Alexander's POV
I looked at my father, trying my best to hide my annoyance. How many times can we return to the subject I was not too fond of? Why they can't let me live the way I want? " Seriously, Dad? This again?" I asked, shaking my head. " Yes, son, this again." He replied coldly. Maxwell Foster was a tough man who built his empire and ruled it with an iron fist. He never gave up, no matter what. Now, as his son, I became the CEO of Forster Inc. I have worked at this company for many years, starting at the bottom and climbing. I could be the only son of my father, but he made sure I would learn to respect everyone's work here before handing me the highest responsibility. I proved myself, and now he could retire with peace of mind. Our company was one of the largest in the country and needed to be supervised without a break, but I loved it. Someone would say I was a workaholic, but my office was my favorite place, right after my apartment, which was a man's cave. I was a CEO for a year, and our empire grew under my watchful eye. I thought it would be enough to get my parents off my back, but I could not be more wrong. " It is time for you to get married." My father said the most hated words. " Dad, I am only twenty-five. There is still time," I replied calmly, even if I knew how pointless it was. "At your age, I already had two years old son." He reminded me as if I had not heard this story a hundred times already. " Yes, but back then, the company was just starting. I have a lot on my plate right now. Marriage is not on my list," I used the same argument as always, but my father just shook his head. " You should have a wife. Someone down to earth who will take care of you. How long do you want to meet with those girls who care only about the money?" " I do not complain. None of those are serious. Just a little bit of fun, " I spoke offendedly. Like every man, I had my affairs, but at the beginning, I always made those women clear not to get too attached. We had our fun, and that was all. No harm done, as both sides were satisfied. "Let's make it clear," my father used his business tone, and now I knew the jokes were over. " In two months, I want you to become the only owner of the company. It will happen only if you get married. So, you should better start looking, as I do not want to see any gold digger." With those words, my father left my office. Sh*t! How am I supposed to find a wife in two months? The good one, as my family will not accept anything less. I ran my hand through my hair, leaning back on my chair. My head was spinning. There was no way I could get any job done right now, so I grabbed my phone and called my assistant. "Cancel my meetings for today. I need to clear my mind, " I spoke when John entered my office. " Tough conversation?" He asked with a smirk. We worked together for years, and he was more than just my assistant. He was also my friend. " You can say that, " I replied dryly. John was fully aware of the hard time my father was giving me, and I think it was amusing him. After all, he was happily married to his high school sweetheart. I left my office and drove straight to my apartment, where I changed into my jogging clothes. My place was a simple man cave filled with computer games, books, and anything that man could need to be happy. But what was most important was that nothing could let anyone discover my status. Here, I was myself, not the son of the wealthiest man in the country. I left my apartment to get some proper jogging. Physical activity has always helped me to calm down. I ran for at least twenty minutes when my phone rang. I stopped to check on this and almost cursed when I saw my mother's number. It looks like the conversation with my father was not enough for today. I pressed the button on my earplug, and my mother's voice filled my ears. " Hello dear, I have heard about the meeting with your father. Do not worry. I am sure he was not serious. I will talk to him." I tried my best not to roll my eyes, listening to my mother. They were married for so long, and she still believed she could make him change his mind. " Okay, Mom, you can do that. I am sorry, but I need to finish, as I have something to do," I said as politely as possible before she could say anything else. Luckily, my mother understood my intentions. "Okay, honey, I hope you will come to visit us soon. You cannot hide in your apartment all the time. " " I will see what I can do about that, " I said without giving any particular date, or she would stick to it. I hung up, and at the same time, a bike passed me at a ridiculous speed. I stumbled and heard the sound of something crushing under my feet. I looked down just to find out I destroyed a cup. The coffee inside was now spilled all around, including the shoes of the young woman sitting on the bench. She raised her head, and I was met with the most grey eyes I have ever seen in my life. They were filled with tears. I felt like a complete idiot, even if that was clearly an accident. " I am so sorry," I mumbled and kneeled to clean my mess. " Are you hurt?" " No." She whispered and burst into tears. Great!Millie's POV I arrived at Gabrielle's place fifteen minutes later. She was busy preparing the dinner and setting plates on the table. I quickly noticed that there were three plates. " Is someone else coming?" I asked, even if I knew the answer already. After all, I was greeted with the smell of curry at the entrance—Gabrielle's boyfriend's favorite dish. My best friend blushed, and I knew I was correct. Michael was coming. Awesome, that was precisely what I needed today. Me and Michael never got along. Gabrielle met her boyfriend at one of those fancy lawyers' events and got smitten almost instantly. They were a couple for more than four years, and he still did not propose to her, even if she was the best thing that happened to him. I doubted he could see that. Of course, as any good lawyer, he could play any role perfectly. In front of Gabrielle, he was a loving and caring boyfriend, but I had more than one chance to see him glancing at other women for much longer th
