CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE
Website where all photos of all outfits mentioned is on my profile. 5 reviews gets next chapter early. This chapter has the reason Sarah wasn't worried about the amount the appliances cost in previous chapter.
We stop on the way back to the garage and collect lunch. After distributing the sandwiches Gemma heads into the office, I follow her and try and help as much as I can but being unable to move very well means I'm not much good to her. I end up setting my laptop in the corner of the clubhouse and spend the rest of the day replying to e-mails. Every now and then someone will walk through the building but no one stops to talk. About 1pm I see Jax come through the door and he comes straight over to me.
"Hey darlin' what'cha doin?" He asks as he sits on the chair opposite me.
"I'm glad that someone came to talk to me, I'm so bored! This shit is going to drive me insane." I say, snapping my laptop shut, the e-mail I was typing stopped in mid-sentence.
"What's that?" Jax says, leaning back on his chair.
"Financial stuff." I say, rubbing the back of my neck. "I get updates every few months about how my finances are doing, this one came with a request for why I made such a large purchase so early in the financial year. I was trying to be polite as I told my broker that it was none of his business what I do with my money, especially the stuff not in his portfolio. And I'm trying to work out how the fuck he knew."
Jax looks confused for a second. "But surely if it's your money you can do whatever you like with it?"
"I can, but I've got a year to year contract with a broker in Florida and it just renewed in February so making a withdrawal this soon into the year makes him nervous." I look over at him. "The guy is an asshole but he's a good investor, I've doubled the amount he gets to use while still keeping a large amount for everyday access." I pause for a few minutes thinking while he sits there quietly, I guess he can see the wheels turning in my head.
"I think maybe that Craig was after the money as well. When things were good he kept talking about changing my will but I'd make excuses about it." I open the laptop again and minimise the mail I was sending, typing a quick e-mail to my lawyer I re-read the one to the broker and sign it off. I can't be bothered explaining so he'll get the short message I've written which consists of a few lines, reminding him that it is my money and that he'd suggested I get into property investment and querying how he knew, that and my updated contact information are all that the message contained.
Turning my attention back to Jax I see he's waiting for something. "Do you want to come see Abel today?"
I nod and go to stand but the sharp pain that runs down my leg causes me to flinch. "I'd love to, but I can't get on your bike." I sit back down, preparing to go back to the e-mails that still need to be looked at.
"Grandma's coming too so go with her." He tells me as he stands up. "We're leaving in 20 minutes."
"Okay." I nod as he leaves the clubhouse again.
I turn back to my laptop and manage to work through another few e-mails before I give up, leaving a dozen or so e-mails unread I turn the computer off and pack it up again.
Walking across the lot I'm almost at the office when the phone in my pocket rings, pulling it out I recognise the number as the broker I'd just e-mailed. Sighing I flick the phone open. "Hello."
"Sarah, I got your e-mail about you investing in real estate." John's voice is not hiding the disdain at having to speak to me. We'd always butted heads and it looks like this won't be any different.
"Yes."
"I didn't mean investing in one overpriced house in a tiny little part of California that will never show a profit." he snaps at me, "I meant considering an apartment block somewhere that will actually make you money."
I sign again, stepping through the door into the office; I look around and see Gemma in the garage bay at the far end talking with Clay, a bunch of paper in her hand. Perching on the edge of her desk I continue the conversation I didn't want to have, "John, I know exactly what you meant, but I told you right from the start that I wasn't interested in property. I want to know though, how did you know about the transaction. And if you have developed a problem with me not wanting to invest in property then we can end our business dealings now. We both have clauses to use to do that in case you forgot."
I know it's a low blow bringing the exit clauses we'd inserted into the contract. John loves the freedom I give him with the funds I have in my investment portfolio. He's only got control of it now because his company brought out the one my parents had stipulated in their will, that was when the exit clause was put in. Lately he's been irritating me to the point I've already had a discussion with my lawyer about ending the agreement, so at this point it'll only take me 1 phone call.
"Now there's no need to be like that Sarah, our arrangement has been profitable for both of us." John stammers. "I'm not saying that I disagree with your choice, but if you want to buy property wouldn't you be better off letting me pick a few places that will turn profit in a few years? As for how I knew, your lawyer emailed me your change in address and I searched the address and found the sale transaction which is already lodged."
I frown, I guess it's logical that he needed to be told of change of address, but I'm still irritated beyond belief that he's questioning my financial choices about money he has nothing to do with. The irritation gets the better of me "John, I want you to listen to me for a second. The property that I just brought is not intended to turn a profit. It's intended to be my home." I take a deep breath, "I will be using my exit clause John. Over the past months all you've done is question my choices, which is something you have no right to do. The money that was invested was never invested with your company, but one you took over. I didn't choose you as the portfolio manager; you just ended up with it."
