Chapter 3

Alex rushed into the conference room battling with his belts. Luckily, Mr. Blackwood hasn't arrived. He went straight to the empty seat beside Elias, Maya's brother.

Elias pushed the chair into the table immediately and dropped an evil gaze on him. “The seat belongs to Philip,” he chuckled.

Alex looked up, and Philip was just sitting across the table. Elias happened to be the most annoying Blackwood. Whatever chance he got to make Alex feel less of himself, he never let it go. 

“But Philip is sitting already,” Alex insisted.

“Ow…then it's for urm…my second personality then,” he said and burst into laughter. Philip joined him. Their voices echoed in the room but came to an abrupt end the moment Mr. Blackwood stepped in. They adjusted their seats into proper positions.

Maya followed him behind. She sat adjacent to him and joined the silence. She noticed her husband was standing. “Why's Alex standing?” she asked her brothers. They shrugged.

“He probably knows his position,” Elias replied with a soft chuckle.

Alex, however, didn't bat an eye at Maya. After he heard her conversation with her father the previous night, he refused to speak to her not listen to the explanations she had. He slept in his room, woke up without waking her, and made his breakfast and that of his daughter.

He was hurt and he knew she noticed. Mr. Blackwood turned on the television. It was already tuned in to the news station. Of course, the trend of the town. The new topic in New York. The death of Christopher Thompson.

Everyone's eyes turned to the television hanging on the wall, behind Mr. Blackwood's table. They listened quietly to the news, till it got paused.

“Damn, billionaires die,” Elias muttered, but only to the hearing of his brother sitting opposite him. Alex heard him too. He could do nothing.

The death of his father had spread around the city like wildfire. Everyone was talking about the number one investor and business mogul in the city. Alex had his one second of fame before Mr. Blackwood's voice broke the silence.

“What does this mean, Maya?” he asked.

His question took Maya off guard. But she was rooted in the politics of Billionaires. She had studied her way to be able to sit beside her father, who demoted her after her marriage to Alex.

Left for Mr. Blackwood, Maya wouldn't have a seat at the conference table. He would have left her to lavish in suffering and poverty. He let her stay after Mr. Jacobs Brown intervened on her behalf.

Maya cleared her throat and sat up. “First of all…this is a level up for every family which was below the Thompsons. Including the Blackwoods’ family, our family” She stopped to get approval from her dad, but his expression was indifferent.

“Also, it means every deal, partnership, and collaboration with the late Mr. Thompson has to be renewed,”. She added. That was the best she could do.

‘A level up? My father's death is a level up?’, Alex thought to himself. He scoffed. 'pathetic’.

Mr. Blackwood cleaned his glasses and put them on. He pulled out a document from his drawer and stamped it on the table.

“ Philip, your report?”

Philip sat up and pulled his seat at the table. He brought out a file and passed it to Elias. “I successfully spoke with the secretary of the Thompson Dynasty early this morning. I retrieved every past and present documentary on our dealings”

He signaled Elias who was still looking through the file to pass it down after noticing the impatience in his father's eyes. 

“There are also possible partnerships documented below. Mr. Thompson was going to involve us in the project, but seeing he's dead, all we have to do is meet with the secretary”, he added.

Mr. Blackwood didn't bother looking at the paper when it got to him. He placed it before him and relaxed on his chair. 

“Maya, fix a meeting with the secretary of the Thompson dynasty. I'd love to discuss the terms of this project” 

“Yes Dad” Maya picked up her phone immediately and dialed the number. Everyone watched silently as it rang. It got answered and Maya delivered the message. She brought the phone down from her ear with a smile.

“The secretary has agreed to meet tomorrow,” she said. A smile tore through her dad's face.

Alex watched as they enjoyed their expected wealth. 

“Isn't this supposed to be a sad time? I mean New York just lost their most prominent person. I think we should be sympathizing with the family, and not planning on our next step to wealth through them”

Those lines were rehearsed a thousand times in his head. He didn't know why they sounded so right in his head. Like the right thing to say at that time. 

He could feel the weight of their glare pull his desire to do the right thing down. He knew he just made a terrible mistake.

“Maya, did your puddle husband just say something?” Elias asked. His expression could tell how delighted and anxious he was to see his father's next line of action.

Maya knew Alex had offended her dad. She watched her father's wrist clench on the table as he slowly took off his glasses with the other hand.

“Come here, Alex,” he called him.

Alex's legs trembled at the mention of his name. His arms couldn't hold onto a single position. He walked past Elias's chair and heard him mutter something. “Your death man,” Elias said with a soft chuckle.

Mr Blackwood stood up from the chair. He turned, facing Alex who was standing an inch away from his seat. Maya stood up that instant to intervene on his behalf. She didn't want her father going down angrily on her husband.

“I'm sorry—” Alex could not complete his words as Mr. Blackwood's palm landed heavily on his cheek. He clutched his cheek immediately, avoiding eye contact.

“You little shameless brat!” Mr. Blackwood cursed. “How dare you!”

“Dad, please, he didn't mean it,”

“Quiet Maya. Let Dad handle this his way” Philip chirped in. He was enjoying the show. He stole a delightful glance at his brother, who was smiling evilly.

“Take those hands off,” Mr. Blackwoods’ cold voice instructed him. Alex took off his hand from his voice. His eyes met those of Maya, but he quickly looked away.

He had brought her so much pain, disgrace, and embarrassment. She didn't deserve someone like him. The fact that she still loved him only made him love her more. He knew she wasn't going to take her father's offer, but just needed the drama.

Mr. Blackwoods’ palm landed on his face the second time, leaving prints on it. He didn't hold it this time. His head had shifted to the table, with his gaze fixed on the documents. All he could think of was revenge. In a very sweet manner.

“Next time, you should remember you have no place in this house,” Mr. Blackwood said and returned to his seat. “Get out!” he instructed him.

Alex walked out of the office with his face buried. He went into the elevator, heading for the ground floor. He took out his phone and the card his brother had given him. He dialed the number, and his brother answered the call.

“Have you made a decision yet brother?” Gerald asked.

Alex was mute for some seconds. He was taking all that just happened, and many more. He let out a breath, tightening his grip on his phone.

“I'll need a ride, Gerald. I'm coming home