Meetings occur in the most unlikely of places. At a tennis lesson in London, on a superyacht off the coast of Monaco, in a conference room in Argentina. Meetings happen and they happen fast. This meeting happens during a singles game.
Love all. Things happened.
Did they?
Bad things.
That's awful.
Love fifteen. Investment, you know. So finicky. Sometimes the market is good, sometimes the market is bad.
Yes, yes. The market.
Yes, the market. And sometimes money you've had for generations disappears in one.
Seen that before. Never been there.
Love thirty. Seen it too. But, well, what can you do?
You can do a lot. Haven't you diversified?
Was planning on it. Market crashed before I could get there.
Terrible, terrible. You have ideas though?
Fifteen thirty. Of course, of course I've got ideas. Got tons of ideas. Just don't have the capital to get there.
I'll invest.
Fifteen forty. No you won't.
Really. I trust your business. You got this far, didn't you?
Yes, well, it's not something you want to invest in.
What do you mean by that?
It's not good business.
Good business is subjective. Good business is any kind of business that makes the most money. Al Capone was good business. Knew what people wanted, didn't he?
Thirty forty. I'm far from Al Capone. More like ... Charles Ponzi.
Ah, a Charles Ponzi, are you?
Well, not yet. Was planning on it. But it never happened. Fell through. You need starting capital for things like that.
I'll invest.
It's bad business.
Didn't you hear me? Good business is good money.
It's risky. Good business isn't risky.
Plenty of good business is risky. Just seeing what risks are worth taking. As long as you've got the proper precautions, it's fine. You have thought about the precautions, have you?
Yes, yes. It's airtight on initial investor's ends. Completely anonymous. You never know though. You could have someone leaking statements. You never know.
Well I know how to keep people quiet.
... deuce.
Listen. I'll invest. High returns too, for both of us. That's good business.
... ad out.
Marco, listen to me. I'll invest.
... your point.
Quit it! I'll invest.
No.
Really. Don't—no, don't walk away. Marco, don't walk away. We're friends, listen? Friends help each other out. And you'll be helping me out too. Leave some capital for my son to invest. Extra cash to burn never hurt.
... it's risky business.
Isn't everything?
... no.
I see you're hesitant. Listen, we're friends. Friends help each other out. We know each other, we know what our circle's like. Our circle helps each other out. If you were some tech bro from Silicon Valley, I'd think you were pulling my leg, but I know you're not. Listen, I'll go around, get some investments. Risk and profits are spread that way. Sound good?
... fine.
And this meeting happens over beach cocktails while a yacht is tearing up the ocean.
Things happened.
What kind of things?
Bad things.
What kind?
Leaving Arbourne kind of things.
No. Really? What kind of things?
Market crashed. You know how markets are. You've read the papers. You know how it is. And we're heading back to Italy.
You can't. Noelise loves your daughter. I think she's the only friend she has.
Well, nothing you can do.
Yes there is. Don't you have investment going?
It's bad business.
Bad business how?
Risky. Riskier on the law.
That kind of bad business, huh.
Yes.
I don't mind a bit of bad business. Try to keep clean, but do what you have to, eh? Is it airtight?
Should be. But I need capital.
I'll invest.
Too risky.
No, really. Not a big deal. I'll put a couple million in there.
Couple million's not enough. You know the investment market. Got to have hundreds of millions if you want to get customers quick.
Well I'll put in a couple hundred million.
That's too risky.
I choose what risks I take. How do you think I got here?
And this meeting happens in a meeting room meant to be for state secrets but converted for business secrets.
Come on. You can't tell me you've gone bust.
I have.
I'll invest.
No you won't.
Really, I will. I'll get my older son to do so too. He's a big investment guy.
Too risky. It's bad business.
Everything's bad business. Risky how?
Law risky, that's how.
Ah, that kind of risky. Been there, done that. Don't worry about law risky. As long as it's airtight. Is it?
Everyone's equally complicit, so nobody's going to tell. But there's still a risk.
That's less risky than most ventures.
Come on. You're risking more though. Jail time. Re-election.
Like I haven't risked that before. Count us in, you got that? I'm not hearing anything else. Great catching up with you by the way.
Similarly.
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The Heiress Club
RomanceValentina enters Arbourne School, an elite English boarding academy, with a plan-befriend everyone, fit in, and rule the school. The only thing standing in her way is Jasper Rochester. He's infuriatingly handsome, his parents are just as rich as her...
