Chapter Two

8 months earlier

Alexander Kendrick, the most powerful man in the world of cooperate business, sat in his chair, looking like the king of all he surveyed.  Big and brooding and in total command. A mocking half smile covered his lips. His long legs were spread out beneath the desk.

“Mr. Petro, we can’t go ahead with the shipment” Alex said quietly. 

“What? Mr. Kendrick what do you mean? I paid you in total” the man’s voice went high in octaves. Alex shut his eyes for a second. His mood was getting soiled as time went by. His hand twitched. It was getting hard to control his emotions. He hated stupid people. It made his blood boil.

“Mr. Petro, I have explained to you the reason we can’t go on eighth the project. I have sent back the money to you—“  

The man stood up and slammed his fist on the table. “I will make sure you do not get any contract. I will burn this office to the ground” he cussed profanities. Alec cocked his head to the side. That was one damn threat. Immediately the security came in and bundled them out.

“Laura get into here now!” Alex growled into the telephone. His secretary was shaking like a leaf in front of him. Alexander had an iota of pity for her but it immediately disappeared. The moment he opened his mouth to speak, the lady went on her knees.

“Please forgive me sir, I didn’t remember you asked that we don’t allow them into the office” she sobbed into her hands. Alex didn’t say a word as he watched her. When she noticed that he was quiet she raised her head back up.

“Are you finished?” Alex asked. Laura nodded her head slowly.

“Good. At the end of the day, tell the social media manager that An Ad for an assistant Secretary will be needed” Laura began to cry but he held up a hand.

“I am not firing you. You said you needed help” he rolled his eyes. He never understood why women had to be overly emotional.

“Thank you sir!” he knelt begging again. Laura left his office but deep down Alex’s heart was the threat by the stupid man, who had left his office. Alex smirked. He didn’t ever let a dare go undone.

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“Truth or Dare” Sean said staring right into Alex’s eyes. The two engaged in a staring contest. Their eyes burned with an invisible unknown fire. Alex knew, that this was nothing but a bait but he wasn’t going to avoid it.  Sean was fond of doing stuff like this.

“Don’t listen to him” Matt said as he took a gulp of his drink. Alex and his friends were in the club, to wand down after the week. They were also celebrating a triple deal gotten by Alex. 

“Guys will you stop this” another interrupted their staring as he looked from left to right.

 “Dare” Alex said in clenched teeth? He was going to put Sean in his place and show him, that he was and will always be better than him.  He had always senses Jealousy with Sean.

 The thing was Alex was a billionaire and he had the looks that sent girls fawning over him. He was smart too. That combination made him irascible. Alexander Kendrick was a born Adonis. He had long jet black hair, which he tied ponytail style. His eyes were icy blue and he had slight plump lips that begged to be kissed. He was six foot tall and had a body that screamed of his manly appeal. Even the blind testified of his looks. You know, it was one thing to have the looks but it was a whole different ball game to have the attitude fit for that face. Alex had a distinct charisma around him. When he moved, he didn’t walk but rather he swaggered. 

“You know what he wants to do Alex, don’t fall for it” Kyle said pulling Alex by the shirt but Alex didn’t flinch. 

“I dare you to get the Barlow contract” Sean said and everyone at the table gasped. They clutched their hands to their mouth as they stared at Alex.

“Shut the fuck up Sean” Matt replied harshly.

“Yeah” Kyle added. “You just had to ruin our celebration”

Sean burst into a bitter laugh to the discomfort of his friends. “He can’t do it, obviously he does not have a clean image.”

The Barlow contract was the biggest contract in the world for billionaires. It was very hard to get but very easy to lose. Of which one of the rules to getting a Barlow Contract is to have a clean image, which Alex does not have. He has had episodes with women fighting over him on the internet. This earned him the nickname. The billionaire playboy.

While all these were going on, Alex was yet to utter a word.  He stretched his hands to his drink and took a long gulp. From the rim of his glass he could see a ghost smile playing on Sean’s face.  They had suddenly grown quiet he noticed. They were waiting for him to speak. He cleared his throat and pulled his hand through his long silky hair. 

“I have a condition for this dare” he said staring at Sean.

“And what could that be?”

“When I get the Barlow contract, I will take 30% of your company” everyone gasped.  There were ‘whispers around the table. They were telling Sean to embark on that deal. Sean smiled coyly.

“I guess we have a deal” he said. 

“I will call my lawyer to draft a deal and send it over to your office for you to sign” Alex said before taking a sip of his drink. After that night, Alex called a meeting. He had his team call an internet guru and a PR personnel. They discussed. Lowly but quietly, Alex’s old post about being a playboy was getting wiped off the internet. The videos were taken down and so did the pictures. Alex kept a low profile and waited.