and sit and talk about how sexy Ryan Gosling is?"

  "Yes, please." Is all I can manage.

  A few hours pass, my mum and dad ordered us a takeaway pizza and came to speak to us, my dad explained that he never liked Darren anyway – mum sat nodding beside him agreeing that she always thought he wasn’t the one for me and of course Hannah agreed with them stating that I could do better.

  Hannah has always been like the sister I never had, my mum and dad adored her from the first time they met her when we were 12 years old. She regularly stayed over at our house and whenever we went on holidays she was always invited – mum and dad would even pay for her to come along with us. It wasn't just mum and dad who adored Hannah either, although he denied it whenever I brought it up, but it has always been obvious that Andrew has had a soft spot for her.

  Before long I was feeling better, I still felt empty but I knew that the world hadn't ended, that there was a light at the end of the dark tunnel and that there was plenty more fish in the sea.

  We were all sitting in the living room chatting when dad announced that the lottery was starting, my mum rushed to get her ticket out of her purse and sat watching the screen intently. Remembering I bought a ticket for Darren, I dashed to the bin where I had thrown the card and tore it open.

  A mixture of emotions ran through me as I looked at the ticket and then the TV screen...shock, excitement, anxiety, panic as I realized all the numbers on the ticket matched what was on the screen. My hands were shaking uncontrollably as my dad took the ticket from me to check for himself.

  "You've won Case, you've won!" He beams. "Congratulations!"

  After phoning the winners helpline, it was confirmed, I was the winner of 40 million pounds.

  At twenty years old, I was a millionaire.

  Chapter Two

  4 years later.

  At the age of twenty-four I found myself on the Sunday Time’s rich list. After the win I made sure I spent the money wisely. I bought mum and dad a 6 bedroom house on several acres of land near the coast and gave them enough money so they were comfortable for the rest of their lives. My dad, a builder who loved what he did, helped me buy numerous properties to upgrade to rent and sell on. This turned out to be a very profitable business and months later Phoenix Properties was established.

  My older brother Andrew worked as a mechanic at the time and loved cars, so I bought him a garage - over the years they have multiplied and there are now 6 garages.

  I invested my money in all different projects, I bought spa's, hotels and gradually over the years my investments have turned out to be the best decisions ever. Within two years, Phoenix Properties had grown into Phoenix Corporations.

  I made sure my best friend Hannah was comfortable, and she is now my right-hand woman when it comes to running my businesses.

  It's true what they say - money isn't everything. But it does certainly make you happier. I have been able to do things I only thought I would be able to dream of, don’t get me wrong - I don't take it for granted. I donate a lot of money to local charities, animal shelters, to sick children, cancer patients, and homeless people.

  The one thing I love most, knowing that the money that has turned my life around - can help turn other people’s lives round. People who have not been as lucky as me in life.

  Hannah is constantly showing me all the good feedback we receive, the most recent was from a 6 year old boy named Joshua. He had a rare form of cancer and he had to travel to America for specialists to carry out a lifesaving operation, his parents didn't earn enough money to pay for the plane tickets, never mind the treatment and for a place to stay over there. So they wrote to me eight weeks ago.

  As soon as I read the letter, I got my assistant Michelle to contact them to tell them I would pay for everything and once Joshua was recovered, I would pay for the family to have a two week holiday in Disneyland.

  When I got into work this morning Hannah was waiting for me in my office with a letter from Joshua’s mum. Thanking me for my help, explaining Joshua is still weak but is now fully clear from all cancer, enclosed there is a photograph and a kids drawing. The photograph is of a bald headed little boy with big brown eyes who I presume is Joshua with a big smile holding the kids drawing which said 'thank you’ and lots of flowers.

  I sit back in my desk chair and wipe away the tears before looking up to Han.

  "I am so happy we were able to help." I smile at her; Hannah is also wiping tears from her eyes.

  I stick the letter, photograph and drawing on my noticeboard to the right of my desk with many other thank you letters that have been sent to us over the past years.

  "Sunday Times rang today Case, they have invited you and a plus one to their annual Rich List party next Saturday. They say you are coming in at around number 22 this year, 4 places higher than last year." Hannah puts an email confirmation in front of me and I quickly glance down at the paper.

  "Brilliant, I love a good party. Do you know if Sash is going this year?" Sasha is one of my closest rich friends, we have always got on well, we both come from different industries though, but it is always handy having a friend in the fashion industry.

