Chapter 18 – The First Hindrance

“I’m sorry for being late on my first day, Sir.”

The way Leal addressed Axel felt foreign and unusual, but right. Axel is way up her league, and she can’t reach him—not that she was reaching out.

He was about to respond, but his father called him from behind. His father’s gaze was dark and menacing, or was it naturally like that? Alexei Elcort looked more dangerous and lethal than Axel Elcort, and that’s saying a lot because Axel is already ten times deadlier looking than an average man. He sighed and shot her a solemn look before attending to his father.

“He’s surprisingly... obedient,” whispered Leal while looking at his retreating back. Riye, who seemed to have heard what she said, nodded in agreement.

“Nobody could ever disobey Alexei Elcort. That’s a fact,” Riye stated. Out of fear—for no apparent reason— Leal gulped the rising bile in her throat. They stayed silent until the group decided to leave the rooftop. They were split into two batches, with Axel and his father belonging in the first batch along with Leal and Riye. Inside the elevator, Leal couldn’t muster up her courage to even raise her chin. She was just standing in the corner, unmoving and rigid.

They continued talking about a few things Leal did not know, but she’s ninety percent sure they’re about Axel’s pack. Which, to this day, she still doesn’t understand. He’ll tell her soon, right? It was part of the agreement anyway.

“How are things going with the Blood Moon Pack? Have they taken any alarming steps?”

That question piqued her interest. So they’re not on good terms with this Blood Moon Pack?

“They’ve been silent, which is unusual. Their Alpha’s style of attacking isn’t really the silent-but-deadly type. He’s very aggressive, but he’s been silent for quite a while now,” replied Axel. His father nodded slowly, his grip on his cane tightening.

“Perhaps their Alpha is weakened? That won’t be surprising because Alpha Royce of the Blood Moon Pack is just around my age. Maybe we’re too old to be fighting territories.”

A chuckle escaped his lips. It wasn’t the usual chuckle that makes Leal’s heart warm, when it naturally does when she hears an elder's laugh. His’ is unique, like it’s dark and evil when it’s really just his normal laugh. Everything about Alexei is dark, scary, and threatening.

“I’ll let my Epsilons spy on them, Father.”

The word rolled out of his tongue so unnaturally. He never calls him Father. He grew up calling him Alpha, or Sir. But earlier, he just told him to call him casually. The awkward air is still around them, and he’s very agitated, but good thing Leal already arrived, and he’s a bit calm—courtesy of her scent that became his calming pill.

Shortly after they left the elevator, Axel’s gaze fell on the two Epsilons walking in the hallway, with beverages at hand. They were chatting casually, unaware of the group that stopped just to look at them. Alexei, who was the first to spot them, raked his eyes on their uniform. An all black outfit, complete with a bulletproof vest and loaded pistols, with their combat boots’ laces neatly tied and shoved inside the boots. A standard armor of the pack’s spies. What are they doing here? Alexei frowned.

When Axel noticed his father’s confusion, his throat suddenly became dry. He knows he will question him, and he knows when his answer will point Alexei to one person, the one person Axel didn’t want Alexei to fully know yet. He’s still not prepared to introduce Leal to him as something more than just his personal assistant. He can’t afford to hurt Leal this early, fully knowing that his father won’t accept her into the family.

“I didn’t know you moved this fast, son.”

He repeatedly blinked and kept a straight face.

“They’re not here to spy on the Blood Moon Pack, Father. I’m afraid they’re here for different reasons today,” he tried to keep his answer curt.

“What might those be? Is the company facing another problem you haven’t told me?”

“No, Father. It’s a private matter.”

Unluckily, his Zeta also appeared in a public elevator just near the exclusive elevator they used. She was caught stuffing her pistol inside her suit, and as soon as she realized who she was gonna bump into, her face paled.

“C-Chairman...”

Leal scrutinized Margaret’s outfit. She is surprisingly very formal today, she thought. Also, this has been the third time she has seen her. For a war general, she doesn’t look that feisty. Especially now that her horrified expression took all the attention that was supposed to be given to her fabulous makeup and formal attire.

“Margaret.” Axel cleared his throat. “Father, she’s Margaret, my Zeta.”

The crease in Alexei’s forehead deepened. “Your Epsilons and Zeta are here, Axel? Just how important is this private matter, hmm?”

