The two-hour drive to the mountain resort town of Blackwood Bay was the quietest two hours Javed had experienced all summer.
With the gala only a week away, David had been completely swamped at the estate, dealing with a sudden crisis involving the florist and the staging crew. That left Martin to make the urgent trip alone to meet Arthur Sterling—a notoriously reclusive tech billionaire whose potential eight-figure donation could make or break the charity’s fundraising targets.
Or rather, almost alone.
"I need someone who can take detailed notes and keep my schedule tight," Martin had declared over breakfast, not even looking up from his paper as he effectively commanded Javed to pack a bag.
Now, sitting in the passenger seat of Martin’s sleek Aston Martin, Javed watched the pine tree
