Alex staggered against a nearby wall as horrible flashes from the video tormented him.
Melissa…and Derek? How? When? Why?When he finally calmed down long enough to analyse the situation, pure, raw anger burned through his veins. He balled his fingers into fists and took a deep breath.“This cannot be happening.” He muttered to himself, already burning with jealousy.Everyone in New York City knew that he and Melissa were married. Although they’d tried to keep it hush-hush, the news of their marriage had been all over the news because of the high status of Melissa’s family in the city.What was Derek’s excuse for kissing another man’s wife?Enraged, Alex started the journey back to the Baron mansion without pausing to give his decision a thought.Half an hour later, hungry and exhausted, he finally arrived.When he caught his breath, he noticed that the mansion’s grounds seemed to be teeming with people. On a closer inspection, he discovered that they all seemed to be offloading party decorations from a huge truck parked outside.Confused, Alex came closer. No one had informed him that his in-laws would throw a party tonight. As their son-in-law, it was mandatory that Alex attended all their parties with Melissa on his arm.He quickly approached the gatekeeper .“Hey, excuse me. What’s happening, please? Are my in-laws throwing a party?”The gatekeeper, a short, pot bellied man in his late forties took one look at Alex’s tattered appearance and burst into laughter.“What did you call them?” He asked once he finally brought himself under control. “Your in-laws? I’m sorry, young man but just in case you’ve not been informed, it is high time you erased that “in-law” mentality from your brain.You’re a nobody in this family. An absolute nobody.”Alex chose to ignore his hurtful words. Instead, he tried to walk past him.He barely took two steps when the gatekeeper roughly grabbed his arm and pushed him farther away from the premises. He was blazing with rage at that point.“Where the hell do you think you’re going, you sneaky little devil? I’m sorry, but you’re not allowed to go in there.”Alex narrowed his eyes on him.“What the hell is going on here? I have every single right to go inside. This is my house, too. I’m the son-in-law of this family. I belong here!”“Take a look at yourself.” The older man sneered. “Aren’t you even the least bit ashamed to claim you’re a member of such a prestigious family?”Alex glanced at his dirty, shabby clothes. All the allowance the Barons ever gave him was channelled towards his brother’s medical bills. He never bought any new things for himself.He shook his head and stepped forward.“Please, just let me in. I’m not going anywhere until you let me in.”The gatekeeper eyed him angrily and flipped out his walkie-talkie.“Hello, ma’am. The riff-raff whom you asked me to keep out is back here. He’s causing a lot of commotion at the gate.”Alex waited impatiently as the gatekeeper rounded up his conversation and put away his walkie-talkie.“Look, let me give you a piece of advice. Mrs. Baron herself will be coming out that door in the next few minutes. It would be better for you to leave than wait here and face even more embarrassment.”Alex swallowed nervously but stood his ground.Truthfully, a few minutes later, Mrs. Baron herself arrived at the gates.She took one look at Alex’s shabby appearance and her face twisted into a mask of disgust.“What the hell do you think you’re doing here dressed like the cleaner? Get out of here before anyone of importance or a member of the press sees you.”Alex stared at her for a split second. She was all primped up in her most expensive, custom made Balenciaga dress and expensive pearls even adorned her neck.“What’s going on, mother?” He asked suspiciously. “What event are you hosting today?”Mrs. Baron looked away and Alex instantly believed that something was indeed very wrong somewhere.“Is my wife attending this event? Shouldn’t I accompany her?” He asked desperately.Mrs. Baron finally snapped.“Will you stop with these useless questions and just get the hell out of here?”Alex put on his phone, navigated to the video and played it, holding it up for his mother-in-law to watch.The moment Mrs. Baron laid eyes on the video, her face hardened with rage.“What the hell do you think you’re doing, you dimwit? What do you hope to achieve by flaunting that video everywhere?”Alex’s heart sank as realisation dawned on him.“You knew, didn’t you?” He muttered bitterly. “You know that your daughter, my wife, has been cheating on me with my own boss. How long has this been going on?”She folded her arms and lifted her chin.“Alex, let this be the first and last time I will ever say this. You have absolutely no right to come to my home and ask any questions because I do not answer to you. Got it?Now, get the heck out of here before any of my important guests sees you. Don’t let me get security.” She hissed.With that said, she turned on her heel and walked away. Alex watched her go, his guts burning with a strange feeling.Something was wrong. He could feel it.“You heard the boss.” The gatekeeper sneered at him. “Take your wretched self away from this gate and never come back!”***Another half hour later, Alex arrived at the GreenLand Baron Memorial Hospital where his brother was currently being admitted.Exhausted, hungry and completely dejected, he collapsed into a seat in the waiting area, thankful that not many people were around to see him in that deplorable state.He just wanted to catch his breath and clean up a bit before going in to check on his brother.Two seconds after he shut his eyes, he felt a hand on his arm and at the same time, the delicious scent of butter filled doughnuts wafted into his nostrils.His stomach growled loudly and his eyes flew open immediately to meet the most beautiful pair of hazel eyes he’d ever seen.His cheeks colouring with embarrassment, Alex sat up quickly, dislodging her hand from his shoulder.