Rhythm and Ray: A DJ’s Journey

[Chapter 245: A Stab in the Back]

People would do anything to stay out of the hospital, and a little gym membership felt like a small price to pay compared to exorbitant medical bills. As for the wealthy, they simply sought to maintain their toned physiques and balanced lives.

Ivanka clearly belonged to the latter category. She always presented herself with an air of elegance, radiating a sense of elitism.

"Ryan, you didn't tell me there were places like this in Orlando."

Stepping into the upscale gym located on the top floor of a high-rise in Orlando, Ivanka marveled at the luxurious bar, spacious workout area, and stunning views from the giant floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the city.

Ryan had stumbled upon Apex Elite, a high-end gym that operated on an invitation-only membership basis. The lowest-tier membership was a six-figure sum, making it exclusive.

Upon entering, staff members were already waiting for Ryan and Ivanka. They parted ways at the entrance to change clothes in separate dressing rooms.

...

A moment later, Ivanka emerged in yoga pants and a fitted tank top, striking a playful pose and smiling as she said, "Don't fall for me now."

Her curves were accentuated by the tight workout outfit.

"Looks good in yoga pants, right?"

A female personal trainer approached them, but Ryan raised a hand, signaling that he preferred to avoid interruption during his chat with Ivanka.

"Today, I'll be your personal trainer." Ryan nodded at Ivanka.

"Are you qualified?" Ivanka seemed skeptical.

"Guess we'll see."

"Alright, let's give it a shot." Ivanka didn't turn it down.

As they warmed up with some light jogging, Ryan brought up Ivanka's relationship with Jared to gauge her current feelings about him.

"Why do you want to know?" Ivanka asked, looking sideways at Ryan as they jogged.

"Are you going to set me up with someone?" Ivanka added sarcastically.

"Who says that's not a possibility? But you must have high standards, right?" Ryan chuckled back, knowing Ivanka was born in 1981, and many of her peers were already married.

"I'm not asking for much -- just a genuine marriage, not some business arrangement." Ivanka's breath began to quicken.

"And you know about my father; sometimes I wonder why people even need to get married?" Ivanka expressed her reluctance.

"You've seen how my father sides with Jared. He keeps pushing me to spend more time with him. I know he thinks I'm interested in you because of what he's heard." Ivanka was aware of her father's meddling; after all, he often inquired about her relationship with Ryan.

"What a joke! You already have a fiance. If it weren't for Taylor, I might actually consider it," Ivanka laughed.

"Having a fiance doesn't mean you can't keep your options open," Ryan noted, assessing her reaction.

Ivanka's demeanor shifted slightly, and she quickly laughed it off. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm just saying what your dad thinks," Ryan replied.

Ivanka's gaze turned toward the cityscape, and without thinking, she sped up her pace. She adjusted the controls in front of her and began to run full force.

...

After cardio was strength training. Ivanka sat at the pulley machine with her back to Ryan, gripping the handles and lifting, allowing the weights to pull her shoulders into view, outlining the muscle definition.

Ryan stood close, guiding her wrist to ensure she was using the correct technique. Ivanka could feel him beside her, the warmth radiating off his body.

She relaxed and dropped the weight bar before standing.

"Let's move on to the next exercise," Ivanka said, taking a deep breath and revealing beads of sweat glistening on her neck and collarbone -- this intense workout giving her a unique feminine allure.

"Do you do yoga? I'd like to try," Ryan chuckled.

"Try with a female instructor," Ivanka replied, her face flush as memories of yoga poses crossed her mind.

...

Ivanka turned and headed for the rowing machine. After rowing for a while, she noticed Ryan hadn't followed. When she glanced back, she saw him chatting up a female instructor.

"You said you'd be my coach, but you ran faster than anyone else." Ivanka murmured to herself.

They went their separate ways for a bit, but Ivanka couldn't help but look back at Ryan occasionally. Eventually, she watched him pull out his phone, seemingly giving orders to someone on his team.

...

A few moments later, Ryan returned to her.

"Don't come over here!" Ivanka exclaimed in a fluster, perched on a machine with her legs intertwined with a weight bar and lifting.

"Why not?" Ryan asked, quickening his pace.

