Chapter 17 – The Chairman

Even before the first peek of dawn, Axel was already in his dashing three-piece all-black suit and was already checking everything in the company. He had the department heads come in early and check everything in their departments as well, as this sudden visit shocked them to the core. Everyone—and he meant everyone—is scared of the chairman. Not only is he the most intimidating chairman, but he is also the pack’s retired Alpha.

During his time, he was dominant and harsh to everyone. He paved the way for Axel, and when his father became ill, he took over and successfully became the top pack in the state. But that was years ago. Now, Alexei Dimitrov is completely fine and enjoying his quiet domain in his home country, Russia, since he’s out of the pack when Axel took over. After nearly a decade of no visit, and him taking his therapies, the infamous Alexei is back. And the whole pack is in chaos, it’s years of tranquility shattered.

“Where is she?” Axel whispered to himself as he looked down at his watch, and it’s nearing 8 A.M., but still no sign of Leal. He told her to come today, right? Does she usually come to work this late? She should display punctuality, especially on her first day.

He didn’t actually mean that. He’s just anxious that Leal and his father will meet in the most unlikely of times, and his father would immediately dislike her. The thing about the great Alexei Elcort is that he is very hard to please; even if one manages to please him, one mistake is all it takes for him to go back to zero with him again. And there’s also another reason tugging at the back of his mind, but it’s the most unfavorable circumstance, so he wouldn’t like to ponder it because it’s just giving him more headaches.

“Boss!”

He looked over to see Margaret, his Zeta, with the Epsilons. Margaret was wearing a formal suit this time, while the Epsilons were in their usual spy armor. He almost forgot that he summoned them today. He’s starting to grow frustrated over the piling problems. Why did he schedule everything to happen today again?

When they neared, he nodded to them in acknowledgement. “You’ve heard the news, right?”

They simultaneously nodded.

“Our meeting will be delayed. You can stay in the conference room on the 43rd floor in the meantime. I’ll meet you there.” He quickly dismissed the team when he saw that it was only ten minutes before 8.

Sighing to himself, he looked over to the morning sun before going inside the elevator and pushing the button to the rooftop. He wore his signature shades and raked a hand on his hair before leaving the lift. He just hopes the past Axel, who’s too obedient to him, won’t return. Especially with his mate being in the same building as his father. He can’t afford to bite his tongue when he spouts insults and looks down at her, which is most likely to happen as Alexei is a millionaire and only associates himself with other millionaires. He’s a high elite like that.

“Good, you’re just in time.” Tyrone greets as soon as he joined them near the helipad. There weren’t a lot of them on the rooftop. Just him, Riye, Tyrone, Ryker, and Uncle Trivon, his father’s cousin.

Riye walked near him, holding an iPad. “Sir, I have just been informed that the jet passed by Queens' air traffic surveillance. The jet will land here shortly.”

Leal was heaving when she stopped in front of the company. She woke up late, again! And it was for the same reason, because of him! She unconsciously stayed awake all night because she couldn’t stop thinking of Axel and his motive. He’s confusing her!

And that’s why she can freely blame him for her being late on her first day. When Izzy asked her where she was going earlier—and she honestly told her where—Izzy gave her the malicious grin! That was adding fuel to her pressure, of what she and he were. They’re just... He’s just... bothering her! All of a sudden! Technically, it’s she who came to him first, but that’s not important! He could’ve just dismissed her right then and there, but he played with her and even visited her in her job, which resulted in her being attacked by other women.

When the same guard saw her at the entrance, his eyes widened and he immediately grabbed the telephone, ringing someone while staring right at her.

“H-Hi...” She awkwardly waved at him. The guard ignored her and continued speaking to the person on the call with rather trembling lips.

Why does he look so agitated today? Wondered Leal. She didn’t come in that late.

After a few moments, the guard silently placed his telephone back down and motioned for her to follow him. They entered the company, with Leal looking around again. Why does it feel so different today? Everything feels so clean, organized, and quiet. It feels eerie. There weren’t many employees walking around, unlike the other days she visited, and none had smiles on their faces.

Nevertheless, Leal kept her mouth shut and decided to keep her questions to herself. The guard doesn’t really seem friendly. He looks rather tense—actually, everyone does. What is happening?

