Sarah Salamuri just landed the perfect job as an assistant Account Executive at the top Hedge Fund in Los Angeles. With a view of the Pacific Ocean in lovely Santa Monica, the 20-year old college drop-out is finally able to catch up on her half of the one bedroom rental on Venice Beach. Everything is looking up for the young woman. So why does Sarah shake every time a Senior Executive walks by? For starters, everything on Sarah's resume is a lie. Facing the very real possibility of eviction and homelessness, the then-unemployed young woman downloaded a resume from a recent Summa Cum Laude graduate from Stanford. She simply changed the name and address on that sterling resume and submitted it to the Peak Fund. Much to Sarah's surprise, she was called in for an interview. Thirty minutes later, the firm offered her a salaried position. Everything goes as planned until that fateful Friday when Sarah is called to Human Resources. There she is directed to the office is Mr. Ryan Peak, the billionaire Hedge Fund genius and head of the Peak Fund. The top alpha dog among all the alpha dogs in the hedge fund world.
I have passed by this imposing white granite building in Santa Monica dozens of times and never thought I would someday be working here. But here I am, on the tenth floor of the Peak Group - one of the top hedge funds in Los Angeles. Heck, from what I hear, this is one of the top hedge funds in the world.
To be honest, I don't know much about finance. So, how did a 20-year old end up with a $50,000 a year job as an as**sistant account executive? Easy, I lied. Or to be more specific, I submitted someone else's resume to their recruiter. A girl can do desperate things when she is one month away from eviction and homelessness.
My days at the Peak Fund are filled with a mixture of mundane tasks coupled with a sense of impending doom. I keep my head down and simply follow the orders of my direct superior, senior account executive Dan Greenland. The 35 year old father of two doesn't seem to suspect that I am completely unqualified for my job. The poor guy is on the phone all day with the fund's investors. So far, my most complicated as**signment has been to score a lunchtime reservation atThe Grill On the Alleyin Beverly Hills.
Nevertheless, I don't know how much longer I can keep up this charade. In fact, I plan to quit today. Payday! The check should arrive on my desk this afternoon. After that, I am out of here. My first paycheck should be enough to cover my half of the rent for the next few months. From there, I will think of another way to keep a roof over my head.
Lunchtime is my favorite time at the Peak Fund. All the important people are out of the office, enjoying overpriced salads and steaks at the best spots in LA while we "little people" fend for ourselves at the local burrito shops. Since the NYSE and NASDAQ stock exchanges close at 4PM Eastern Standard Time, we usually wait until 1PM local time to ditch the office for some grub.
Right now, I am actually rather relaxed. After all, today is my last day at the Peak Fund. When the office clears for lunch, I head I outside and enjoy the lovely ocean breeze coming off the Santa Monica coastline. Normally, I would stay in the office and check for incoming calls. But, what the hell, I'll be out of there in a few hours. Why not take a stroll down to the ocean?
The Peak Fund is located about three blocks from the Santa Monica pier. In fact, you can see the ocean from the office. I will certainly miss that view. I check my iPhone and see it's about ten minutes to two. Time to head back.
I walk back into the office and find the place half-empty. It was like this last Friday. I guess everyone wants to get a jumpstart on the weekend. Well, I will just have to wait. Most people have their paychecks direct deposited into their bank accounts. I opted for a paper check. Hopefully, I won't have to stick around for much longer.
I am sitting at my desk, keeping my head low, just waiting for that paycheck to come. My desk phone rings. I press the speakerphone button. "Sarah. Please come to H.R. immediately," the woman's voice booms on the other end of the line.
My heart begins to race. Oh my God. They know. Why else would I be called into Human Resources? I look around the office. My eyes peer over at the red "exit" sign leading to the emergency stairs.
When I rise to my feet, the first thought in my head is to run. Just run. Everything on my resume is a lie. What is there to gain by going to Human Resources to suffer the humiliation of being fired. What if the police are waiting for me?
I can hear my heart beating through my chest. I can feel the heat emanating from my cheeks. My temples throb. I walk down the hall to the large glass panel offices of the Human Resources department. I see Anne, the woman who gave me my orientation. She is sitting at her desk with a rather confused look on her face. This can't be good.
