Chapter 2
988 Words
CHAPTER TWO
HIS POV
I hated traveling without a purpose.
Every minute of my day had a reason.
Meetings.
Negotiations.
Investments.
Countries.
People.
Power.
There was always something demanding my attention.
So when my private jet landed in Aurelia, I already knew exactly how long I intended to stay.
Forty-eight hours.
No more.
Aurelia was one of the countries under the influence of my family's empire. My companies had investments there, several major properties, and thousands of employees.
I had come to inspect a few of them personally.
People often wondered why I traveled when I had executives capable of handling everything.
They didn't understand me.
I didn't trust people enough to leave important things entirely in their hands.
If my name was attached to something, I wanted to see it myself.
My assistant walked beside me as we entered the private terminal.
“Your first meeting is in forty minutes.”
“Move it to thirty.”
He glanced at his tablet.
“You have another meeting immediately after.”
“Then cancel lunch.”
“You haven't eaten since this morning.”
I stopped walking.
He stopped too.
“Did I ask whether I've eaten?”
“No, sir.”
“Then don't concern yourself with it.”
“Yes, sir.”
I continued walking.
People stepped aside as I passed.
They always did.
Some lowered their heads.
Others pretended not to stare.
I was used to it.
My reputation had reached places I hadn't.
Some called me ruthless.
Others called me arrogant.
There were people who called me a tyrant.
I never corrected them.
Fear was useful.
Respect could be manipulated.
Fear was harder to fake.
By afternoon, I had finished most of my meetings.
I should have returned to the hotel.
Instead, my security team suggested a business event happening nearby.
I almost refused.
Then I heard that several young entrepreneurs were presenting their companies.
That changed my mind.
I wanted to see what the next generation was building.
The hall was crowded when I arrived.
Executives immediately surrounded me.
I ignored most of them.
My attention was on the stage.
One speaker.
Another.
Another.
Most of them were predictable.
Too much confidence.
Too little substance.
Then she walked onto the stage.
I looked up.
And forgot what the person beside me was saying.
She wasn't dressed to impress anyone.
Simple.
Elegant.
Controlled.
She carried herself differently from the others.
She wasn't trying to convince the room that she belonged there.
She behaved as though she already knew she did.
Interesting.
I watched her begin her presentation.
Her voice wasn't loud.
But everyone became quiet.
She spoke about her business with a level of confidence that made me pay attention.
She knew her numbers.
She knew her market.
She knew exactly what she wanted.
And when one of the older businessmen challenged one of her projections, she didn't panic.
She looked directly at him.
“I understand your concern,” she said calmly. “But I think you're looking at the current market instead of where it's going.”
A few people laughed.
The man frowned.
She continued.
Then she explained her reasoning.
I watched the man's expression change.
She had proved her point.
Without raising her voice.
Without insulting him.
Without asking anyone to take her seriously.
She simply knew what she was talking about.
My assistant leaned toward me.
“Do you know her?”
“No.”
He looked at her again.
“She seems impressive.”
I said nothing.
I was still watching her.
There was something about her.
Not her appearance, although she was beautiful.
It was the way she seemed completely comfortable standing alone.
She wasn't looking around for approval.
She wasn't flirting with investors.
She wasn't trying to catch the attention of wealthy men in the room.
She was there for one reason.
Her business.
When her presentation ended, people applauded.
She smiled politely, thanked them and walked off the stage.
That should have been the end of it.
I should have forgotten her before I left the building.
Instead, I found myself looking for her.
I didn't approach her.
I didn't ask anyone to bring her to me.
I simply watched from a distance as she spoke to another entrepreneur.
She laughed.
It was the first time I noticed that her cold expression wasn't permanent.
She could be warm.
She just chose carefully who got to see it.
“Sir.”
I looked at my assistant.
“We need to leave.”
I glanced toward her one last time.
She was still talking.
She didn't know I was watching.
For some reason, that bothered me.
I turned away.
“Let's go.”
On the drive back to the hotel, I stared through the window.
The city lights passed silently.
I should have been thinking about tomorrow's meetings.
Instead, I was thinking about a woman whose name I didn't even know.
It irritated me.
I didn't get distracted.
Not by women.
Not by anyone.
My life had no room for unnecessary attachments.
By the time I reached the hotel, I had convinced myself that I had already forgotten her.
I was wrong.
That night, I couldn't sleep.
I stood by the enormous windows of my hotel suite, looking down at the city.
My phone was in my hand.
One search could tell me everything about her.
Her name.
Her company.
Her family.
Her address.
Everything.
I had enough power to find her within minutes.
My thumb hovered over the screen.
Then I locked the phone.
No.
I wasn't going to do that.
Whatever had caught my attention would pass.
It had to.
I had more important things to deal with.
I turned away from the window.
“Forget her.”
I said the words aloud.
Three years later, I would realize how useless that command had been.
Because I never forgot her.
Not even for a day.
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