Money Can't Buy Love

Chapter three

Michael's PoV:

I listen out for the sound of hoovers searching for Hannah. The sound nearest to me leads to Maria. This apartment is enormous, so looking for a maid here is like looking for a needle in a haystack - hopeless. The hoovers the cleaners use are near-soundless, making the task even more difficult. But I've learned that these hoovers have a slight buzz to them. So I listen out for that. I need to ask Maria where Hannah is.

"Hi, Maria! Excuse me," I openly start speaking to her while she's using the hoover, back turned to me. I clearly startle her as she flicks her head up. Weird that she didn't hear me coming. When she turns around, I see that she has bright white earbuds in her ears. That's not so weird, considering this fact.

As soon as she notices me, she stumbles over her words, awkwardly removing one earbud. 'Y-y-yes?' She responds, turning around. I give her a wave and a smile. "Oh! Oh no! I'm so sorry! Am I in your way?" She asks in a quiet yet loud manner.

"No, no, no, no, no!" I state in rapid succession whilst putting my palms in front of me, signalling that I mean no harm. "I just want to know if you know where Hannah is," I speak to her calmly and placidly. She tells me where she thinks Hannah might be, or, I figure, where she last saw her. Maria saw Hannah in one of the empty bedrooms. I thank Maria and continue my search.

The Ricketts Tower is a hotel, too. My dad owns tons of the best penthouses in the world, some of which he chose to be hotels. The Ricketts Tower has seventy-seven floors. They are used as different facilities, such as shopping centres, restaurants, gyms, and hotels. The accommodation on the higher floors is expensive, obviously. The hotel in the Ricketts Tower is classed as a seven-star hotel, and rightfully so, I believe.

The higher floor rooms are in high demand right now, as one can get a great view of London from them and since it is a bright summer this year. And because I live on floor fifty-seven, one of the higher floors, I sometimes live with celebrities and other wealthy people. This isn't as bad as it sounds since I barely see them because of how massive this flat is. Most of them come by and say hello to me if I'm in the tower when they stay, though. And most celebrities that I have met have been a delight to talk to or interact with.

I enter one of the living rooms and see Hannah standing beside a glass cabinet, staring profoundly at the contents behind the bulletproof glass.

Hannah's PoV:

I ogle at a cabinet with what looks to be expensive jewellery inside. Who am I kidding? It's in the Ricketts Tower! Of course, it's expensive jewellery! It has pretty blue flowers around the case in which different pieces of jewellery are held on a stand in the cabinet.

"Wow," I whisper to myself as I inspect the stunning diamonds on the shiny gold-chained necklace. I don't lean over the glass as if not to leave any traces of myself on the reflective surface.

"This is a twenty-four-carat gold necklace with a few pretty diamonds! I'm not sure what kind of diamonds they are, though," I get startled by a sudden voice behind my back and spring up into a standing position. "This is a ring with a sapphire if I am not mistaken. You've got good taste!" The voice smiles behind me. I can tell. I turn around to see Mr Ricketts standing behind me. How long has he been there??

I grab my hoover, standing next to me, and immediately turn it on, reddening in the face and escaping. I feel his stare follow me as I hurriedly escape into the corridor. Turning the corner, I bump into Karen and almost fall over.

"S-sorry!" I announce my apology to her in a hurried manner and hold my balance as I stand up straight.

"Who are you running from?" She laughs the bump off and asks me a reasonable question. I ask myself the exact same question: who am I running from? Mr Ricketts? He didn't do anything to me. If anything, he expanded my knowledge of jewellery, I guess. I admit I am making excuses for myself and pulling at straws to defend him creeping up on me.