"Anne? You wanted to see me?" I say softly.
Anne looks at me, shaking her head. "Mr. Peak wants to see you in his office."
Mr. Peak. Mr. Ryan Peak. The owner of the Peak Fund. The Billionaire Owner of the Peak Fund. His mere name makes people's backs straighten. I have been here for two weeks and have yet to lay my eyes on him. And now he wants to see me!
"I'm sorry, Anne. What did you say?" I ask in a daze of fear and confusion.
"Mr. Peak wants to see you right now," Anne tells me as she grabs a gold card from her desk. "Take this security card and press it against the button marked PH in the elevator. His office is the Penthouse Floor of this building."
I don't say another word to her. I can't. I just grab the card and begin the long walk to the elevators. I step inside the maplewood personal elevator and tap the gold card against the secured Penthouse Button. As it turns out, Mr. Peak reserves the entire floor for his personal use. As the doors close, a creeping feeling overtakes me. This guy could have me killed and no one would know about it.
As the elevator slowly ascends up to the top floor, I begin to feel claustrophobic. I squandered my only chance to escape. What the f**k am I doing? Why did I consent to see Mr. Peak? As I look up at the security camera, a little voice inside of me says, "You want to see how a billionaire lives. You want to lay your eyes on the Master. Even if the results are horrific, you want to know what it is like to see, touch and smell unimaginable wealth and power."
The doors open to a rather simple white marble room with an incredible floral centerpiece sitting inside an Oriental vase. The vase appears to be centuries old. It is massive - perhaps two feet in height. The pedestal looks like ancient relic right out of the height of the Roman Empire. I couldn't even begin to calculate the value of those items.
The elevator doors close behind me. I am alone in this simple room. Beyond the vase loom a set of frosted glass double doors. The doors suddenly open. A tall, thin man walks up to me. "Follow me," he says.
I follow this man, who I as**sume is the as**sistant to Mr. Peak. We walk into this massive open space. I am not even sure that I am inside an office until I see this large desk next to the floor to ceiling windows.
As I begin to open my mouth, the as**sistant leaves the room and closes the double doors behind him. Silence. The first thing I notice is that floor to ceiling windows comprise two entire sides of the room. I look out and see a view of the Pacific Ocean, the Santa Monica Pier and the Malibu coastline. What a view!
"Wie machst du heute?" a booming male voice says to me. I turn my head and see a big, brooding man. He is at least six feet, five inches in high, broad shoulders, dark, incredibly handsome. He looks up at me with eyes that pierce right through my body. I have no idea what he just asked me.
"I asked you how you are doing today," the man says as he lifts up a familiar piece of paper from his desk. "According to your resume, you are fluent in German." As I watch this very intimidating and well dressed man walk towards me, I can feel my heart ready to thump out of my chest.
"Mr. Peak?" I say in my softest voice. He looks at me and gives me the very slight hint of a smirk.
"And you certainly are not Ms. Amy Chou. Though you did do an admirable job of stealing her resume," the billionaire lectures as he places the resume on a nearby table.
I close my eyes. I can see her name on that resume. More specifically, I can vividly remember erasing her name and putting my own name on it. Dammit. That just feels like the dumbest thing I have ever done in my life. I open my eyes and Mr. Peak is standing right over me. This man must be at least a foot taller than me. And I haven't felt shorter, smaller and more insignificant in my life.
The Hedge Fund King just stares me down. I don't know where to place my eyes. I am scared to even look at him. If I look away, I know it can be perceived as an insult. So, I stare at his massive chest. My eyes focus their concentration at his crimson colored tie that resembles the hue of red meat.
The billionaire lifts up my quivering chin and looks down at my watery eyes. "You have a lot of gumption to pull a stunt like that. Did you really think you could get away with such a deception. Or are you just a naive little girl?"
Damien Whitfield lost his father when he was an infant, and then lost his mother when he was a young teenager. The only thing his mother left him was a thirst for vengeance. On her deathbed she made him promise to seek revenge for those she held responsible for her death. Damien grows up fast and conquers the business world, going from a homeless boy to a billionaire bachelor. He has no time for love in his quest for righting wrongs of the past. What he doesn’t know is that love isn’t something he can hide from. Sierra grew up with a monster of a father after losing her mother at the tender age of six. Her dad punishes her for sins he assumes his deceased wife made against him. Finally, her father does a business deal with Damien Whitfield, selling Sierra to the highest bidder. Damien and Sierra may both be running from old demons and forging ahead to what they think are their perfect futures, but fate has a way of changing everything. Take the journey with Damien and Sierra as they fight a passion that won’t be denied.
