Chapter 3
At two o'clock sharp, I stood by the glass entrance of the building, watching Laurel glide toward me with effortless grace just as Alex's Maybach rolled to a smooth stop at the curb.
The timing was flawless, and a surge of smug satisfaction hit me.
I pulled open the rear door and gestured for Laurel to enter. "Ms. Harper, Mr. Grant mentioned he'd give you a lift since we're heading to the same summit," I lied smoothly.
Laurel looked genuinely flattered, a flustered glow blooming on her face as she ducked her head to slide into the leather interior.
Then Alex's voice cut through the air from the shadows of the back seat. "You, in the front," he commanded.
Laurel froze, looking completely blindsided. "Wait, what?" she stammered.
The live feed went into a total frenzy.
Comment: [LOL, I cannot wait for this guy to hit the 'groveling' phase of the book. He's making it so hard for himself!]
Comment: [This is gold. He has zero clue he's supposed to be the hero—he's literally dodging her.]
I realized I had to accept my fate and climbed into the back seat next to Alex instead.
Throughout the drive, I was a nervous wreck, glancing between the two of them and praying for even a spark of chemistry.
Alex remained a statue, staring out the tinted window, utterly unmoved by his surroundings.
Laurel, meanwhile, kept stealing glances at him.
The silence was agonizing, and my patience was wearing thin.
Finally, Laurel gathered her courage. "Mr. Grant, regarding the summit's opening agenda..." she started.
Alex didn't turn his head. "Mm," he grunted.
Laurel tried again, her voice a bit more forced. "I've actually prepared some supplemental materials on the..."
"Mm," Alex repeated.
Laurel went quiet then, looking like she'd just run into a brick wall.
The absurdity of it almost broke me, and I had to bite my lip to keep from losing it.
It was hilarious—Alex really was a one-trick pony whose entire vocabulary had been reduced to a single grunt.
*****
The summit was a total zoo, packed wall-to-wall with industry power players.
I trailed behind Alex like a high-end shadow, carrying his personalized insulated tumbler.
And yeah, you heard that right—a sleek, matte-black flask filled with some bespoke, bio-hacked electrolyte tonic.
Alex Grant, the youngest CEO to ever run Grant Enterprises, was already deep into the executive wellness cult; nobody would buy it if I hadn't seen the ingredients myself.
Laurel had been left in the dust, forced to make polite small talk with a group of mid-level tech bros.
The second Alex sat down, a swarm of suits descended on him, desperate for a handshake or a quote.
I stood off to the side, maintaining my perfectly curated corporate smirk, while my brain ran overtime planning the perfect opening for Alex to swoop in and play the hero for Laurel.
Right on cue, a frantic barrage of comments scrolled across my vision.
Comment: [Heads up! A low-level creep is about to move in on the heroine!]
Comment: [Here we go! The 'Damsel in Distress' trope is about to peak!]
Comment: [The assistant is about to watch the hero give the lead girl total VIP treatment. RIP to her feelings.]
I almost laughed out loud.
The idea that this would "hurt" was a joke; I was practically vibrating with excitement.
I craned my neck, eager for a front-row seat to see how Alex would stage the rescue.
Sure enough, just a few yards away, a sleazy guy with hair so greasy it looked wet blocked Laurel's path with a predatory grin.
"Ms. Harper, it's been a minute! We had such a vibe at that last mixer—how about you give me your personal cell so we can catch up properly?" the man asked.
Laurel's expression soured, and she instinctively stepped back. "Mr. Williams, I'm sorry, I really shouldn't..."
"What, you're too good for me?" the man leaned in closer, his smirk turning into a sneer. "I'm still weighing that investment in the Grant project. Don't be difficult. Let's talk."
This was it—the climax of the scene.
I whipped my head toward Alex, my eyes almost screaming, "Go! Move! Your girl is in the trenches!"
Alex was staring down at his phone, but sensing my frantic energy, he finally looked up.
I shot him a desperate, meaningful look, practically telepathically ordering him to go play the knight in shining armor.
Alex frowned, his gaze shifting over to the confrontation with Laurel for a split second, before he went right back to his screen, looking bored out of his mind.
What?
The comment feed practically detonated.
Comment: [Why is he just sitting there? This is totally off-script!]
Comment: [I'm screaming! Move, you idiot!]
Comment: [Wait, what is he even looking at on his phone?]
I leaned in for a covert peek—Alex was staring intently at real-time market volatility charts.
"Mr. Grant, it looks like Ms. Harper's caught in a bit of a situation over there," I whispered, trying to nudge him.
Alex didn't even lift his chin. "Mm."
"That guy looks like he's really hounding her," I pushed.
"Mm," Alex grunted again.
"Aren't you going to... you know, intervene?" I asked, throwing out one last, desperate line.
Alex finally looked up, pinning me with a look that suggested I'd lost my mind. "That's what security is for," he said flatly.
I stood there, speechless. He was actually serious.
The comments were having a field day.
Comment: [LOL, Alex really just said 'I'm the CEO, not a bouncer.']
Comment: [Help, he's so hyper-rational it hurts. I love him but he's a disaster.]
Comment: [Okay, but if he won't play hero, how is this romance ever going to start?]
While I was still reeling from his cold logic, Alex had already signaled a nearby security team and pointed a single, dismissive finger in Laurel's direction.
Two burly guards moved in immediately, politely but very firmly steering a protesting man toward the exit.
Laurel exhaled a massive sigh of relief, her eyes searching for ours to offer a grateful look.
But Alex remained buried in his phone, his world beginning and ending with the flickering red and green lines of the NASDAQ.
The feed went into a full-scale meltdown.
Comment: [Seriously? Delegating the rescue? That is the least romantic thing I've ever seen.]
Comment: [Alex, get your head in the game! That's your future wife!]
Comment: [Code red! The canon is officially breaking!]
I was spiraling even harder than the commenters.
No way. My future depended on me turning up the heat right now.
After the summit wrapped, I scanned Alex's itinerary for the following week and spotted a high-profile banquet.
Laurel was on the guest list too.
The setup was too good to be true.
I gave Alex's door a sharp rap and stepped inside. "Mr. Grant, who are you taking as your plus-one to the banquet next week?"
Alex didn't look up from the stack of contracts he was signing. "You."
I didn't miss a beat. "Why not take Ms. Harper? She's the new rising star; she needs the networking face time."