Alex's POV
I've been thinking of Emma of late, I try not too but I can't, it's like I'm spellbinding.we haven't seen each other for a week and like I promised, her company is back on track.The moment Emma stepped into my office, I could sense a shift. Her demeanor was different—more confident, more direct. There was a determination in her eyes that hadn't been there before, as if she had come to a decision and was ready to act on it.
When she told me she wanted to be friends, I was genuinely taken aback. I wasn't used to people approaching me like that. The word "friend" didn't belong in my world. I had colleagues, employees, competitors—people I used to get what I wanted. Friendship, though? It was foreign, unnecessary. And yet, there she was, standing in front of me, talking about getting to know me outside of contracts and boardrooms.
It wasn't just her words that surprised me. It was her audacity. Emma wasn't like the others. She didn't cower, didn't fawn over me, didn't play the role I was used to people falling into around me. She wasn't trying to win my favor or curry sympathy. No, she was bold—refreshingly so.
At first, I considered that this was some sort of ploy. After all, she was in a precarious position with her company, and people in desperation often played games they wouldn't otherwise consider. But Emma didn't strike me as someone who would bother with manipulation. She was far too direct for that.
When she spoke about seeing me as more than a "cold billionaire," I couldn't help but be intrigued. Few people were bold enough to say something like that to my face. Most preferred to keep their distance, to whisper behind closed doors about what they thought they knew about me. Emma, though, stood there and told me to my face what I had known for years—that I kept people at arm's length, that I had created a world where real human connection was a rarity.
And for the first time in a long while, I wasn't sure how to react.
I had built my life on control. Every aspect of my business, my relationships, even my reputation, was meticulously calculated. But this—this proposal of friendship—was something I couldn't control. Friendship wasn't something that could be managed or manipulated. It was unpredictable, something I had long since dismissed as a weakness.
But here she was, offering it, in the most unassuming way.
And yet, despite my initial instinct to shut her down, I found myself intrigued. There was something about her that I hadn't expected—a resilience, an intelligence, and an unwavering sense of self. She wasn't afraid of me, not in the way others were. I could see it in her eyes. She respected my power, certainly, but she wasn't cowed by it. She was here on her own terms, not to play by the rules I had set for everyone else.
As she stood there, waiting for my response, I found myself at a crossroads. This wasn't part of the plan. I hadn't anticipated this development when I offered to help her company. And yet, I couldn't ignore the fact that Emma Dalton had done something no one else had managed to do in a long time—she had surprised me.
Friendship. It was such a simple word, but coming from her, it carried a weight that I hadn't expected. I could see the sincerity in her eyes, and for the first time in longer than I cared to admit, I found myself considering the possibility that maybe… she was right. Maybe this didn't have to be purely transactional.
Maybe there was room for something more.
I leaned back in my chair, watching her closely, trying to read her. She wasn't asking for anything—not leverage, not special treatment. She was offering something. And perhaps that was why it was so disarming. I wasn't used to being offered anything that didn't come with strings attached.
It felt… unsettling. And yet, it also felt like a challenge. Emma wasn't trying to manipulate me, and that was what made her different. She was testing boundaries without trying to break them. She was bold without being reckless.
"Let's see where this… friendship leads," I finally said, the words feeling strange but oddly fitting.
The look in her eyes when I said it—surprise, maybe even hope—was something I wasn't used to either. She didn't expect to win me over so easily, and perhaps that was part of the allure. She wasn't looking for a victory, not in the way others did. She simply wanted to change the rules of the game.
And for the first time in a long time, I was willing to play along.
As she left my office, I couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted—not just between us, but within me. Emma Dalton was unpredictable, and I wasn't sure if that was a risk or an opportunity. But whatever it was, it had piqued my curiosity in a way I hadn't expected.
Friendship. I wasn't sure what that meant anymore. But for the first time, I found myself intrigued by the possibility of finding out.