CHAPTER 3

The sound of his car door slamming shut was the thing that made Alexander feel a little better. He was still thinking about Eleanor Vance. She had really stood up to him. That did not happen very often. People usually did what he said especially after he had made it hard for them to work in their field.. Eleanor was different. She had looked him in the eye and told him what she thought.

Alexander was angry. Deep down he was also feeling a little helpless. He had tried to make himself feel better on the drive home to his apartment in Manhattan. He told himself that Eleanor was just being emotional because she was a mother.. Her words had really gotten to him. She had said that his world was loveless and that she needed to protect their son from him. Those words had hurt him more than he wanted to admit.

When he got home his assistant Marcus was waiting for him with some papers. "I found out some things about Vance Designs, " Marcus said. "It's a company but they do great work. They care about the community and the environment. Eleanor is very good at what she does. She has won a lot of awards."

Alexander. Took off his tie. "I want to know more about her life, " he said. "Is there a man in her life? Is she dating anyone?" He did not like the way those words sounded. He needed to know.

Marcus looked unsure. "Maybe we should try to work with her by spying on her, " he said.

Alexander gave him a look. "I need to know what I'm up against, " he said. "Then we can talk about working."

For the two days Alexander was very busy but he could not stop thinking about Eleanor. He usually spent all his time thinking about work. Now he found himself looking at old news articles about Vance Designs. He saw pictures of Eleanor at awards shows. She looked really happy. She seemed like a woman but in a different way than he was powerful.

Alexander even called an investigator but then he changed his mind. He kept thinking about what Eleanor had said: "If you want to be a part of your son's life you have to do things my way." Alexander was not used to doing what other people told him to do.. When he thought about his son he felt a strong desire to be a part of his life.

So Alexander tried something. He sent Eleanor a basket of expensive food and wine.. She sent it back with a note that said, "I don't need your gifts. I still have rules that you need to follow." The note was written in her handwriting and it made him feel bad.

Alexander was getting frustrated. He was good at making deals and running his company. He was not good at this. He even found himself reading about how to be a parent and how to fix relationships. It was not what he usually read about.

One day Alexander saw that he had a meeting about a project to help the community. His foundation was in charge of it. They were looking for an architect to design the buildings. Alexander decided to go to the meeting. He needed something to take his mind off things.

When he got to the meeting there were already a lot of people there. They were all talking about their designs. Alexander was not paying attention. Then he heard the lady in charge say, "Next up is Vance Designs."

Alexander felt like he had been punched in the gut. Vance Designs? That was Eleanor's company. He looked around the room. Saw her walking in. She was carrying a book of her designs and her hair was pulled back. She looked very professional.

When she saw Alexander she looked surprised and a little angry. The room felt all of a sudden. Alexander could tell that she was thinking, "What is he doing here?" He was the one in charge of the project. He was going to decide whether or not to use her design. Eleanor's whole career was riding on this. Alexander felt a mix of feelings. He was happy to have the hand but he was also scared of what might happen next.