An Intangible Pattern - Fate Bound.

Meeting at the Courentin Family Home

"It's a disgrace! An embarrassment! My own son!" Roared Henry pacing up and down the cavernous study, his voice bouncing off the smooth marble walls.
"Did you ever consider how this would look to the other board members? How dare you not consult me!"
Noah kept his expression neutral and let him rage.
"My father would spin in his grave if he could see the way you behave!"
"I think he'd have bigger concerns," answered Noah mildly.
"Don't answer back!" He spat.
Noah glanced at the clock, then returned his gaze to the view through the glass wall behind his father's desk.
How long is he going to go on for? - He thought. The meeting was due in just under an hour and his father showed no signs of running out of steam.
"You are completely irresponsible! You have absolutely no respect for everything your grandfather built and entrusted to you! How dare you! How dare you jeopardize his legacy like this!"
"Enough! I did not set a dangerous drug loose on the public." Noah bit back impatiently.
Henry looked as though he wanted to strike him, but they both knew Noah could overpower him with ease. He shook with ineffectual fury and glared at his son.
Noah closed his eyes and swallowed his own anger, "I will accept responsibility for my own actions, but I didn't cause the current crisis. We have been cooperating with the police thus far and I'm sure the board members would understand that in a situation like this, everyone is a suspect."
"Even your own father?" barked Henry.
"Everyone! I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but at the time I didn't know what to think."
"And are you satisfied now?"
"We didn't find any evidence of any recent wrong doing, so yes."
"I see, so would you have told me if I hadn't found out?"
"Eventually."
"Eventually!?" Henry scoffed, turning his back to Noah and walking to the window, "The reputation of this company relies on the Courentin and Stone families operating as a cohesive unit. We cannot allow even the slightest crack to show in our foundation. We need to be rock solid. If you sow distrust among the ranks it will take hold and spread to our investors. I will not tolerate this kind of secrecy from you again. Do you understand!"
As though you could do anything about it. Noah thought irritably, but answered. "I understand." He was used to these occasional outbursts from his father and attributed it to a need to assert his authority once in a while. It had been a long time since he felt any genuine fear of him, nor any obligation to submit to his control. However, he needed him to calm down, so he stood and he took it.
"This woman, Alexandra is it? Can she be trusted?"
"Yes. She's very loyal to her sister and from what I understand very competent at what she does."
"Good. We need to get this whole situation under control and soon." He paused for a moment, still glaring at the wild vista of forest and lake. "...And Gillian... Did Gillian know about this?"
"No, she knew no more than you."
"How'd she take it?"
"Much the same." Noah shrugged.
Henry nodded. With forced calm he said, "Leave me for a while. I'm not done with you, but I need some time to think."
Noah nodded and left the office without a backwards glance. As he closed the heavy oak door behind him he let out a relieved sigh. His footsteps echoed sharply around the hall as he made his way to the lounge where his mother was huddled in the corner of a pristine white sofa, a cup of green tea in her hand and a book laid open next to her.
"Well? Has he calmed down?"
"Hard to tell."
She tutted, "Must you upset him? You know I'm the one who has to live with him when he's like that."
He shrugged, "He upsets himself. I'm not trying to annoy him."
She shot him a disapproving look and sighed.
"Come sit down," she patted the seat next to her. He took it politely and she tucked a strand of hair behind his ear, "It's really getting too long, you know. It would be much tidier if you had it cut short, like your father."
"I like it the way it is."
"Yes but you'd look so much more grown up. Do remember, you represent Courentin and Stone. What kind of impression do you want to make?"
"I'm not particularly worried. Any idiot can cut their hair and put on an expensive suit. In my experience, true talent requires little window dressing..." He grinned cheekily at his mother and she slapped him playfully on the shoulder.
"Don't be so disrespectful."
"I'm not! Keeping up appearances is father's job, it'd be a shame to deprive him of it when he does it so well."
She sighed and set her teacup down on a sleek coffee table made of rosewood, "He won't be around forever, you know that right?"
"He'll be around long enough. He's a better businessman than I am anyway."
"Yes, but what will you do when he's gone? Will you let the company fail?"
"Would that be so awful?" He muttered, his face impassive.
"You're not serious are you?"
He scanned her widened eyes and sighed, "As though Courentin and Stone would collapse without me. There's Arthur and Tom."
"Yes but they're both Stones and neither of them are Alphas!"
"Why does it matter? They're both competent and they know the company inside and out. Either one would do the job as well, if not better, than I can."
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Look, I know it's a lot to bear, but it means so much to your father and it's your birthright. It's a privilege to be the custodian of something so... so world changing. Like it or not, you are important, you're special. You can't allow the company to fall into the wrong hands. Please, just think about it. Ok?"
He forced a smile and said, "I promise I won't let it fall into the wrong hands. It just so happens that the right hands are Father's, for now at least."
