The Royal Contract

"I assure you that under my administration, I will bring this company to the future," Alex concluded his introduction and his mini-presentation of his plans for the company.

It had been a struggle for Ethan to convince the board to give him a chance to prove himself as their new leader. He could not mess it up in the first few hours that he had stepped into the position.

He had to find a way to make sure that his next moves would catch the attention of the board and its investors. He was not here to impress them but make them believe that a successful company could still soar to newer heights.

"Ethan seemed to have high regards for your capability to run this company." One of the board members said as he observed their young new leader. "Are you sure you are ready for the responsibility?"

They had seen his profile. Alex's achievements were impressive compared to most. But his experience was still lacking to fully make him credible to run a company with this magnitude. 

But they were not discrediting him just yet. As they promised Ethan, they would give him the chance to prove himself. Maybe Ethan saw something in him that they had yet to see. 

"I'm sure he would not have entrusted his company in my hands if I am not," Alex answered with confidence.

He would not show them any sign of doubt or weakness that would question what he already had worked hard to achieve. He never reached his position in this industry by just sitting around.

But he could not blame the board for being a bit skeptical with his take over. He would guess that a few of them were also aiming for the position that he now held. 

Maybe someone else was also qualified for the position. But Alex would prove to them that Ethan did not make the mistake of choosing him.

"We hope you don't expect us to follow you blindly. But we are going to give you a chance. But prepare yourself for major scrutiny because we are not running some crappy company." Another member of the board replied.

Ethan choosing him had been a surprise to all of them, but he could somehow see the logic behind it. He was going to be his son-in-law, after all.

But he believed that Ethan did not choose him just because of that. Ethan probably saw something extraordinary about him, and he could not wait to discover that too.

"Of course, I don't expect less from all of you. But I will need all your cooperation." Alex expressed his request for the support of the people inside the room.

Most of the board and employees were loyal to Ethan. They had trusted Ethan with their livelihood and future because of what Ethan had done for them.

It was time that he made them feel that they could also trust him. It was the only way for him to succeed with his plans. Luckily, he also had Marcus at his side, supporting him.

"Then, I guess all we can say is that welcome to the company." Another of the board congratulated him and wished him luck with his new position.

He knew that luck would not be enough with the new load he placed on his shoulder. Time and effort were some of the things he would need to achieve his goal.

Finally, his first official board meeting was over. As far as he had observed, it had been a success. The board seemed satisfied for now with his initial plans. But he knew he had to do better next time.

"You did great, Alex," Marcus told him as they sat down in his new office. 

He knew this was a big step up from his previous office, and the work probably had tripled in its quantity. Judging from his friend's determination, it would not be easy, but he would manage ok.

"It is just the first day." Alex rubbed the back of his neck as he sat on his new chair. 

He was not under the impression that he could handle this new job in just a snap of his finger. He would need to devote his time and effort to learn all the tricks of the trade to get used to the intricacy of this job.

"But I am sure that you have this in the bag," Marcus announced to his friend, confident with his ability to run this company. "But I guess I have to leave you now."

He also had a new set of responsibilities that he had to learn in an instant. It was part of his job as his second in command and best friend. That was to support him in his decisions.

It had been a long morning. After Marcus left him alone in his office, there was only one thing he wanted to do next. He quickly took out his phone and dialed a number.

"Hey! How are you doing?" He quickly asked as soon as someone answered the call. 

She was the only one who could make the tension and the tiredness go away. As soon as her voice came to the line, Alex knew that all would be fine. Her voice was enough to calm his nerves.

"I'm good," Dani answered him on the other line as they sat at the waiting area in the hospital with her mom. 

"How is your Dad?" He asked, knowing that Ethan was probably still inside the operating table.

He could only imagine what Dani and Laura were going through while they waited for any news. He would have stayed with them, but Dani was right. He had his responsibility.

"We still have no news," Dani had to move away from her mom so that she and Alex could converse without worrying her mom furthermore. 

She did not like her mother to hear words that she might not want to hear and made her worry more. The last thing she needed was a mother who would start panicking.

"Do you need me there?" He already knew the answer that he would get, but he still wanted to ask.

"I wish, but no." She whispered, suddenly missing him at her side. It would have been nice if he sat by her side. Everything would have seemed so much better.

"If you change your mind. You know I am just a phone call away." He still offered just in case she would change her mind.

"What about you? How was your first meeting?" She decided to change the topic away from her dad.

Besides, she was also interested to know how he dealt with the stuffy black coat men that his father worked with every day almost all his life.

"It was what I expected it to be. But don't worry. I think I manage to convince the board that I am loveable and charming." He assured her, not wanting her to worry about anything else.

She already had her mind going around in 

"Really? Are you saying that they fell for your charms?" Somehow, he had managed to make her lips smile. 

She could not help but smile at his lame attempt to make a joke. As she kept telling him, he badly needed to learn how to make his jokes funny. Still, he managed to make her smile which was good enough.

"Are you laughing at me? Don't say you don't believe me?" Alex kept teasing her, which he was glad was working.

Even if he could not see her, knowing that she was smiling was good enough for him. He had accomplished what he had set to do even if he could not be by her side at the moment.

"Anyway, I have to go. I think a doctor is about to talk to us. I'll call you if there is any news." Dani informed him as she saw the doctor approach her mom.

"Ok. Don't forget to call me." He reminded her since he also had to go and start his first day on the job.

When she finally hung up, he was left staring at his phone, wondering what the doctor was telling Dani and Laura about Ethan's condition. He could only pray that it was good news.

He did not want the two of them to be alone in case it did not go well. But he had faith in the best doctors handling Ethan's surgery and the resiliency of Ethan in fighting this situation. Ethan would survive this despite the odds.

"Vincent, can you come in for a second." He called for Ethan's trusted assistant. "Please, bring Alona with you."

As of now, he would need all the help he could get. He would have to catch up with all the files, contracts, and other negotiations that the company was currently processing.

"Sir, what do you want us to do?" Vincent asked, glad that Alex chose to keep him on his payroll. He had served Ethan loyally, and he was happy that it did pay off when Ethan recommended him to Alex.

He knew that a good recommendation from Ethan would surely land him in another good company. But he had loved his job in this company. He knew his responsibility at the back of his mind, even with eyes closed.

He knew that he would be a valuable asset to Alex if he continued to take on his services. He was thankful that Alex chose to keep him, together with Alona.

"I need you to work with Alona on fixing my schedules. Prioritize which one I had to handle first." He instructed, knowing that he had to be efficient with his time.

He wanted to finish early today. He still wanted to visit the hospital and check on Dani and her family before the day was through.. He had to be by her side whether the news was good or bad.