4. Is it a coincidence?

Logan

As the sound of my alarm blares loudly, I reach over and slam my hand down on the snooze button. Time to start another day.

I quickly get out of bed and make my way to the shower. The water is cold, but it helps wake me up. I spend the next thirty minutes getting ready and dressing in my usual crisp suit and tie.

After grabbing a cup of coffee and a quick breakfast, I head out to my car and drive to the office. The traffic is light this morning, so I made good time and arrive at the building within twenty minutes.

As the CEO of a successful tech company, my days are always busy. Meetings, phone calls, emails, and presentations fill up my schedule. But I enjoy the challenge and the thrill of leading a team that is changing the world with our innovative technology.

I spend most of my day in my office, pouring over spreadsheets, checking in with my team, and making strategic decisions for the company's future. It's a lot of responsibility, but it's also incredibly rewarding.

A knock sounded from my office door followed by Abigail. My secretary. "Good morning Sir" She greeted placing a pile of papers in front of me.

"Morning Abigail" I sticked to short reply. They knew not to misbehave around me.

"Should I get your coffee-"

"No need" She nodded her head and walk out. She didn't shut the door as Brian stepped in.

"Learn how to call before showing up" I threw hissing out.

Brian chuckled as he took a seat in front of my desk. "Sorry man, I figured since we're best friends, I could just barge in whenever."

I rolled my eyes. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to check in on you. It's been a while since we hung out outside of work."

I sighed. Brian was right, it had been a while since we caught up outside of work. But with the demands of my job, it was hard to find time for anything else.

"I know, man. It's just been really busy lately," I said.

"I get it. But you need to take a break every once in a while. You're going to burn out if you keep this up," Brian said, concern etched on his face.

"No one is going to take care of the company if I don't work hard. You know how my father is"

I reminded him. If there's one thing father gets worried on is his company. Too bad he's not in the condition to take care of the company himself. His legs are no longer strong enough for him to walk around.

"And also the prying eyes of other people" Brian added. The other people like my brothers. They're looking for one mistake and they will turn it against me. I once allowed them to control me, I won't do that again. Talking about that, my thoughts wandered to last night. The mysterious woman I met at the reception. To be honest, I didn't expect to enjoy the wedding. I went for the sake of Emily. Emily is my distant cousin. Although we don't keep tabs that much but I wanted to be there on her big day. And obviously because her father has supported our company quite well.

What I didn't expect is to meet the woman. Funny enough, we both didn't know each other's name. It was a steamy night for me. "What are you busy smiling about?" Brian's voice snapped me out of my trance

I cleared my throat. "Remember I attended a wedding last night right?"

"Yeah I do. I was supposed to tag along. But you ditched me" he said with a glare at me.

"So, I met a woman there"

"Don't tell me you..." he trailed off eyeing me suspiciously.

A light smile escaped me. "I didn't plan on venturing into that. But she proposed that herself. I can't say no to free sex can I?"

"Wow. Just wow. What a night. With the way you're smiling it shows you really enjoyed it"

I shrugged my shoulder. "Of course. It looks like she needed someone to tame her desires. And I happened to be the perfect person" I proudly said reminiscing all the event. How her soft curves and the way she moved beneath me tainted my mind

Brian raised his eyebrows at me, "And you don't even know her name?"

I shook my head. "Nope, we never really got around to introducing ourselves. But it doesn't matter, it was just a one-time thing."

Brian chuckled. "Well, I hope you at least used protection. You can't risk getting involved with the wrong woman and having it affect the company."

I rolled my eyes. "I know how to handle myself, Brian. It was a one-night stand, nothing more."

But even as I said the words, I couldn't help but wonder about her. Who was she? What did she do? I pushed the thoughts aside and focused on the work in front of me.

The rest of the day went by in a blur of meetings and phone calls. By the time I left the office, it was already dark outside. I grabbed my coat and headed for the elevator. I was greeted with noise from the entrance door. It has become like a daily routine. The family always have or two thing to argue about. I didn't spare any of them a glance and sauntered to my room. We are a big family living in one big mansion. Although everyone had their own apartment inside the mansion. But we all gather in the main living room for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was a tradition that has been there for years. Since my grandparents time. Father is still implementing it even though we are all grown and have our own lives.