"You're one of my largest investors though that's why I worried about the things you were choosing to invest in." John says, his voice rushed.
"I know that John, but the fact is that I'm sick of having to justify myself to you with things that I have asked you to invest in. I'll be ringing my lawyer in a moment to get the process started so please gather all the documents together. I do thank you for the service you've done since you took over but the opinions you've been giving over the past months have crossed lines that I'm not willing to ignore anymore." I closed the phone and rub my eyes.
Hearing boots on the ground my eyes snap open and I look straight into Jax's blue ones. "You a'ight?"
"Nope. I just ended a 3 year investment relationship which is going to cost me 200K to get out of; the worst thing about it is that the money isn't an issue. There was a time that I thought John, my broker, was a friend. Turns out I should have listened to my instincts that screamed at me he only liked me for the funds he controlled."
Jax looks floored at the amount I've just said. "Why's it costing you that much to break the agreement if you have a clause…I overheard most of your conversation."
"Just give me a second please?" Jax nods so before I start speaking I flip open the phone again and ring a familiar number.
"Sarah, how are you? How's Charming?" Patrick's voice is a familiar shot of home and for a second I feel homesick for New York, but meeting Jax's eyes makes the feeling vanish.
"I'm good, just had a rather irritating call with John though, he knows the paperwork is coming so can you get it overnighted to him. I want him as far away from anything to do with my finances as possible."
"Sure thing, distributed as arranged?" Patrick asks, the faint sound of a pen on paper floating down the phone.
"Yep. FedEx me a copy of the paperwork to Teller-Morrow in Charming?" I request. His agreement and the quick goodbye have me ending the call quickly.
Closing the phone I turn back to Jax "We do have exit clauses. His is pretty straight forward; he has the right to dissolve the contract whenever he wants to on the condition that he refunds all fees charged for the previous 12 month period. Mine however is a little more complicated. I can go one of 2 ways. I can break it inside the yearly renewal on 2 conditions, I can only take the stock I had prior to the start of the contract with me if any of it is still in the portfolio, any additions get brought by the broker company and I have to pay out 10% of the principal invested amount. Or I can wait till the yearly renewal period, which is March." We're at the end of May and I don't want to have to wait for 10 months. I look over at Jax and I can see him trying to work out figures.
"My investment portfolio is worth 2 million dollars." His eyes widen as he considers that. "I would rather have my parents alive, but that was part of the inheritance I got when they died."
"Part of?" He says, sitting down on the sofa in the corner.
I nod, looking around, Gemma is still in the garage talking to Clay, they've been joined by Aaron and Tig and I take a guess that it's the repo orders they're working on.
"Yes, part of. I have 3 investment portfolios with different companies, one in Florida, that's John who I was just talking to. The other two are managed by my lawyer in New York, I don't know what he invests in, I just know that it turns a profit and it's all above board. John's one is the smallest of the three. Which I never told him, he would have wanted them all and I just didn't trust him enough to do that." I move to Gemma's chair and sit down sideways, careful of my leg.
"So, if you have three and the smallest is 2 mil what are the others, and why didn't we know this when we were younger?" Jax asks.
"I didn't know myself till I was 18, I never told a soul. If Jacob ever found out he'd pressure me into investing in one of his stupid plans to expand Charming, and I don't want that. That's why I've kept it so quiet."
Jax nods again and flicks his hand for me to continue. "The 2 funds with the lawyer are 5 million each."
"So you have 12 million dollars invested?" Jax sounds gobsmacked and it his face looks like a fish when I nod.
"Yup, that's me, poor little rich girl. The amounts are from the life insurance policies Mom and Dad had. The insurance payout for the plane, the Florida house was sold and added to that as well." I smile but I know it's not a happy smile and I get that Jax will know, having lost his father he'd understand that the money doesn't mean shit to me I'd much rather have my parents alive. I'm silently incredibly grateful that he doesn't ask any more about my finances, the investments are only a portion of the money I have available.
"You know you could buy almost the whole of Charming right?" Jax comments and I can't help the giggle that comes out.
"I could, but why would I want to do that? But Jax, you do realise that's just what's invested. The interest goes elsewhere. Oh, while I think about it your new oven is arriving Wednesday." I let him know, seeing Gemma finally walking towards the office I stand up in a hurry to change the subject I pick the one topic I know will completely capture his brain. "Let's go see your baby."