The Royal Contract

"Why do you look like you swallowed a light bulb? You can brighten up the entire place with that smile plastered on your face." Marcus teased his friend, gesturing around him as he walked into the room.

He could only think of one thing that could make his friend in such a good mood despite the situation they were in right now. He could answer it with one name, Dani.

He knew he had been hard on his friend since he got involved with her. It was not his intention to hinder their affair, but he was only looking after his interest.

"If your here for business, state your case. Otherwise, you are not allowed to ruin my mood." Alex slightly loosened his tie and stretched her shoulder muscles.

He was indeed in a good mood after what happened last night. He still could not believe that he finally realized what he truly felt for Dani, and to learn that she felt the same way was just overwhelming.

He could not wipe out the smile on his lips even if he tried. He still could imagine every time Dani repeatedly declared her love for him in the heat of their passion. But honestly, he also did the same.

"Can I assume that something great happened during your date with Dani?" Marcus walked further inside the room and stared at his friend as if he was reading his reaction.

In the last past weeks, he knew he sounded like the enemy to Alex and Dani's relationship. But he was only looking out for his friend. He did not want him to find himself in a relationship without any life support.

Having someone to question his decisions, Marcus thought, would help Alex make the correct one. So far, it would seem that it had paid off as his relationship with Dani strengthened.

But yes, in the beginning, he felt like a total assh*le for almost ruining even his friendship with Alex, only because he was afraid of commitments. 

"Yes," Alex admitted to his friend with a satisfied grin on his face. "I think I plan to take this to the next level."

He could still remember how he thought that she was going to reject his proclamation. How disappointed he felt with her reaction, only to find that it was all a misunderstanding?

"Don't worry. I am not here to pop your bubbles. In truth, I am happy for you and Dani." Marcus told him as he made himself comfortable on the seat opposite his table. "But I am here with good news."

But seeing him on a different level with Dani compared to what he had with Tyra, he was starting to get convinced that he had nothing to worry about his friend. 

Maybe his affair with Dani was not that bad after all. In fairness, he could see that it was having a positive effect on him. It was good for him personally and for the business side.

"If that is the case, then I am all ears." Alex was happy that Marcus seemed to be warming up to the idea of him and Dani. 

Marcus was his best friend, and if anything, he wanted him to be the first to support his relation with Dani. Maybe in time, he could convince him that commitment was not a death sentence.

"Well, we managed to secure enough shares to rattle Nick. As per your instructions, we did leave bread crumbs for him to follow. If he had a good team, he might have discovered it by now." Marcus informed him.

He could only speculate on his intentions on buying Nick's company shares. Although business-wise, he agreed that in the long run, it would be profitable.

But on a personal level, it was safe to assume that the move had something to do with Dani and her past relationship with Nick. He was keeping an eye on this to make sure that Alex did not make a wrong move.

"Good, that is perfect," Alex said, glad that everything worked out as planned. Now, all he needed was for Nick to find out what he had been doing.

He was sending him a message, loud and clear. Nick could not mess with his company and certainly not with Dani and get away with it. He would make sure that Nick understood that he was not someone Nick could easily intimidate.

Nick might still be higher than him in standing, but he was sure that he was better than him in many ways. He would not stop until he reached the top and was declared the next king of this kingdom. 

"Are you sure that we could manage Nick? Remember, Nick's company is still a lot larger than ours." Marcus reminded his friend. 

Not that he was afraid of the man and what he was capable of doing. He was only reminding his friend to be cautious. He already Nick did not fight fair, but Alex was too noble to be shady like him.

"Don't worry. I know what I am doing." He assured his friend.

He could understand his concern. After all, Nick did not reach that position without having several bags of tricks up his sleeves. He also reminded himself that Nick managed to fool Ethan for a long time.

Nick was not an easy opponent that he could easily underestimate. But he was not afraid of him. Even without the help of Ethan, he knew he could handle Nick on his own.

"Just making sure. But if you need anything else from me. You know that I am always here to help." Marcus felt he owed his friend for being stupid in the past. Now, he had to make up for it.

"What about the fundraising event? How is it coming?" He asked his friend, who was also coordinating with the organizers, about a charity event he was sponsoring. 

It was a surprise for everyone and especially Dani, who would be benefitting from the celebration. One of the beneficiaries would be her pro bono cases and other institutions devoted to a good cause.

"Almost done with the preparations. Invitations are on their way as we speak." Marcus announced boastfully. 

He knew that this would be one of the grandest events this year, if not of the century, but it would still be one of the best. With Ethan's support of the event, many would surely come and support this event.

"Good to hear. So far, all seems to be working just fine." Alex said, finding nothing else that could go wrong with his day.

Everything seemed to be right in the world. Well, at least in Alex's world, since he was still in cloud nine. He felt that nothing could ruin it for him.

"Excuse me, Sir. Prince Edward is waiting outside to see you." His secretary interrupted their conversation.

"Send him in," Alex instructed his secretary, suddenly finding himself taking his word back. But he would still find a way not to allow Edward to mess up his mood.

"Well, I better get back to work. I will leave you to your new apprentice.." Marcus jokingly said, knowing that it would slightly ruin his friend's perfect day.