She shook her head. "You and your father are far too alike."
"In what way?"
"You're both as stubborn as mules and you both think you're right all the time."
"See, that's where we differ. He thinks he's right and I know I am." He laughed.
"Hmm," she pursed her lips disapprovingly.
Noah glanced at his watch and looked out the vast window at the drive snaking through the immaculate grounds.
"What time is it?"
"Almost eleven."
"I suppose I better arrange some refreshments. How many are coming?"
Noah began to list names counting each one off with his fingers, "Gillian, Arthur, Graeme, Alexandra and Ben. Five."
"Ben?" Repeated Roberta forcing a smile, "I thought he relapsed?"
Noah suppressed a wave of indignation and answered cooly, "No. He's been having nightmares again. We're dealing with it and he's clean.
"Well, that's good then." she said brightly, but couldn't hide her insincerity, "Should he really be involved in this."
"He offered and I trust him." Noah said firmly.
"Well if you're sure. I'm not sure it's a good idea to involve him in company matters again... for his own sake of course."
"I disagree. Ben has contributed considerably to our success in the past. He has earned our respect."
"Oh, that's not what I meant!"
"Isn't it?" He asked pointedly.
She flushed, "I just mean that we shouldn't cause him any stress. As you say, he's struggling."
"And as I said, we have it under control. There's no need to concern yourself with this."
"Very well," she huffed, picked up her book and marked her place before setting it down on the coffee table, "I better get ready for our guests.,"
"Would you like some help?"
"Oh you needn't concern yourself with that. I have it under control," she replied haughtily and stalked off to the kitchen. Noah smiled wincingly at her back and thought irritably
Well, don't look down on Ben!
He leaned back on the sofa and continued to watch the drive. He wondered, if he had not met Ben, would he have been just like her? Judgemental and sheltered in this ivory tower, a safe distance from the society of those who wade through a swamp of poverty. Would he too believe that someone like Ben, somehow, brought it on himself?
He liked to think he wouldn't, but he didn't know anymore. He'd already fallen so far outside his own moral standards, he hardly seemed qualified to judge her.
He sighed and stared out of the window.
Before long, two cars rolled around the drive, he got up and alerted both his parents, then went outside.
Gillian got out of the first car and strode up to him with a raised eyebrow and folded arms.
"Well? I see you're still alive."
"Barely."
She tutted and turned to Roberta and embraced her, kissing either cheek. "Good to see you, Bobby."
"You too, Gillian."
From the second car, Graeme groaned as he clambered out of the driver's seat.
"Well, you sly old fox, did you know about this too?" Gillian called sharply.
Graeme shuffled guiltily and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, who else was he going to ask?"
"You didn't think I could be trusted either then? Or Henry?"
"It's not like that, Gillian."
"What's it like then? You've known us our whole lives and you kept us in the dark! It's nice to know what you think of us!"
"Enough!" Groaned Noah, "I made him promise not to say anything, if you want to be angry at anyone, then be angry at me."
"Oh don't you worry about that, young man. I'm absolutely furious with you."
"Yeah, well, take a number and get in line." Noah sighed dejectedly, "...but before you take my head off, can you just listen to what we have to say?"
A third car was coming up the drive and Noah frowned.
That's Cat's car? Where's Arthur?
As they pulled up, Noah could see that Arthur sat in the passenger seat while Ben, Saoirse and Alex rode in the back. Cat was driving. As they got out of the car, Alex glanced nervously at him and he felt his own body tense.
Even out here, her scent enticed him, but it didn't overwhelm him as it had the night before. He inhaled deeply, relieved that he still had control of his senses and nodded reassuringly at her.
Cat smiled warmly at Gillian and Roberta, greeting them both with kisses on either cheek.
"Not you too, Cat!" Gillian groaned.
"Oh no, I knew something bad had happened, but Arthur has been positively banned from talking about work at home, so I have no idea what's going on." Cat lied, sensitive to Gillian's growing irritation. "...I'm just here to drop Arthur off because he had a drink last night... and to say hello."
Gillian's demeanor defrosted slightly with this, "Yes, well, I hope you aren't too attached to your husband because there's a strong possibility I might wring his neck."
Cat smiled sheepishly and said, "I'd really rather you didn't, I'm going to need him."
"How are you Cat? I haven't seen you since Christmas." Roberta interjected.
"I'm very well, Bobby. Thank you. I hope you had a good time during the new year. "
"Well, if we're all here, perhaps we should go inside?" Henry's stern voice came from the doorway. He turned sharply back around and a hush fell over the group.
"I should go," Cat said, "I'll be back later to pick everyone up."
"Don't worry about him. Why don't you stay for some tea? It would be nice for us to catch up while they're in their meeting." smiled Roberta warmly.
"Oh thank you! I'd love that. By the way, you have such a beautiful home..."
