The French Billionaire(31)

There was nothing Mia enjoyed more than taking down people who thought they had it all.

“This will be a win for the 99 percent,” she thought. “I’m in!”



She emailed Lillian back right away to set up a meeting.





***





Chapter 1


Mia and Lillian had agreed to meet at the Hudson Diner because it was a quiet, unassuming little restaurant, somewhere Alexander and his posh crowd of friends and coworkers would never go. Plus, they had amazing waffles. The two young women sat down in a cozy booth near the kitchen, where they could chat privately.

Mia’s first impression of Lillian was that she was beautiful in a very worldly sort of way. Mia herself was often considered very attractive due to her long, blond hair and athletic body type, but she rarely wore makeup or dressed up, preferring to focus on her cases, or just having a fun night out with her friends. Lillian, on the other hand, looked as if every inch of her body had been groomed impeccably. She had dark hair, that had been curled to perfection, and was sporting a perfect smokey eye and subtle pink lipstick. Her clothes were understated but expensive, a very chic little shift dress and a leather jacket. She seemed like the perfect Upper East Side socialite, somehow managing to be classic, and yet very cool and trendy at the same time. Mia wondered what kind of man would be brave enough to cheat on this woman.

“So,” Mia asked. “What specifically can I do for you? I know you were having some issues with your boyfriend.”

“Yes,” Lillian replied. “He’s been acting really shady recently. I have no idea what brought it on, but he’s been coming home later and later every night, and he either lies or he just won’t tell me where he’s been. I’m pretty sure he’s been cheating on me, but I want proof.”

“I’m very sorry to hear that, Lillian. I’ll get started on it right away. I was thinking maybe I could take a temp position at Will Golden, that would allow me to get close to him and really see what he’s been up to,” said Mia.

“I would really appreciate that,” Lillian said, a note of relief in her voice. “I’ll pay you whatever you want, I just need to know the truth.”

They quickly discussed payment, and Mia settled the check before they left. Mia wasn’t sure how she felt about Lillian, but she found the idea of investigating Alexander Will very intriguing. Furthermore, she was sure it wouldn’t be difficult to catch him cheating. Feeling optimistic, she decided to go see her friend, Lily before heading home for the night.



Lily Brooklyn was one of those people you couldn’t help but love. She was a florist and owner of Lily’s Flower Shop, and she had a very sweet and patient temperament. Mia liked the contrast between their personalities, because while Mia was independent and determined, Lily was quiet, calm, and reasonable. Whenever one of them had a problem, the other always seemed to know how to fix it, and when something good happened, the other was always there to celebrate it. They had been best friends for over five years, and now Lily was finally getting married to her longtime boyfriend, Patrick Carter. Lily had asked her to be a bridesmaid last week, and Mia couldn’t wait to hear all the details of their upcoming nuptials.

Lily was busy arranging a bouquet of peonies when Mia arrived, her hair tousled from the wind outside. “Lily!” she exclaimed. “Those peonies can wait. I want to hear all about the wedding! I feel like we’ve barely had a chance to talk since you got engaged!”

“I know, right?” Lily replied. “Patrick and I are incredibly excited. Although with the flower business booming at the moment, I’ve barely had time to plan anything. We decided on a venue last night, but that’s as far as we’ve gotten.”

“That’s still a progress,” said Mia, grinning widely at her thoughtfully. “I’m just so happy Patrick finally proposed. It was a long time coming. You two are so perfect together.”

“Thank you,” Lily said, blushing. “But what about you? Are there any men in your life right now?” she added with a teasing voice.

“Not at the moment,” Mia said. Many women would be embarrassed of admitting that, but not Mia. “I’m pretty satisfied with my career right now. I just got a new case that’s going to keep me occupied for a little bit.”

“But don’t you ever want to settle down?” Lily asked. She always had been a hopeless romantic. “Or get married? I know you love being independent, but there has to be someone out there for you.”

“Maybe eventually,” Mia replied. “But I’m pretty contented right now. I feel like it will happen when it happens, you know?”