Sunlight came in through the windows, exposing the dust motes dancing in the air. In his clean Grey suit, Mr. Blackwood stood in the living room looking ready for office. Anna, wearing a loose sundress, fiddled with the last button on his sleeve. For a moment, she didn't smile but pouted instead.
"Do you have to go already?" She whined, and her voice was both silly and full of longing. "I am going to be so lonely here without you.”
Mr. Blackwood chuckled, turning to face her, his eyes warm. He captured her hand in his, his thumb gently stroking her knuckles. "Just a small problem at the office, sweetheart. I promise, I'll be back before you even know it."
He leaned in, and their lips met in a sweet, lingering kiss. Anna couldn't help but smile as they pulled away, out of breath and a little sad, she knew it would be selfish asking him to stay behind.
She teased him while fixing his tie, "Okay, Mr. CEO. Go save the day from whatever financial monster is lurking about." She smiled.
He laughed again. "And who will save me from missing you like crazy all day?" he asked with a smirk.
"Hmm," Anna pretended to ponder, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Maybe a phone call filled with sweet nothings and promises of dinner later?" she suggested
"That is an incentive I can't refuse," Mr. Blackwood said as he pulled her in for another kiss.
Anna couldn’t resist, she launched herself to him and wrestled his lips for dominance. As the kiss got deeper, their bodies pressed against each other. They both didn’t want to let go, Anna had her arms around his neck, clinging on like her life depended on it.
After finally pulling away with a sigh, Mr. Blackwood made his suit straight. "Alright love, I need to go. Don't forget to tell Zach whatever you need. He and the rest of the crew are back on duty and at your service.” He quickly reminded her
She said, "No problem," even though she was already feeling lonely. "But please call me, okay? It doesn't matter if it's just to complain about that annoying issue at work you brought up, or to tell me how good it is going resolving it.”
"Oh, you know I will," he said with a wink. "Now, don't get into too much trouble while I'm gone."
"Me? Trouble?" Anna feigned innocence, batting her eyelashes. "I'm the picture of angelic behavior."
They both laughed, adding a little amusement to the moment. With one last long kiss, Mr. Blackwood left the house, where the thought of them getting back together was already warming the space.
Anna smiled as she stood by the window and watched him walk away. She knew it was going to be a long day without him but she already had ideas on what to spend it doing. She had called Zach and asked him if any of the workers knew how to play the Piano, she needed a tutor.
She had discovered MB’s music room a few days back and couldn’t wait to learn how to use most of the instruments there, but she was more enticed by the massive Keyboard in the room.
**
Mr. Blackwood peeled off his expensive suit jacket, the air in the office feeling stifling after the open spaces of his mansion. He tossed the jacket carelessly over his chair, his gaze already focused on the glowing screen of his computer.
Checking through everything that had happened in his absence, Mr. Blackwood is impressed by how much work Megan had done, she had completely taken charge in the one week where he didn’t show up.
Speaking of his holiday, returning here didn’t feel the same as usual, maybe because he usually didn’t have a stunning young lady left behind in his mansion. Despite the familiar hum of the office, a part of him still lingered in the warmth of Anna's smile, wishing he could fast-forward through the day and be back home already.
Just then, the door creaked open and Megan swept in. "Good morning, Mr. Blackwood! Welcome back. Hope you had a relaxing break?" she asked innocently, having no idea what the Billionaire CEO had been doing with his time.
"Relaxing enough," he responded, forcing a smile. "So, what was this urgent issue you mentioned needing my attention for?"
Megan pulled up a file on her tablet. "It's about the Hilltop Hospital acquisition. Remember, we were expecting to finalize the purchase this week?"
Mr. Blackwood nodded, remembering the weeks of negotiations that had finally yielded results. "Right. Any problems with the paperwork?"
"No, sir," Megan said, but her brow furrowed. "Unfortunately, the sellers have put the deal on hold."
He frowned. "Hold? Why? Did they raise some new concerns?"
"Not exactly," Megan replied, tapping her tablet. "It seems another company has made a higher offer."
A flicker of annoyance crossed Mr. Blackwood's face. "Higher? Who in this state could possibly offer more than us?" he asked, a hint of pride in his tone. He knew in his field, he was one of the most successful in the city, he was not far from monopolizing the market.
"I thought so as well, so I did a little digging. There's talk it's the Forbes International Group of Companies, they are not from around, it is a company in Las Vegas" Megan revealed hesitantly.
The moment the name left her lips, Mr. Blackwood's jaw clenched. Forbes. His old man. Of course. It wouldn't be his father to simply compete in the market, oh no. He had to make it personal, a not-so-subtle jab at his son's ambition. Now he understood why the old man said they will be seeing more of each other shortly, but if his father wanted to mess with him, then two can play.
"This changes things," he muttered, tapping his fingers on the desk. "Get me everything you have on Forbes' offer, I want to know what they proposed, every detail of it." He requested.
Megan smiled, loving having a higher authority back at the office. “Sure Sir, I am already on that.”
“Good, you might leave. Oh wait! If you would like the position of COO, then prepare to sign the amendment contract soon, Megan.” He casually announced to her.
Megan’s face lit up in a smile, disbelief in her eyes. Was he for real? He was making her Chief Operating Officer?
“Oh My God, thank you so much, Sir.” she exclaimed in appreciation, trying to contain the excitement and stay professional, else she might have made a move to kiss him.
After Megan left, Mr. Blackwood leaned back in his chair, a steely glint replacing the warmth in his eyes. This wasn't just about business anymore. This was about proving himself, about showing his father that he wouldn't back down from a challenge, even if it meant facing off against the formidable Forbes Empire.
Maybe it was about time he paid the old man a visit!
TBC!!