"Just don't look! Go somewhere else," Ivanka said, feeling embarrassed since she was using a machine specifically for shaping her glutes.

"It's not a big deal to look, honestly," Ryan said, his glance lingering longer than necessary.

Rolling her eyes, Ivanka found herself laughing; it dawned on her that the guy was younger than her by a whole eight years. Every interaction felt effortless, like chatting with someone her own age, making him seem more mature than he was.

"Alright, I won't tease you anymore, wouldn't want you falling for me," Ivanka said, standing.

As she lifted her foot to step down, she forgot about the weight bar, causing it to drop quickly, awkwardly pinning her ankle.

Ivanka immediately winced in pain, biting down on her lower lip.

...

Nearby staff members noticed and rushed over, but Ryan was already ahead of them, swiftly pulling the weight off Ivanka's stuck foot.

"That hurts," Ivanka said, wincing.

Ryan deftly removed her shoe and sock, noticing her foot was much larger than Taylor's, but equally fair and smooth. Because of the exercise, her feet were very warm to the touch.

"I think I twisted it," Ivanka said, her expression showing her discomfort.

"Let's get you some rest," Ryan offered as he helped her up.

"I'm fine, really. You should keep working out...what are you--?" Ivanka felt Ryan lifting her with ease, helping her to find her balance.

"Don't worry about it. Just let me help you," Ryan said calmly.

With his strong arms, he carried her to the lounge area. The gym's on-call sports doctor arrived shortly after, giving her foot a brief examination. It was just a minor sprain.

...

"It's no big deal," Ivanka assured as she tried to adjust her foot on Ryan's lap.

"Doctor said you need to ice it right away, or you might pay for it later," Ryan said, carefully applying an ice pack to her ankle while holding her foot.

Ivanka felt her cheeks warm even more, watching Ryan's focused expression as he treated her. His good looks reflected off her attentive gaze.

"It's fine now. You've made it feel better," Ivanka answered, her voice a bit dreamy.

They shared a relaxing moment, having dinner afterward in the spa area before leaving. As they departed, Ivanka left a generous tip, feeling satisfied with everything -- even considering the earlier accident simply a misstep on her part.

Ivanka arrived in Ryan's car, so naturally, he had to drive her home.

...

On the way, Ivanka stared pensively out the window, lost in thought. Occasionally, she would glance back at Ryan, who caught her gaze, causing her to quickly turn away.

"It's getting late; I won't invite you in," Ivanka said softly as they reached her place.

"Also, I've been thinking about resigning," she added suddenly, her mind set.

"Having issues at work?" Ryan questioned.

"This place is great, just not the right fit for me," Ivanka smiled, having thought it through in the car, primarily due to her connection with Ryan.

She worried that if things continued the way they were, it would lead to something inevitable between them.

"Was this really what you want?" Ryan assessed her carefully.

"Yeah," Ivanka nodded.

"Then what about the money you just paid at the gym? Are you really just going to forfeit it?" Ryan chuckled.

"Uh... can it go directly into your account? That should work," Ivanka suggested, her confidence wavering.

"Of course not. Besides, if you leave now, what will happen to the operations company? You can always leave once you find a better opportunity. I won't hold you back, but I need time to find someone to replace you," Ryan said diplomatically, noting that employees often had fleeting thoughts of leaving before changing their minds.

With Ryan's words, Ivanka could only nod in agreement.

...

After Ivanka exited the car, Ryan made a quick phone call.

"Did you make it?" he asked.

"We're here, just me and an old friend; it's pitch black here," Berwick replied on the line.

In a different part of Miami, Berwick and an accomplice quietly climbed over a wall into a construction area managed by the Kushner Group for a commercial real estate project.

"There's bound to be a guard nearby. Be careful not to get caught," Ryan warned.

"Relax, we're not planning on robbing the place; we'll avoid areas with watchmen," Berwick whispered, sneaking into the site.

"I'll call you back; we're going in now." He hung up, raising his camera to capture images of the inside.

However, the poor lighting made it difficult to get a good shot.

"How do I turn on this flash..." Berwick fiddled with the settings until he was finally able to get it working and snapped several pictures, trying to get a wide angle of the construction area from a raised position.