“Dr. Blakely. Hello. What a pleasant…surprise.” He stuttered.Blakely, a twenty three year old neurosurgeon smiled warmly at him. She was one of the doctors in charge of his brother’s ward and one of the few people who bothered to speak to him nicely.“Hello, Alex. Are you okay?”Alex shot to his feet so fast, his brain spun.“Of course. I’m fine. How’s Jayden? Is he okay?”Dr. Blakely joined him on her feet, her smile still firmly in place. “Your brother is doing just fine. Here, I brought this for you.”Alex stared at the sweet-smelling coffee and doughnut she stretched towards him and almost rejected it. Almost.His growling stomach had him stretching to collect her gifts.“Thank you so much, Dr. Blakely. Er… I’ll pay my brother a visit now.”Without waiting for her reply, he spun and zoomed off in the direction of his brother’s ward, his heart pounding wildly for a reason he could not quite understand.When he arrived, Alex paused outside the door and took a deep breath to compose himself and his emotions. Finally, he pushed the door open and stepped into the cold room.The moment his eyes fell on his brother’s small figure on the hospital bed, his heart broke a little bit more.Jayden had endured so much pain from a young age. Sometimes, Alex wished he could take his place.He shook his head and headed to the bathroom to wash his face before going in to meet his brother.He sat beside the sleeping boy and ran a finger through his hair softly. The moment he touched him, Jayden’s eyes flew open.“Alex.” He groaned, smiling tightly. “You’re here.”“Shh. Don’t speak.” Alex chided softly. “Are you in pain?”Jayden lowered his gaze and nodded, his eyes filling with tears.“It hurts, Alex. I feel like my head is on fire.”“I’m sorry, Jay. I’m sorry that I can’t help you.”Jayden patted his hand affectionately.“Don’t say that. You help me every single day. Life would be easier for you if you’d just abandoned me to my fate like our parents did. But you cared for me. Please, don’t be sad.”Looking at his brother’s pitiful blue eyes, he did not have the heart to tell him that the hospital might throw him out soon due to unpaid bills.How could he tell his brother that he didn’t even have the money to buy food for them tomorrow?Alex sighed deeply. Just as he reached for the doughnut which Dr. Blakely had given him earlier, a reporter’s voice from the television on the opposite wall made him freeze.“…and breaking news from the world of business, entertainment and lifestyle. We gathered today that two of New York’s most prominent families, the Hunters and the Barons will soon become one in holy matrimony.News reaching us is that the Baron’s first daughter, Miss Melissa Baron, and the first son and heir to the Hunter family fortune, Derek Hunter got engaged a week ago.Their engagement party is slated to be held tomorrow night at the Baron family mansion…”The reporter’s voice gradually faded into nothingness as Alex stared at the TV, completely horrified.All of a sudden, his chest felt too constricted, making it almost difficult for him to breathe.Melissa not only cheated on him with her boss. They were planning on getting married behind his back!“Alex! Alex, are you okay?”Alex finally snapped out of his daze when his brother tapped him on the arm. Jayden’s brows were furrowed as he stared at his brother worriedly.“Are you okay?”Alex nodded, trying to force a smile.“Yes, sure. I’m absolutely fine.” He lied through his teeth. “I got you something.” He stretched the doughnut towards Jayden whose eyes lit up at the sight of it.“Woah! A doughnut?” The pure happiness in Jayden’s eyes was worth the hunger that was currently biting through Alex’s stomach. He smiled warmly.“Yup. It’s a doughnut. Take it.”Jayden took the doughnut but just as he was about to bite into it, his brother’s stomach growled loudly, immediately dampening the happy moment.Jayden’s face fell and Alex lowered his head in embarrassment.“Alex, have you had something to eat today?”“Yes, of course.” He lied. “Please don’t mind my stomach. I’m probably reacting to something I ate earlier.”“What did you eat?” Jayden deadpanned and Alex was momentarily thr
THAT EVENINGAlex was furious. Throughout the day, he’s pondered over the recent happenings in his life and came to the conclusion that the Baron family had no right to treat him like trash. He was their son-in-law after all. He and Melissa were legally married. At least, if they were going to dispose of him, they owed him a reasonable explanation.He stared at his reflection in the mirror, satisfied with his outfit. Alex had always been a gorgeous man. With bright blue eyes, midnight dark hair and a jawline like an Adonis, he was every woman’s dream man… minus the cash in his bank account.He sported a charcoal suit, pristine white shirt and shiny black shoes which he’d borrowed from a highschool friend. His brain screamed at him not to go on with this plan but his mind was resolute. Tonight, the Barons were going to answer his questions whether they liked it or not.Tonight, he will crash an engagement party.***Melissa and Derek’s engagement party was slated to begin by eight P
