Chapter 20
1878 Words
His Aura
Third Person Pov:
After a few days, Alex returned to the company.
That morning, a meeting had been scheduled regarding the selection of materials for the 'Maldives project'. As Ananya stepped out of her cabin with a folder in hand, she noticed "Mrs. Charles" standing near the corridor, her face pale and worried.
Ana stopped immediately and walked toward her.
“Mrs. Charles, what happened? Why do you look so worried?” she asked gently.
Mrs. Charles swallowed hard, struggling to hold back her tears.
“Ananya, I need to leave immediately. My husband met with an accident,” she said, her voice trembling. “But there’s an important meeting today… I don’t know what to do.”
“Please take leave,” Ana said without a second thought. “Your family comes first.”
“But Mr. King isn’t here yet,” Mrs. Charles replied anxiously. “Who will handle everything?”
Ana placed a reassuring hand on her arm.
“You go. I’ll take care of it.”
Mrs. Charles looked at her with gratitude.
“Thank you, Ana. I’ll quickly explain everything.”
In the next five minutes, she briefed Ana about the meeting agenda, documents, and reports. Once she was done, she hurried out of the office.
Ana took a deep breath.
'I can do this,' she told herself.
She walked back to her cabin and began preparing for the meeting with complete focus.
The meeting was scheduled to begin in fifteen minutes.
Ana collected the necessary files and stepped out, mentally reviewing every detail. Just then, Alex entered the office. He went straight to his cabin, only to find it empty.
Frowning, he pressed the bell to call his PA.
Hearing the sound, Ana instinctively walked toward his cabin and knocked.
Alex was already in a bad mood. He had arrived an hour earlier after a tiring journey, barely had time to freshen up, and was already stressed about the meeting. Despite the exhaustion, his presence was still commanding—sharp, intense, effortlessly handsome.
“Come in,” Alex said without lifting his head.
Still focused on the files in front of him, he added, “Bring my coffee, Mrs. Charles.”
Then, without pause, “Did you arrange the meeting room? Are the files ready?”
“Mr. King,” Ana called softly.
For the past few days, Alex had been missing her more than he cared to admit. Sometimes he imagined hearing her voice, felt her presence even when she wasn’t around. Assuming it was his mind playing tricks on him again, he didn’t look up.
“What?” he asked impatiently.
“How would you like your coffee?” Ana asked calmly.
That voice.
Alex’s frustration peaked. Without realizing it was really her, he snapped, his voice sharp,
“What, Mrs. Charles? I’m away for a few days and you forget how to make coffee?”
Ana froze.
She had walked into the cabin after days of not seeing him, her heart unexpectedly light, a small smile forming on her lips the moment she saw him. She didn’t understand why—only that seeing him again felt… comforting.
But his sudden outburst shattered that moment.
Ana had seen Alex angry before, but never like this. The harshness in his tone startled her, and she instinctively stepped back.
When there was no reply, Alex finally lifted his head.
And froze.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, clearly puzzled.
Realization dawned on him instantly, and his expression softened. He took a breath, regaining his composure.
“Where is Mrs. Charles?” he asked more calmly.
Ana gathered herself.
“Her husband met with an accident. She had to leave urgently. You weren’t here, and the meeting is important, so I told her I would handle it.”
Alex nodded.
“Alright. Make sure you’ve collected all the details and reports from her.”
“Yes, Mr. King,” Ana replied, her voice professional but tense. “The meeting hall is arranged. We can leave in ten minutes.”
Ana rarely felt nervous at work. But standing in front of him like this—after everything—made her uneasy. If anything went wrong under her supervision, she knew she would be held responsible.
“Okay,” Alex said. “You can go now.”
She hesitated.
“Sir… your coffee,” she asked softly, almost in a whisper.
A few minutes ago, he had wanted it. But now, just seeing her had eased something inside him, a quiet relief settling in his chest.
“No need,” he said. “We’re heading to the meeting anyway. Be ready.”
Ana nodded and left the cabin without looking back.
Alex watched the door close, a strange mix of emotions stirring inside him—happiness at seeing her, and guilt for raising his voice.
'What are you doing?' his mind warned him.
'You decided to avoid her. Don’t forget your aim.'
He leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes for a brief moment, trying to silence the storm she had unknowingly stirred within him.
At the meeting, Alex sat at the head of the table, while Ananya took the seat to his right. The other company officials gradually settled into their places. All of them were unfamiliar faces to Ananya. She had never attended such high-level official meetings before.
As the meeting began, one by one, company representatives stood up to present their proposals. The atmosphere in the room was tense. Absolute silence ruled the hall, broken only by the voice of the person speaking. Every presenter was visibly nervous—sweat beading on their foreheads, hands trembling slightly as they flipped through their files. The same tension echoed through each presentation. Four companies presented their proposals for supplying materials for the Maldives project.
