Chapter 2

As Alexander and Dominic exited the boardroom, their banter continued, punctuating the air with a playful energy.

"That was an epic one, Mr. CEO," Dominic remarked sarcastically, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips.

Alexander chuckled, matching Dominic's tone. "You did a nice job as well, Mr. Vice President," he replied, the corners of his mouth quirking upwards in amusement.

As they strolled down the hallway, Dominic nudged Alexander with his elbow, a mischievous glint in his eye. "On a good day like this, you should at least post our new bagged deal on your social media," he suggested, his voice laced with mock seriousness.

Alexander shrugged, considering the suggestion. "The news will be out before twenty-four hours anyways, so what's the point?" he countered, his tone tinged with indifference.

Dominic nodded in agreement, but his persistence remained unwavering. "That's true, but posting on your page doesn't hurt, you know," he reasoned, a playful grin tugging at his lips.

Alexander sighed, a hint of exasperation creeping into his voice. "People will always have something to say and make their assumptions whether I post or not. Besides, I just hate social media generally," he admitted, raising his shoulders in resignation.

"Okay, fine. Can we at least take selfies so I can post on my page?" Dominic pleaded, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Alexander relented, albeit reluctantly. "Just one picture, Dom," he agreed, his tone firm but affectionate.

"Thank you!" Dominic exclaimed, pulling out his phone with eager fingers.

As they posed for the selfie, Alexander couldn't help but smile at Dominic's infectious enthusiasm. "We look so good in our tuxedos," Dominic remarked as they snapped the picture, his satisfaction evident in his voice.

The moment captured, they continued their journey down the hallway, their laughter echoing in the corridors as they reminisced about their latest triumph.

As Alexander basked in the glow of his recent success, his heart swelled with joy. Securing one of the most coveted contracts in the real estate industry was no small feat, and he knew he owed much of his triumph to the support and collaboration of his best friend, Dominic.

"I see you're not that incompetent after all," a voice suddenly interrupted their jubilation. Alexander recognized the voice instantly, and he tensed as he turned to face the source: Victor Blackwell. Victor's presence was a stark reminder of the fierce competition that had surrounded the coveted contract, and Alexander braced himself for whatever barb Victor had come to deliver.

"I see you have a lot of time on your hands that you came all the way here to play around," Alexander retorted, his tone laced with sarcasm as he met Victor's gaze head-on.

Victor's expression remained unreadable as he delivered his message. "My father sends his congratulations," he stated evenly, his words dripping with thinly veiled resentment.

Alexander couldn't help but smirk at Victor's thinly veiled attempt at civility. "I guess the news of my success has made you feel uncomfortable at home since your father has heard about this," he shot back, a hint of satisfaction in his voice as he prodded at Victor's obvious irritation.

Dominic couldn't contain his amusement, and a snicker escaped him as he watched the exchange unfold. "We'll be on our way now, Victor. The CEO and I have a lot to do, you know, with the new contract and everything," he added mockingly, his tone dripping with playful mockery.

With that final jab, Alexander and Dominic turned and walked away, leaving Victor seething in their wake. As they disappeared down the hallway, Victor's anger simmered beneath the surface, fueled by the knowledge that his failure to secure the coveted contract had not gone unnoticed by his father. In that moment, the sting of defeat cut deeper than ever, and Victor vowed to redouble his efforts to surpass Alexander and reclaim his father's favor.

As Dominic and Alexander entered Alexander's office, the air was thick with tension, fueled by their recent encounter with Victor Blackwell.

"That guy never fails to disgrace himself," Dominic muttered under his breath as he settled into a chair.

"Let's forget about him; he'll be fine. Do I have anything else on my schedule?" Alexander asked, sinking into his chair with a sigh.

"I'm not your secretary," Dominic replied, rolling his eyes at the thought of Alexander's newly hired assistant.

"But you know I'm comfortable with only you knowing all my activities for the day. I can't trust a stranger with that," Alexander explained.

"Why do you have a secretary then?" Dominic questioned.

"I'll buy you those latest pairs of Berluti shoes you've been wanting for a while now; just keep doing what you've been doing, Dom," Alexander offered with a grin.

"Bribe accepted," Dominic chuckled, rising to retrieve his iPad. "You are meant to have a blind date with Madison Pierce in two hours," he announced, scanning his tablet.

"The only daughter of Elegance Interiors Enterprises?" Alexander inquired.

"Yes, she is well known for her saucy attitude though," Dominic confirmed.

"Whatever, it's not like I'll be going," Alexander declared.

"Your father wouldn't like the sound of that, and I'll be scolded as well," Dominic reminded him, busying himself with his phone.

"Just tell him I'm in a relationship or something," Alexander suggested nonchalantly.

But Dominic's next words shattered the calm. "Oh my goodness, that's what this blog is actually saying," he exclaimed, his shock evident.

"What are you saying, Dom?" Alexander demanded, panic rising within him.

Dominic turned his phone screen towards Alexander, revealing the damning headline:

 "ALEXANDER STERLING HARRINGTON'S LOW LIFE GIRLFRIEND REVEALED: VIDEO ATTACHED."

Alexander's heart sank as he watched the video, his anger and anxiety rising with each passing second.

"We are yet to make it public due to his social status," the girl in the video claimed.

"Alexander Sterling Harrington!" someone squealed from the background.

"Yes, yes, but please, let's keep this among ourselves," the girl pleaded.

"Is that all?" Alexander asked, turning away from the screen to face Dominic.

"Yes, that's the only video attached. A little backstory about her is also attached," Dominic explained, his voice tinged with concern.

"Okay," Alexander responded, his mind racing with thoughts of how to handle the situation.

"Name is Sophia Bennett, works as a Front Desk Concierge at Elysium Grand Hotel and claimed to be Alexander Sterling Harrington's girlfriend at a high-school reunion held by Crestwood Academy alumni earlier this evening," Dominic read from his screen.

“That's a quite prestigious school for someone who has been tagged as a low life” Dominic added raising his head from the screen 

"The school is known for its numerous scholarship programs" Alexander mused, his anger simmering beneath the surface.

"Find this attention-seeking girl for me, Dom. She needs to pay for this," Alexander declared, his fury evident in his voice.