The entire hall was silent and tense as Alex stared at the papers in Melissa’s hands.“Melissa, let’s go somewhere and talk about this. You cannot be serious.”Before she could answer, Hunter walked forward, grabbed the paper from her hands and threw them on Alex, the ultimate humiliation. Gasps of surprise swept through the crowd.“Didn’t you hear her the first time?” He growled angrily. “A good-for-nothing bastard like you does not deserve to be married to a princess like Melissa. She deserves someone who can provide for all her needs. She deserves a man she can confidently show her off in public and you obviously do not fit into that description. It would be better for everyone if you just scram and never show your pathetic face here again.”Alex tried hard to control his anger. He swore that he tried. But it didn’t work.Two seconds later, he swung his fist in blind rage, connecting with Derek’s cheek and sending him crashing to the floor.The hall erupted into a flurry of screa
A young man dressed in chauffeurs’ uniform appeared and held open the door to a luxury 2022 Cullinan Rolls Royce.“Please step into your car, young master. We have to leave.”Alex shook his head.“Is this some kind of set up? I don’t believe you. I don’t believe any of you.”“Hold on, young master.” Jack said, pulling out his phone. “I will prove to you that we’re not joking around.”Alex watched curiously as Jack tapped away at his phone. Exactly ten seconds later, something beeped in his pocket.Surprised, he pulled out his phone and stared at the screen.“Wh-what?” He stuttered, unable to believe his eyes. “What is this?”“I just sent you the sum of fifty million dollars, young master.” Jack confirmed without blinking an eye. Alex was stupefied. His fingers were literally trembling at that moment.“Why? Why me?” Jack shrugged.“Because it’s your money, young master. I assure you that this is merely the tip of the iceberg. You’re worth much more than that. Now, please, will you ju
The room went eerily silent as Matthew got ready to speak.“The Conglomerate of Billionaires was founded by a man named Alexander Stephan.” He paused and Alex held his breath, his stomach strangely tightening with anticipation.“Alexander Stephan is your late grandfather, Alex. You’re his first grandson and only heir.”For the next five seconds, Alex froze, not sure he’d heard right.“What did you say?” Matthew nodded.“You heard me, sir. Master Alexander specifically wrote in his will that you should be named after him. You’re his direct descendant.”“How is this even possible? My parents are Mr. and Mrs. Easton. They never talked about my grandfather but I just assumed he was dead.”Matthew slowly got to his feet and paced towards the floor-to-ceiling windows.“I’m sorry, young master, but Mr. and Mrs. Easton are not your parents. Your real parents were kidnapped more than twenty years ago by members of the Italian mafia. They’ve not been found ever since. Ten years ago, the case
Alex was literally vibrating with rage at that moment but he decided to control himself. He tightened his fingers into fists and took a step backwards.“Yes, you’re absolutely right. I was the son-in-law whom the Barons rejected… but not anymore. Like I’ve already told you, I’m the leader of the Conglomerate whom you’re expecting and I’m here to pick a vehicle.”The lady scoffed.“I cannot believe you still have the audacity to stand there and speak to me. Last I checked, you were thrown into jail for assault. Did you steal the money which you used to bail yourself out?”Alex opened his mouth to respond but Jack cut in from the door;“No, he didn’t steal the money. How can the young master steal money that already belongs to him?”The lady and the man both watched, mouth agape with surprise, as Jack walked to Alex’ side and bowed deeply.“I sincerely apologize for this nuisance, young master. Have you been harmed in any way?”Alex shook his head.“What are their names?”“Miss Shantel
The room was thick with silence and regret as it slowly dawned on Shantel, Caleb and Johnson that they’d just disrespected their boss.Johnson was the first to react. He fell at Alex’s feet rather dramatically and tried to hold on to his legs. “I’m so sorry, sir. Please forgive me. I didn’t know you were the boss. Forgive me, sir.”Realising that begging might be the only way out, Shantel joined him. Despite her too-tight skirt, she also managed to land on the floor right beside Johnson.“Yes, sir. We’re sorry. Extremely so. Please don’t fire us. I need this job. Please, sir.”Alex’s lips curved in a smug smile as he looked straight into Caleb’s eyes. Caleb was beginning to grow uncomfortable. His collar suddenly felt too tight and he was visibly squirming.“What are you waiting for, Caleb?” Alex asked, his voice exuding calm authority. “Last I checked, you disrespected me as well. Won’t you join them?”Caleb’s eyes widened with horror.“Surely, you do not expect me to fall at your f
Alex currrently stood before a huge, floor-to-ceiling mirror of a boutique he’d just discovered he owned while Zade faffed around, taking measurements and picking a dozen suits all in different colours. He had to admit, it was a bit exhausting.“What’s with all the fuss, Zade?” He asked tiredly. “I have a bazillion designer suits in my closet. Why can’t I wear any of those?”Zade stared at him like he’d just uttered blasphemy.“I’m sorry, young master, but I believe you just do not understand the importance of this event.”Alex rolled his eyes.“Well, can you explain it to me, please?”Zade suddenly seemed two inches taller. His chest puffed out and his face took on a sheen of seriousness as he spoke.“The Unveiling Ball, although a top secret event, is one of the most important events in the business world. Every businessman who has made a name for himself in New York and beyond will be in attendance. It is an event fit for only the crème-de-La-crème of society. Every member of the
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