Alex immediately dashed out of his car as he drove into his company's 'compound.He shut down the entrance's door behind him. His employees, sensing the volcanic eruption within, scurried past like frightened mice as they muttered their greetings, which he ignored. His only focus was the meeting hall to handle the negotiation himself. The manager stammered out the news like a death knell. "Mr. Alex, they... they left. The deal... it's off."His world, balanced on the precipice of success, crumbled.He immediately called them, but his disappointment heightened when they told him that they had called the deal off. His phone rang in his pocket, and he fished it out, as he was still sober about losing the contract.His blood simmered at the sight of the name—the devil herself, Isabella, displayed on the screen.He ignored it, but she continued calling.Each ring tore into him like a fresh cut.Finally, unable to ignore it anymore, he answered it."Yes?" His voice was laced with annoyan
"Hey." Alex beamed in smiles as he sat on a stool behind the bar stand."And here comes my benefactor." Emily returned it with a smile."Come on, stop calling me that, please." He smirked."What drink would you like?" "My usual," he said."There's a question I've been meaning to ask you, though." She poured the whisky into a highball glass and gave it to him."Really?" She nodded her head in affirmation."Then shoot.""Why are you usually wearing a baseball cap whenever you come here? It's really weird wearing it to a bar at night, you know?" She chuckled."Maybe I'm wanted for a crime." He chuckled.She gave him the glass."Why am I always genuinely soft whenever I'm with her?" He questioned himself inwardly.She seemed surprised and drawn back."I'm just joking, come on!" He laughed hysterically."But it's because of who I am." He added, but in a normal and composed tone."If I may ask...who are you?"He wondered if she truly did not know who he was or if she truly did not know th
The next morning, Alex's eyes snapped open, the jarring white of the ceiling searing into his vision.His head throbbed like a drum solo in a heavy metal concert, each beat echoing the confusion swirling in his mind. He tried to sit up, but a wave of nausea washed over him, pinning him to the bed.He blinked, trying to clear the fog that had clouded his thoughts. He groaned as he touched his head, trying to jog his memory.A sliver of sunlight peeked through the narrow window, casting long, stark shadows across him and someone lying beside him on the floor.In curiosity, his gaze drifted, landing on the figure curled up beside him. His breath hitched on seeing that it was Isabella.She was a beautiful sight to behold, but not with her. Never!Her raven hair cascaded over her porcelain skin.A wave of revulsion instantly washed over him. The thought of being so close to her, of her breath mingling with his, sent a shiver of disgust down his spine.For a split second, he had forgott
"Hiii. I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. The lecture took longer than I expected." Emily walked to the table where Alex was, which he had reserved for them.Alex directed her there when she texted him to let him know that she was done with her lecture.Since he was hiding from faces, he could not wait for her on campus. He had to wait for her in a nearby restaurant, just a few feet away from the campus. "I should be the one apologising to you for discomforting you with this." His smile faltered slightly. The sudden urge to talk to her had overcome him."What do you mean you're discomforting me with this? You are actually helping me out." She countered with a genuine smile gracing her lips. "It has been long, too long, since I've had someone to share a conversation with, someone who wasn't a colleague or a client." "Don't tell me you are a loner." He scoffed. His tone hid a hint of curiosity. "I am not," she insisted. "It's just that I don't have time for it, not really. My job
Alex wanted to ignore the call, but she insisted on him picking up the call as his dad continued to call."For the person to keep calling repeatedly, that means the purpose of calling is important. You should pick it." "I'll call the person back later... Maybe I should switch it off." He picked it up from the table to switch it off, but was interrupted by her."Why will you do that?" Emily scoffed in disbelief. "Please...for my sake, pick it." Her lips parted with a sudden smile.Even if he did not want to pick it, her smile was enough for him to have a change of mind."I'll be right back." He rose from the chair.He went to the toilet's lobby to answer it so that she would not hear their conversation."Good afternoon, dad." He muttered."Why didn't you tell me you had fixed a date for the wedding?" His father asked in a condescending tone, with his barritone voice."I already planned to when I visit you this weekend.""And you think I will believe that?" His father scoffed."Since
Alex paid for what they had bought and left the cafeteria disappointed. He wondered why every time he planned to have a good time with her, something constantly thwarted his plan, making it impossible for him to.He had wanted to take her on a shopping spree the next day after he went to her at the bar, but he could not because he got caught up in Isabella's plan.He had planned to do the same again before the issue about his identity happened.Lost in thought and while pondering his next move as he sat in his car, he was startled by the buzz of his phone announcing a call from Henry.He picked up the call, wondering why he was calling him."Hey dude.""Where are you?" Henry asked, his voice laced with concern."I'm...what happened?" He asked."Why are you not in your office? I was told that you haven't been to the office today, and I was starting to worry. Is everything alright?""Yes, I haven't. I'm on my way there. You can wait for me." He ignited his car's engine immediately aft
Alex's determination echoed in each step as he returned to the bar, the yearning to see Emily fueling his decision as he could not get his mind off her. He was determined to see or talk to her, even if it would cost him to make use of his influence and fame for the very first time.He was acutely aware of the weight of his own reputation and privilege in this moment. But for Emily, he was willing to set aside his pride and make use of his influence for the first time in his life.The bartender, a stern and disapproving figure, met his gaze as he approached her with a scowl that could curdle milk."Don't tell me you are here again because of that arrogant brat?!" Her words, laced with venom,cut through the ambient noise of the bar as she voiced her disdain like a knife.He wondered why she called Emily an arrogant brat because she had never portrayed the alleged trait before him."Could she have been pretending all these while even being a virgin?" He shoved off the thought, determined
As Alex drove to the address provided by the bartender, he was taken aback by the sight that greeted him. The house stood at the end of a dilapidated street, its once vibrant paint now peeling and faded, revealing layers of neglect underneath. The roof sagged in places, and the windows were boarded up."How on earth would someone live in this kind of place?" Alex muttered to himself, shaking his head in disbelief as he parked his car. He unhooked the strap of his belt and stepped out onto the cracked pavement.As he approached the house, he realised it was not just a single dwelling but a sprawling complex of interconnected compartments, each seemingly more decrepit than the last. The pathways between them were overgrown with weeds and littered with debris, making navigating a daunting task.Seeing that it was a labyrinthine maze of rooms and corridors, he was unsure how he could possibly find the exact room he was looking for.His confusion lessened when he noticed an old woman s