The Royal Contract

"I need to see Mr. Princeton." She kept insisting on the receptionist assigned at the lobby of the building.

She had come to see him today, but without an appointment, it would seem to be an impossible task. She already told the woman her reason for wanting to meet with him was of great significance.

But she would not simply give her a pass to his office unless she could come up with something clever to catch his attention. But she could not tell just anyone her real intention for coming here.

"I'm sorry, but you will need to book an appointment with his secretary. Would you like to leave your name and number, and I will get back to you?" The receptionist sounded a bit irritated.

She could not blame her when she had been bugging her for almost an hour now, demanding a few minutes of their boss's time. But she was not giving up just yet as she remained where she stood.

She came here to see Mr. Alexander Princeton, and she was not leaving until she had accomplished what she came here today. She was going to finish this insanity once and for all.

"If you don't mind, I will wait till he is available to see me anytime today." She informed the woman behind the counter. "I will appreciate it if you can find a way to squeeze me in his schedule." 

"Suit yourself. But I am telling you that Mr. Princeton had a full schedule today until next week. You will be waiting for a long time." The receptionist warned her with a bit of indifference, shrugging her shoulders on her.

She had no idea of who this woman was and what she wanted from the new head of this company. But she was not going to be intimidated to let her in without going through the proper protocol.

"I'll take my chance." She answered her, not caring if her presence was not welcome. She was not doing anything wrong, so she could not be forced to leave the premises.

She moved to the waiting area in the lobby and looked around for a familiar face that might help her get an appointment for today. If not, she would settle to ambushing Mr. Princeton once he left the building.

"Just don't make any scene if you don't want our security to escort you out of the building." The receptionist warned her again.

"Of course." She responded to the woman who still did not recognize who she was.

She did use to work in this building under Mr. Hamilton. But most of the people who she had worked with did not want anything to do with her. Her association with Nick branded her as a traitor, just like him.

She settled herself on the corner where she would have a good view of the layout of the building, so she would not miss seeing her target if he happened to come down from his tower.

As she waited for her opportunity to talk to Alex, her mind wandered back to the recent events that led her to this moment. She looked at the wide window outside, but all she saw was Nick's betrayal.

She stared at the recent text she received. She was back at her apartment. On the screen was Nick's name, telling her that he decided that it would be better for her to lay low.

For the past couple of days, Nick had been avoiding her. Making some excuses about his busy schedule, but she knew better when things were getting sour.

"Did he think that he could easily set me aside?" Cassie said with contempt as Nick decided not to include her in his plans.

He was not getting rid of her that easily because she also had a few tricks on her sleeves. Nick could not use her and then dispose of her if he believed she had no more value to his plans.

She heard from a friend, someone working closely with him. He had been meeting with his new partner against Ethan and Alex. If that was the case, it meant that he was losing interest in her.

"I thought you said that you and Nick are over." The man next to her uttered in surprise as he heard what she said. "Was that all a lie?"

He deduced that she was referring to Nick from her tone and how she was fuming on her phone. 

"I am ending it with him soon, Troy. I promise." She knew her slipped up might have caused her relationship with Troy. 

Troy was already at his limit. She had never seen him like this before, but she wished he would still give her a chance. She called him earlier to explain to him her situation, but she believed she only had made it worse.

"I'm sorry, Cassie. I thought when I came here. You are ready to give up everything for me. But I guess I am mistaken." Troy voiced out his disappointment with her.

He only strengthened his resolve to leave her and continued with his life without her. He now realized that there was no future for the two of them.

"But you love me. You can't just leave me." Cassie once again appealed to his emotion, hoping that she could still manipulate his heart.

"I'm sorry. I don't think I love you that way anymore." Troy grabbed her by the shoulder and kissed her in the cheeks. "You will always have a special place in my heart. I hope that someday you will realize that you are more than this bitter person that you have become."

He turned away from him, and without looking back, he walked out of her life for good, leaving her in her apartment alone again. He could not tolerate her wrongdoing anymore. 

She had to realize on her own that revenge would not give her the justice that she was looking for, and instead, it would only produce misery.

"Hey, I think I know you." Someone interrupted her thoughts as he stood in front of her.

He recognized her from the few times he had seen her with Alex's enemy, Nick. He was puzzled to find her waiting in their lobby. Was she waiting for someone? Was Nick in the vicinity?

"Yeah, Cassie. I think I also remember you. Marcus, right? You are a friend of Alexander Princeton." She extended her hand to him, hoping that he would be her ticket to the top floor.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, cautious not to be caught in a trap. Where Nick was concerned, he knew better to let his guard down.

"I was hoping to catch a word with your boss and friend, Alex. I have a piece of valuable information I wish to share with him." Cassie stated as she stood up from her seat to be at eye level with Marcus.

She had to convince him that she was not the enemy but someone who could help them against Nick. After what Nick did and Troy leaving, she realized the error of her ways. 

She had to correct her mistakes, hoping to salvage what else she could with her life. Troy was right. She still could turn her life around if she wanted to. She could still change for the better.