"My instructions were clear," Alex said. "Get down on your knees and apologize to Maryann. I won't tell you again."
Tom couldn't see any way out. He knew what Alex was capable of and that this was the best offer he could expect.
He gave a loud sniff and slowly lowered his knees to the ground.
This is so unfair, he thought. But if I don't follow through, I don't know what he'll do to me, and I really don't want to find out.
His thoughts were interrupted by Alex clicking his fingers.
"Top marks for your first exercise," Alex said. "Now, get on with it. I'll give you ten seconds. After that, there will be no need to worry about apologies."
In desperation, Tom tried one last plea. "Alex, you know my reputation in this city. For me to have to grovel in this way… Well, it's humiliating. Isn't there some other way we can resolve this? Surely there's no need to take things this far?"
Alex made no response. Maryann watched the seconds pass on her watch. Then she looked up to see Tom sweating profusely. This could go either way, she thought.
With two seconds to go, Tom spoke. "I'm truly sorry, Maryann."
He glanced up at Alex, who gestured for him to continue.
"My behavior has been unacceptable," he said, knowing he had no choice. His company would never recover from this blow, and if he didn't do as he was told, he knew Alex would have him arrested. He did not want to go to prison, so he would have to swallow his pride and grovel.
"Please forgive me, Maryann," he said, looking up at her with a pitiful expression. "I sincerely regret my attempts to extort your company. Please have mercy."
Alex began to clap. "Smart decision. Perhaps there's hope for you, after all.
Tom felt a wave of relief wash over him. At last, there was a sliver of light at the end of the tunnel.
"Now, what should I do with you?" Alex mused. "You're broke, and you have no job, so it would be cruel to just toss you out like that. But I'm sure I could find something for you on the factory floor."
Tom panicked. He had been protected all his life from any kind of manual labor, and he was horrified at the thought of having to do any real work. His eyes grew wide, and a drop of sweat slid down his forehead.
"Or we could probably use a cleaner," Alex said, shrugging. "That's always an option."
"Whatever you want, Alex. I'll do it." Tom gritted his teeth, knowing better than to argue. No matter how awful a job Alex found for him, Tom knew he was getting off lightly.
"Leave it to me," Alex said. "I'll have my people call you. Now, get out of my sight."
Tom got up and made his way to the door. He wished his legs would carry him faster, but they were trembling so much, he could barely stay upright.
"Wait, Tom!" Alex said. "One more thing…"
Tom was so startled that, as he turned back, his head hit against the doorframe. A red lump appeared on his forehead, adding to his disheveled appearance. "Alex, you're not going back on your word, are you?"
"Make sure you get rid of all those protesters outside," Alex replied. "And clean up any mess they've made."
"Of course," Tom said, nodding. "I'll see to it immediately." He stumbled out through the door.
"Is everything okay?" Julie asked, popping her head through the open doorway. "I was just going to drop in some paperwork for you to review?"
"Yes, thank you, Julie," Maryann said. "Please leave it on my desk."
Fifteen minutes later, the noisy crowd at the front of the building had scattered, and order had been restored. There was no sign that anything had happened there. Whatever else Tom was, he was certainly efficient. Maryann wondered what would happen to him now that his media company had been put out of business.
But she soon forgot all about him when she turned from the window and looked at Alex. Her admiration for him was continuing to grow. She found that she felt safe in his presence—even safer than when she was with her father.
Stay professional, she thought. Keep your feelings in check. She was determined not to let him see how she felt.
"You're the best," she blurted out as she settled herself on the sofa and poured a cup of tea. She was surprised by how easily the words had come out.
"No praise necessary," he said, waving it away. "You didn't give me half the company for me to stand idly by and watch it crumble. We can't afford this kind of distraction."
His words brought her back to reality. She placed her teacup back on its saucer, slid a few inches farther away from him, and straightened her posture.
"Now, let's talk business," he said.
He carefully took out a bottle of Golden Health powder and placed it on the table in front of her.
"This is the perfect time for us to join forces," he continued. "I need to borrow your factory, your staff, and your machinery. You also have valuable experience in the pharmaceutical industry that I'm excited to tap into. But the main advantages for me right now are that you are young, and Robinson Winery is small. Nobody will suspect a thing."