The Fall of Alexander the Great (Monteverde Series 3)

10

Chapter Ten

When I opened my eyes, the sun's rays were already illuminating my room. It was a pleasant morning, I thought. Alexander slept in my unit again last night and I fear that it's slowly becoming routinary. He left early to go to work today, but when he got up earlier, I awoke from all the movements. He kissed me, told me to go back to sleep, and I slumped back.

I am starting to get annoyed with myself for thinking that it was a sweet gesture.

I am not supposed to be affected.

I am not supposed to think that it meant something.

Something can mean anything.

Anything is dangerously similar to nothing.

As if he knew that I was thinking about him, my phone beeped. I scrambled out of bed and quickly reached for it on top of the bedside table.

Have you eaten? I kind of cooked.

Kind of cooked? I headed to the kitchen and saw that he had indeed prepared breakfast for me. There's a bowl of yang chow rice with bits of beef and shrimp, a plate of hotdogs, eggs, bacon, and wow... Of course, he burned the fish fillet.

You kind of burned it, I replied, smiling. A minute later, I received a response.

It's a cooking style. I don't expect you to understand.

Well, it looks edible enough. Baka mamaya nilagyan mo ng gayuma 'to.

The screen lit up. E 'di wow, Blythe.

Natawa ako ng ubod ng lakas. At least now, he knows how to correctly and sarcastically deliver that remark. It's as if I can see his scowling face while seated on his swivel chair with a stack of papers above the table in front of him. I wonder what his office looks like...

Just like that, a lightbulb lit up inside my head.

After I ate and cleaned up my kitchen, I showered in a hurry, put on a plain white babydoll dress and partnered it with black combat boots. I stashed my phone, charger, keys, and cards in a flimsy designer bag before I went down to the basement. Ka Chow had just had his carwash the other day and his hood proudly glinted underneath the sun. I turned up the radio once inside, opened the waze app, and had it direct me to The Monteverde Group of Companies main building. I ordered quarter pounders and soda at a drive through before heading that way. Sometimes, Alexander forgets to eat breakfast when he has a lot of work.

I parked in front and placed my shades on. When I entered through the sliding doors, everyone in the lobby snapped their heads and craned their necks to look at me. I caught one employee staring at my hair a second too long before she walked away. The receptionist at the front desk told me Alexander's office is situated at the very last floor. However, she wouldn't let me in because I wasn't listed on the VIP section and I didn't have an appointment. Apparently, you don't just show up in his office unannounced.

I have a surprise for you, I texted him instead. It took him one full minute to respond.

What is it?

It's in the lobby of your office.

I'll have my secretary bring it up for me, he said.

Go see for yourself, big boss!

I sat on one of the chairs in front of the desk and waited. A few minutes have gone by and I still did not receive anymore reply from him. My shoulders slumped, a bit dejected, knowing the ice on the soda is already melting. I was fidgeting with my phone, contemplating whether to call him when all the employees stiffened at the ding of an elevator.