I entered my room and threw my coat on the bed. I took off my tie and unbuttoned my shirt. The thought of her kept coming back to my mind. I wanted to forget her but it seemed impossible. I walked to my balcony and leaned against the railing. The view from here was breathtaking. The city lights sparkled like stars in the dark sky. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, trying to clear my mind.

Suddenly, my phone vibrate from the bed. A frustrated hiss left my lips as I saw Abigail's name plastered on the screen. "Sorry to bother you sir, but there's an urgent matter that needs your attention," she said her voice sounding urgent from the other end.

I sighed. "What is it?" I asked.

"It's the project that we've been working on for the past month. The investors are asking for an update and the deadline is tomorrow," she explained.

I felt a pang of frustration. "Why didn't anyone inform me about this earlier?" I asked, irritated.

"Everyone thought that you were busy with other matters and didn't want to bother you,"

I shook my head. "I'll take care of it. Schedule a meeting with the investors for tomorrow afternoon. I'll have the updated report ready by then," I said, already thinking about the work that needed to be done.

"Okay Sir. I will do that right away. Goodnight" I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache coming on. It was going to be a long night.

I retired to bed without waiting for feedback from Abigail. She knows what to do. I don't have to tell her what to do.

Morning came faster than I anticipated. I tried as much as I can not to be intimidated by my brothers presence. I ate as quietly as I can before heading to work. Normally before I leave the house my dog will run to me but today I didn't get such. Which was quite weird. At first I thought of leaving but decided to check and see. The only thing keeping me company is the dog.

Stillness greeted me as I approached the dog house. "Bob" I called out. That was the name given to it by my mother. I still remember when she got it for me when it was still a baby. Now the dog has grown up. Too bad my mother is not alive to witness that.

"Are you there Bob" I called out again. Silence. Pushing the door, I was met with a scene that scared me. Bob was laying down weakly. I rushed to him taking him onto my laps. "What is wrong with you Bob"

I quickly checked his breathing and pulse. They were weak, and his eyes were half-open. Panic rose in me as I tried to figure out what could be wrong with him. I had never seen him like this before.

I scooped him up and drove straight to the anima clinic which wasn't close to the house. It was a long and tense ride as I tried to keep Bob comfortable while speeding through traffic.

When we got to there, they took him in immediately, and I was left in the waiting room, pacing back and forth. It felt like an eternity before the vet came out to talk to me.

"Your dog has ingested something toxic," she said, holding out a plastic bag with some pills in it. "These pills are what we found in his stomach. Do you recognize them?"

I took the bag and examined it closely. My heart sank as I recognized the pills. They were some of the sleeping pills I had been prescribed a while back but had forgotten to take. I must have dropped them on the floor, and Bob had gotten hold of them.

I felt a wave of guilt and sadness wash over me. It was my carelessness that had put my loyal companion in this state.

"Yes, it was my mistake. How is he now?" I asked.

"He should be fine after some rest. If you can wait for some time or leave him here. My boss will be back soon" The young girl didn't finish closing her mouth when the door to the clinic was pushed open. Surprise occupied me as we  came face to face with the mysterious woman from the wedding reception.

She looked just as beautiful as she did last night, and my heart skipped a beat as our eyes met. "What are you doing here?" I asked, trying to hide my surprise.

"I work here," she replied, a hint of a smile on her face.

"Oh, I see," I said, feeling foolish for not realizing that earlier. "Well, I'm glad to see you again. But first, I need to take care of Bob. Can you help me with that?"

"Of course," she said, and we followed the vet into the back room where Bob was resting. I was relieved to see that he was already looking better.

She helped me give Bob his medicine and gave me some instructions on how to take care of him over the next few days. As we were leaving, she handed me a card with her name and number on it. "If you ever need anything, just give me a call," she said the smile I once saw earlier wasn't there anymore.

"Olivia" I read out. "It was nice seeing you again. I'm Logan" I fished out my card and handed it to her. She access it before slipping it inside her white coat. "Thank you Logan. Goodbye then" And she walked back inside.

I couldn't help but feel grateful for her help, and also intrigued by the possibility of seeing her again. As I walked towards my car, I couldn't help but wonder what other surprises life has in store for me.