Chapter 155
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Alex’s POV
I was halfway through reviewing the quarterly reports when James knocked at the door of my suite. His knock was sharp and deliberate, but I could sense something off even before I told him to come in.
“Sir,” he began hesitantly as he stepped inside, holding a gaudy golden package. His expression was tightly controlled, but there was a flicker of discomfort in his eyes. “This just arrived for you. From… someone calling themselves your ‘biggest fan.
I frowned, closing my laptop and leaning back in my chair. “What is it?”
“I’m not sure,” he replied, placing the box on the coffee table in front of me. “But it was delivered by a courier, and the concierge confirmed it’s for you.”
I stared at the package. There was no sender’s name, just a glittery gold bow that made it look ridiculous. My jaw tightened as I reached for it, peeling back the wrapping with deliberate movements. I hated surprises, and something about this felt wrong.
The contents of the box made my blood run cold.
A clown wig. Bright red, cheap, and utterly absurd. Beneath it was a handwritten note on crisp white paper, the scrawled words mocking me with their simplicity:
“For the clown of the year. From your biggest fan.”
My hand clenched the note so tightly that the paper crumpled. I could feel James watching me, but I refused to meet his
gaze.
“Is this a joke?” I asked, my voice low and controlled, though the fury went high.
James cleared his throat. “I… don’t believe so, sir. The concierge said the courier was insistent it was meant for you.”
“Did they leave a name?”
“No, sir.”
I tossed the wig and the note back into the box and shoved it aside. “Next time something like this arrives, screen it before bringing it to me.”
“Understood, sir,” James said, but he didn’t leave. His posture shifted awkwardly, and I knew there was more.
“What else?” I snapped.
Another knock sounded at the door before he could answer. James glanced at me, then moved to open it. Another courier stood outside, holding a second package.
James turned back to me, this time his expression uneasy. “It seems there’s another delivery, sir.”
I shot up from my chair, striding over to the door. “Give it here, barked, snatching the box from the courier’s hands. The man barely had time to step back before I slammed the door shut in his face.
Ripping the wrapping off this one, I found a miniature trophy engraved with the words “Second Place.”
My teeth ground together as I read the accompanying note:
“Always the runner–up. Don’t worry, there’s no shame in losing unless it’s to me.”
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Chapter 155
The handwriting was the same, the arrogance seeping through every word.
“Daniel,” I muttered under my breath, my hands trembling with anger. It had to be him. This was his brand of spiteful mockery, a juvenile attempt to get under my skin.
James hovered nearby, unsure whether to speak or stay silent.
“Leave it,” I snapped, throwing the box onto the coffee table. “And find out how many more deliveries I can expect. I want the concierge to call me the moment another courier arrives.”
“Yes, sir,” James said quickly, retreating toward the door.
As soon as he was gone, I paced the room, my fists clenched. This wasn’t just a taunt; it was a calculated move, designed to disrupt my focus, to make me look over my shoulder at every turn. And worse, it was working.
Daniel had always been a thorn in my side, but this was a new low. He wasn’t satisfied with his little victories in business. Now he wanted to humiliate me, to invade my space, to make me feel powerless.
But I wasn’t powerless.
I grabbed the trophy and stared at it, my mind racing. He thought this was clever, that he could throw me off balance with cheap pranks and meaningless trophies.
Fine. If he wanted to play games, I’d play. But this time, I’d make sure he didn’t walk away unscathed.
I set the trophy down, taking a deep breath to steady myself. “You’ve declared war, Daniel,” I said aloud, the weight of my anger settling into something colder, sharper. “And you’re going to regret it.”
The phone immediately buzzed on the table, breaking through the haze of my anger. I glanced at the screen and felt my stomach tighten when I saw her name. Christiana.
For a brief moment, I considered letting it ring, composing myself fully before answering. But I knew her….ignoring her call would only make things worse. With a sigh, I picked up, my voice carefully even.
“Christiana,” I said softly, walking to the window to put some distance between me and the chaos strewn across the coffee table.
“Alex,” her voice snapped, sharp and accusatory. “What the hell is going on? Your line’s been switched off for three days! Three days, Alex. Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?
I pinched the bridge of my nose, closing my eyes. I could hear the strain in her voice, a mix of frustration and genuine concern, and it twisted something in my chest. “I’m sorry,” I said immediately, my tone earnest. “I should’ve called, I know. Things have just been… hectic.”
“Hectic?” she repeated, incredulous. “That’s your excuse? You go silent for days, and then I find out you’ve flown to Dubai without a word? Alex, what were you thinking?”
I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to stay calm. “It wasn’t planned, Christiana. I had to handle something urgently, and I didn’t want to worry you.”
“Not worry me?” she shot back. “Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds? I’ve been calling everyone, trying to figure out where you were! Do you know how many times James had to lie to cover for you?”
My jaw tightened at the mention of James. I’d have to thank him for keeping things quiet, but I hated that it had come to this. I leaned against the window, the cool glass pressing against my palm.
“I’m sorry,” I said again, my voice quieter this time. “I didn’t mean to shut you out. I just needed to… clear my head.”
“Clear your head?” Her tone softened slightly, but the edge was still there. “Alex, you don’t do things like this. You don’t just
disappear.”
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I could picture her, pacing back and forth with that determined furrow in her brow, her lips pressed into a thin line. She always looked beautiful when she was angry, though now wasn’t the time to dwell on it.
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“I know,” I said, running a hand through my hair. “It was selfish of me. I should’ve told you I was leaving. You didn’t deserve to be left in the dark like that.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line, the sound of her breathing filling the silence.
“You’re right,” she said finally, her voice softer now, though the frustration hadn’t entirely faded. “I didn’t.”
Guilt gnawed at me. She deserved better–better than my half–truths, better than the mess I’d been dragged into. But I couldn’t tell her about Daniel. Not now, not when the stakes were so high.
“Are you okay?” she asked, her tone shifting to one of concern. “Is something going on? Something you’re not telling me?”
I hesitated, the words catching in my throat. “I’m fine,” I lied. “It’s just work, Christiana. You know how things can get.”
She didn’t sound convinced. “You’ve never let work turn you into a ghost, Alex.”
I leaned my forehead against the glass, closing my eyes. “I’ll make it up to you,” I promised, dodging her statement. “I’ll be back soon, and we’ll talk. Properly.”
“You better,” she said, the steel returning to her voice. “Because I’m not letting you get away with this kind of behavior again.” I couldn’t help but smile faintly. That was Christiana–unrelenting, passionate, and unwilling to let me off the hook. “I wouldn’t expect anything less,” I said softly. Belonging to NôvelDrama.Org.
She sighed, her frustration finally starting to ebb. “Take care of yourself, Alex. And call me next time, okay? Even if it’s just to say you’re alive.”
“I will,” I said, the words coming out like a vow. “I promise.”
As the call ended, I stayed by the window, the weight of the conversation settling over me. I had managed to calm her down, but the truth was far more complicated than I let on.
Christiana didn’t know about Daniel Brooks or his petty games. She didn’t know about the clown wig, the taunts, or the way Daniel was trying to unravel me piece by piece. And for her sake, I intended to keep it that way.
But as I stood there, staring out at the glittering skyline of Dubai, I knew one thing for certain–this wasn’t over. Daniel had declared war, and he was about to find out just how far I was willing to go to protect what mattered most to me.