The Merger deal
1228 Words
CHAPTER 4 THE MERGER DEAL
The Next Morning – Alex’s POV
Alex didn’t believe in alarms. He never needed one. His internal clock had been trained since he was sixteen — wake before dawn, work before breath.
He sat on the edge of his king-sized bed, the city skyline stretching beyond the glass windows behind him. The early morning was a wash of silver and grey, streaks of light cutting across his sleek, modern apartment.
He rubbed the back of his neck, his jaw clenched. Today was the day.
The meeting.
If all went well, the deal he had been working on for nearly a year would finally close. A merger that would triple his company’s reach across Europe and Africa — high stakes, massive reward. But there was one problem. One condition.
A condition that made his blood boil.
“You’ll need to be married,” his grandfather had said flatly the day before, seated across from him in the old family study, where portraits of stern Multimon men watched from the walls.
Alex had nearly laughed. “Excuse me?”
“It’s tradition,” his father had added, adjusting his cufflinks. “Their board wants stability. A family man. Not someone they think could pull out at the last second.”
“I’m not about to parade some actress in front of investors.”
“We’re not asking you to fake it,” his grandfather said, voice steel. “We’re asking you to find a solution. You have forty-eight hours.”
Now, Alex stood in front of his closet, eyes scanning rows of crisp tailored suits. He didn’t have time for nonsense — especially not emotional distractions. Marriage wasn’t on his radar, not even close. Business first, always. Feelings only slow you down.
But the merger was too important. He needed to act fast.
He shrugged on a charcoal suit and stepped into his shoes. His driver would be waiting downstairs.
As he headed for the elevator, a name brushed the edge of his thoughts.
That girl.
From the boutique.
Simple. Quiet. Unimpressed by him.
Interesting.
But he shook the thought off before it could settle.
There were deals to close.
Alex fastened the final button of his shirt, his movements sharp and automatic. The sunlight filtered through the tall windows of his penthouse, casting faint gold streaks across the polished floor. Morning meetings lined his schedule, the most important being the final discussion on the merger deal — the one everyone in the company was holding their breath over.
He should have been focused. But his thoughts drifted.
Her name was Samantha Hart.
He hadn’t meant to ask, but the words had slipped out before he could stop them. And she had answered — not shyly, not nervously — just plainly. No stammering, no over-explaining, just… Samantha.
Simple. Unexpected.
There had been something different about her — not just her eyes, or the way she moved, but the calm steadiness she carried, like she wasn’t trying to impress anyone. Not even him.
He reached for his blazer but paused at the mirror, his brow furrowed slightly. He didn’t do this — dwelling on brief encounters, letting a name echo in his head longer than necessary. But somehow, it lingered.
“Mr. Multimon,” Marcus called from outside, “the car is waiting.”
Alex picked up his watch and slid it on. “Coming,” he said, his voice cool and even.
The elevator ride down was silent, just as he liked it. His team would already be waiting at the office, running through last-minute adjustments to the proposal. There was no room for hesitation today.
And yet, as the glass doors slid open and he stepped into the backseat of the black sedan, her voice came back to him. Not the words. Just the calm, steady tone.
“Samantha Hart,” he murmured under his breath, as the car pulled away from the curb.
He didn’t smile. But for the first time in a long while, he wasn’t entirely thinking about business.
---
Down the street from the hum of office towers and polished glass buildings, the world moved at a gentler pace.
Samantha tied her apron around her waist, tucking in the last corner as she stepped into the kitchen. The smell of frying eggs and warm bread lingered in the air, along with the soothing clatter of mugs and plates being set.
Aunt Carrie moved swiftly from counter to table, filling Kade’s cup with milk while humming softly. Uncle Mark sat at the edge of the table, reading the newspaper with his glasses halfway down his nose.
“Morning, sunshine,” Aunt Carrie said, glancing up at Samantha with a wink. “You look lighter today.”
Sam shrugged with a small smile. “I guess I slept okay.”
“Mmhmm.” Carrie folded her arms, studying her niece. “Still thinking about that young man from yesterday?”
“I’m not thinking about him,” Sam replied quickly, reaching for the kettle. “He just... surprised me, that’s all. I’ve never met anyone quite like him.”
“Didn’t even smile,” Kade chimed in with a grin. “He looked like he’d never laughed in his life.”
“He wasn’t rude,” Samantha said, pouring water into her cup. “Just... reserved. But polite.”
Uncle Mark looked up from his paper. “Those are the ones who surprise you the most.”
Carrie gave a gentle laugh. “And he asked for your name, didn’t he?”
Samantha nodded, unsure why that small detail had stayed with her. “Yes. He did.”
“Well,” Carrie said with a shrug, “maybe he’ll be back. Or maybe he won’t. Either way, life goes on.”
Sam looked out the kitchen window at the slow rise of the morning sun. She wasn’t expecting him to return. She wasn’t even sure she wanted him to. But somehow, her thoughts wandered back to his eyes — not cold, just watchful. Quiet.
She turned back to her tea. “Time to open the shop,” she said, her voice light, but her chest humming with something she didn’t want to name.
---
Back across the city, in the top floor of Multimon Enterprises, Alex sat in silence.
The voices around him were discussing final merger terms, but he was only half-listening.
His fingers drummed lightly on the table. His eyes flicked to the corner of the screen where her name was typed into a quiet side document — just below a note from Marcus:
“Samantha Hart – confirmed boutique assistant.”
The meeting was wrapping up. The final numbers were on point. The advisors were pleased. Everyone expected him to stand, shake hands, and move on to the next phase.
Instead, Alex closed the file and stood without a word.
Marcus raised an eyebrow but followed quickly.
“Have the driver bring the car around,” Alex said.
“To the next client office?” Marcus asked.
Alex’s jaw flexed. “No. I have a different stop in mind.”
He didn’t explain further.
But in his mind, he could already see the small boutique. The quiet shop. Her steady eyes.
This time, he wasn’t going in because of a coffee stain.
This time, he was going for her.
- Writer
