Leander was in his sleek office, going over the latest reports from his business ventures when his assistant, Elaine, arrived with a crisp envelope. “This just arrived, Leander. It's an invitation from the royal palace.” He glanced at the envelope, his jaw tightening. Because the royals were always caught up in the conspiracy of his inheritance, he had little desire to socialize with them. Yet, King Alexander IV's seal on the envelope meant he couldn’t ignore it. Taking a deep breath, he opened the letter, reading the elegant script inside: “Dear Mr. Goldstein, You are cordially invited to a private gathering at the royal palace tomorrow evening. Your presence would be greatly appreciated. Yours sincerely, King Alexander IV” Leander sighed, leaning back in his chair. Declining a royal invitation was not an option, especially if he wanted to maintain his business and social standing. Yet, the idea of socializing with those who had plotted against him was unappealing. “Elaine, ma
Mr. Whitman’s face reddened as he felt a combination of shame and frustration. He had never asked anyone for a favor in his entire life, much less for something personal. Swallowing his pride, he dropped to his knees, his eyes pleading. "Leander, please," Mr. Whitman implored, his voice trembling. "I need your help. I can't afford to lose my company. I'll apologize to Lindsey, however she wants. Just... help me." For a moment, Leander observed him, a slight look of satisfaction crossing his features. Seeing Mr. Whitman humbled left him with a curious notion of what justice meant. But he knew this wasn’t just about revenge; it was about making things right. "Just get up," Leander ordered, his tone firm. "Groveling won't fix this. Your action will, okay?" Mr. Whitman hesitated, then slowly rose to his feet, dusting off his knees. "I'll do it, Leander. I'll apologize publicly and personally." Leander's gaze remained hard. "Good. You better mean it. If I sense you're insincere, I'll
Mr. Whitman’s face reddened as he felt a combination of shame and frustration. He had never asked anyone for a favor in his entire life, much less for something personal. Swallowing his pride, he dropped to his knees, his eyes pleading. "Leander, please," Mr. Whitman implored, his voice trembling. "I need your help. I can't afford to lose my company. I'll apologize to Lindsey, however she wants. Just... help me." For a moment, Leander observed him, a slight look of satisfaction crossing his features. Seeing Mr. Whitman humbled left him with a curious notion of what justice meant. But he knew this wasn’t just about revenge; it was about making things right. "Just get up," Leander ordered, his tone firm. "Groveling won't fix this. Your action will, okay?" Mr. Whitman hesitated, then slowly rose to his feet, dusting off his knees. "I'll do it, Leander. I'll apologize publicly and personally." Leander's gaze remained hard. "Good. You better mean it. If I sense you're insincere, I'll
Taking advantage of his leisure hour, Leander entered an upscale electronic store and immediately became the center of attention. He had decided to get a new work tool to replace the one he was already using.Upon entering the electronic store, you are greeted by a spacious, well-lit environment. Overhead LED lights create a reflection on the floor’s sleek, polished tiles. Various electronic devices create a soft hum in the air.Despite this, the store manager promptly recognized Leander as a significant customer. With a mix of respect and enthusiasm, he rushed over. “You’re welcome to the best electronic store, Mr. Goldstein. How may I help you?”Leander offered a polite nod. “Good afternoon. I'm here to get a new laptop and a phone. I need the best models you have in stock.”The store manager replied, “Uh, of course, sir. You can get any model of your choice in our store.”“Well, I would prefer an Apple or Samsung product,” Leander said, showing little enthusiasm.“Alright, sir. Rig
Leander was sitting in his office at the penthouse headquarters of Veritas Conglomerates. Half of the working day had already passed. He felt less busy as he leaned back in his chair, his head resting limply. Staring at the Apple MacBook in front of him, he decided to turn it off and find something else to do. Something interesting. Still pondering, he closed the lid of his computer. Taking a deep breath, he looked around and glanced at the time again. He then stood up and reached out to the espresso machine nearby to grab a cup of freshly brewed coffee. Returning to his seat, Lindsey began ringing in his mind. He felt that, if she were with him, there was no way he would be bored. But he couldn’t leave his office because he needed to supervise some new projects before he left. Leander grabbed the cup on the table and sipped gently, taking a deep sigh of relief to shake off the feelings and thoughts. Still, they kept coming back, leaving him with no choice but to open his laptop ag
In the evening, Leander decided to leave his office. This was after he had completed supervising the early phase of the project preparation, ensuring everything was progressing as planned. The thought of Veritas Conglomerate, his inheritance, soon celebrating its fiftieth anniversary was reeling through his mind. Shaking off the thought, he quickly packed all the books spread across the table, arranging them into a folder. His laptop, too, went into his expensive, custom-made bag. He picked up his access card and crept towards the door. Walking out of his office, he swiped his card against the reader, sending a signal to the lock mechanism to lock the door. Before turning into the passageway, Elaine, his assistant, approached and helped him with his briefcase and laptop bag, carrying them alongside him. “Follow me, Elaine!” Leander urged, his voice hurried as he glanced back at her. As he began to walk away, she quickly followed suit. Weaving through the passageway, they arrived a
After they finished their meal and discussed the main reason for organizing the charity dinner, Leander slumped in his seat, trying to relax and bring some comfort to himself by sipping on whiskey. More than half of the guests had moved away, leaving scant seats everywhere, except for a few. Grabbing the cocktail glass on the table, Leander turned around, observing the environment before glancing at the time. He then caught sight of Vivian, who sat alone opposite the long table. He quickly looked away, feeling like he didn't have any business with her. Moments later, Leander realized none of the Hawthorne family had come to greet him. How could he not meet with those who invited him? Unbelievable. His gaze fell on Vivian again, who was discussing it with some ladies nearby. Giving her an intense gaze, Vivian faltered in her conversation, constantly lost for words. Leander didn’t stop there. He started giving charming, seductive smiles to draw her attention while still staying in h
“Yeah, it's now left to you, Vivian,” Leander said, looking up at her, his voice serious.Vivian’s words came out in a rush as she fidgeted with her dress. “Hold on, please, Leander. I will get back to you in the next five minutes. I need to meet my parents.”Leander leaned back, raising an eyebrow, a hint of impatience in his gaze. “But what should I do if you don’t arrive on time?”“Well, I don't know. You just have to be patient with me, and I am sure you will because I trust you,” Vivan stammered, her breath escaping with every word she said. The next moment, she turned away from Leander, walking quickly, her heart racing with fear that he might leave before she returned.She found her parents on the bohemian couch in the living room, deep in conversation. Her sudden entrance caught their attention, breaking their discussion.Vivian paused, guilt washing over her. “Mom, Dad, I’m sorry for the interruption.”Her father’s eyes narrowed, his voice sharp. “Why did you rush in like th