Chapter 19 - Alexander

**ALEXANDER**

Inwardly, Alexander was agitated. The day hadn’t gone at all as he’d planned, and the longer he thought about it, the more annoyed he became. What use were all his billions if he couldn’t control what really mattered? The constant compromises he had to make lately were eating away at him. That morning he had learned that some of the shareholders were unhappy. His personal assistant had delivered the news dryly: sales of the new product line were disappointing. The shareholders were concerned that the furniture was not mass-market enough, too exclusive, too niche. They wanted something high quality that was also mass market and profitable. *Always the same old story*, Alexander thought angrily. The shareholders wanted to strike a balance without understanding the artistic demands that characterized his designs. *But Fitzpatrick Designs is not an assembly line!*
But that wasn’t all. There was unrest behind the scenes, and he knew what it meant. The board seemed to be making plans to remove him from his position as CEO if he didn’t deliver something presentable soon. The threat hung in the air, unspoken. If he didn’t act, he would soon have nothing to say - in his own company! Just a simple creative designer? The thought was absurd... and yet real. Alexander clenched his fists involuntarily. Damn them! How dare they take away his life’s work? The thought of being a mere puppet in the hands of the shareholders was unbearable. Fitzpatrick Designs was not just any company - it was his creation, his legacy. He had built it from nothing, with hard work and passion. And now some money-hungry investors were threatening to force him out of his own creation.
*This must not be allowed to happen! I have to do something, and fast.* His eyes hardened and a cold determination spread through him. Alexander knew he had to find a solution, but he needed time - and the pressure being applied was counterproductive. But these people didn’t understand.
By early afternoon, the situation had deteriorated. The press, always on the lookout for a sensational story, spread the rumor that his new girlfriend was only there to distract from the failure of his last campaign - and that she wasn’t even a real girlfriend. What upset Alexander the most was that the reporters were right. He felt trapped, and that made him angry. It was precisely this point that made the situation so delicate. No one was allowed to know that his last three „girlfriends“ in the last two years had actually been hostesses from the DarEnd-Agency. And then there was the shock at the beginning of the meeting: Amelie, the escort booked for that afternoon and evening, canceled at the last minute. In her place, Emily was sent, an inexperienced woman who apparently hardly knew how this world worked. *Perfect*, Alexander thought bitterly. Instead of the elegant, quiet beauty he had hoped for, he now had an articulate and almost clumsy woman at his side. A woman who was sexually attractive, which made things all the more complicated, but who did not fit into his carefully constructed image at all.
Emily was too alive, too real. She wasn’t some silent accessory who kept a discreet distance. She asked questions and was not at all the perfect mannequin he needed for this day. How could he maintain the illusion for the DarEnd-Agency that he was gay? A lie he had consciously cultivated for years to hide his true sexual orientation.
But that wasn’t all. As if the day hadn’t been chaotic enough, his bodyguards had failed. How had this madman managed to get to his table and then reach for a knife? The fact that the attacker had targeted him and not Emily was cold comfort. *What would have happened if the man had attacked her?* The thought made him shudder. Emily had just stood there in a state of shock, completely motionless. If she had been the target, she would never have been able to move. The thought that she might have been seriously injured still shocked him.
*Why do I have all these billions if nothing, absolutely nothing, goes according to plan?* Alexander gritted his teeth. Now he could only hope that Emily wouldn’t just leave him at the table after this turbulent episode. Oliver obviously hadn’t told her that a day at the side of a billionaire wasn’t all smiles and luxury, but also danger.
Alexander reached for his crystal glass, took a sip of water, and then let the glass sink gently to the table. His thoughts spun around in his head. Maybe this was all a sign of destiny? He had flirted with Emily a lot. Part of him was sure that he would be fine with her saying goodbye now, completely overwhelmed by the situation and him. But at the same time, he didn’t want to let that happen. The thought that she could just go home after all this made him uneasy. She must be hungry after this endless shopping trip and the shock they had just gone through together. How could he let her go? There was no way he wanted to be left with a guilty conscience for sending his booked girlfriend home hungry. He suppressed the fact that there was more to it than just concern for her physical well-being.
While he was still trying to find the right words, he saw Emily approaching, accompanied by the young woman from the security team. His nerves tensed instantly, and though he fought it inwardly, a hot, unexpected desire surged through him. This woman, so different from the calm and controlled companions he was used to, made his blood boil like it hadn’t in a long time. It was her unpredictability, her authenticity, that threw him off balance - and magically attracted him at the same time. The champagne gown she wore seemed to shimmer in the light of the crystal chandeliers, as if it had been specially made to give her that undeniable aura of elegance and sensuality. Each of her movements was as soft and flowing as the dress itself, and her swaying hips seemed to effortlessly draw the attention of the entire room to her. And then there was the neckline that accentuated her breasts, giving the impression that the fabric could barely contain the volume. She was an explosive mix of eroticism and innocence, and Alexander felt the fire burning within him.
*Please*, he thought as he looked at her with burning desire, taking in every movement, every sparkle of her lascivious appearance. *Stay with me*.