Secret Romance

Chapter 5: Behind Closed Doors

In the stylish, modern offices of Sterling Enterprises, Alexander sat at his expensive desk, his brow furrowed in focus as he revised the latest financial reports. His right-hand man, Ethan, stood close by, a stack of documents in hand as he waited for his boss' next instructions.

"Have you checked these projections? " He asked, his voice firm and authoritative.

Ethan nodded, his eyes flicking through the pages. "Yes, sir, " he replied. "Everything seems to be in accordance. Our earnings are holding well, and our investments are performing as they should. "

Alexander nodded in satisfaction, with his firm gaze on the worksheet he was revising. "Very good. Keep close tabs on the numbers. I want to know immediately if there are any fluctuations. I don't want any hindrance in the partnership with the Westwood company. "

As Ethan made a note to follow up on the records, a knock came on the office door. "Who is it? " He asked. "It's Emily sir, I brought Mr. Sterling snacks. " She replied. Alexander has an aptitude for always eating snacks whenever he has a workload at his desk.

"Come in. " She opened the door to the office and walked inside in a stylish manner. Holding in her hands was a tray of coffee and pastries. She has an attractive face with long straight blonde hair tied in a knot and a sweet smile that never fails to capture the hearts of her male coworkers.

"Good morning, Sir. Good morning, Mr. Thompson," she greeted the both of them, her voice soft and enticing. Here you go sir, I also brought the updates on your schedule.

Alexander nods his head to her report as he continues on with his work.

"Anything else? " He asked as she seemed to be frozen on her stand. "Nothing else sir, I was wondering if you have any instructions for me. " She replied with a warm smile. "No. " He answered her coldly.

As she set to leave, she took a glimpse at his features, as he kept on working. She couldn't help but daydream what a beautiful life it would be to carry the child of such a charming and handsome man. She always felt that one day she would finally become Mrs Sterling.

Meanwhile, Alexander and Ethan continued their work, not concerned with whatever effect Alexander had on all his female workers.

As they continued their work, a ray of thought flashed through Alexander's mind, as his icy expression suddenly bore a smile which appeared unknowingly. He thought about his encounters with Amelia and how her unique character always gave him a sense of amusement, leaving an impression on him which he couldn't help but admire.

"She's quite the character, isn't she?" Ethan commented, breaking the silence as he caught sight of Alexander's sudden smile.

Alexander's smile faded as he brought back his icy expression and his thoughts back to his present duty. "Indeed, " he replied bluntly, knowing he couldn't hide most of his thoughts from him.

But the thoughts could not pass by easily, because deep down, he knew she was a different kind of lady, unlike any other he had ever met. Her fierce character and bold exterior made him find her amusing, as he had never met a lady who thought she could put up a front against him.

As they continued working, a loud knock came on his door once again. "Mr. Sterling, there's urgent information you need to see sir. It concerns our collaboration with the Westwood company sir. " Emily's voice, filled with urgency, came through the door. "Come in. " He answered with his firm voice.

"Here it is sir. " She gave him the document to see. Ethan came around from where he was to know what the urgency was all about. "Well, what's the matter? " Ethan asked, as he kept on scanning through to find any possible errors. "Well sir, we've already calculated the total expenses to be made in the project, but when I went through for better clarifications, I noticed the numbers were inaccurate to the previous ones. "

Alexander's brow furrowed in anger because he had already caught a wisp of what this meant. Someone in his company was trying to embezzle the company funds through the project, and this could destroy the entire project, because the Westwoods may think he is trying to cheat them off. This was a big taint to his reputation.

"Who was the last person to make the calculations? " He asked in a sinister voice which sent cold chills running through their backs and the atmosphere in the room seemed to have dropped a few temperatures. "I-It's was the head of the finance department sir. " She answered with a shaky voice, as fear overshadowed her.

"Why was the project still in his hands? Was it not your duty to collect it immediately every notable information has been made and documented? Why did you wait until now to make clarifications? Was your duty getting so easy that you felt you could become lazy in your workplace? " He asked her, his voice getting darker as he stared daggers into her eyes, sending cold chills down her spine.

"N-No sir, I've learned from my mistakes. I'll go take care of it right now. " She replied with a voice filled with fear.

As she left the office, Ethan chuckled at the information they had just discovered. "I can't believe someone would have the guts to carry out such a plan. I think it's time we performed some screenings among workers. We wouldn't want such this repeating itself in a more dangerous situation. " He suggested it to Alexander.

Alexander thought about his words, and nodded in agreement. But first, he must handle such a daring person. To serve as a lesson to anyone who wants to think of crossing him. "Take care of it. " He told Ethan, as he took his jacket and strode out of the office.