The C.E.O'S shattered heart (MxM, C.E.O X C.E.O)

Chapter 15. Revenge

Zachariel's P.O.V

I had received a request to make a short ad for a real estate agency. It seemed like the company was having trouble selling five of their Santa Monica based beach houses. I wasn't interested in the job at first. I changed my mind when I read that the company was willing to give me the freedom I required to make the ad. It seemed like they were pretty desperate. They agreed to leave the keys of all the houses in a mailbox. I could view them over the weekend if I wanted. Guards were patrolling the area twenty-four-seven. There was no need to worry about someone discovering the keys. I decided to travel to Santa Monica on Sunday to conduct my research. I had an uneventful day on Saturday. I spent most of my time resting and getting my camera and equipment ready for the trip.

Zavier barged into my room while I was packing my bags. I could see that he was about to go out. "Are you going somewhere, Zach?" Zavier asked me in excitement. I nodded, then answered him with, "Yes, Zavier. I'm going to Santa Monica tomorrow. It's about time that I stepped out of my comfort zone." Zavier grinned, then replied to me with, "I'm proud of you, Zach. Why didn't you ask me to accompany you?" I sighed while making sure that I had packed everything. Zavier was never available. That was why I never included him in my activities. It looked like I needed to make a few things clear to Zavier. I didn't want him to think that I was intentionally leaving him in the dark. I put my bags on my desk, then uttered, "Let me ask you this first, Zavier. Are you free tomorrow?" Zavier chuckled, then responded to me with, "No, Zach. It's Quinton's birthday today. He invited all of us over to his house. I'm planning on drinking tonight. That's why I'm leaving my car at home. I'll be back in the morning."

I shook my head, then said to Zavier, "You have a busy life, Zavier. You don't need me standing in your way. I understand your need to socialize. You are young and still in search of the place where you belong. I'm happy with the way everything is going right now. You give me the space that I need to cultivate myself. And that's all that I desire." Zavier pulled me into his arms suddenly, then said, "Thank you for being so understanding, Zach. I'll see you tomorrow." I patted Zavier's back, then replied to him with, "You are welcome, Zavier. I'll see you tomorrow night." Zavier nodded, then walked out of my room. I sighed while asking myself where Zavier got the strength from to be this active after work.

I took a shower, then went straight to bed. I packed some sandwiches and left the house at seven AM. It took me half an hour to reach the location. I decided to drive around and have breakfast before viewing the beach houses. I was surprised when I found out that people could use the beach houses as a permanent residence. There were good schools, shops, and hospitals in Santa Monica. I realized why the beach houses weren't selling when I saw the prices of them. The beach houses were too expensive for middle-class people. Affluent people would buy them if they knew that they could keep their kids occupied in Santa Monica. There were a lot of sports and art clubs around for children of all ages. I drove back to the location to grab the keys when I had gathered enough information.

It took me some time to get used to the size of the houses. I could see that the real estate agency had tried to sell the residences several times before. There were still pamphlets on tables in the corridors. The odd thing was that I couldn't get the right shots no matter how hard I tried. The houses didn't feel homey. The real estate agency had mentioned in their email that the beach house with the most beautiful view got sold first. I couldn't just contact someone and ask them permission to take pictures of their home. I had to manage with what I had. I decided to check out the last building to see if I could take the photos that I needed there. I was just about to open the house's gate when I heard someone yell, "Zach!"

The name "Zach" was pretty ordinary. I was sure that the person was referring to someone else. I didn't want to waste time, so I didn't turn around. I got startled when someone grabbed my shoulder from behind. I quickly turned around to face my assailant. I received the shock of my life when I saw Briac. "He needs to exercise more," I thought to myself when I heard Briac panting heavily. I patted Briac's back, then asked him, "What are you doing here, Briac?" Briac grinned while running his fingers through his hair. He then answered me with, "I'm so glad that I recognized you, Zach. It's so great to see you. The beach house that you just walked by belongs to Mr. Marquis. Chance and I are spending the weekend with him."