Alexader's POV I could not stop thinking about the woman I accidently met not long ago. After the first impression when I thought she was the drama queen, I changed my mind. Apparently, she was going through some hard times, and I only saw a woman who cried over the spilled coffee. " I usually do not act like this." She told me back then, and those words replayed in my mind. I knew nothing about her, but when I heard the words homeless, jobless, and cheated, I could not stop myself from offering her my number. Now, I was questioning myself why on earth I did that, but at the moment, it seemed to be the only right thing to do. What the hell was wrong with me? I blamed my parents for my actions. Why? Because they taught me to show compassion to those less fortunate. My parents set them as examples by being active members of several charity organizations. When I was younger, I could not understand how privileged I was by growing up in a wealthy family. All I could see wa
Millie's POV I stormed out of the bank, leaving speechless Lindsay behind me. There was only one person I wished to see right now: my wicked stepmother, Deborah. I reached my family's house in no time and barged in without waiting for an invitation. It took me only a second to locate this vicious woman. I was lucky, and my father was also there. " How could you do it to me?" I asked as soon as they noticed me. " What are you talking about?" Deborah asked innocently. " Do not play dumber than you actually are," I hissed, ready to rip off her hair. "Millie, watch your mouth. You are speaking to your mother." My dear father spoke for the first time. " Fresh news, she is not my mother," I snapped back at him. " What brings you here?" My father asked, his tone got colder. " Is it not my house anymore? Do I need a reason to visit?" I asked sarcastically. " Not when you come here in a state like this, throwing some accusations. What is it this time?" My father looke
Alexander's POV I was in the middle of a heated conversation with John regarding my next-day schedule when my phone rang. Since the amount of people that required my attention already made me annoyed, I answered the call with my coldest tone. " Hello?" I asked, skipping any pleasantries. " Hello, it is Millie..." I heard the voice on the other side. " Wrong number," I replied shortly, ready to hang up. I had no memory of the woman whose name was Millie. It was probably another journalist who bribed someone in the company to get my private number. I almost pressed the end-up call button when I heard the words that stopped me from doing that. " I am Twelve." She said, waiting for my response. " Give me a second," I told her in a much calmer tone, at the same time motioning to John that it was an important call. He left the office, shooting me surprised glances, but I ignored him. " Hello, Twelve. How are you?" I almost cursed myself for such a pathetic question.
Millie's POV I looked around Alexander's place and from one glance, I could say it was a man cave. But to be honest, it was surprisingly neat. I wondered if he cleaned it before the meeting or if it was just his habit. Most men I know are messy, and their homes look like dumpsters. This was a pleasant exchange. " I will show you your bedroom," Alexander said, pointing to one of the doors. I followed his directions and found myself in the cozy little bedroom with a built-in wardrobe, double bed, and a bedside drawer. It was a perfect guest room. " Thank you," I said so quietly it almost came out as a whisper. " Not mention it." Alexander waved his hand dismissively. " I will get us something to eat. It is not healthy to only survive on coffee. Make yourself comfortable. With those words, he left the room, and I sat on my new bed. It was time to let Gabrielle know I was going to be moving out, so I pulled out a mobile and searched for my friend's number. " Hey Ga
Alexander's POV After Millie left, I sat on my couch with a drink in my hand. It was a crazy day, yet somehow satisfying. Of course, somewhere at the back of my mind was a thought I could make the biggest mistake of my life, allowing a stranger to stay at my place. But on the other hand, Millie looked trustworthy. She just had a tough time right now. Someone would say, how can a businessman trust others without doubts? I will take care of that, as I always do. Now, I had to sort out another urgent matter. " Hi, baby. I was waiting for your call." Carmen's voice pierced my ears. Honestly, I was wondering how I could endure her for this long. She was annoying, and even her perfect body could not compensate for this. " Carmen, we need to stop seeing each other for now, " I went straight to the business. " What? Why?" She asked, and I could swear my ears bleed a little. " Because I said so," my response was emotionless. " We had a clear deal, no attachment. Now, I w
Millie's POV A few hours earlier. The last evening I spent with Gabrielle was bitter-sweet. No matter how much I tried to relax and enjoy our time, Michel's words kept replaying in the back of my head. I think it finally occurred to me how dangerous this man could be. And he was the one my best friend chose for her lifetime partner. This thought was devastating, but my hands were tied. I could only pray for Gabrielle to see his true colors one day. Hopefully, it won't be too late then. Now, I had to focus on another task that awaited me. I left my friend's apartment, and immediately, the handsome man approached me. " Millie? Are you Millie?" He asked in a warm, friendly tone. " Yes," was the only word I said before a wide smile spread across his face. " Hi, my name is John. Alex asked me to give you a hand with collecting your stuff. Please follow me. I had a car that may be useful. " With those words, he pointed to the small van parked nearby. " Thank you, and sorry fo
Alexander's POV I furrowed my brows, looking at my best friend. " What do you mean by saying it didn't go well?" John fidgeted his fingers and started talking. The more I have heard, the more pissed I got. " Finally, they said, all her stuff went to charity, but Millie thinks, no, she is sure, it all has been destroyed. So we came back empty-handed." John finished his story with a sad expression. I, on the other hand, could barely conceal my rage. How could people be this shameless? " Do you remember the address? Where is Millie's apartment?" I asked in a dry tone, and John nodded. " Sure, it is saved in my GPS, but why do you need it?" My friend gave me a suspicious look. He knew me too well. In the past, I did a few things I was not proud of, pushed by my anger. Maybe he feared I would burn the whole place to the ground, but I was never this drastic. " I want you to find out everything about the people that live there now. It looks like Millie's family is a littl