The continuous flashes soon attracted the attention of patrol guards, and suddenly a flashlight beam shone on him.

"Who's there?" one of the guards shouted.

With nowhere to hide, Berwick quickly brought the light onto his face, squinting at the brightness.

In the next moment, a shadow lunged from the side, ambushing the patroller from behind, landing a punch to the back of his head. Berwick's accomplice had taken care of the guard swiftly.

Berwick retrieved the fallen flashlight, turning it off and snatching the guard's walkie-talkie as well.

"Get back to work; Ryan is waiting for those photos." Berwick said with a casual grin.

...

"Is this all you need? Will it help us terminate the Kushner loan in Miami?" Ryan asked, placing his phone down.

The voice on the line belonged to a former loan officer at the bank. While Ryan and Kushner dealt with separate branches within the same bank, knowing when to stab each other in the back wasn't unusual. This officer had discovered discrepancies that would prove Kushner had inflated project measurements by a significant amount, and the photos served as evidence.

...

The next day, Ryan returned to the operations office. Walking in, he spotted Jared looking troubled, his face painted with concern.

"Ivanka turned you down?" Ryan teased.

"Of course not, Ryan. Just to be clear, Donald sees great potential in me; don't mess this up," Jared snapped back, frustration evident.

"Trump thinks highly of you? I recall he hardly looked your way before. What sudden change?" Ryan probed with playful inquiry, intending to steer him toward a confession.

"Well, that's because..." Jared began, almost slipping and acknowledging Ryan's influence in the situation but hesitated, recalling the financial investment he had made to get close to Ivanka.

Operating through relationships had been a decision he felt mandated, especially after Donald Trump helped him connect with United Bank.

But suddenly, the loan had been halted the previous day, and if pulled back, not only would the project cease, but Jared's investments would leave him empty-handed.

Was this some trap set by Trump? A sudden realization hit Jared.

"What's wrong? You seem lost in thought," Ryan chuckled inwardly.

"It's nothing. Hey Ryan, have you had any dealings with United Bank?" Jared asked, shifting the conversation.

"I have, but not not much... is there an issue with the project?" Ryan questioned.

Jared shot Ryan a cautious glance. "It's nothing."

"Don't say I didn't warn you; they have clearly set a completion time. If you can't do it, they will definitely replace you," Ryan remarked, ramping up the pressure.

Switch things? Change to who? Trump? Jared couldn't sit still any longer.

"I need to make a call." Jared stood and stepped into a quiet corner.

...

"Mr. Trump, are you aware of the loan problems we're facing?" Jared jumped straight in.

"Problems? What kind? I'm in the dark here," Trump replied.

"Save it; you've certainly heard something," Jared retorted.

"Heh, I'm aware, but hey, you inflated project measurements for an inflated loan. How can I assist you? Your bad luck is entirely on you," Trump expertly deflected responsibility.

You knew this was happening, yet you act clueless now? Jared was convinced Trump had set this scheme in motion against him.

"Speaking of, what's the progress with Ivanka? Is there more communication with Ryan?" Trump pressed.

"Ask your own daughter!" Jared scoffed, hanging up immediately.

Frustrated, he stormed out of the operations office, bumping right into Ivanka.

This time, he was hardly polite; he glared at her and stormed off in anger.

...

"What's up with him?" Ivanka questioned as she entered with a puzzled look.

"Jared's project hit a snag, and it seems to be linked to your dad," Ryan replied.

"Such a hypocrite," Ivanka concluded, finally seeing Jared for who he really was -- his previous kindness now revealed as a shallow facade.

"Enough of him. How's your foot feeling?" Ryan switched gears.

"Getting better," Ivanka recalled Ryan's earlier care and felt her cheeks warm again in embarrassment.

"Then let's continue working out tonight?" Ivanka offered.

She had resolved to keep a distance from Ryan but knew they'd inevitably cross paths at the gym, so she might as well share the trip.

"Let's leave it for tomorrow. I have a busy schedule today," Ryan declined, as Jared's project's downfall was just the opportunity he'd been waiting for, and he needed to prepare. He couldn't go with her tonight.

*****

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