Chapter 118:

She put the phone away and grabbed a piece of heavy cardstock. She wrote her number on it in loopy cursive, adding a small heart.

Call me if you need help with… application. -J

She slipped the card into the main bag, the one containing the limited-edition Kelly. She made sure it was tucked between the tissue paper where he couldn’t miss it.

Out on the sales floor, Xavier was tapping his foot. He held the Black Card—a piece of anodized titanium that weighed more than a smartphone—between two fingers.

“Speed it up,” Xavier barked at the manager. “Mr. Thorne is on a schedule.”

Jenny emerged, breathless, carrying the flagship bag. She had unbuttoned the top button of her blouse again.

“Here it is,” she said, presenting it to Xavier with a flourish. She looked past him, trying to spot Elias through the glass doors where the Maybach was idling. “Is he… does he need me to explain the care instructions personally?”

Xavier looked at her. He looked at the bag. His eyes, trained by years of managing Elias’s life, narrowed.

He reached into the bag.

Jenny’s smile faltered. “Um, sir, it’s wrapped…”

Xavier’s hand came out holding the cardstock.

He read it. He didn’t say a word. He simply held it up between two fingers, looking at it like it was a used tissue.

Then, with a slow, deliberate movement, he dropped it into the trash bin on the counter.

The sound of the card hitting the bottom of the metal bin was quiet, but to Jenny, it sounded like a gunshot.

“We require professional packaging only,” Xavier said, his voice ice cold. “If I find any other… debris… in these bags, I will have your employment terminated before the transaction clears.”

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Jenny’s face turned a violent shade of crimson. Her coworkers, who were watching from the stockroom door, started snickering.

“I… I was just being helpful,” she stammered, tears stinging her eyes.

“Be helpful by being invisible,” Xavier said.

He tapped the card reader. Approved.

He grabbed the bags. “Personal transport only for the primary package. Send the bulk items to the estate. Unmarked van. No logos.”

Xavier walked out.

Inside the Maybach, Elias was scrolling through his phone. He had googled “Best lipstick for pale skin” and was currently reading a blog post from 2018.

“Matte is drying,” he muttered to himself. “But satin transfers. If we are drinking tea… transfer is unacceptable.”

Xavier opened the door and slid into the front seat. He placed the Kelly bag carefully on the passenger seat.

“Handled, sir,” Xavier said. “The ‘debris’ has been removed.”

Elias didn’t ask what the debris was. He didn’t care.

“Did you ensure discretion?” Elias asked.

“Yes. The packaging is plain black. No media will track the purchase to you.”

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