Noah caught Arthur straining to suppress a smile, as they all trooped into the hall with Roberta and Cat chatting merrily behind them.
"...yes, interior design is my passion, but I'd love to have studied architecture. I love the way they've designed the space to utilize the flow of natural sunlight."
"Would you like me to show you around?" replied Roberta, obviously pleased and flattered by Cat's enthusiasm.
"I'd be delighted."
Roberta led Cat in a different direction.
"It's this way," Gillian said to Alex and Ben, guiding them down the hall and into Henry's study.
Noah politely held the door open for them. Ben gave him a reassuring smile as he passed, but Alex avoided his gaze. She stepped softly over to the glass wall and looked out over the view. The late morning sunlight bathed her fragile silhouette, catching the gold flecks in her hair. He swallowed, caught off guard by the ethereal beauty of her form. Desire threatened to swallow him and a memory of the woman sat astride his thighs; proud, enigmatic and as wild as a priestess of the earth flashed in his mind's eye.
Fucks sake. Not now!
He clenched his jaw and quickly took a seat at the table before anyone could notice the growing bulge in his slacks. He tried to avoid looking at her, but her scent, something akin to vanilla and amber tantalized him, tugging at his attention.
"Shall we begin?" Henry said, taking a seat at the head of the oval table indicating the others should do the same.
It was almost two hours before Henry called for a pause to the discussion, after Alex had broken down the results of her investigation into the company's recent finances. While Henry spoke coldly to both Noah and Arthur, Noah was relieved that he remained professional and courteous to both Ben and Alex.
"Let's have some lunch for now and we can come back to it after."
Alex looked relieved, closing her laptop and drinking from a glass of water.
As they left the room, he found himself walking by her side at the back of the group. He murmured softly to her, "You did really well."
She looked up at him and nodded her thanks, "It wasn't as bad as I was expecting...ouch!"
She caught her hip on the edge of an ebony sideboard and hastened to catch a large ammolite fossil as it wobbled.
His hand shot out and steadied it before she could reach it and her hand touched his. He felt the hair on his arms rise at her touch. She withdrew her hand sharply.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean..."
"Don't worry about it," he placed a hand on her arm gently, "...are you alright? That looked painful."
"I'm fine, I'd be more worried about damaging the table," she laughed awkwardly.
"Why? It's just a table."
She blushed, "Well it looks expensive."
He scowled disdainfully at it, "Don't worry, it's just there to gather dust."
"Wouldn't your parents be upset?"
"Honestly? My mother changes things up every six months, and even if they were upset, we can tell them I did it. I'm already everyone's least favorite person today."
She looked uncomfortable.
"What is it?"
"Nothing." She glanced away, heat radiating from her face. He caught her chin gently and lifted her face to look at him.
"I just feel so out of place here."
"Why?"
"Well, I can't imagine owning something that valuable, never mind shrugging it off if it got damaged."
"I see." He frowned thoughtfully. "I grew up around this stuff, I think I'm just numb to it. To me, a table is a table, whether it's made of gold or plywood. So long as I can rest my coffee on it, I don't really care what it's made of."
"Cat would weep if she heard you say that." Alex snorted.
He shrugged. "If it makes you feel better, I never liked living here anyway."
"But it's so luxurious"
"And cold and empty. There's nothing like living in a glorified museum to make you feel alone. Besides you saw my father's study, it's ridiculous. It looks impressive, but it's completely impractical. It would drive me mad to walk all the way to the bookcase and back to my desk every time I needed to look something up."
"I did wonder why you lived in that tiny cottage. I thought you would live somewhere like this."
"I did try when I first moved out, but I just didn't need that much space. And it was just me... and Graeme sometimes. It wasn't like I had anyone to impress."
"Sounds kind of lonely." She murmured.
He smiled a half smile at her, "A little... for the first few years at least, but it gave me plenty of time to concentrate."
She nodded and followed him down the hall, silent and thoughtful.
"Penny for your thoughts?" He asked curiously.
"It's nothing, I just wondered if you wished things were different."
"In what way?"
"Like, if you were just free to be a child and do the things children do."
"It would have been nice, but it is what it is. What about you? Do you wish you had just been free to be a child?"
She looked up at him sharply and he sensed her shutting down again.
Before he could press her, they entered the kitchen area, where their family and friends were helping themselves to a light lunch .
"We should join the rest." She said softly and walked away.
I pushed too far and hit a nerve. What am I doing anyway? I'm supposed to be giving up on her! - he chastised himself, but no matter how much he tried to let her go, he couldn't ignore her. The more secretive she was, the more she piqued his curiosity. He desperately wished he could shut it off, make himself indifferent to her, but he couldn't help it. Even the slightest crack in her stony facade would ignite him with an intolerable fascination.
He just couldn't help himself.