For a moment after Alex’s roughly muttered words, stunned silence reigned in the room. Obviously annoyed at his audacity, Romanov stalked back to the table to have a brief conversation with his colleagues. They’d not expected a rebellious leader at all. With the way things were going, Alex could end up being even more rebellious than his late grandfather.And they did not want that.Romanov hated that this young man had seen right through them. They wanted someone they could control. Someone they could use.While they were talking, Alex used that opportunity to survey the room. Even with only the barest essentials, the atmosphere literally screamed luxury. From the arched ceiling to the sleek smart TV and five foot tall chandelier, Alex knew the cost of putting this room in order could probably pay his entire college fees… and extra pennies would still be left over.“We’ve decided.” Romanov’s voice pierced through Alex’s thoughts as he walked towards him.“Decided on what?” Romano
“Everyone, standing beside me is Alexander Stephan. He’s the newly appointed CEO and Chairman, Board of Council of Xander Group of Companies. He also doubles as the Chief master of the Conglomerate of Billionaires!”Alex’s chest swelled with pride as one hundred plus employees welcomed him with thunderous applause. Looking at the crowd, it was easy to pinpoint people with genuine happiness on their faces and people who were not so excited about the new leader.Matthew continued;“As you all know, he’s Late Master Alexander’s grandson and only heir. I urge everyone to give him your full support.”He turned to Alex;“Would you like to say something, sir?”Alex was a little nervous but he nodded hesitantly.“The floor is yours.”With a thundering heart, he walked forward and mounted the podium. The crowd had gone stone silent. All eyes were curiously fixated on him. Surprised, he noticed a few men behind the crowd who glared at him with open dislike.Their hatred gave him all the confid
Mrs. Andrew’s face was slack with shock. Mr. Andrew, on the other hand, looked like his favourite cat just died.“Sh-she’s your fiancée?” Mrs. Andrews stuttered. “H-how? Why?”Alex folded his arms and levelled them both with a dark stare.“How and why Blakeky became my fiancée shouldn’t be any of your business, but I hope you now understand the depth of your son’s mistakes.Just in case you’re still unable to understand, I wouldn’t mind explaining it to you.” He got to his feet and paced towards the door where Blakeky stood with her head lowered to the ground.Alex took her hand and held it tight.“Dr. Blakely is mine now. And I will never, ever take it easy on people who are fickle minded enough to think they can hurt what belongs to me. Your son will remain in jail until he’s convicted… but if I feel like it, I might provide a condition for his release.”Mrs. Andrews gave them a scathing look.“I know everyone has a price no matter how proud or difficult they may seem… including yo
“The first on the list of companies which applied to go against you is Hunters Technology.”Alex paused, not sure he’d heard right.“What did you say?”Romanov smiled. The bastard knew what he was doing.“Hunter’s Technology. Isn’t that your former workplace? I heard the CEO took your wife from you and…”“That’s enough.” Alex snapped. “I’ve heard enough. What’s the next company?”Alex was barely listening as Romanov droned out the names of over fifteen companies not just in New York, but also from other surrounding cities. He couldn’t understand why Derek and his stupid in-laws so desperately wanted to step on his toes. He’d wanted to play it cool and forget about the humiliation and ill treatment he’d suffered in their hands but it seemed like they wanted war.And Alex was always ready for war. “That’s the full list.” Romanov’s voice broke into his thoughts. “You have a lot of contenders Alex, do not disappoint us.”Without waiting to be dismissed, Alex got to his feet and straight
Alex could vividly recall the day he was accused of theft. Meredith, their receptionist, was one of the vile people who’d uploaded that video to social media. Even before that day, she’d always picked on Alex and insulted him because he’d been appointed secretary instead of her.“Hello, Meredith.” He said calmly.Her eyes widened with surprise.“S-sir? You know who I am?” She stuttered. Alex smirked.“Don’t you know who I am? I was only suspended a few weeks ago. Surely you haven’t forgotten me that quickly.”Meredith froze for a second. Alex could literally see the wheels turning in her brain. “Alex?” She whispered, her face going as white as a sheet. “Alex? Is that really you?”He nodded. “In the flesh.”Meredith’s cheeks reddened with embarrassment. Her eyes filled with wonder as she openly stared at him. “What happened to you?” She looked behind, noting the long list of bodyguards behind him. “You have a security detail now? How? Why?”Alex straightened his suit and cleared hi
As expected, Derek exploded. He lurched across the room and yanked Melissa’s hand from Alex’s before he got the chance to kiss her a second time.“Stay away from my woman, Alexander.” He fumed. Alex smiled darkly but Melissa hurriedly stepped back, her face colouring with embarrassment. “Uh… I have to leave now.”Without waiting for any of their responses, she turned around and ran.“Melissa, wait…!” Derek called but she was already gone. He turned towards Alex, completely fuming. “What are you playing at, huh? What’s your problem?”Alex shrugged and dusted his pristine suit.“What problem?”Derek got in his face, pointing his index finger.“Stay away from Melissa. Stay away from her. This is your final warning.”Alex had not wanted to take the entire situation too seriously but Derek was resorting to threats. And he hated threats.“Or what?” He asked, coming even closer. “She was mine first.” He taunted. “What are you scared of? That I might actually get her back with a snap of
Alex’s employees lowered their heads fearfully as he paced in their midst, his face icy with rage, his blood boiling. “None of you can tell me that Derek’s company or one of his engineers mysteriously had the idea to create the exact same machine I invented. That machine was created as a result of years of my own personal hardwork and research!Do you all realise the amount of time I put in it? Do you realise how much of my hardwork has gone down the drain?” He roared, startling all two hundred of them.“I’m giving the culprit twenty four hours and no less to come to my office and confess to his crimes. Maybe then and just then, I might retract all the punishments I have in store for him.”That said, he walked out to his car, followed by Martins and the rest of his men.“What are you going to do now, sir?” Martins asked.Alex rubbed his jaw absent mindedly.“I don’t know yet. I need a few hours of rest. I’ll definitely think of something by tomorrow. Take me home.”“Roger that, sir.”
