The Royal Contract

She texted Alex that she was on her way home before she started the engine. It was not quite late yet, so she was unsure if Alex was already home or still back at the office.

He might have decided to work overtime when she canceled their dinner. Now, she wondered if he had already eaten. Maybe she could prepare an easy meal for him since she barely had anything to eat during the meeting.

"Beep!" She heard her phone ping, alerting her of an incoming message. 

She was already on the road when she finally heard from him. He did text back that he was already at home. She was surprised since it was rare that he was first at the apartment before her. 

He usually showed up wherever she was to pick her up, sometimes surprising her in the process. She wondered why he did not bother this time. She did tell him where she was going.

"Thanks, Ben." She started to make a habit of thanking him for risking his life to protect her. Since the other day, she realized she should not negatively take what Alex was doing for her.

He only wanted to assure himself that she was always safe because he cared too much for her safety. She should appreciate it more, instead of fighting him at every turn.

She walked into his apartment excitedly, expecting to see him waiting for her. She did find the room brightly lit, but he was nowhere in sight.

"Alex," Dani called out once inside the living room as she dropped her things on the table and slumped down on the sofa. 

Her feet were already killing her since she wore her stilettos for her supposed date. She only wanted to put her feet up and let it rest. But, she still had yet to see Alex around.

He must be in one of the rooms, busy with whatever he was doing, still unaware that she had already arrived. She would have looked for him, but she did not want to move from her position anymore.

"Alex, I am home." She tried again, but still, he had not responded. 

She decided to close her eyes while waiting for him to show up. She allowed her body to lean on the soft cushion and adjust the placing of her feet, finding a more comfortable position.

A few more minutes, she found herself dozing off, unable to stop her mind from shutting down. She ended up sleeping on the couch with still no sign of Alex.

On the other side of the apartment, Alex was in the gym, trying to expel all his pent-up energy. He was unaware that Dani had already arrived since he was wearing his headset, listening to his playlist.

"Damn you, Edward." He shouted in frustration as his mind reminded him of his earlier conversation with his cousin.

He decided to work on his backlogs since Dani told him of her previous engagement. He did look forward to their date. It had been a while since they enjoyed a simple dinner out.

However, as soon as he finished his paperwork, he went to check on her. But before he even arrived at the restaurant, his phone rang and on the screen was Edward's name.

"Yes, Edward. What can you possibly need from me." Alex questioned his cousin when he had already cut all his ties with him. 

When he decided to join Nick in his company, he had already declared war against him. But he still hoped that Edward knew what he was doing. He still wished that Edward would become a good king that would lead their people.

"I just had a wonderful dinner with a client. Fortunately, I closed another successful deal." Edward bragged on the line as he sat on his luxurious car on his way to his hotel.

"So, what does it have to do with me? As if that will interest me." Alex said disinterestedly, tired of hearing his voice.

He could see the relevance of his call to him. He could close a hundred deals, and he would not bat an eye on him. He was about to end the call, seeing that talking to him was just a waste of his time, but Edward stopped him.

"Wait, Alex. It is just a part of my report to you." Edward stated sarcastically, remembering when the Council had instructed him to report all his activities with Alex.

This time, he was only reporting to himself. The Council would only be waiting for his result, which he was working on full time. He realized that he could not defend solely on Nick's help. 

It would seem that Nick was in sort of a dilemma. He believed that Nick was going through some rough patches, but he was too stubborn to admit it to him. But he would soon find out about it.

"What else do you want?" He asked, starting to get frustrated with the suspense. He just had no time for his petty and senseless talks.

He was racing to reach the restaurant where Dani had a meeting, and he did not want to miss her. "I am in a hurry."

"Well, if you are on your way to see Dani, you just missed her. She just left the restaurant." Edward assumed that Alex was on his way to see his fiance, which made the situation more interesting.

"How would you know that?" Alex asked curiously, wondering if Edward was telling him the truth.

He could not help but doubt any word that came out of his cousin's mouth. He had years of experience, discovering that Edward was a compulsive and pathetic liar.

"Because I just saw her during dinner with that fast-rising lawyer. I would have joined them, but I don't want to intrude. They seemed well..." Edward paused for a second before continuing. "...very cozy together."

He quickly sent some pictures that one of his men took to back it up. That should do the trick. He knew he was planting a seed that he hoped would grow immediately.. Like a weed, it would suck the life out of their relationship.