Chaptertwo
830 Words
The Man in the Black Suit
The white lily rested in his hand as though it had never touched the floor. He turned it once, brushing away the tiny speck of dust clinging to one petal.
"You can still use it," he said.
His voice was calm. The kind that didn't need to be loud to be heard. Elena stared at him for a heartbeat longer than she should have.
"I'm... so sorry.”
“You've apologised twice."
Heat rushed to her cheeks.
"I nearly dropped an arrangement worth more than my car."
A corner of his mouth lifted.
"Then I'm glad I caught part of it."
Before she could respond, another voice cut through the lobby.
“Mr. Moore!"
A woman in a charcoal suit hurried toward them, a tablet tucked beneath one arm.
"The board meeting starts in four minutes."
She stopped when she noticed Elena kneeling on the floor.
"...Sir?"
The man handed Elena the white lily.
“Your flowers."
Then, as though nothing unusual had happened, he straightened his cuffs. His assistant leaned closer.
"They're waiting."
"I know."
He walked away without another word. Elena watched him disappear toward a set of private elevators. Only when the doors closed did she finally look at the receptionist.
Caleb Moore.
She'd seen his face in business magazines more than once. The youngest CEO to ever lead Moore Holdings. People described him as ruthless which is strange because the man she'd just met had stopped to rescue a flower.
The receptionist signed for the arrangement.
"Beautiful work."
"Thank you."
"It's for Mr. Moore's grandfather."
Elena blinked.
"Oh."
"The old man insists on fresh flowers every Tuesday."
Something about that made her smile. Even billionaires had grandparents who loved flowers. She wished her own life were that simple.
By the time she reached the parking lot, rain tapped against the pavement. Three steps later it became a downpour. Within seconds her cardigan clung to her arms and loose strands of hair stuck to her face. She laughed once under her breath.
"Perfect."
Even the weather had terrible timing. The door slammed shut behind her. Everywhere was silent except for rain hammering the roof. Elena gripped the steering wheel until her knuckles turned pale.
For ten glorious seconds she allowed herself not to smile.
Her phone buzzed.
A message from the bank.
Reminder: Outstanding balance due in fourteen days.
She deleted it without opening the full notification.
—
Forty floors above the street, Caleb stood beside the boardroom window.
Rain streaked across the glass.
"You are late."
Arthur Moore didn't bother looking up from the documents spread across the table.
"I know."
"You've never been late."
Caleb removed his suit jacket.
"There was a florist."
Arthur looked up over the rim of his glasses.
"A florist?"
"The flowers fell."
"And naturally the chairman of Moore Holdings had to rescue them."
Caleb didn't answer. Arthur smiled to himself.
Interesting.
The board meeting began.
"The Singapore project exceeded projections.” One of the directors spoke… After the director was done presenting, Caleb says quietly,
“Page seventeen”
The director frowns.
"...Sir?"
"The figures don't match."
Everyone starts flipping pages.
"...we're still reviewing—”
"You presented the report. You should already know.” Not once did Caleb lose focus and not once did he raise his voice. He only asked questions.
By the time the meeting ended, everyone looked exhausted except him.
As the directors filed out, Arthur remained seated.
"So..."
Caleb gathered his papers.
"So?"
"You've managed another successful quarter."
"I know.”
Arthur folded his hands.
"But somehow..." He paused deliberately. "...you're still impossible."
Caleb sighed.
"I assume you didn't stay behind to insult me."
Arthur chuckled.
"No.”
He reached into a leather folder, removed a single document and slid it across the polished table. Caleb glanced down.
Marriage Trust Clause.
His expression didn't change.
“ If you remain unmarried by my seventy-fifth birthday..." Another pause. "...your position as CEO becomes subject to review.”
“You know I won't agree”, Caleb fired.
“Not today.” Arthur stood. "Your grandmother would be disappointed”.
“Is that supposed to change my mind?”
Arthur smiles.
“Eventually”.
The door closed softly behind him.
Caleb remained where he was. His eyes drifted toward the rain-soaked city below.
Without thinking...He remembered the florist. The way she'd looked genuinely devastated over a bent flower. People rarely cared about small things anymore.
His assistant knocked.
"Sir?"
"What is it?"
"You have dinner with the investors at seven."
Caleb looked away from the window.
"For now..." He picked up the marriage clause. "...cancel dinner with the investors.”
Just in, she dropped the flower bouquet on the table. Caleb noticed the tag.
Brooks Florist
Caleb's thumb freezes over t
he printed logo. A memory flashed: A little boy, his grandmother, laughter…
His assistant notices.
"Sir?"
Caleb looks down again.
Very quietly...
"Find out who owns Brooks Florist.”
- Writer
