I pushed the door open.
Several people were already seated around the large table.
Several other people.
President Evan.
Uncle Herbert.
And him.
Alexander.
He sat near the far end of the table wearing a black suit.
His expression was calm.
Unreadable.
The moment I entered, his gaze lifted.
Our eyes met briefly.
Then he looked away first.
As if nothing had happened.
As if we were complete strangers.
Something inside me loosened unexpectedly.
I wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or disappointed.
"Director Alicia."
Uncle Herbert smiled.
"We were waiting for you."
I nodded and took my seat before opening the files in front of me.
The meeting soon began.
To my surprise, Alexander barely spoke.
Most of the discussion was handled by the lady I assume to be his assistant and the directors accompanying him.
Whenever he did speak, it was strictly about business.
Cotton supply.
Distribution.
Production schedules.
Investment projections.
Nothing else.
Not once did he mention yesterday.
Not once did he look at me longer than necessary.
The entire meeting proceeded smoothly.
Yet somehow that made me even more uneasy.
Because I couldn’t understand what he was thinking.
After almost two hours, the review finally ended.
The representatives began gathering their documents.
I was organizing my own files when Uncle Herbert suddenly spoke.
"Director Alicia."
I looked up.
"Why don’t you personally show Chairman Blackwood around the company?"
My fingers tightened around the folder.
For a moment, the room became painfully quiet.
"I think that would be appropriate," President Evan added calmly.
"As the person overseeing the partnership."
I instinctively glanced at Alexander.
His expression remained composed.
As though the decision made no difference to him.
Then he finally spoke.
"If Director Alicia doesn’t mind."
My heart immediately started beating faster.
But with everyone’s eyes on me, refusing would only attract attention.
So I forced a smile.
"Of course."
I forced a polite smile but deep down,I was feeling very nervous.
The conference room gradually emptied until only a few people remained.
Uncle Herbert exchanged a few words with President Evan before leaving with the other executives.
Soon, only Alexander, his assistant, and I remained.
The assistant stood and gathered her documents.
"I’ll go review the remaining files with the others, Chairman."
Alexander nodded.
"Alright."
Then she turned to me with a polite smile.
"I’ll leave him in your care, Director Alicia."
Before I could respond, she walked out and quietly closed the door behind her.
The moment the door clicked shut, silence settled between us.
An uncomfortable silence.
For the first time since yesterday, there was no one standing between us.
No shareholders.
No executives.
No family.
Just the two of us.
I lowered my gaze to the files in my hands.
"Shall we go?"
My voice sounded surprisingly steady.
"Alright."
His answer came immediately.
I turned and walked out of the conference room.
Alexander followed behind me.
The hallway felt unusually long.
Several employees greeted us as we passed.
"Good morning, Director Alicia."
"Good morning, Chairman Blackwood."
I responded with practiced ease.
Meanwhile, I could feel Alexander’s presence behind me.
Not too close.
Not too far.
Just enough to make me painfully aware of him.
We stopped first at the production department.
I explained the manufacturing process, the quality control systems, and the improvements made over the last few years.
Alexander listened attentively.
Occasionally asking a question.
Occasionally nodding.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
The entire interaction remained professional.
And somehow that bothered me.
Because I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
Not anymore.
After touring several departments, we eventually arrived at one of the viewing platforms overlooking the processing area.
Workers moved below us.
Machines operated steadily.
The atmosphere was busy but organized.
I stopped beside the railing.
"This is where most of the raw cotton is processed before being transferred to the textile section."
Alexander nodded.
"The efficiency is impressive."
"Thank you."
Silence followed.
I found myself staring at the workers below.
Anywhere except at him.
We remained standing there for a while, surrounded by an awkward silence.
Finally, I gathered enough courage to speak and turned to face him.
"Is there anything else Chairman Blackwood would like to see or know?" I asked.
For the first time since that morning, his gaze lingered on me a little longer than necessary.
Surprisingly, I didn’t look away either.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then he finally answered.
"This should be all for now."
I nodded.
"Alright."
His lips parted slightly, as though he wanted to say something else.
But before he could, the sound of approaching footsteps interrupted us.
"Here you are."
I turned at the familiar voice and saw President Evan walking toward us alongside Alexander’s assistant.
They soon reached where we were standing.
The assistant stopped beside Alexander while President Evan stood next to me.
"Chairman Blackwood, I hope you’re enjoying the tour," President Evan said politely.
Alexander nodded.
"Very much. Director Alicia is doing a good job."
President Evan glanced at me briefly before a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"She always does."
The confidence in his voice caught me off guard.
I instinctively looked up.
Our gazes met.
For a brief moment, I noticed something in his usually indifferent eyes.
Pride.
And something else I couldn’t quite identify.
It disappeared so quickly that I almost convinced myself I had imagined it.
Before I could think further, I felt it.
A strange heaviness in the atmosphere.
Instinctively, I turned.
Alexander was looking at us.
Not directly at me.
Not directly at Evan.
Just... looking.
His expression remained calm and unreadable, yet something about his gaze made the air feel heavier.
President Evan seemed to notice it as well because he turned toward Alexander with a slight frown.
The assistant quickly stepped forward.
"If the tour is finished, Chairman, we should probably get going."
She glanced at Alexander.
"There are still a few documents that need to be reviewed."
For a second, Alexander remained silent.
Then he finally looked away.
His gaze settled on me.
"Thank you for the tour, Director Alicia."
His voice was calm.
Professional.
As if nothing has happened.
Then he turned to President Evan.
"We’ll take our leave now."
Without waiting for a response, he started walking away.
The assistant followed immediately behind him.
I watched their retreating figures disappear down the hallway.
Only when they were out of sight did I realize I had been staring.
"Yesterday you left early with Aimy."
President Evan’s voice pulled me back to reality.
I turned toward him.
"I didn’t get to see her again."
I blinked.
"Oh."
I adjusted the folder in my hands.
"I had something to take care of at the mansion, so I left in a hurry."
He nodded in understanding.
"It’s alright."
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
Then he added,
"I heard she’s here today with Mrs. Margaret."
My eyes widened.
"What?"
President Evan looked slightly amused by my reaction.
"The CEO’s wife brought her earlier."
He glanced toward the corridor.
"She’s probably looking for you right now."
The blood drained from my face.
Aimy was here.
And Alexander was still in the building.
The thought alone made my heart jump.
What if they crossed paths again?
What if.
"I should go find her."
The words left my mouth immediately.
President Evan looked at me for a moment, clearly noticing my urgency.
Then he simply nodded.
"Go ahead."
I didn’t wait another second.
Turning on my heel, I hurried down the corridor.
The only thought running through my mind was finding Aimy before anything unexpected happened.