The Con Man

Chapter Ten

Alex paced outside Belle's office door. He was going to ask her out on their first official date but he wanted to make it special.

They had given up fighting their attraction to one another a week ago when Alex had confronted her about it. However after that Belle had to fly out to South Africa where there had been a mining accident. She had come back last night and was now also busy on a conference call regarding the compensation and medical care of the injured people.

Alex was quite amazed by her capability to handle a business which was very much oriented around construction, building materials, mining etc. It was very much a man's world but Belle was holding her own place in it. Sure times had changed so much and woman led business and led them far better than men but it was the nature of the business which was different.

Alex gathered the pages he had printed out and smiled when he read them through. He was sure Belle was going to like this. He was about to knock on the door when Belle opened the door and smiled at him.
"You know all that pacing is going to wear down the hardwood."

"I...uh...." Alex was lost in those sinfully enticing blue eyes.

"I came to gave you these papers" Alex said as he handed her the paper, straightening himself up and gathering his scattered wits.

Belle arched her eyebrow and took the papers from Alex.

"These are regarding which project?" Belle asked looking at him again with those rosy red lips slightly parted.

Alex groaned. Here he was dying to ravish her since he wasn't able to hold her in his arms from the past one week but this innocent woman was still hell bent on discussing business.

"You can read these later." Alex said as he grabbed those and scooped Belle off the floor.

Belle screamed and then started giggling.

"Belle, dear is everything okay?" George asked as he stepped off the elevator.

"Shit" Alex muttered while Belle tried to hide her face which was crimson red at the moment.

"Sir, Ma'am was walking out in a hurry when she stumbled forward and twisted her ankle. I was helping her back but she was not able to stand hence I decided to carry her to the room so she could rest it off." Alex said with a straight face.

George nodded and followed them in as Alex set Belle down on the bed.

"Ma'am, I will go get some ice for the swelling" Alex said as he quickly left the room.

"Belle, you should be more careful. I know this all is really stressing but be in control and everything will work out. Okay?"
"Thank dad. You decided to stop by?" Belle asked as she looked at her father.

"I am heading out to London tomorrow and I will be there for a week or so. A friend of mine had some business issues so we will be sorting those out. Take care till then." George leaned forward and pressed a kiss on her head and walked out.

The moment George got on the elevator and disappeared, Alex came charging into the room and grabbed Belle into a bone crushing hug.

"I have missed you so much and I was just about to show it to you but your father decided to interrupt my show and tell." Alex pouted like small child.

Belle gazed at his picture perfect face and wondered how she got so lucky. Yes they were not at the stage where they had pronounced their undying love for one another but there was something special between them as Alex has pointed and Belle wanted explore that even thought she thought it to be distraction. It was high time that she learned how to handle her personal and professional life separately.

"Way to start it by making it out with your PA" her brain shot at her.

Belle suppressed a groan and looked at the hazel orbs peering at her.

"Show me then how much you missed me." Belle whispered as she pulled Alex in for an earth shattering kiss.
-------'

"I have missed you darling" Linda muttered as she snuggled closer to George who sighed and kissed her temple.

George had arrived at London yesterday and he was here for solely personal reasons and those were meeting the love of his life, Linda. Yes, she was the love of his life and not his mistress. She was the woman he fell in love with when he was still a naïve sixteen year old boy but the love strengthened over time.

Their world collapsed when George met with an accident and was rendered sterile for the rest of his life as the wound had infected his reproductive abilities. This news was well hidden from the media as it would have struck up a storm in the business world. Hawking and Sons was a giant cooperation and many business sharks had their eyes on it to take it down at the first chance they got. George was 23 at the time this incident occur.

Situations were manipulated and facts were hidden and soon George was married off to Martha before he could even think to handle the situation his way. His parents planned and executed everything so quick to save the name of the family that George was swept with it.

Linda had been devastated and accused George if cheating but George explained everything to her including his inability to father any child. Linda had cried and yelled at him that she loved him and would have married him but George knew his parents would have never accepted Linda as she did not belong to the upper elite society.

George worked his issues with Linda and promised her his heart and that Martha was just a duty to him which he had to fulfill for his parents. Their family doctor was paid and he threw the blame on Martha for not being able to have a child when they went for a checkup after "failed" attempts at conceiving. The doctor advised them IVF and a sperm donor matching George's physical traits was taken and Martha thought it to be her husband's. This dirty secret was only known to George and his parents and no other living soul knew about it except for the doctor who was paid in heavy amounts to keep his mouth shut.

George anticipated the birth of his son. He took care of Martha though he did not love her but he was human enough and had the courtesy to respect her. At time he felt bad for dragging her into this mess but Martha was bred and bought up to be a rich man's trophy wife. Her father was a business associate of his father and their marriage was easily pulled off.

However Martha gave birth to a daughter and that infuriated George. He was done with this. Their composed relation became hell and George took each chance to lash out at Martha. Of course he had to behave like the proud doting father to the young girl as she was innocent in this dirty game of business but George couldn't help but resent her and her not even being his blood didn't help the situation.

He spent most of his time with Linda and soon media got whiff of this and to stop the matters from getting out of hand, George helped Linda settle in London in a luxurious house and he visited her every month. During that time he was able to relax and forget all the stress that was present back home.

George watched Isabelle grow up and put her life into pleasing him by learning how to handle the business but it was not enough for him. Sure the girl looked a lot like him and anyone could say that she was her father's daughter but George knew the truth and it blinded everything else. He pretended to be proud of her and beamed like a proud father when she took over as CEO but he was not willing for her to run the company; she was not capable not matter how hard she tried.

George had a plan forming in his mind through which he could safe guard his company and save it from this naïve young girl. So what if he was not lucky enough to have a son. He was however lucky enough to have a son in law and he knew just the man who was ruthless and capable, with the same mindset as George, who could take his company to new heights. George smiled content with his plan which finally took shape after months of trying to find a solution. He sighed and softly kissed Linda on her forehead before drifting off to sleep.