Axel’s eyes faintly faltered, his mind frantically coming up with a believable excuse. In the end, he just sighed. He can’t hide Leal from him forever, and if he’s really determined to win her over, he should get rid of the hindrances first. So, now, he’s decided not to avoid the first hindrance.

“I would like to discuss this with you in private over lunch, Father. For now, let me show you the changes I’ve made in the company.”

The whole group followed them everywhere in the company. It was like a tour for both her and Alexei, since she also didn’t know much. She’s listening very intently to everything Axel says, from introducing every department and its aims this year to the most critical changes he’s made and why he’s done it after he took over. She’s also learnt so many basic yet essential things she’ll need to know. Such as; Axel taking over for only over a decade yet he’s already pulled his company to the top and tripled the company’s profit; Axel expanding the company’s range from national to worldwide, with over 300 branches and all of them climbing up the top at a stable pace; and the company also using Axel himself as ambassador of his company.

His company, WCP Corp., is a merchandising company that is starting to explore manufacturing. They have millions of branches worldwide, reselling products directly to customers. For a very vague reason, Leal somewhat feels proud of his and the company’s achievements. She’s only been here for a day, yet she already feels a connection with the company, feeling the heaviness of the challenges they’ve faced and empathizing with the employees.

When they finished, it was already past lunchtime. Luckily, they’ve made a reservation for five four-seater tables in a known Italian restaurant. Since the whole med team and assistants are coming, they can fit in those tables. They took separate vehicles, with her in the shotgun seat with Axel and Riye, and Alexei in another with his med team and assistant.

The trip didn’t take long, since the restaurant wasn’t that far away from the company. Axel also didn’t speak to her the entire time; he was just staring straight at the road since he was driving. For the whole time, Leal could feel her saliva drying in her mouth. She hasn’t spoken a word ever since she arrived.

Riye, Leal, and Alexei’s assistant were seated in one of the reserved tables, with Axel and his father seated near them. The others were occupying the other tables. Alexei’s assistant didn’t seem friendly at all. She looked very cold, indifferent, and uncaring—much like her boss. So they didn’t bother talking to her because they would just be embarrassed by being ignored. She and Riye would whisper to each other, looking like shy teenagers in a restaurant full of adults.

Axel sighed. He hates to admit it, but he feels like an overly obedient teenager again, with the way this conversation is going. He’s just reluctantly agreeing, with him biting his lip to stifle a complaint.

When his father suddenly changed the topic, Axel had the sudden urge to drink the water because his throat suddenly felt dry.

“Are you planning to assassinate someone, son?”

He shook his head. “No, Father. I would just like to relay my message to a few people.”

His father’s left eyebrow rose. “A massacre, then?”

“I haven’t killed in ages, Father.” The last was when you forced me to, he thought to continue, but held himself back.

“Who are the lucky people?” He queried, chewing on his steak.

“Just a few that I heard were harassing my... mate,” his voice weakened on the last word. His father stopped chewing and placed his fork and knife down.

With a serious face, he asked, “What family is she from?”

Axel knew he would ask that first. He didn’t care for her personality, her profession, or even her appearance.

“She’s a Horryn, Father.”

His brows furrowed as he curiously leaned in. “I’ve never heard of the Horryns, are they a family of old wealth?”

“N-No, she’s an orphan...”

There was a change in his face. “Oh. How did you meet her, then? I’m sure you never climb down to orphanages.”

“We met at a bar.” He could clearly remember the first time he inhaled her scent, deliriously sending him waves of tickling thunderbolts.

“A bar?” He disgustedly repeated, wincing a bit. “Is she not a dignified woman? Is she, perhaps, a stripper? Or a prostitute?”

Contrary to his assumptions, Leal is a very dignified woman. Unconsciously, he shot her a glance at the other table. She’s calm, collected, and rational. She does not deserve the disgust his father’s giving him, but no matter how hard he tries, he can’t utter a single ‘No’.

“I don’t like her, son. Do you want me to find a witch to cut your bond with that woman?”

He carried on, suggesting different ways to tear them away from each other’s fates. His ears are bleeding, but he can’t cover them. He can’t, because he can only do those that his father trained him to do—listen, never oppose. This is his cruel world. His world is created and molded by the controlling Alexei Elcort.

The first hindrance to their relationship is his father, and the second is his inability to oppose whatever he says.