Between Two Kings

Chapter 4

Los Angeles looked beautiful that morning.

The sky stretched wide and clear, painted in soft shades of blue as the sun rose lazily over the city. Palm trees lined the streets, swaying gently with the breeze as if nothing in the world could disturb the calm. Cars moved in an orderly rhythm, people walked with purpose,and the city breathed like it always did,alive yet peaceful.From the outside, everything felt perfect.But inside Will's Corporation...was the opposite of peaceful.

"Are you telling me you let him outbid us?"Alex's voice cut sharply through the office, cold and dangerously controlled.

Michael stood stiffly in front of the large desk, his hands clasped tightly behind him. He swallowed hard, trying to steady his voice.

"Sir, Damien moved faster than we anticipated. He acquired the shares before we could intervene—"

"I don't care what he did," Alex snapped, rising slowly from his chair.The room seemed to shrink as he stood,tall and commanding.

At just twenty-six, Alex Wills carried an authority that most men twice his age struggled to command. There was something about him,something in the way he moved, the way he spoke that made people listen... or fear him.

He walked around the desk slowly, each step measured, his gaze locked on Michael.

"I asked you for one thing," he continued, his voice lower now, more dangerous. "One."

Michael felt the pressure instantly. His heart pounded harder, but he kept his head slightly bowed.

"Yes, sir."

"And somehow," Alex went on, stopping right in front of him, "you still managed to disappoint me."His chest was rising and falling heavily,his eyes were already dark with rage;

The silence that followed was heavy.

Michael's throat went dry.

"I'm sorry, sir," he said quickly. "We're already working on a way to recover the shares. I assure you."

"You have until the end of today."

Michael blinked.

"Sir?"

Alex's eyes hardened.

"Get those shares back before the end of today or don't bother coming back."he barked, slamming his hand against the desk.

Michael nodded immediately. "Yes, sir. It will be done."

Alex held his gaze for a second longer, then turned away dismissively.

"Then why are you still standing there?"

That was all the cue Michael needed.

"I'll get on it right away, sir."

He turned quickly and walked out, almost too fast, as if the air in the office had become too heavy to breathe.

The moment the door closed behind him, he let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding.

He walked down the hallway at a steady pace, trying to regain his composure, but the tension from inside the office still lingered. Conversations with Alex Wills were never easy, especially when he was angry.

He had worked with powerful men before, but none like Alex. At just twenty-six, he had transformed Will's Corporation into something far greater than it had ever been. What others spent decades trying to achieve, Alex had done in just six years.

At just twenty-six , he had built something most people could only dream of. What had been handed to him six years ago was nothing compared to what it had become now. Will's Corporation had grown beyond expectations, expanding faster and stronger under Alex's leadership than anyone had predicted.

And he had watched it happen.

He had been there through the long nights, the endless meetings, the decisions that required both risk and precision. He had seen Alex walk into rooms filled with older, more experienced businessmen and leave with complete control of the conversation.

Michael straightened slightly as he continued walking, his earlier fear slowly settling into something else....

Respect.

Because as terrifying as Alex could be, there was no denying what he had accomplished.And no denying the kind of man he was becoming.

His expression tightened a little as he thought about the conversation that had just taken place.

Damien.

Things were only going to get worse.He let out a slow breath,then picked up his pace.

There was no time to dwell on it.If Alex had given an order, then it had to be done.No matter what it takes.

Inside the office

Alex fell back on his seat,his hands gripping the sides firmly;his bluish veins popping out to the surface of his skin. A frustrated breath left him as he leaned back, one hand dragging slowly across his face before settling against his jaw. His fingers tapped once against his lips, his thoughts already spiraling into something darker.

Damien.

His expression hardened instantly.

Even thinking about him was enough to stir something cold in his chest.Damien is his cousin and is three years older than him.Alex had always respected him for his intelligence and the way he carried himself like he was always in control and for most of their lives,they had been inseparable.They grew up side by side, sharing victories, rivalry, and an unspoken understanding that bound them closer than blood ever could.And even with their age difference they were always close—more like brothers than anything else.

Everything changed six years ago.

The day Alex's father died in a plane crash was the day everything shifted. The loss alone was enough to fracture him, but what followed carved an even deeper divide. Wills Corporation,the family's most powerful legacy was handed over to Alex.

Damien never accepted it.

He believed that as the eldest son of the Wills family, the position should have been his. To him, Sky High Corporation was not enough, not when something greater was within his reach. What Alex saw as a responsibility, Damien saw as something taken from him. And what pained him more was watching Wills Corporation grow and expand under Alex, becoming a constant reminder of what he believed should have been his.

The last six years were tough for the Wills family before Damien finally accepted to let go,but that didn't mean that he didn't have eyes for it.He was still looking for the slightest opportunity to get it back,but Alex made sure he saw none.

Alex exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair as he walked back toward his desk.

His phone buzzed.

He picked it up without looking at the caller ID.

"Yes?"

"Alex."

His expression shifted slightly.

"Mum."

His voice softened just a little.

"Are you busy?" she asked gently.

"Not really," he replied, though his tone still carried that natural firmness. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to hear your voice," she said, a small warmth in her tone. "You've been working too hard again, haven't you?"

Alex clenched his jaw with a faint smile on his face

"You know how it is mum."

"I do," she said. "But you still need to take care of yourself, Alex."

"I know mum."he replied faintly.

There was a pause.No one spoke again for some few seconds.

Then she continued, lighter now.

"My birthday is in a week."

Alex leaned back slightly against the desk.

"I haven't forgotten."

"I know you haven't," she chuckled softly. "But I want you there this time. No excuses."

"I'll be there."

"You promise?"

"I promise, Mum."

Then she paused again and her tone shifted into something soft and extra careful

"Alex..."

He was silent,his jaw tightened,the faint smile that was on his face earlier on completely gone.He already knew what she was going to say.she never ceases to remind him about it

"It's been four years son," she continued gently. "You have to move on, dear."

His grip on the phone tightened slightly.

"You can't keep holding on like this," she said. "She's gone... and I know it hurts, but you have to accept it."

The air in the room changed instantly.

Alex's expression hardened not with anger this time, but something quieter,something heavier.For a moment, he didn't respond.

His gaze drifted back to the window, but he wasn't seeing the city anymore.He was somewhere else.His mind drifted back to her.Back to four years ago.

"I'm fine, Mum," he said finally, his voice cold this time.

"You don't sound fine."

"I am."

"Alex—"

"I'll talk to you later."

There was a brief silence on the other end.

"Okay... take care of yourself."she said with a little hint of sadness on her voice.

He ended the call before she could say anything else.The phone slipped from his hand onto the desk.

Silence filled the room again.His jaw clenched slightly and his eyes completely blank devoid of any emotion.

And before he could stop it.....it came back.

The memories,her always cheerful and pretty face,her smile that always melts his heart.The way she used to look at him.

His eyes darkened slightly as he closed them for just a second.

Four years and it still felt like yesterday.His fingers curled slightly against the desk.

Because no matter how much time passed,some things don't fade.They stayed and they hurt more than anything.