MEETING HIM

Chapter eighteen: Tangled Webs

Alex’s POV

The buzz of his phone pulled Alex out of his thoughts. He had been staring at the same spot on the desk for the last few minutes, his mind occupied with one thought—Natacha. It was impossible to ignore her. Even now, hours after their last meeting, he couldn’t get her out of his head. The encounter had been messy, yet somehow, it had only deepened his obsession.

He had underestimated how much she still affected him. Her absence from his life was a hole he couldn’t fill, a gnawing emptiness that had only intensified since she had walked away. And now, after their brief confrontation, Alex knew that her return was inevitable. It was only a matter of time. The question was, what would he do when that time came?

His phone buzzed again, the screen lighting up with a message from his right-hand man, Derek.

Derek: “We’ve got a problem with the deal. The board isn’t happy. They’re asking questions about your focus.”

Alex cursed under his breath and tossed the phone onto the desk. His mind was already shifting gears. There was a time when such things would have consumed him, when he would have fixed the problem without hesitation. But right now, everything seemed like a distraction from the only thing that mattered: Natacha.

The overwhelming need to regain control over her life, to have her back in his grasp, filled his every waking moment. It gnawed at him in a way that felt too raw, too real. The more he tried to suppress the thoughts, the stronger they became. The more he tried to focus on his business, the more it seemed to slip through his fingers.

In some ways, this felt worse than when she had initially left him. At least then, he had some semblance of control. Now, it was as if the world was slipping out of his reach, and Natacha was at the center of it all.

Sighing, he leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. He had to find a way to handle both his professional obligations and the mess that was his emotions. The two were connected in ways he didn’t yet understand, and if he wasn’t careful, it would ruin him.

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The Meeting

Alex knew he had to act fast. Derek’s message was a clear sign that things were slipping, and he couldn’t afford distractions right now. But there was still one lingering issue that had to be dealt with before anything else: Natacha.

He didn’t know what had gone wrong the last time they met, but he could feel it in the air. The hesitation in her eyes, the way she had distanced herself. She was questioning everything, even him. And that made her unpredictable.

That unpredictability was dangerous.

He couldn’t let her go again. Not now. Not when he had already begun to lose control of everything else.

“I need a plan,” Alex muttered to himself, pushing himself out of the chair and pacing in the small office. His mind was racing, trying to come up with a solution, but his thoughts kept circling back to her.

It was clear that Natacha wasn’t the same person who had walked into his life all those months ago. She had changed—grown stronger, more independent. But in some ways, that only made him more determined to bring her back to him.

The fact that she was pulling away only made him want her more.

He had to fix this, and to do that, he would need leverage. He would need information. The truth was, Alex had always been a man of control, but he had never truly known what it meant to lose control until Natacha had walked out of his life. And now, he had to claw his way back, even if it meant crossing boundaries he’d never dared to cross before.

The phone buzzed again, and this time, Alex picked it up. It was a message from one of his associates, a trusted source within his network.

Associate: “I’ve got intel on Eric. He’s been spending a lot of time with Natacha lately. There’s talk about them becoming serious.”

Alex felt a coldness settle in his chest at the mention of Eric’s name. The man had been a thorn in his side from the very beginning, and now, it seemed as though he was growing closer to Natacha. Closer than Alex was willing to tolerate.

He typed out a quick response, his fingers moving quickly across the keys.

Alex: “Keep an eye on him. I want to know everything.”

As he put the phone down, a dark smile tugged at the corner of his lips. This was the leverage he needed. If he could get under Eric’s skin, if he could make him doubt Natacha’s loyalty, maybe he could push her back into his arms. After all, Alex had always been a master of manipulation.

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The Manipulation

It didn’t take long for Alex to make his move. The next day, he arranged a meeting with Eric under the pretense of discussing business. He knew the man wouldn’t refuse. After all, Alex held far too much power in the corporate world for Eric to turn him down.

When they met in the sleek, modern conference room, Alex could tell that Eric was on edge. There was a tension in the air, a subtle discomfort that only made Alex’s resolve stronger. He was in control, and Eric didn’t even know it.

“Thanks for meeting with me, Eric,” Alex said, his voice smooth, casual. “I know we’ve been on opposite sides of the table in the past, but I think it’s time we start working together.”

Eric nodded, though his eyes betrayed his skepticism. “I’m not sure what you’re after, Alex. You’ve never been one to make nice with anyone, especially not me.”

Alex leaned forward, folding his hands on the table, eyes locking with Eric’s. “Maybe I’ve learned that there are times when it’s better to have someone on your side. And right now, I think it would be beneficial for both of us to get on the same page. For Natacha’s sake.”

Eric’s brows furrowed, confusion flickering across his face. “Natacha? What are you talking about?”

Alex didn’t smile. Instead, he let the silence stretch, allowing the tension between them to grow. “I’m just saying that sometimes, people don’t always see things for what they really are. And sometimes, a little help goes a long way. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt, Eric. I’d hate for something to happen that would make you doubt your place in her life.”

Eric’s expression shifted. The suspicion was now unmistakable. “Are you threatening me?”

Alex didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he simply leaned back in his chair, his gaze never leaving Eric’s. “Let’s just say I’m offering a bit of advice. For your own good.”

Eric didn’t reply right away. He seemed to weigh the options in his head, trying to decipher Alex’s intentions. But Alex knew something that Eric didn’t: the man was already vulnerable. The more Alex played on his insecurities, the more he could manipulate the situation to his advantage.

Finally, Eric broke the silence. “I don’t need your advice. Stay away from Natacha, Alex. She doesn’t want anything to do with you anymore.”

Alex’s smile returned, though it was cold, calculating. “We’ll see about that, won’t we?” he said softly, his tone carrying a dark promise

As Alex watched Eric leave the meeting, he felt a surge of satisfaction. The seed of doubt had been planted, and it would grow. It always did. His method wasn’t always clean, but it was effective. And in the end, that was all that mattered.

But as he sat back in his chair, his thoughts turned once again to Natacha. The plan was set in motion. Now, he just had to wait. And that, more than anything, was the hardest part.

But it wasn’t just business. Alex couldn’t ignore the strange pull he felt toward Natacha, the emotional connection that had begun to take root despite everything. It had never been like this before. Alex had always been in control, always kept his emotions in check. But with Natacha, everything felt different. Every interaction with her was a challenge to his carefully constructed armor.

The power he had once wielded with ease now felt elusive. He knew it was only a matter of time before Natacha would push him away again, and that terrified him. She had always been the one person who could unravel him, who could make him feel things he didn’t want to feel. He had spent years building up walls around his heart, but with her, it felt like everything was crumbling.

There was a growing uncertainty inside him, a fear that he hadn’t been able to shake since their last encounter. It wasn’t just about control anymore—it was about losing her.

And that was a loss Alex couldn’t bear.