Chapter 155: The Office
Xavier had a reason to go to Hale & Associates Friday morning.
Not Jade’s proposition — that was the afternoon. Vincent had sent a preliminary note about the bigger opportunity he’d mentioned Monday. Nothing detailed yet. Just enough to warrant a conversation in person rather than over email.
He wore the midnight blue Loro Piana suit.
Not the charcoal — the midnight blue. He’d been rotating between them since Mr. Hartley delivered the full order and had developed a sense for which one each environment called for. Hale & Associates on a Friday morning called for the midnight blue.
He drove the Panamera into the underground car park at 10:15AM.
Took the lift to the sixth floor.
The doors opened.
Selene was at the standing desk.
She looked up when the lift opened — the same look she gave every arrival, the standard register. Then the second look. The one that had been there since the charcoal suit on a Friday morning that felt like a long time ago now.
Different from that second look though.
Post Millhaven, Xavier noted. Post Thursday evening standing arrangement. Post direction. He walked toward her. The second look has a different quality now. Less assessment. More — something else.
"Xavier," she said.
"Selene," he said. Using her name the way he always did. Like he’d been saying it for years.
"He’s in the conference room," she said. "David and Christine are with him."
"Thank you," he said.
He walked the corridor.
At Vincent’s conference room door he paused.
Looked back.
Selene was already back at her tablet. Professional. Composed. The standing desk version of herself that existed in this building on working days.
But different from the version that had existed here before Millhaven.
Less distance, he thought. Between the surface and what’s underneath.
He knocked once and went in.
Vincent was at the head of the table. David and Christine on one side — the same two analysts from the food distribution meeting months ago. Both with the composed professional energy of people who had been in this building long enough to have stopped being surprised by anything.
Xavier sat across from them.
"The preliminary note," he said. "What are we looking at."
Vincent opened a folder.
"A commercial property portfolio," he said. "Kenvale north and east districts combined. Seven properties — a mix of office space and light industrial. Current owner is a property development company that overextended during an aggressive expansion phase two years ago and is now rationalising its holdings."
"Distressed seller," Xavier said.
"Motivated," Vincent said carefully. "Not desperate. They want a clean exit at fair value. They’re not giving anything away." He slid a document across the table. "Combined portfolio valuation — $8,500,000."
Xavier looked at the number.
$8,500,000, he thought. Seven properties. Combined.
He picked up the document. Read through the property details. Seven addresses. Office space in the north district — three buildings, all tenanted. Light industrial in the east — four units, two tenanted, two vacant but with recent interest from prospective tenants according to the notes.
The vacant units are the discount, he thought. The seller is pricing the vacancy risk into the asking price. But if the prospective tenant interest is genuine the two vacant units fill within six months and the portfolio value increases significantly.
"The prospective tenants for the vacant units," he said. "How solid is the interest."
"One has signed a heads of terms agreement," Christine said. "The other is in negotiation. My assessment is both fill within four months."
Heads of terms, Xavier thought. That’s not prospective interest. That’s effectively committed. He looked at the portfolio valuation. If both units fill the portfolio is undervalued at $8,500,000 by a significant margin.
"I’ll need the full due diligence package," he said. "Every property. Tenancy agreements, planning history, structural surveys."
"Already being compiled," Vincent said. "You’ll have it Monday."
Xavier nodded. Set the document down.
"Two weeks you said," he said. "When you first mentioned this."
"I wanted the due diligence package ready before I surfaced it properly," Vincent said. "It arrived Thursday." A brief moment. "This is a different scale from anything we’ve discussed before Xavier. $8,500,000 is not a small business acquisition."
"No," Xavier said.
"Are you in a position to move at that scale," Vincent said.
Xavier looked at him across the table.
In a position, he thought. Balance at $39,207,633. Daily cap at $2,000,000. Asset Rebound on an $8,500,000 acquisition at 3x — $25,500,000 after 48 hours. Total return $34,000,000 from one transaction.
"Yes," he said simply.
Vincent held his gaze for a moment.
David and Christine exchanged a look that they thought was subtle and wasn’t.
"Monday," Vincent said. "Full package. We’ll meet Tuesday."
"Tuesday," Xavier confirmed.
They stood. Shook hands. David and Christine gathered their folders.
Xavier walked out.
Selene was still at the standing desk.
She looked up when he came out of the conference room.
"Done already," she said.
"Efficient meeting," he said.
He slowed as he passed her desk. Not stopping — just the natural reduction in pace of someone with a moment to spare.
"How are you finding it," he said. "Being back."
She looked at him. "Back."
"After Millhaven," he said. "The office. The routine."
She considered it for a moment.
"Different," she said. "Not the office. The office is the same." She looked at her tablet. "I’m different in it."
I’m different in it, Xavier thought. From the woman who called from the office line to give herself cover.
"Good different," he said.
She looked at him with the expression that had been getting less composed since the boarding gate Friday morning of a different week.
"Yes," she said. "Good different."
Vincent appeared in the conference room doorway.
Looked at Xavier.
Looked at Selene.
Looked at Xavier again.
Said nothing for exactly three seconds.
Then.. "Xavier. Tuesday. 10AM."
"Tuesday," Xavier said.
Vincent went back inside.
Xavier walked to the lift.
Vincent noticed, he thought. Of course Vincent noticed. The man reads financial patterns for a living. Reading people is significantly easier.
The lift arrived.
He got in.
Selene, he thought. Good different.
Tuesday, he thought. $8,500,000 portfolio. Full due diligence Monday.
And this afternoon, he thought. Jade’s proposition.
Friday, he thought. Full schedule.
He rode down.
[ REBATE SYSTEM ]
Transaction Detected: $28 spent on car park — Hale & Associates
Base Multiplier (Tier 2): 2x
Total Return: $56
[ Net Balance: $39,207,605.00 → $39,207,633.00 ]
In the underground car park he checked his phone before starting the engine.
One message. Vincent. Sent while Xavier was in the lift.
Vincent: she looks at you differently from how she looked at you before.
Xavier looked at the message.
Xavier: I know.
Vincent: good. Tuesday 10AM. Don’t be late.
Xavier: I’m never late.
Vincent: you’re sometimes late.
Xavier almost smiled and started the engine.
Selene told him I’m never late once, he thought. On the first night I drove her home.
Millhaven, he thought. Changes things.
He pulled out of the car park into the Friday city.
Jade this afternoon, he thought. Then the weekend. Then Monday’s due diligence package. Then Tuesday.
Everything moving, he thought.
Right on schedule.