The next morning, Martins and three of his men were gathered in Alex’s office while he addressed them in somber tones.“…I hope you understand the plan.”They all nodded solemnly.“Yes, young master.”Alex nodded and leaned back in his chair.“I warned him that if he went low, I wouldn’t mind going lower. Derek wanted to step on my toes so badly. I hope he’s man enough to stomach the consequences.Now, we wait…”***. Exactly eight o’ clock in the evening, Alex picked up his tab and scrolled through the business news for the night when he stumbled on a video he’d been waiting for.“… to end the news, here’s a recap of the major stories. There’s a major problem in paradise for business man, Derek Hunter, as all ten investors who bought his miracle machine are all complaining of lapses. These investors have demanded that their money be refunded instantly. Currently, Derek and his company, Hunters & Sons Technology have not released any statements in relation to the matter.The machine i
SIX MONTHS LATER:“Do you, Alexander Stephan, take Camilla to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health until death do you part?”Alex’s heart was filled with happiness as he replied confidently;“Yes, I do.”The priest turned to Camila and asked her the same question. She nodded eagerly as she responded;“Yes. Yes, I do.”“I now declare you man and wife. You may kiss your bride.”Camilla was glowing with happiness as Alex wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her in for a soft, slow kiss while the audience cheered them on.When he finally drew backwards, he placed his forehead against hers and whispered;“I’m so happy that I finally get to marry the love of my life.”She nodded, her eyes brimming with happy tears. “Let’s be together forever.”“Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Stephan!!” The priest announced.The screams and cheers got louder as the priest raised both their hands to the crowd. The past few months
The moment Blakely left the conference centre, Camilla watched in confusion as Alex started making a series of calls.“Yes, she just left. Get the security detail ready. I hope our bodyguards at the mansion are already on stand-by. Get someone to follow her. We’ll give her thirty minutes max before the operation begins…”When he finally ended all his calls and turned to her, Camilla was way beyond confused. “What’s going on, Alex? You sound like you’re preparing for war.”“More like preparing to catch a snake.” He replied as he lifted her hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles.Camilla frowned. “Snake? What snake?”Alex smiled. “Listen carefully. It’s about Blakely…”***Exactly thirty minutes later, Alex received a call from Peter, his chief-of-security.“Sir, they’re about to resume their operations. Should we strike?”“No. Wait for me. I’ll be there in five minutes.”“Akex, let me come with you.” Camilla begged for the umpteenth time. Alex leaned forward and pressed a kiss aga
ONE YEAR LATER…So far, Alex had completely frustrated every single one of Blakely’s plan to get him to sign any documents. He read every single document that was brought to him thoroughly before he signed them. He’d also tripled and quadrupled his security, equipping them with modern weapons to enable them to face any kind of threats.There was simply zero space for Blakely and her boyfriend to carry out their devious plans and today, he was finally ready to expose her for who she really was. Alex had left unfinished business in New York when he travelled to Spain and today was the day he finally wrapped it all up. Today the competition between Hunters Technology and Alexander Group was finally coming to an end. Exactly eight months ago, Romanov, one of the members of the Las Vegas Conglomerate had brought a competition to his doorstep. Several companies in New York City were to compete against the Xanders Group of Companies, now known as the Alexander Group of companies. The
After making sure that the Guerreros’ vacated all the properties that belonged to him, it was finally time for Alex to depart for Spain.Camila still refused to see him and despite his insistence, she claimed that she never wanted to see him again. Despite the fact that he’d achieved his goals, his shoulders hung with disappointment and his eyes were downcast as he boarded the private jet that would take him to New York… away from Camila.Ten minutes later, while he was waiting for take off, his phone rang. A quick glance at the caller ID revealed that it was Tony. His detective. “Hello, Tony.”“Hello, sir. I hear you’ll be returning today.”Alex frowned. Only few people knew that information because he wanted to keep his return as under the radar as possible. Few people being him and Tariq.“How did you know that?”“I’m a private Investigstor, sir. How else would I know?”“Have you been watching me?”“For your own safety, yes.”Alex sat up immediately. His interest was piqued.“Wha
