Begin Again novel Chapter 181

There was an impressive flower arrangement of baby's breath and exactly eight peach roses on her desk waiting for Eden after her lunch break.

She fumed as she read the note, 'One for every day you were not in my arms. Let's talk tonight after the Charity Benefit. L.A.'

The nerve of him.

Eden seethed as she tore up the note and threw it in the bin. She scooped up the bouquet and dumped it at reception on their floor.

"You can't do that. Mr Anderson asked me to arrange delivery of those flowers," their receptionist said. "I'll get fired."

"Not if you tell him I gave them to you." She smiled sweetly and returned to her office to grab her handbag, laptop and car keys.

Traffic was still a breeze as she headed to Liam's penthouse, not surprising since it was just before 2:00 PM. It would only start getting crazy in a couple of hours because, for some reason, everyone decided to drive their cars to work on Fridays.

Dave buzzed her in and showed her to the master bedroom.

He stayed with her and made small talk as she zoomed around the place, packing Liam's luggage for his trip. She would have done it tonight but won't have time later because of the charity benefit.

It was her first time organising Liam's luggage, so she didn't know how heavy or light to pack, but she figured he would need lots of outfit changes if he'd be gone for three weeks.

The walk-in closet was bigger than her lounge and kitchen combined, and she spent a few minutes absently selecting pieces from the neatly arranged rows of formal shirts, pants and blazers in different shades of darks and neutrals.

She moved on to his shoes and gawked at the shelves.

The man had more shoes than she owned, more ties than anyone would ever wear, and too many watches—all expensive Rolex and Cartier timepieces.

"Does he wear everything in here?" She called out to Dave.

"Most of it," he replied as he leaned on the door frame. "I'd pack a few formal shirts and pants, maybe two black suits. One should be a tux. A couple of formal shoes and the rest should be casual clothes. If he's going to be inspecting the distribution sites and warehouses, he can't wear suits. He likes to get his hands dirty whenever he visits the depots."

Eden nodded, grateful for the tip. "You've worked for him long?"

"I've known him his whole life," Dave said. "I used to work for his parents, but they let me go several years ago."

Eden waited for him to explain more and prodded when it became clear she'd get no further details if she didn't ask. "Why?"

"I was in a terrible car accident. The Andersons took care of my medical bills and covered the funeral costs for my wife and kids. I couldn't even attend their funeral because I was in a coma for months."

"I'm sorry," Eden said softly, feeling terrible for prying into Dave's tragic past and opening wounds that were still too raw, it seemed, judging from the tears shimmering brightly in the man's eyes.

"Unfortunately, while I was recuperating, I had to be replaced. You've seen how massive their estate is. Work can't stand still because of one person," Dave smiled sadly. "I got better and returned to work. But my leg was never the same."

Of course, Eden thought. She'd noticed his uneven gait the first time she met him two years ago, today too. But she didn't think it was her place to bring it up or even ask.

"It pained his parents to let me go, but Liam couldn't bear to part with me, I guess, so he took me in as his butler." Dave smiled. "Anyway, he has ten staff in total, including me. Three housekeepers, two drivers and a couple of gardeners and chefs. But he doesn't need us since he's hardly ever home. Even before he retired from professional racing, he was hardly ever here."

"Then why does he keep you all around?" Eden asked.

"We all mean something to him, I suppose," Dave said. "His drivers were part of his technical team back when he was a motorsport racer, and the rest are people he's met along the way or changed his life in some way."

Eden returned to the bedroom with an armful of outfits and began to fold them neatly, making sure they remained as crease-free as possible as she placed them in the suitcase.

"His travel toiletries?" She turned to Dave.

He pointed to the ensuite. "Cabinet on the left, next to the window."

"Got it," Eden said as she slipped inside the bathroom. His clawfoot tub was way bigger than hers but looked out of place in the modernly furnished room. She was ready to jump in and take a moment to appreciate its size when the butler came in.

"He never uses it," he said. "I don't know why he has it since he prefers the shower. But I suppose you'll be using it now."

"Me?" Eden asked as she returned to the bedroom with a black leather toiletry bag. Shaking her head quickly, she added. "Please don't misunderstand."