Concealed Intentions: Day 14

Word Count: 84,267

Summary of Events:

Nadia called Vitaly and discussed the idea of her resistance to their parents making their parents relent, which Vitaly doubted would happen as long as their father was alive. Borden made his way across the Coast Mountains without getting altitude sickness, although he had his concerns how Honour would fare on the way back. Nadia was concerned to see Horea not waiting at the place he always waited at, only to discover that, because of the rain, he'd driven his car, in which he offered her a ride; the car's power and fanciness astonished Nadia . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

“You seem nervous,” Horea said.

“The engine sounds very powerful for a car,” Nadia replied.

“Oh,” Horea said. “Have you never been in a luxury car before?”

“No,” Nadia replied. “What work do you do that gets you a luxury car when even Father doesn’t have one and he works in finance?”

“I didn’t buy it new,” Horea replied, moving smoothly away from the curb. “I actually got it willed to me by my uncle. He lived and worked in Germany until he died.”

“Oh,” Nadia said.

“This is what twenty times the money can get you,” Horea said stroking the frame along the arch of the window.

“Why did your uncle give it to you?” Nadia asked. “Didn’t he have sons?”

“No,” Horea replied. “He was a lifelong bachelor. He took on providing for my family after my father was killed. My sister and I were the children he never had.”

“Oh,” Nadia said. “But then why does your sister have to work abroad? Did your uncle not make enough money to leave you well off?”

“She chose to work abroad to add to her inheritance,” Horea replied. “She and I were both willed something valuable,” he indicated the car, “and the rest of the money was put away in a trust for us in Germany from which we get a yearly allowance of one hundred thousand lei until we turn thirty, then we’ll get the remaining lump sum allotted for us to use as we will. Our mother was given a portion of money when our uncle died that has kept her well, plus she gets about fifty thousand lei a year from my sister, so she’s well taken care of.”

“My,” Nadia said. “How much money will you get when you’re thirty?”

“I don’t actually know,” Horea replied. “I know my uncle was a multi-millionaire in Germany, which would mean he had at least forty million lei, but possibly more.”

“And you’re going to go to Italy and make more?” Nadia asked.

“Why not?” Horea asked. “It would be nice to have millions that my own hard work earned me.”

“Do you think I could become a millionaire?” Nadia asked.

“All you need to do is go somewhere and make fifty thousand Euros,” Horea replied.

“Wouldn’t I need to make a million Euros?” Nadia asked.

“Not to make a million lei,” Horea replied. “A million lei is fifty thousand Euros.”

“Do you think I could become a millionaire in Euros?” Nadia asked.

“With your stellar looks it’s not so much an if as a when,” Horea replied, gunning the car through a red light.

“Horea!” Nadia exclaimed.

“What?” Horea asked. “You are beautiful.”

“Not that!” Nadia exclaimed. “You ran a red light!”

“No one was coming,” Horea said offhand.

“You’re worse than Vitaly,” Nadia said.

“Oh, he stops at red lights?” Horea asked.

“When I’m with him, anyways,” Nadia replied. “And I don’t even have to remind him anymore.”

“Oh,” Horea said. “I’ll try to remember next time I notice one.”