Alex was always like this during meetings—cold, focused, and intimidating. He observed every detail with sharp attention, questioning quality, comparing prices, and mentally matching each proposal against the others. Nothing escaped his notice.
Ananya listened just as carefully. Based on quality and pricing, one particular company stood out to her. She mentally finalized her choice but hesitated to speak. Before she could gather the courage, Alex announced his decision, selecting the very same company she had chosen. With that, he concluded the meeting.
As Ananya was about to leave, a woman around her age approached her.
“Excuse me,” the woman said politely. “Where is Mrs. Charles?”
“She’s on leave today,” Ananya replied. “So I attended the meeting on her behalf.”
“Oh, I see.” The woman smiled. “By the way, I’m Angel, the representative of the selected company.”
“I’m Ms. Ananya Khanna,” Ananya introduced herself. “I’m temporarily assisting Mr. King.”
“Congratulations,” Ananya said warmly. “We’ll be collaborating with you for this project.”
“Thank you,” Angel replied, her excitement evident. “We’ve been waiting a long time for the opportunity to work with him.”
They spoke for a while before Ananya hesitated and asked, “May I ask you something?”
“Of course,” Angel replied.
“Why was everyone so tense during the meeting?” Ananya asked honestly. “Even the most confident people I know seemed nervous.”
Angel laughed softly. “You must be new here. Mr. Alexander Black King is more powerful than most leaders in our country. High-level officials follow his decisions. He may not hold a political position, but his influence controls those who do. In short—leaders control us, but Mr. King controls them.”
She paused before continuing, “He has an aura—cold, dominant, overwhelming. Who wouldn’t be nervous in front of him?”
Angel leaned closer, lowering her voice. “He’s arrogant, ruthless, and known to be heartless. Yet every woman in the world dreams of him. He rarely speaks, never greets anyone properly, and doesn’t bother with ‘sorry’ or ‘thank you.’”
Ananya only nodded.
“What happens if someone goes against him?” Ananya asked.
Angel scoffed lightly. “Who would dare? Men want to work with him. Women want to please him. No one rejects Alexander Black King. Even standing beside him for a few minutes feels like a privilege—no matter the consequences.”
With a dreamy smile, Angel checked her watch. “I have to leave now. Bye, Ananya.”
As Angel walked away, Ananya stood there, lost in thought.
'There’s no surprise he feels so superior, 'she thought, remembering their first meeting and his proud warning.
Her heart whispered, 'Ananya, be careful. You heard how powerful he is. Don’t provoke him again.'
Her mind immediately retorted, 'Who is he to control me? I don’t care how powerful he is. I’ll remain the way I am.'
“Enough,” she muttered to herself and returned to her cabin, immersing herself in work.
---
On the other side, Alex tried his best to remain calm. He avoided Ananya, yet during the meeting, his eyes unconsciously followed her. He noticed the way other men looked at her—something she remained blissfully unaware of.
All companies had similar proposals, but Alex chose that particular one for a reason. The representatives would be interacting with Ananya regularly for materials, and he didn’t trust the others. Protecting her—whether he admitted it or not—guided his decision.
Ironically, Ananya had selected the same company for purely professional reasons: better quality at a reasonable price.
---
That evening, Ananya returned to her flat around 10:00 PM. As she knocked, the door opened—and Alex stood there.
She froze. “Why are you here?” she asked, startled.
Alex stepped closer, bending slightly. His lips brushed near her ear as he whispered, “For you.”
Before she could react, he straightened and stepped back.
A sharp current rushed through her body. Her ears burned red, and her cheeks flushed.
“Ana! You’re back!” Jen exclaimed, rushing forward to hug her.
“Why are you so late?” Fin asked.
“Work,” Ananya replied quickly. “Why is everyone here?”
“We’re all here,” Nick said teasingly. “By the way, why is your face so red?”
“Dust went into my eyes,” Ananya lied.
Alex smirked. Nick noticed—and Ananya caught that smirk from the corner of her eye.
'He’s flirting again,'she thought, annoyed.
“Is there something special today?” Ananya asked.
“Yes,” Jen said excitedly. “Our parents fixed our’s engagement.”
“Oh! Congratulations!” Ananya exclaimed. “I’m really happy for you both.”
“It’s this weekend,” Nick added. “We’re all here to congratulate them.”
“We’ll celebrate after the engagement,” Zack suggested.
David nodded. “Only three days left. We still have work.”
One by one, they left. Soon only Alex and Nick remained.
Nick smirked. “Shall we leave, or do you still have some work here?”
“I’m coming,” Alex said calmly.
As he turned to leave, he glanced at Ananya one last time—then walked out.
- Writer
