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PROLOGUE
THE lift purred its way up to the penthouse floor, co to a quiet halt before the door slid s a ht ahead Sydney Harbour on a clear su blue water and picturesque surrounds, but e point
Richard shook his head as he walked frolass , his expression wry as he glanced over his shoulder at Reece, who’d hung back a little
“I can see why you’ve had no trouble selling these apartue “I’ve never seen a finer view”
Reece’s handsome face showed satisfaction as he came forward to stand at Richard’s shoulder “I always abide by that fa Position Position Position Aside froe, this point at East Balmain is just a short ferry ride from Sydney’s Central Business District, and an even shorter ride across to Darling Harbour”
“It’s certainly a top spot, especially being near to the CBD Which is just as well,” Richard added “There were s at the bank all last year that I’d used their money to back one too many of your projects My new position as CEO could have been on the line if this had proved to be one big white elephant The board were seriously worried when you wouldn’t allow investors to buy off the plan”
Reece smiled “Aah, but these apartned so that people would fall in love with at least one of the two floors to a private gym, pool, sauna and squash courts, I had each apartht down to the sheets, towels and accessories It added between one and two hundred thousand to the cost of each apart tool”
Richard winced Up to two hundred thousand, spent decorating each apartment Good God
“I’ies at the bank would have had a pink fit I h There were factions at the bank who didn’t approve of Richard’s proht he was too young at thirty-eight to run a multibillion-dollar financial institution
“That’s why I didn’t tell you till now,” Reece said with a wry grin “I knohen to keep a secret But you’ve had the last laugh, dear friend,” he said, clapping Richard on the shoulder “The building’s only been open since last October and we already have a ninety-five per cent occupancy rate Three shortwith a few apartments on the lower floors”
“What’s wrong with the penthouse you haven’t sold?” Richard asked “Too expensive? Wrong colour scheme?”
“Nope It’s not on the market”
“Aah The developer has claimed it for himself”
Reece’s blue eyes twinkled “Come on I’ll show it to you”
“I can understand nohy you’ve kept this one,” Richard said ten minutes later
It was nothing like other city penthouses Richard had seen during his lifetime And he’d seen quite a few This was like a house up in the sky A beach house, coarden beds, a lap pool and wide, cream-tiled terraces where you could stretch out and enjoy the view and soak up the sun
Inside, the décor continued the promise of a relaxed, sun-filled lifestyle, with the sahout The walls were painted either cream or a warm buttery colour Most of the furniture was s in various shades of blue Rugs in blues and yellows gave warmth to the tiled floors
No curtains or blinds blocked the view, though the glass doors and ere tinted to reduce any glare Naturally, the interior was fully air-conditioned and Reece proudly announced there was heating under the floor tiles to warlass doors that led out onto the terraces A high ce privacy and a courtyard effect to house the lap pool
When Richard walked into the spacious e bed and built-in television screen in the wall opposite, a feeling of sheer envy consumed him
He’d always admired Reece for his tenacity and resilience, admired how he’d picked himself up both professionally and personally a few years back and worked his way back froolden boy of Sydney’s property development business