RIEKA She was a naive, chubby, wolfless werewolf, maltreated by her mate to the point where she loses her sanity and womb, her crime was being chubby and less attractive than her peers. GABRIEL He was a handsome, strong willed womanizer, who happens to a hybrid ALPHA prince, the person he loves the most is his kid brother RALPH. He has searched high and low for a mate he could never find. What will happen when he finds out that his beloved brother's ex wife, happens to be his long awaited mate, who was maltreated and is currently mentally unstable? Will he forgive his brother for hurting his mate? or will blood flow?
After being kicked out of her home, Harlee learned she wasn't the biological daughter of her family. Rumors had it that her impoverished biological family favored sons and planned to profit from her return. Unexpectedly, her real father was a zillionaire, catapulting her into immense wealth and making her the most cherished member of the family. While they anticipated her disgrace, Harlee secretly held design patents worth billions. Celebrated for her brilliance, she was invited to mentor in a national astronomy group, drew interest from wealthy suitors, and caught the eye of a mysterious figure, ascending to legendary status.
"I, Sophia Addison, of the Crescent Moon Pack, deny your rejection, Jacob Carter." I smiled triumphantly at him and he just glared at me. I can hear loud gasps and whispers throughout the place. They cannot believe that their goody-two-shoes of a senior year president is rejecting me in front of everybody. What goody-two-shoes? More like a two faced jerk! That is why, here I am, denying his rejection. Oh well, I refuse to suffer alone. So...let us both suffer together my dear mate.
Everyone thought Lorenzo truly loved Gracie, until the day of their daughter’s heart surgery. To Gracie’s utter shock, Lorenzo gave the precious organ needed by their child to another woman. Devastated, Gracie opted for a divorce. Fueled by her need for revenge, Gracie joined hands with Lorenzo’s uncle, Waylon, and orchestrated Lorenzo’s downfall. In the end, Lorenzo was left with nothing and consumed by remorse. He pleaded for a reconciliation. Gracie thought she was free to move on with her life, but Waylon held her back in a death grip. “Did you think you can just walk out on me?”
6 years ago, Lydia suffered a brutal betrayal orchestrated by her own husband and step-sister, who drugged her and framed her. In a twist of fate, she ended up having a one-night stand with a stranger. Don't even remember what he looked like. Later, in the throes of death, she discovered the truth about her mother's death all those years ago. In the blink of an eye, she lost everything. 6 years later, Lydia returned with her genius son, vowing to exact revenge on all her enemies! Little did she know, she encountered an incredibly familiar man at the airport! *** The man was briskly pushing open the door to the restroom, heading to the urinal. Even with such a mundane action, he did it with unparalleled elegance and grace. Lydia, following him in a daze, saw his fierce lower body and suddenly snapped back to reality. She let out a high-pitched scream, instinctively covering her eyes with her hands, her cheeks flushed, and stood there stiffly, unsure of what to do. Lambert furrowed his brows slightly but remained calm as he continued to relieve himself. The sound of water hitting the urinal made Lydia's face even redder. She angrily shouted, "You pervert!" Little did Lydia know that Lambert, seeing her in this state, had a flicker of recognition in his eyes. Memories from many years ago flashed through his mind, and his heart couldn't help but stir. It was her!
Kallie, a mute who had been ignored by her husband for five years since their wedding, also suffered the loss of her pregnancy due to her cruel mother-in-law. After the divorce, she learned that her ex-husband had quickly gotten engaged to the woman he truly loved. Holding her slightly rounded belly, she realized that he had never really cared for her. Determined, she left him behind, treating him as a stranger. Yet, after she left, he scoured the globe in search of her. When their paths crossed once more, Kallie had already found new happiness. For the first time, he pleaded humbly, "Please don't leave me..."Â But Kallie's response was firm and dismissive, cutting through any lingering ties. "Get lost!"