  "Yeah I spoke to Sash before coming here. She said she is going to call in to see you some point this week, I checked the list online and she is number 45, she is catching up to you quickly!" Hannah laughs before tucking a strand of her long blonde hair behind her ear.

  "It should be a good party then! Could you contact Mia for me please? Tell her I need a gown, will send a driver to pick it up later this week." Although Sasha is a very good friend and is in the fashion industry I have known and used Mia for a long time now, since Sasha and I go to the same events we both use different stylists, it can get a bit competitive, but in a fun way.

  "No worries, what about Marco?"

  "Yeah, can you ask him to come over Saturday?" Marco is my hair and makeup artist, I normally do my own makeup and hair but when there is a big event on and I know there will be paparazzi about I like to look my absolute best.

  “Do you just want your hair styled or colored, cut? Just so I know how long to book him for?” Hannah asks when standing up as we’re finishing off.

  “Just styled please, I quite like the blonde in my hair – I think I am going to keep it like this for a while.” I smile, two weeks prior Marco convinced me to dye my hair ‘ombre’ I was unsure at first, I had never dyed my long natural dark brown hair previously. But the blonde tips really have seemed to brighten up my face.

  Hannah nods at me in agreement and turns to leave and I follow her to the elevator, we have a quick chat and she fills me in on my schedule for the day – reminding me I have a business meeting with the Jackson brothers who have come all the way from USA to see us.

  Hannah gets out on the fourth floor - the floor where my managers and finance department are, Hannah always checks up on them to make sure everything is running smoothly.

  I head down to the second floor and head to the cafeteria for a coffee to catch up with my friend Julie, I haven’t really had the opportunity to come and visit her this week as I have been busy with meetings. Julie runs the cafe and she is like a second mother to me, I worked with her before my win– I was her junior in my first job as a receptionist.

  When I made the decision to move to Newcastle to open my business I asked if she would come along. Julie has always worked hard to provide for her and her young son whose father left when he was just two years old. As Julie has always had a stressful job working long hours, I decided when she came to my company that I would give her an easy life, so when I asked if she would run the staff cafeteria, she said yes instantly – that was before I told her I would be paying her double than what she got at her previous job.

  When she notices me enter she instantly grabs me a bottle of water from the fridge and starts making a fruit salad, my usual. I try to eat healthy but allow myself a t
reat every once in a while. I work out whenever I have some free time – running being my favorite way to exercise. Since being in the public eye I am more health-conscious than ever before.

  "Hi Casey. How are you sweetie?" She smiles passing me the bottle of water and continues to cut the fruit.

  "I'm good thanks, on a bit of a high at the moment - I received an update on Joshua, the poor little boy I was telling you about a few weeks ago... He had the operation and he has had the all clear, he sent me a little drawing to say thank you" I smile at her, holding back the tears that are threatening again, I really have to pull myself together today.

  "Oh, I am so glad! Poor little soul." She gives me a sincere smile and pushes the bowl of strawberry, melon, kiwi and apple in front of me.

  “So…How’s it going with that secret man of yours? Are you ready to tell me about him yet?” I whisper conspiratorially.

  Julie blushes and glances away with a smile. She hasn’t had a man in her life that she can trust. She and I have that in common. We both fell for lying cheaters. I hope this man treats her right. She’s been happy.

  “Not yet, Casey, but soon. He’s so kind and....I’m not sure, but I think this really might be a good thing. When I’m sure, I want you to meet him.” She says, smiling.

  I hear a commotion in the hallway as a dozen of my employees spill through the door like a stampede; I glance at the clock behind Julie’s counter – 10:30, morning coffee break.

  They soon pipe down when they realize that I am in here. Julie holds back a chuckle at how they all change instantly when they realize.

  I pick up the bowl of fruit and give Julie a quick wave with my free hand and head back up to the fourth floor, my heels clicking on the tiles as I do so. It wouldn’t be fair on my employees if I stayed around - I don't want my workers to be on edge when they are on their morning break so I give them some space.

  I head to my accountant, Stephen’s office, as always, he has numerous papers on his desk and is busy on a call, so I sit on the chair opposite him, place my fruit salad on the table and watch him work. He glances over to me, nods and gives me a smile before returning his concentration back to his monitor.