Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

ALEX POV

The sun sets outside while I sit still at my desk working. The office is quiet since everyone must have gone home hours ago,tired too.

The stock closed at eighty four, down eight percent in one day.

I have gone over the numbers more than ten times today, weighing every suggestion and still, nothing feels right.

My mind drifts back to yesterday’s interview. Every word had been carefully crafted by the PR team. They protected the company, but they still feel off and I can’t shake this feeling off.

A knock at the door makes jolt be back.

My mother stands in the doorway dolled up in a blue designer button down gown,purse over one arm and a paper bag dangling from the other hand.

“How did you even find your way up here?” I ask, a little taken aback. Mom has never been great with directions.I half expected her to get lost before she made it this far.

"The security man helps me." She walks in and sets the bag on my desk. "Chicken soup that you like so much."

"I'm not hungry."

"You are never hungry when stressed." She sits in the chair Stephen occupied hours ago. "But you need to eat anyway."

I lean back and run a hand over my face."What are you doing here?"I asked

"Your father and I saw the news and we are worried" She pauses.

"I'm handling it mom."

"Are you?" She glances around my office and the empty coffee cups on my desk. "Because it looks like you're drowning." She drawled

"I'm managing." I reached for the cups and throw them in the trash bin."Drowning is a strong word mom.”

She reaches across the desk,opens the bag and pulls out a container of soup with a plastic spoon.

"Eat then talk to me."

"There is nothing to be bothered about mom, I'm not a kid"

"Alex." Her voice softens. "I'm your mother,I can tell when something is wrong."

I pick up the spoon,open the container and take a sip of the warm soup.

"Someone leaked confidential materials of our collaboration and all leads in the investigation are hooked."

"I read the articles." She watches me take a bite. "This Ellis Valmont,the one you mentioned in that article right?"

I swallow hard, a lump rising in my throat struggling to get the words out.

"It was a…busines..s.. collaboration."

"Hmmn…"she tapped her fingers slowly on the desk, lips pressed together.

My hand stops halfway to my mouth."What?"

"Your dad said he remembers the name from three years ago. That industry gossip magazine."

She tilts her head slightly. "Is he right?"

I set down the spoon and nodded

Silence fills the space between us.

I shift in my seat; he doesn’t flinch, just stares past me.

She walks to the window and looks out at the city below.

"When you were sixteen, you stopped telling us things,"she said quietly. "Your father thought it was normal teenage independence. But I knew it was more than that."

My chest tightens"Mom…."

"I'm not asking you to tell me everything." She turns back to face me and smile

My thoughts keep returning to Ellis. I have cared for him for years,but every time I try to say it nothing comes out.

I like men and I have been in love with Ellis for three years but nothing comes out.

She watches my face for a long moment. Then nods.

I slump back in my chair, staring at the empty office. Nothing I do seems enough.

"Your father and I talked on the way over. We can help."

"How?"

"We can buy more shares to stabilize the stock”

I shake my head."That's your money Mom don't even think of …"

"It's an investment in our son." She moves back to the desk. "We believe in you, Alex."

The lump in my throat makes it hard to speak."I don't know if I can fix this."

"Then let us help you try."

She picks up her purse and heads for the door.

"Think about it tonight and call me in the morning with an answer."

I sit there in the empty office and stare at the soup getting cold on my desk.

___________________________________

My phone rings at eleven.Mom’s name lights up the screen.

"We talked to your father's broker," she says . "We can move funds first thing tomorrow morning."

"Mom…”

"And I will call Margaret personally to solve any issues you have with her son,we have known each other for a while and she will listen to me."

I close my eyes at the new revelation,can things get more complicated?

"I need to…"

My phone vibrates against my ear.

A text preview flashes across the screen.

ELLIS>We need to talk.

I stare at it.

"Alex?" My mother's voice in my ear. "Are you there?"

"Alex?"she called again

"Hmmn…yes…I'll call you back," I say.

"When?"she persuade

"Soon mom."I hanged up

I opened the full text.

ELLIS>We need to talk please can we meet up?