LOVE IN BLACK AND WHITE

A Score To Settle

Alexander's POV

“Excuse me, ’” My deep voice resonated, drawing her attention to me. Lucy quickly snapped out of her daze and looked up at me.“Get someone to deliver a cup of coffee to my office as soon as possible” I said sternly.

“Yes, Mr. Black,” Lucy replied with a small nod.

“Thank you,” I replied with a nod. My eyes lingered on her for a moment. Then I turned and worked towards the elevator.

I sat in my spacious office. I had arranged the space to my taste and it exuded an air of elegance and quiet, with rich mahogany furniture and tasteful artwork adorning the walls. This was my comfort zone.

I was dressed in a custom-made tailored suit and as I leaned back in my chair, my fingers fast as I signed and read the documents before me.

My gaze was intense and focused, as I scanned the pages with discerning eyes. No room for mistakes.

Soon I was interrupted by the cleaner who innocently held my cup of coffee, ready to serve her master.

“Sir! Here is your cup of coffee,” she said.

“Thank you! Drop it over there,” I pointed at the table as I dismissed her. She quickly dropped the coffee and left immediately.

No one has ever been able to tolerate my stern behavior. Good riddance to them.

As I watched the maid leave I was reminded of the encounter I had with Leia, a few days ago. One of my one-night stands, who is now my new maid.

Shocking is lightly describing the situation. Crazy is a perfect starter.

How did the chic go from being the face of one of my many one-night stands to my new maid?

When I saw her and immediately recognized her, my first thought was not to give her the job.

But there was something about the way she maintained her cool after she saw the way I had dismissed her and acted like I did not recognize her.

She had this haughty attitude about her that made my dominant side want to cage and possess her feistiness. She was a spitfire, that one.

I could see the many retorts that she wanted to express concerning my rude behavior playing in her eyes, but she politely maintained the facade of being professional.

‘It would be fun taming her.’ I thought snidely then shook my head to change my line of thought as I removed my glasses and rubbed my eyes tiredly.

The thought of having a meeting in 10 minutes suddenly annoyed me.

I hadn’t had enough sleep for days, working till late at night on a contract worth millions of dollars.

I took a sip from coffee as I relaxed but then my phone rang. The call was from my dad.

“Alexander, how are you? It’s always so hard to speak with you these days. Why don’t you take a break and come to Barcelona to spend some time with us? Your mum and I miss you so much,” my dad said.

“Hey, Dad. I'm doing just fine.” I paused so my next words come across as cautious “I'm sorry but I'm overwhelmed with work. One of these weekends, I will come to spend time with you and Mum. I will let you know when I’m less busy because my schedule is really tight these days.”

“Son, I’m proud of how far you’ve gone but if you don’t take that break you really need, you might end up losing your mind.”

Yeah right, says the man who left a multi-million dollar company in my care.

“Thanks, Dad,” I said politely, “I gotta go now. I have a meeting in less than three minutes.”

“Alright son. Take care of yourself.”

My office phone rang. It was from my assistant who informed me of my meeting with my employees.

I sat at the head of the long, polished conference table, my presence commanding their attention. The room seemed to bend to my will, the atmosphere hushed and tensed at my presence.

As the meeting commenced, my piercing gaze scrutinized each participant, leaving no room for complacency. My voice, deep and resonant, carried weight and demanded respect.

“Good morning everyone, I have some incredible news to share. We have a real shot at securing a major contract with a well-known company in the Art world. Let’s put our heads together and figure out the best approach to make it happen.”

I spoke with measured precision, conveying my expectations and setting the tone for the discussion.

The team exchanged eager glances, their faces reflecting a mixture of anticipation and motivation. Each member knew that this moment held the potential to propel their gallery to new heights.

“Our gallery’s strongest selling point lies in our expansive collection. We need to emphasize the diverse range of artworks we offer, highlighting the lasting impact of our carefully curated exhibition.” Sarah suggested.

I nodded, impressed by her insights.

“You’re absolutely right, Sarah,” I affirmed. “

“Our collection is an invaluable asset. We must showcase the expertise of our curators and our gallery reputation for pushing artistic boundaries.”

“Building personal connections will be crucial. Let’s reach out to the decision-makers in the company, inviting them to exclusive viewing and events,” John added.

My eyes gleamed with approval, acknowledging the importance of a personal touch.

“Fantastic idea John,” I praised

I got interrupted by my phone’s vibration. A private number was calling me.

I decided to excuse myself while I told my assistant to jot down what had been said while I was gone to pick up the phone.

I would have ignored the call but I felt it was my younger brother who I haven’t been able to contact for a while. Hoping he was not in another trouble he can’t get out of.

“Hello! Who is this?” I inquired, my voice tinged with annoyance.

“Someone that knows your dirty secret,” came the chilling reply from the other end of the line.

It’s just noon and I am already more annoyed than I have been all week. What could this person possibly know? I have so many secrets. Which one could they know?

“What do you mean?” I said coldly and cooly.

A malicious chuckle echoed through the receiver, “You will know soon enough,” the caller whispered, their words dripping with malice and I ended the call.

There could be many outcomes and many reasons for this call and it has my f**k up brother written all over it.

I have too much on my table to let myself be distracted by this child’s play.

Whoever had a secret to share or a score to settle should come before me and face me if they dare.