The car pulled to a stop at a five-star hotel. Serena stuck her head outside the window, and her mouth hung open in shock.
"This is huge..." She whispered under her breath.
Then she read the inscription. "Blackwood Hotels."
A look of puzzlent crossed her face as her eyes flicked to Alexander who remained calm.
"Does... this belong to you?" She chose her words carefully before asking.
Alexander smiled, offering no explanation.
Her eyes flickered as she gathered her thoughts. She seed to have underestimated the influence of the Blackwoods and their imnse wealth.
"Let’s go, or else we would be late for the eting." He said, pulling her back to the present.
"Right..." She trailed off as she pushed the car door open and stepped out.
A wave of fresh air hit her, and she took in a deep breath.
"Michigan slls great." She comnted, spreading her arms wide.
Alexander had already stepped out of the car by this ti. His eyes were focused on Serena, and his expression softened. The truth slowly settled in — he couldn’t do without Serena by his side.
"Let’s go." He said.
Serena nodded, took the file from him, and they both walked side by side.
When they reached the hotel, a man who was average height and with a pot belly was standing at the entrance. He seed to be middle-aged.
When his eyes landed on Alexander, he rushed to his side, smiling ingratiatingly.
"Mr. Blackwood." He greeted, his body arched into a ninety degree bow.
Serena paused, montarily taken aback. She was in a state of doubt. This was the first person who took respect a little too seriously.
"And you are?"
Alexander probed, staring at the unfamiliar man.
"I’m the new manager of the hotel, Mr. Palr" The man grinned. "I’ll be the one serving you today."
Alexander’s gaze t Serena’s, and he shrugged.
"Can you lead us to the conference room?" Alexander requested, and Palr was quick to nod his head.
"This way, please." He gestured. Serena and Alexander walked in front while Palr followed behind.
While walking behind them, Palr wiped the sweat off his forehead. He had heard rumors about Alexander Blackwood. But he never expected that they would be real.
Alexander’s aura was grounding even without him trying. If he didn’t have a strong will, his legs could have given way under pressure.
Then his gaze flickered over to Serena who was calmly walking beside Alexander, and he admired her. Only a few could withstand his aura. Perhaps... the lady walking beside him was one of them.
Palr snapped out of his thoughts when they reached the elevator.
The elevator buzzed open, and the trio stepped in. The ride to the conference room was silent, each to their own thoughts.
A few seconds later, the elevator doors opened onto the exclusive executive floor, the carpeted corridor quiet except for the soft hum of air conditioning. At the end, a polished oak door bore the hotel’s subtle brass plaque: Boardroom.
"This way, please." Palr offered a fawning smile as he led them down the hallway.
They finally reached the oak door, and with a gentle push, a space that commanded respect was revealed.
Alexander and Serena stepped in. Serena’s eyes scanned the boardroom and she felt a sense of awe.
There was a long, gleaming table stretched almost the length of the room, surrounded by high-backed leather chairs.
The floor-to-ceiling windows frad a sweeping view of the city below, and sunlight glinted off steel and glass towers.
The soft recessed lighting cast a warm glow which highlighted the minimalist elegance of the décor. There was a tasteful art on the walls, a crystal water carafe at one end, neatly stacked notepads and pens at the other.
The room was soundproofed, muffling the faint murmur of the city outside. The air slled faintly of polished wood, and every detail announced that this place was where decisions were made, alliances were forged or business relationships were broken.
Alexander’s eyes flashed with impatience as he scanned the empty boardroom.
His eyes flicked to his wristwatch, and he scoffed. "They are late." He remarked, then gestured for Serena to have her seat.
"What are you going to do?" Serena asked quietly as she took a seat.
"We wait." He answered. The air in the room dropped the more Alexander waited. He tapped the table rhythmically.
Palr who stood the side swallowed. He suddenly wished he could escape. Alexander’s expression had darkened, and it seed like he was ready to kill soone.
Just as he thought Alexander was about to flip, the door to the conference room opened, and a man who seed to be in his early 30s strode in, accompanied by an entourage.
Alexander looked at the group, and he clenched his fists so much that his knuckles turned pale. His patience was wearing thin.
"Mr. Blackwood, sorry for being late." The man apologized half-heartedly and took a seat, disregarding Alexander and Serena. "The traffic here is... horrible."
Alexander stared at the man, and sneered. "I’m based in Chicago which is an hour’s flight. Still, I made it here before you... who is based in Michigan." Alexander crossed his arms across his chest.
"Rember, you’re the one who wants to work with us. I normally would have had you fly to et us. But I decided against it because I needed to conduct an inspection." He paused, leaning forward, his eyes darkening. "Yet, you made wait."
Fear suddenly gripped the man. He wanted to make Alexander wait to show him that he was in charge of Michigan. But he montarily forgot that Alexander wasn’t soone to be toyed with.
He forced a smile onto his lips. "Mr. Blackwood..." He started, wiping the sweat off his forehead. "...surely you won’t hold this against , would you?"
He fervently hoped that Alexander wouldn’t. He needed this deal to break into a different market. If he ssed it up... no! He didn’t want to think about it. The shareholders, investors and board of directors would skin him alive if they found out he flopped the deal. His father would directly disown him.
All eyes turned to Alexander. Serena who hadn’t spoken a word since the group arrived stared intensely at Alexander. They all waited for his verdict.
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