Chapter 94 The Blacks

Chapter 94 The Blacks
ONE MONTH LATER.

~Alexander's P.O.V~

An emergency meeting was called after spending the last few days in complete silence and solitude. Dad had urged us to meet with him at the office, saying it was important for us to discuss what's been happening since...

I sighed as I exited my car. The press was already waiting at the front and didn't miss a beat. Like flies swarming shit, they moved swiftly, pushing against each other to get a microphone in my face.

"Mr. Black, this is your first appearance after your brother's fiancé disappeared."

"Mr. Black, was the wedding staged?"

"Mr. Black, we're also aware of Mr Russo's disappearance."

"Mr. Black, do you know where Alezandra is?"

Jesus fucking Christ.

I should've let my driver take me through the underground garage instead of insisting the front entrance would be quicker. Clearly, I wasn't thinking with the half a brain cell I had left.

Camera flashes nearly blinded me as I pushed through the crowd, resisting the urge to tell every last one of them to fuck off.

Not one of them gave a shit about the truth.

Three months ago, they were calling Alex America's sweetheart. Then Lillian leaked the sex tape and suddenly my ex sister-in-law went from one of the most powerful women to national disappointment overnight.

Every headline had something new to say about her. Gold digger, homewrecker, a cheater, slut. It didn't matter that none of them knew the full story, the media had already decided who she was.

And that's how I ended up signing the fucking papers- not because I suddenly developed a passion for corporate meetings.

Fuck no. I hated suits, I hated shareholders, and I hated sitting around a table pretending I gave a fuck whether some billionaire made another hundred million dollars this quarter.

Most of all, I hated working for my father.

The only reason I stepped into Black Industries was because someone had to redirect the spotlight from Alex. If the media wanted another Black to obsess over, I'd give them one.

The billionaire playboy son who couldn't stay out of headlines, the reckless brother– anything to get them off Alex's back.

As if that wasn't enough, I'd somehow agreed to help Jaxon build a company in Europe.

Another fucking headache.

Investors weren't biting, the expansion was dragging and half the meetings were postponed because my dear older brother had apparently decided disappearing from society was a perfectly acceptable business strategy.

Calls? Ignored. Emails? Also ignored. Board meetings? Missed.

I'd flown across the Atlantic more times in the last month than I had in the previous three years combined, only to end up sitting in conference rooms by myself, making excuses for a CEO who couldn't even answer his fucking phone.

Alex had really fucked him up when she left him at the altar.

Not that I'd ever admit that to his face.

Another microphone appeared inches from my mouth.

"Mr. Black, inside source is saying your family intends to sue Miss Russo? Is this information true?"

I didn't even break my stride.

At this point I was starting to think the Black family was fucking cursed.

And suing Alex? It certainly sounded like something my father would do.

I pushed through the revolving doors and finally escaped the circus outside.
The silence inside the lobby was almost enough to make me kiss the marble floor.

"Mr. Alexander."

I looked up to see Marcus leaning against the receptionist counter.

A grin spread across my face.

Marcus had been around forever. He worked security at the family estate before eventually moving up to overseeing security operations for the company headquarters. He'd watched Jaxon and I grow up. Taught me how to throw a proper punch after I lost my first fight at thirteen.

"Marcus." I raised a brow, as I'm walking in his direction he straightened up.

Marcus sighed. I can only imagine my father has been keeping him on his toes lately.

"Still alive?" He teased.

"Barely."

"Thought your father would've buried you boys in the backyard by now."

"He's considering it."

Marcus chuckled.

"He already yelled at me this morning."

"What for?"

"I told him good morning."

"Ah," I nodded solemnly. "Rookie mistake."

Marcus snorted.

"Forty-third floor. Conference Room B."

I groaned.

"Boardroom?"

"Worse."

"Lawyers?"

"Two."

"Fuck."

Marcus laughed.

"Good luck, kid."

"I'll need more than luck."

The elevator ride felt longer than usual.

As soon as the doors opened, I knew this wasn't some family intervention.

Several shareholders were seated around the polished table. Along with a few board members, financial advisors and not one but two fucking lawyers. Three of my father's assistants were also here, no doubt to take notes and pour coffee.

My attention was drawn to the stacks of documents on the long table and my father sitting at the head looking like someone had personally pissed in his espresso.

Wonderful.

The moment I stepped inside, his eyes landed on me.

"Where's your brother?"

Not even a hello- not even a nice to see you, just straight to disappointment.

"I don't know."

Dad squinted.

"You don't know?"

"That's what I said. I haven't seen him in weeks."

Jaxon practically vanished after the wedding disaster.

His staff claimed he was home alive and breathing. Apparently he's ignoring everyone.

Honestly, I was beginning to think Alex finally fucked him over for good this time.

"Why am I here?" I finally asked.

Dad leaned back in his chair and for a moment, no one spoke. Then one of the lawyers slid a folder across the table.

Dad clasped his hands together.

"Because your brother refuses to answer his phone."

He paused.

"And because if he won't protect this family's interests, then I'll do it myself."

What the fuck was that suppose to mean?

"What exactly does that mean?"

"It means your brother's fiancée disappeared carrying another man's child."

"That man has taken her to Greece."

Huh, Greece. Nice one Russo.

"The media is having a field day and our stock dipped three percent yesterday. The board is demanding action."

I glanced down at the folder, my eyes scanning the first page.

Petition for Injunctive Relief.

Oh...

Oh, fuck.

I looked up slowly, my father's expression didn't change.

"If Alezandra Black wishes to publicly humiliate this family, then she can explain herself before a judge."

I stared at him for a long moment, trying to process what the fuck I'd just heard. A disbelieving laugh almost escaped me as I rubbed a hand over my face, my brows pulling together while I looked at him like he'd completely lost his fucking mind. For a second I genuinely thought he was joking.

"You're suing her?"

"No." His jaw tightened.

"I'm stopping her."

"Before she destroys everything we've spent generations building."

AN/ Guys, I'll be going back to uploads on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Please forgive my absence and lack of updates. It's been a mess, from power outages to unreliable wifi these past few weeks😭😭