Chapter 3

~Alexander~

I was already in a foul mood so early in the morning as I headed towards the board room. The latest headline plastered across the news had been almost amusing,— "Power, Privacy, and Preference: Is Alexander Blackwell More Than He Appears?”.

Typically, yes, I'm more than I appear but being homosexual is definitely not part of it. Reporters were always hungry and starving for a story they could sink their claws into. Something scandalous. Something they could twist until it resembled the truth. I knew someone was behind it, the Media won't be stupid enough to dig into dangerous territory.

The door clicked shut behind me as I stepped into the room and immediately, the room went quiet— not out of respect but out of fear. After a few minutes of silence, a ‘good morning sir’ that I didn't bother to respond followed me to my seat before the quietness returned again.I let the silence hang as I scanned the faces around the table. Some avoided my gaze while others fidgeted. I could see the tension in their shoulders, the trembling hands of a few who already knew this meeting wouldn’t go well.

Good. Fear got things done.

I gave my assistant a curt nod and she tapped the screen in front of her to begin the presentation.

The quarterly report flickered to life on the screen, numbers and graphs nobody seemed confident enough to defend.

As the second passed into minutes I became extremely bored. When did I employ a bunch of incompetent who couldn't get work done.

I leaned back in my seat with my fingers tapping against the table. The sound echoed through the room, loud in the stillness. No one spoke until Peter cleared his throat, like he was choking on an excuse.

I leaned back in my seat, the tapping of my fingers echoed through the room. No one dared to speak until Peter finally cleared his throat like he was choking on excuses.

After a moment, I said coldly,

“The numbers on last quarter’s investments don’t add up and the reports are inconsistent. Peter Andrews, your excuse is...?”

My brows lifted slightly. Then I continued with a sharp voice

“You were tasked with overseeing the company’s investment performance and ROI analysis — and this is what you bring to the table?”

After sometime, I said coldly

“The numbers on last quarter’s investments don’t add up. The reports are inconsistent and Peter Andrews your excuse is…?” I asked with raised brows before continuing

“You were tasked with the company's investment performance and ROI analysis and here you are sprouting sh*t”

“Sorry sir, I delegated the job to a staff auditor over the weekend and she hasn't reported to work today so there was not enough time to analyse the document critically” he said with tensed shoulders and shaky hands.

“So, just to confirm,” I said slowly, “You handed off an investment discrepancy report to a junior associate. She disappeared and you’re only reporting this now?. The meeting was set to begin at 1:00pm, and you didn't take any serious action till now?” I asked with my voice cold and my temper dangerously quiet. “I'm so..rry sir” Peter said, stammering the words out of his mouth

“Your two months salary will be halved, and consider this your last meeting as the department head” I said to Peter without emotion be continuing “and for the staff auditor her salary for this month will be suspended”

The room temperature dropped a few degrees lower. No one dared to make a sound.

My phone vibrated with a message notification from Olivia.

“F*ck not again” I muttered under my breath upon seeing the message flashing on my screen. My grandmother ran away again .

“Meeting adjourned,” I said as I made my way out of the board room with my assistant following me behind.

I had better things to do than babysit underachievers.

And a grandmother to deal with…again.

“Sir, Dr. James reported that the elderly Mrs. ran away and can't be found within the hospital premises,” Olivia informed me as we made our way to the underground parking lot. “The bodyguards have been searching, but they can’t seem to trace where she went.”

“What do they mean can’t be found?” I snapped. “Tell them to check the security cameras immediately and thoroughly sweep all wards and units in the hospital.” Without wasting another second, I was already behind the wheel, speeding toward the hospital.

My phone vibrated with a call from my chief of security, Raymond. I slowed down just enough to take it.

“Sir, we’ve found the elderly Mrs.,” Raymond reported. “A young lady dropped her off at the nurses’ station, and she’s currently being escorted to see the doctor.”

“Good. Don’t let her out of your sight,” I ordered firmly.

Immediately I arrived at the hospital, I went to see the doctor to ask about my grandmother's health before heading to her ward to see her.

I found her lying comfortably on the hospital bed with a drip attached to her arm.

She looked up as I approached.

“Oh, don’t look so tense,” she said. “I’m fine. No heart attack. No kidnapping. Just a woman with aching joints and a grandson too busy firing people to remember he has a family.”

“Yoh ran away again,” I muttered with my brows creased. Frustration dawning on my features.

Without looking at me, she sipped from a styrofoam cup of warm water. “It wasn’t a run. More of a stroll. Don’t be dramatic.”

I exhaled slowly, counting to three in my head to keep myself calm.

“You need to rest and undergo checkups regularly, Granny. Not throwing public tantrums.” I said to her with a gentle tone before adding, “you know you're my favourite person in world, granny”

She is really my favourite person on earth, my only family and I'm trying my best to take care of her but she's so stubborn. I suddenly pitied grandpa for what he had to go through for how many years.

“I’m really not falling for that again.” She said with a pout while avoiding my eyes. “Maybe if you spent less time breathing down your employees’ necks and more time looking for a wife, I wouldn’t have had to throw a public tantrum.”

“Throwing a public tantrum isn't normal and okay, Granny,” I said

“Neither is being a man of 32 with no girlfriend, no wife, no joy.” She rebutted

I heard a muffled laugh from behind me and I turned to see Raymond, who was hardly trying not to laugh out. I shot him a deadly look that wiped the grin off his face.

I'm definitely not having this conversation with this woman. She seemed fully prepared and I'm really exhausted. I need to cool off.

“I met the doctor before I came over. He said you were doing fine and you could go home” I told her without pursuing the issue of marriage any further.

“I suddenly don't feel too well. I want to stay here for a few more days,” she said, still avoiding my eyes.

“Raymond go get Dr. James immediately,” I ordered

“No, don't bother, it's not that serious,” She interrupted. “Besides you look exhausted, you need to head home and rest” she added.

“I'm fine granny” I deadpanned

“You don't seem so to me” she said with so much concern, “and if you have a girlfriend or a wife out there you'd tell me right,” she asked.

I was thrown off guard due to the sudden switch and immediately I perceived something fishy.

My grandmother is definitely doing something fishy behind my back.

After leaving my grandmother in the hospital I instructed Raymond to stay and keep a close eye on her before I left the hospital.