Chapter2
1314 Words
Chapter 2
Leo
The moment my eyes fell on the man in the front row, I knew coming here was not a waste of precious time.
He was gorgeous, with a tall frame and a strong, scruffy jaw.
His dark curly hair hung around his shoulders, though it was pulled into a low ponytail.
His eyes were dark brown, almost black, and were filled with confusion and pain.
" This whole sh***t is not worth the effort," I had complained to Elizabeth Lynch, the woman in charge of the PR for Della Rossi skyscrapers earlier today.
"Dalton tells me we will have the votes and support we need when city council votes next week."
"You are quick to forget that Dalton is just a lawyer, nothing more or less," she replied. He doesn't have enough resources around this city, unlike me".
"I've been hearing some rumors that are quite true.
When I confirmed from my sources, some citizens of this city are working against this project and are ready to sabotage it.
"They have TV setups around this town hall meeting," she looked paranoid.
"They are trying to manipulate the situation to make it seem as if we don't care about the masses. You gotta go and defend us."
"Fine".
Who the F***ck do they think they are? I owned a company that could feed them all and their unborn generations.
I never begged for anyone's acceptance, unless I really wanted to construct the Della Rossi building, which I want to etch on the ground I was born. To me, it was more than a mere tower; it was a legacy.
The man in the front row was hot, but hot men were like sand on the beach in my life.
I couldn't find a serious reason why I couldn't take my eyes off him. It felt like there was a magnet between both of us. Although the look on his face wasn't that inviting, he looked at me with hatred, though I loved his soft eyes.
I was completely lost in thoughts when Elizabeth interrupted me. "Leo", shall we get going?" There was a devilish smile plastered over her face which had too much make-up.
I pulled myself out of my train of thoughts. "Sure, let's get to the matter at hand".
I had a strong feeling that Tage Hutch was going to bring trouble to the project and I couldn't afford to be distracted by a pretty face.
The meeting kicked off, and the initial part was boring as hell. The old mayor with who was gray-haired speech almost made me doze off.
But the instant Tage took to the stage, I couldn't help but pay rapt attention.
He had no reason to fight against the project, but we had history, just two of us.
After all our encounters, I knew he wasn't logical about certain matters like that.
From the appearance of things, he had prepared his speech on paper and was ready to feed it to the audience.
With a demonic smirk on his face, he averted his face in my direction. " I know some of you have critical questions about the Della Rossi Blueprint and designs project."
"We are lucky to have Leonardo Ferrari Della Rossi in our presence. He is the sole architect of the project, and he would be willing to address any problems you have."
It didn't feel right the way he said it, like it was an open invitation for the audience to show some resentment.
Tage words weren't a positive endorsement, but I tried to keep an unaffected demure. At the back, Elizabeth looked quite unhappy.
I knew he wanted something, but it was just a matter of time to find out what that was.
F****cking bastard, he had a bunch of councilors that he controlled with the palm of his hand. If he disapproves the contract, so would they.
Things could get messy for us if Tage chooses to step in the way.
At a twinkle of an eye, my boy with long dark brown hair rose to his feet.
He looked around the hallway and said "I have something to say." In a soft angelic manner.
His voice alone made my d**k twitch.
My eyes narrowed when the guy next to him who was wearing some denim jacket and dark washed jeans gave him a pat on his shoulder.
How dare he.
Why the f**ck do I want him away from my hot boy? Who is he?
"My name is Brandon Star Stevenson and I have lived in Hamilton my entire life."
"Growing up as a little boy, I never felt poor, although I didn't have most things normal children were lucky to have. The only thing that made me happy was when I played in the park on the waterfront, so my heart was filled. I never felt like an intruder there."
His voice suddenly turned cold.
"Unluckyly," He continued.
"That memorable park will be a thing of the past once Della Rossi Blueprint sets foot on it. "Our children would no longer have access to it, and they would watch the children of the rich play over their birthrights." He turned around and looked at me with sadness.
"Not only that, Hamilton is becoming a city where the poor are unemployed."
"Think of it, the rise in homelessness is skyrocketing due to this invasion."
"I thereby plead to the city to retrieve our heritage by not signing this contract."
Brandon Star Stevenson was passionate about this whole ordeal. Seems he had not only a hot body but a hot brain as well. It was obvious he spoke from his heart.
The audience burst out into a frenzy of applause when he finished speaking.
Other speakers started rambling complaints about the Della Rossi skyscrapers, but no one had the same force his speech had.
Eventually, the crowd settled down and the man sitting next to Brandon stood up with a tough look scattered all over his face.
"Mr Della Rossi," he said loudly enough to echo the hall.
" Does Della Rossi Blueprint and Designs have anything to offer to the people of this community positivity?"
My anger knew no bounds. This freak thinks he can just stand up and disgrace me. He just stepped into a lion's den.
This whole sh***t called a conference was just an elaborate plan to drag me through the mud.
The worst part was that the freak wasn't screaming at me anymore but was looking straight into the TV.
Tage Hutch must have been aware of this, that sly little c**nt.
Nobody in my f***cking team saw this coming except Elizabeth. She definitely deserves a promotion.
Caleb would have f**cked up this project if I hadn't been here. It was all a bloody trap, but they must get ready to fall into their traps.
I wasn't new to bargaining, I had so many encounters in my life and I didn't lose that much.
Addressing a large crowd was one of the skills I had in my arsenal. The game will be changed.
I rose up to my feet without entertaining the revenge fantasies I had at Tage duplicity.
"Ladies and gentlemen," I said while looking around the entire hall.
"I can guarantee you that I have no intent of taking the lake away from you."
There was no way that was possible even if I wanted to block their access to the park. A city like Hamilton requires that the public must accept whatever laws or projects are to be imposed on them.
"In addition, after listening to all the speakers today, I believe a public park and playground in the initial plan of the project would be the right thing to do."
Seems they were pacified by my extra accommodation.
The people of Hamilton were not only an obstacle.
So was Tage Hutch.
- Writer
