Chapter 12: Old Habits

By afternoon, every major news outlet seemed to be covering some version of the same story.

THE ENGAGEMENT THAT SHOOK TWO CORPORATE EMPIRES

Some focused on the affair, while others returned to Alexander’s abandoned trip to the Marriage Bureau. The business press, however, had already moved on to something far more expensive than a broken engagement.

The possible collapse of the Vance-Sebastian alliance.

Alex ignored the headlines.

Or at least, he made a respectable attempt at it.

He was sitting inside a quiet café tucked away from the city’s busiest districts, one of the few places that had somehow survived almost unchanged since his college days.

Alex had discovered it sometime during his first year and quickly turned it into his preferred hideaway whenever campus became too noisy, or he needed somewhere to think without anyone bothering him.

Apparently, some habits survived adulthood.

The smell of freshly ground coffee drifted through the room as a waiter placed Alex’s order in front of him, complete with a small cookie resting against the saucer.

He’d barely reached for the cup when a shadow fell across the table, blocking some of the afternoon light spilling through the window.

Alex looked up.

Giovanni Mercer stood beside the table.

For a moment, Alex simply stared at him.

Then he glanced around the nearly empty café as though the answer to one very obvious question might somehow be sitting at another table.

"How did you even find me?"

"Your executive secretary."

Of course.

Traitor.

Alex made a mental note to remind his executive secretary that giving away his hiding places defeated the entire purpose of having them.

"You asked Vincent where I was?"

"I called you first."

Alex reached for his phone and checked the screen.

Sure enough, buried beneath calls from Legal, several Board members, and people he currently had absolutely no desire to speak to, was one missed call from Giovanni.

"Oh."

Giovanni pulled out the chair opposite him but didn’t immediately sit.

"May I?"

"You already tracked me down."

A faint trace of amusement appeared in Giovanni’s eyes before he took the seat across from him.

A few moments later, the waiter returned with another cup of coffee and placed it in front of Giovanni.

So apparently, he’d ordered before coming over.

As Giovanni thanked the waiter, his gaze drifted toward the small cookie resting against Alex’s saucer.

"Still taking sweets with your coffee, huh."

Alex followed his gaze before looking back at him.

"And you still remember."

"Mn."

Curt as always.

But something about the look Giovanni gave him made Alex feel as though the man wanted to add, I remember more than you think.

Hopefully, none of those memories involved Alex being particularly embarrassing.

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.

Oddly enough, the silence wasn’t uncomfortable.

Then one memory led to another, and somehow they ended up talking about school again.

Teachers they hadn’t thought about in years came up, followed by old classmates and the ridiculous things they’d once considered serious problems. Alex even found himself laughing over one particular incident he’d apparently remembered very differently from Giovanni.

By the time their conversation eventually returned to the present, the years between them no longer seemed quite as long.

Giovanni studied him over the rim of his cup.

"You’ve changed."

Alex let out a quiet laugh.

"I’ve been hearing that a lot lately."

"I don’t mean your appearance."

"Then what?"

"You used to carry everyone else’s burdens before your own."

Alex’s fingers stilled around his cup.

"And now?"

"Now you finally look like you’re carrying only yours."

Alex looked at him for a moment.

That was an oddly generous interpretation considering he currently felt as though half the corporate world had decided to climb onto his back.

Still, he understood what Giovanni meant.

For once, none of Dominic’s problems were his to fix.

The realization was surprisingly pleasant.

Maybe that was also why Alex had slept better last night than he had any right to.

Not particularly long, considering everything that still needed his attention, but better.

For the first time since he’d been left waiting at the Marriage Bureau, Alex had gone to bed knowing he had options.

Sebastian Group was no longer the only company capable of filling the gaps its departure might leave behind. Mercer Group was more than capable of becoming a viable alternative in several areas, provided the numbers supported it.

And as for the other problem that had been hanging over Alex’s head...

Well.

Giovanni had agreed to marry him.

It was amazing what having an alternative could do for a person’s sleep quality.

Alex took another sip of coffee.

"So?"

Giovanni leaned back.

"Tell me."

"Tell you what?"

"What exactly is your endgame?"

Alex slowly stirred his coffee.

"I want to make sure he never gets the chance to betray me twice."

One of Giovanni’s eyebrows rose.

"That’s a rather elegant way of putting it."

"I’m serious."

"I know."

Alex finally looked up.

"He thought he could make a fool out of me, disappear on the day we were supposed to register our marriage, then call my father afterward and tell him, ’We’re still getting married, just not yesterday.’"

Even repeating it made Alex wonder how Dominic had managed to say something so absurd with complete confidence.

"He actually thought I’d still want to marry him."

Giovanni watched him for several seconds.

Then he nodded.

"Good."

Alex frowned.

"Just good?"

"I’d be disappointed if you were still willing to be the third wheel in your own marriage."

Alex stared at him.

"That’s a rather unpleasant way of putting it."

"I’m serious."

The bastard even threw his own words back at him.

Alex almost smiled.

Almost.

Giovanni took another sip before asking, "Pardon me for asking, but how did you not find out about the affair earlier?"

That effectively killed whatever smile had been threatening to appear.

Alex glanced down at his coffee.

"As I told you the other night, I was too trusting."

That was the simplest explanation.

Unfortunately, it was also the most humiliating.

"And too busy," he added. "I was practically running two companies while Dominic was running around behind my back."

Giovanni’s mouth twitched.

Alex noticed.

"Go ahead. Laugh."

"I wasn’t going to."

"You wanted to."

"At the wording, maybe."

"Hah."

At least someone was enjoying this.

Alex leaned back and stared at the ceiling for a moment.

"Damn. I actually thought he trusted me enough to handle all those emergency business trips."

He gave a humorless laugh.

"Apparently, some of those emergencies were very conveniently timed. I’d leave, and the two of them would go on vacation."

Giovanni’s expression changed slightly. Opening up wasn’t easy, but Alex did just that before he finally asked.

"So why are you here?"

Giovanni set his cup down. "Just checking on my fiancé, who happened not to answer my call."

Alex smiled a little. He recognized Giovanni’s effort to stop Alex from wallowing in self-pity.

"Are you looking at Mercer Group to absorb the projects to be left by Sebastian Group?"

"Yes, in particular, the Westbridge project. That’s the most critical in terms of deadline and public interest."

"And if possible, let’s have new joint ventures, if the numbers add up."

Giovanni nodded.

This time, Alex actually laughed.

There it was.

One reason talking business with Giovanni had always been simultaneously irritating and refreshing.

No promises because they were friends.

No assurances because of whatever history existed between them.

Just business.

Alex extended his hand across the table.

"This time, neither friendship nor history gets a vote. The numbers do."

Giovanni looked at the offered hand before taking it.

"As they should."

Alex’s phone rang before either of them could say more.

He glanced at the screen and sighed.

Of course.

His legal team.

The Vance Board would likely convene soon, and before then there were still agreements to review, exposure to assess, and several people waiting to find out precisely how far Alex intended to take his newly discovered enthusiasm for risk management.

Giovanni finished the last of his coffee.

"Call me if you need another set of eyes."

Alex raised an eyebrow.

"Wouldn’t that be a conflict of interest?"

"That never stopped you from asking for my opinion before."

"Maybe I’ve matured."

"Since yesterday?"

Alex gave him a flat look.

"You just said I’ve changed."

"So I’ve heard."

Alex shook his head.

"Besides, I’ve had enough questionable partnerships to last me a lifetime."