The night passed peacefully.
When Heath woke up the next day, Sonny had already eaten after making
breakfast. Seeing Heath come down, he said, "Heath, I've eaten. I'm heading to the airport now.
"You can head to the office once you've eaten. Your driver will come pick you up, right? If he doesn't, there are several cars in my garage. Take whichever one you want. The keys are all there."
Sonny pointed at the liquor cabinet. Next to it, several car keys hung on the wall.
Heath said, "Go ahead. I'll take care of myself. My driver will pick me up. Do you want me to lock the house for you later?"
"The housekeepers are already at work. There's no need to lock the main gate. They'll need to come in to clean the house."
The doors to Sonny's bedroom and study were already locked. When he was not home, the housekeepers would only clean the guest rooms. They never entered the master bedroom or Sonny's study. They could not get in anyway, since those rooms were usually kept locked.
The housekeepers Sonny hired were honest people. They had worked for him for several years, and he trusted them very much. Still, it never hurt to be cautious.
He had established that rule from the very beginning and never made an exception. Everyone was used to it, so no one took it as a sign that he distrusted them.
"Okay. Do you want me to drive you to the airport?"
Sonny laughed. “If you give me a ride, will you still make it to your meeting? It's not my first business trip. You don't need to take me. My driver will come.
"Go eat your breakfast. I saved some for you. Or, you can go outside and take a walk first, then come back and eat when you're hungry."
Most people did not have the best appetite right after waking up. Going for a walk or morning run often helped in building appetite. Food tasted better that way too.
Heath glanced at his watch and said, "I'll skip the morning jog today. I'll eat and go to the office before the morning rush."
Leaving early meant smoother traffic.
When the roads were jammed, it did not matter whether one was a CEO or driving an expensive luxury car. There was no negotiating with traffic.
The roads in downtown Wiltspoon were notorious. Gridlock happened every morning and evening during rush hours, and the weekends could be even worse when students were off school.
"Sure. Do whatever works for you. Just make yourself at home. I'm heading out now. I have to catch my flight."
Heath nodded, walked Sonny out, and watched him get into his car. Then, he turned back around and headed back inside to eat breakfast.
About ten minutes later, his driver arrived. He gathered his things and headed to the office for the morning meeting. Hopefully, the traffic would not be too bad today.
Sonny arrived at Clearfield around noon.
Getting from home to the airport took time, and then there was the flight itself. Before he knew it, the entire morning had passed.
"Mr. Brown."
Sonny was dragging his suitcase out
when he heard someone calling his
name. He overn
looked over and saw
Everly standing there in a tailored suit. She waved at him,
accompanied by her secretary.
Sonny was surprised, but he quickly walked over.
A warm smile appeared on his handsome face. "Ms. Flemming, good afternoon. Are
you here to pick someone up?"
He did not tell Everly in advance that
he was coming to Clearfield.
Although he had come to deal with
matters concerning their
partnership, he originally planned stay at his company's Clearfield branch.
Thus, he did not contact Everly beforehand. He intended to get in touch with her after he arrived at Flemming Group.
Sonny assumed that she was at the airport to pick up someone else.
Everly laughed brightly. “I'm here to pick you up, Mr. Brown. I knew you'd be arriving
in Clearfield around noon, so I came ahead of time to wait for you."
She then introduced her secretary to him. "Mr. Brown, this is my secretary, Sarah Quinton."