The CEO is The Limit

CHAPTER 4

ETHAN

I came home still feeling the bitter taste of defeat. I was leaving things on the way: the bag in the doorway, the jacket on the couch, the tie on the floor, the shoes down the hall. I finished changing into my bedroom, putting on shorts, a pair of sneakers, a gray hooded sweatshirt, but with the sleeves removed. I wrapped fabric bands around my knuckles and went to the condo gym, which was empty at that time. I was punching the sandbag until I almost fainted from exhaustion.

She had been so clever, so patient! If I were anyone else in the world I would have clapped my hands for their attitude. How did she know at what point the planets would be so perfectly aligned to end up with me like that? Seven long years! Within minutes I finally surrendered, giving her everything she wanted. If I had asked for the keys to my apartment, they would be hers. Even in the quantity of requests she was balanced.

Alexandra entered as a trainee in the last two years of my father's work in the troubled moment of power transition. I had worked with him for a long time, but at last I would own everything, I would have the weight of all decisions. I was 24 when I attended your interview. Alexandra had not yet become the incredible woman I had seen developing in a few years, but it already gave hints of all her talent. My father delighted in her in minutes, and it always made it clear to me how much I should care for her to develop professionally.

And what did I do? Oh, I was a real jerk.

I immediately felt threatened by her. Unlike Alexandra, I did not want to be in that position. I understood that my role as an eldest son was to take care of the company's presidency, but it was never what I always wanted to do. My dream was to be a doctor, to work with Médecins sans Frontières on the most isolated missions possible, giving all of me to help others. But life got me into expensive suits, smelling of money in the hands, power and responsibilities. Our company was diverse: it was buying sites of interest from the corporation or from some customer, reselling at a better price or constructing important ventures to attract tenants.

The entire research and reservation department was Will's responsibility in Washington. Sarah worked in engineering and architecture in the office in Germany, and I kept the bulk of the work: I was conducting negotiations with my consultants. The top five worked in individual rooms on the same floor as the presidency.

Now there would be six.

On the way home, I scheduled an emergency meeting with them for the first hour of the following day. Then I called my travel agent, who was trying to arrange a flight and accommodation for Alexandra, plus an unlimited corporate credit card. Everything would be reserved, and would be delivered to her house as soon as the sun rose.

The advantage of having money was the possibility of moving half the world in half an hour.

My father warned me about her while she was by my side, but I did not want to listen. I was sure that if I was already overwhelmed there, she would not be able to hold months. And there was Alexandra, years of full dedication, swallowing all the odds, enduring my crises, being my support, letting me take credit for what I had done without complaining.

I had come a long way because of her, even without acknowledging it publicly. The fact is I knew she was so competent that she could be my competitor, and beat me.

And what does a man with the ego the size of Manhattan do? He prunes who threatens him to the fullest, and that's what I did. It was working, until she claimed the right to exist without depending on my shadow. To avoid losing her for once, I had to act fast.

Alexandra did not know, but her talents were already known in the high wheel. Several of my competitors were hovering around, waiting for an opportunity for me to let her go. I surrounded her on all sides, with the excuse that I was protecting her. I did not fool my sister with such a weak argument.

The fact was clear: I depended on it, but I could not demonstrate it. That woman would ride on me in two seconds. Its brilliance would dazzle me forever.

The most I could do now was to allow that glow to shine little by little.

Even after finishing training, bathing and lying on the bed, I could not sleep. He thought about how to lead the future from there. I was going to need Mariah's help to decorate Alex's room, as well as make previous interviews and let her choose from a few assistant candidates.

I would lose my best assistant, but at least I would win a partner. Someone who would be on a slightly more level level.

And who knows, one day she could even replace me on a possible vacation, because one thing I had not done for at least a decade was rest.

Finally getting up, I wrote a letter, and I advised my travel agent to send someone to fetch them before they pass by Alexandra's house to deliver everything. I had a week to prepare our future.

Do you want the fire, Alex? Okay, I'll put you on it.

But I'm still going to hold one of your hands because you have no idea how much my strength will need.