Forever And Never

EIGHT || ALEXANDER

The reporters walk away, satisfied that they have captured enough photos to post and spread online. I stare at them in disgust; how low can their life be to enjoy spreading pictures of a distressed family online?

A smile of relief spreads on my lips as I watch the fancy car drive away, containing Sasha and her family together. She had a dog in her arms when she walked out. Her parents were there with here, arms wrapped around her body protectively. The psycho bastard got what he deserved and went straight to an officer's car. I let out a small exhale.

Sasha is safe.

———

Brynn is standing in the middle of my office when I get back. I immediately freeze, frowning at the smug smile on her face.

"What are you doing here?" I ask slowly, shutting the door behind me. Brynn gives me an innocent look, her hand clenched at her side. I can tell she has something in that closed fist.

"Where were you?" She asks. "Your shift isn't even over."

"I needed to get something from my car," I lie. "Why are you here?"

Brynn ignores my question as she takes out a crumpled piece of paper from her fist. Smoothing it out, she turns it around to show it to me.

My mouth goes dry. It is the advertisement for the fight.

"Are you into boxing?" She asks curiously. I can see the mischief in her eyes; she is enjoying this.

"It's just something I found in my mail." I answer. "What makes you think you can look through my things without my permission?"

Brynn smirks, neatly folding the piece of paper in her hand. She tucks it into the pocket of her pants. "I knew you were bad news as soon as you walked into this building, Alexander. When I saw your profile, I found it shocking that you dropped out in high school." With a sigh, she begins to make her way past me. "Too bad you aren't actually helpful. CEO Nam will be very pleased to know that we have conman working for him."

I block her path, my foot stomping loudly to make her jump. My hands are trembling next to my sides. "What makes you think I'm a conman? Did I do anything suspicious or wrong here? Have I tried to take money from someone?"

Brynn raises her chin defiantly. "I saw that person leave your office, Alexander. There's no doubt that you're only going to bring trouble for us. I suggest you start writing your resignation letter before it's too late."

I glare at her. "Is this really all because I accidentally knocked into you on my first day?"

"You humiliated me and stomped down my reputation," Brynn snaps. "I won't let you do it again."

I let out a mirthless laugh, placing my hands on my hips. "This is stupid. What do you want me to do?"

Brynn smiles, crossing her arms. "You're an intern, correct? Start taking orders from me as well. You'll be helping me with any errand I ask you to do without an exception. Or else..." she dangles the paper in front of me.

This girl is pathetic. After a simple mistake, she wants to hunt me down and avenge me in every way possible. I turn and sink back down onto my chair, opening my laptop.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Cruz." Brynn hums in a singsong tone as she leaves. I watch her walk away, my lips curling into a sneer.

Who knew that such a majestic company like this can have immature people like her?

———

As soon as the alarm goes off, I rush to the bathroom and wash my face. The sky outside is still dark, which means I only have a couple hours before heading to work. After struggling to brush my teeth while combing back my hair, I throw on a pair of boxing shorts and grab my gloves.

The building I train at used to be an actual gym. When the owner decided to move, the place was left abandoned and empty. Vincent was the one who brought me there, training me for hours until I could barely even walk.

I scowl at the thought of Vincent. Just the thought of him makes my blood boil with anger.

My father is asleep on the couch, his body slightly curled up. I take the blanket from the end of the couch and gently lay it over him. A stab of guilt goes to my body when I see the empty bottles next to him.

"Don't worry," I whisper. "I'll get the money."

I gently shut the front door behind me while tugging on a jacket. The air outside is freezing, making me shiver. No one is outside and I do not see any houses with their lights on. No one is awake.

"I'm on my way," I say as soon as Vincent picks up. The car is cold from sitting out all night. I shove my keys into the ignition and begin driving out of the neighborhood. "Where are you?"

"Already here," Vincent answers lazily. "I brought a couple friends to help. Be here in five or you'll be getting hit."

My body is tense when I finally arrive at the building. The sky has now changed into a hazy blue, signaling that the world is about to wake up. Stepping out of my car, I walk into the gym and find Vincent sitting outside the ring with three different people.

"Ready to start?" Vincent asks, a grin forming on his face. "I thought you'd never show up."

"Shut it, Vincent," I mutter. "What do I need to know?"

Vincent places a jumprope into my hand. "I suggest you loosen up before you train."

I ignore the curious looks from the strangers as I shrug off my jacket. Vincent glances at my bare chest and he chuckles, patting my stomach.

"I'm glad you still got that six pack," he says. "Let's hope this stays after the fight, okay?"

I shove him away gently, making my way towards the mat. My eyes glance at the clock before I begin to start my warm up.

Just a few days. A few days before I can truly achieve my reward.

———

im so sorry for the slow updates, ive been way too busy lately and dont have a lot of time to write ):

what do you think about what alexander did?

please leave a vote or comment if you enjoyed this chapter! thank youu :)

-e