When she entered the lift, her brows furrowed in confusion when the guard didn’t move an inch from outside.

“A-Aren’t you going?” She hesitantly asked.

He shook his head. “Press the last button, Ma’am. I’m not allowed to go there.”

Panic rose like bile in her throat when the elevator doors started closing. Reluctantly, she pressed the last button like he said and took a deep breath. Where is that last button off to? The basement? No, they’ve been to the basement before, and it was the second to the last button.

Perhaps, a private chamber? That would make sense. The guard isn’t allowed there, but since she’s his private assistant, she would be allowed there. After a few moments, she grew impatient when the lift kept elevating. Are the private chambers that high up?

She nervously glanced at her wristwatch and saw that it was only ten minutes after 8. She isn’t that late. But it’s still not acceptable for her usual routine of going to work, though. It seems like the aura of the building is also radiating off of her, because now she also feels anxious for some reason. Maybe it’s the first-day agitation?

When the elevator finally stopped on the floor, she eagerly stepped out, plastering a wide smile for a good impression. But that smile was immediately wiped off her face when she locked eyes with everyone on the floor.

Her breath hitched, experiencing intense embarrassment and intimidation from the people on the floor.

“I-I’m sorry, I must be on the w-wrong floor...”

The alibi faded out when she saw her purpose, on one part of the rooftop, talking to another one who looked like the spitting image of him, but older. The older Axel glanced at her but quickly returned his gaze to the younger Axel. It was easy to distinguish which was the older and younger because the older had a cane, whereas the younger did not.

“Leal! Oh my gosh,” Riye exclaimed before rushing over to her and giving the onlookers an uneasy smile. “She’s with me, sorry.”

“Oh, hi...”

Dazed, she accepted Riye’s hand, which led her to a corner of the wide rooftop. Her eyes fell to the large jet lounging on one part, with the two identical people stuck in a serious conversation near it.

“Leal, what an entrance!”

Her head snapped back to Riye when she heard her voice. She had a warm smile while one of her hands held a big iPad.

“I’m sorry, I should just go. I should’ve just waited for him somewhere else,” she muttered softly.

“No, it’s okay! The Boss was waiting for you here. I’m Riye, by the way,” she introduced herself, holding out a hand. Leal gratefully accepted, shaking hands with hers.

“I’m Leal Horryn. Nice to meet you, Riye, and thank you for saving me back there.”

“No worries! We’ll be working next to each other for the next few weeks, and I hope we work well with each other.”

Leal smiled, grateful for another kind workmate. The last time she had one, it was Ellie. Oh, she misses Ellie. “I hope so, too. So, uh, do you know the people here?”

“Yes, actually. They’re all from the company. See that one with blonde hair?” She pointed to a tall man with blonde locks. “He’s Tyrone, the company’s COO and the pack’s Beta.”

“That one,” Then she pointed to another male with unruly black hair and a light stubble on his sharp jaw. He was smiling, which displayed his deep set of dimples. “That one’s Ryker, the President of the company and the pack’s Delta.”

A letter ‘o’ formed on her mouth when she realized that those two who had knowing looks on their faces earlier were probably Axel’s closest friends.

“And the man talking to the Boss is his father, Alexei Elcort. The Chairman. The Big Boss—like, literally.”

He wasn’t taller than Axel, but definitely bigger than him. Despite his obvious old age, he still had a big frame, which led her to think that he was a very masculine werewolf at the peak of his life. There were evident wrinkles on his face, and his skin looked faded compared to Axel’s tan and shining skin. Nevertheless, he was still handsome at his age. Alexei Elcort must’ve swept every woman he came across off their feet when he was young.

The other people Riye introduced were just either guards of the two men or Alexei Elcort’s med team—yesditch team. A millionaire needs a whole med team to look over him and follow him everywhere. His personal assistant wasn’t even included in that team.

When the two men finished their talk, everyone gathered around them for no apparent reason. Riye neared Axel, and having nobody else to go with, Leal followed. Axel’s eyes immediately fell on her.

“You’re here,” he quietly murmured. “I thought you’d never come and ditched me.”