Tariq’s words settled around the room like dust on a dark, gloomy night.No one said anything for the next few seconds. The room was as quiet as a graveyard… until Mendez broke the silence.“What’s your evidence that you’re really Alexander’s son? You could just be a scam trying to get money from us.”Tariq tried to argue but Alex hurriedly cut in;“There’s no need to enagage them in a fruitless argument when we can just show them prove.”He lifted a finger and one of his guards, Peter, came forward with a briefcase. He retrieved a few papers from the briefcase and handed them to Alex who in turn gave the papers to Mendez.“In case you’re wondering, that’s the DNA test result. It was conducted by Alexander himself before he passed as evidence that I’m really his biological grandson. If you check the date, that test was conducted almost twenty four years ago. Do you believe me now?”Mendez ran his eyes through the papers, his heartbeat tripling with shock. “It can’t be. It can’t fuck
Suddenly, the television which hung in the conference room came on, displaying footage from the CCTV cameras outside. Everyone turned in its direction and watched in surprise as several tinted, bullet proof cars drove into the premises.“Mr. Alvaro, those cars do not belong to you, do they?”Hugo shook his head. “They don’t. All the cars we came with are already safely parked in the garage. I don’t know who these people are.”Mendez swung into action immediately. He picked up his phone and called the security personnel downstairs.“Seal the building. Nobody comes in and no one goes out. It appears that we have a new set of visitors and I have no idea who they are.”When he was done with the phone call, Mendez put down his phone and forced a smile.“I’m sure everything is perfectly fine. Maybe they missed their way.” He turned to Camila.“Weren’t you about to sign the documents? What are you waiting for?”Camila picked up the pen but once again, they were interrupted by the sounds of
After waiting for another fifteen and staring at the door longingly, Camila finally accepted the fact that Alex just wasn’t going to show up. He’d abandoned her. Her heart was breaking into pieces deep within her chest but she’d already vowed not to shed another tear for a man.She glanced at her Rolex, her eyes widening in shock when she saw how much time had gone.“Shit! It’s already two minutes to ten o’clock?”All her sorrows forgotten, she hurriedly slipped on the shoes she’d abandoned and made her way towards the conference room.Thankfully, when she finally made it, the Alvaro’s hadn’t arrived yet. Mrs. Maria’s lips curled in a frown when she saw her.“Oh, thank God you’re here. Where were you and what were you doing?”Camila lowered her head.“I’m sorry, aunt.”Mrs. Maria gave her narrow-eyed, suspicious look.“What the heck happened to your make-up? Were you crying?”Alarmed, Camila’s head snapped upwards.“Crying? No, of course not.”“Then why is your makeup looking all sm
Alex was standing at the balcony of his new apartment when his phone suddenly rang. He fished it out if his pocket and glanced at the caller ID. Tariq.He pressed the phone against his ear. “Tariq.”“Alex.” He sounded upset. “What is this I hear about speeding up the plan?”“Oh. I guess Alejo called you.”“Start explaining yourself, boy.”“Everything he told you is true. I asked him to invite the Guerreros to sign the documents tomorrow. What’s the use of waiting till next week when we could just get everything done this week?”Tariq sighed.“Don’t you think you’re going too fast? What if Maria or Mendez gets suspicious and decide to investigate?”“There will be no such investigations, Tariq. Calm down. In fact, Maria had been requesting that Alejo fix this meeting since two weeks ago. Calling them right now will not be suspicious at all.”Tariq calmed down a notch. “Okay, then.I hope so. What’s the plan?”Alex was alone in his house, but he lowered his voice cautiously like someone
Alex was speechless. He stared at Camila, momentarily conflicted.“Isn’t this what you wanted?” He asked calmly. “You asked me to stay out of your personal life. You asked me not to pry… and that’s exactly what I’m doing. What’s the problem?”Camila heaved a sigh, leaned back against her seat and shut her eyes for the next few seconds. When she opened them, she looked spent… exhausted.“I miss you.” She whispered. “I miss you so much, David. I really wish I didn’t have to marry Hugo but I have no choice. What should I do? Help me.”More tears slithered down her smooth cheeks and Alex’s self control nearly snapped. He dropped his cleaning supplies and came closer, pausing just beside her table.“If you need my help, you’re gonna have to tell me what’s going on. Everything.”She blinked at him. “Won’t you hug me first? Won’t you comfort me?”Alex nearly leapt forward and wrapped her in his arms but he physically forced himself to stay put.“The fact that I’ve decided to help you doesn’t