One Night Stand With Alexander Blackwood-Chapter 17 — Seventeen

Alexander’s POV

My gaze remained fixed on her long after she walked out. Every instinct in my head screamed at me to stop this... to stop her. But the part of me that never listened to reason—my heart—had already made a choice.

She was right, of course. There were countless women I could have taken as my companion tonight. Women who would have thrown themselves at the opportunity.

Yet I chose her.

I dragged a hand through my hair, frustration coiling tight in my chest. It’s barely been three days since she crashed into my world... three days, and my thoughts refused to let her go. She lived behind my eyelids, in the silence between my breaths.

Hell, I was starting to think I might actually lose my mind.

The documents on my desk stared back, demanding the attention I simply didn’t have. I forced my eyes to skim the first page—but the words quickly blurred, my focus shattered when my phone vibrated, once, twice. Then again, more insistent.

Suppressing a sigh, I reached for it and answered without checking the caller ID.

"Alexander Blackwood!"

My mother’s voice exploded into my ear, sharp enough to crack glass. She sounded furious—nothing new. In her perfect world, her perfect son wasn’t supposed to leave the house without notice.

Rubbing my temple, I replied with as much calm as I could muster. "What is it this time, Mom?"

"You have the nerve to ask me what’s wrong? You left home without saying a word! You didn’t return! You didn’t care how worried I was—how I felt."

There it is.

Her favorite tactic: play the victim, stir guilt, regain control.

But not today. Not when my mind was already a battlefield. Not when Serena occupied every inch of it.

And definitely not when I was this close to losing control of everything I thought I had mastered.

"Mom, I’m not a kid anymore. I can leave the mansion at will."

A sharp scoff echoed through the receiver. "At will? You think you’re some rebellious teenager now? Alexander, you are the head of the Blackwood name. Every step you take must be measured."

There it was. The title, the chain wrapped around my throat since childhood.

"I’m at work," I said flatly, leaning back in my chair. "If this isn’t important—"

"It IS important!" she snapped before I could finish. "Your grandfather has confirmed his arrival for tonight’s banquet. All the board members will be there. And the Chase family. You know what that means."

My jaw tightened. Of course I knew.

The banquet wasn’t just some elegant gathering. It was a negotiation field, a chessboard where alliances were tested and deals were sealed. And tonight... tonight was the night my family wanted me to shake hands with the Chase. Or worse.

"Mother," I warned, already sensing where this was going.

"You will be accompanying Amelia Chase," she said, voice swelling with pride, as if she had just delivered good news.

"She is a respectable young lady from a powerful family. Elegant, educated and properly trained. A perfect match for—"

"No." The word slipped out before she could finish.

Silence fell on her end for two seconds—cold, suffocating silence—before she exhaled slowly.

"No?" she repeated softly, dangerously. "Did I hear you correctly? Alexander, this alliance is crucial. Your grandfather and Father—"

"—is not the one running this company." My tone sharpened. "And neither are you."

"Do not take that tone with me!" she hissed. "Your grandfather built this empire from nothing. The Chases are the only family strong enough to reinforce our position. Their daughter will secure your future and this company’s stability. What more do you want?"

Her words beat against my skull.

A stable future. A perfect woman. A carefully arranged life. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Everything was chosen for me, except the one thing I wanted.

"I already have a companion attending the banquet," I said.

"What? Who? What family is she from? Is she influential?"

My eyes darkened slightly. This was what they only cared about. Power. Influence. Wealth. It never crossed their mind about what I wanted.

"She is not from an influential family." My reply sounded.

"What?" My mother screeched so hard, my brows furrowed due to the sound.

"Absolutely not!"

"Mom..." I groaned loudly. "You cannot choose who I should go with or not."

Before she could say anything, I disconnected the call. I could already picture her furious face. But I was done listening to her. This time, I’d follow my heart. And Serena... is where my heart lies.

The moment the call ended, the silence in my office felt heavier. My mother’s voice still echoed faintly in my skull, a reminder of everything I had been bred to obey.

Everything I intended to defy.

I rose from my chair, straightened my suit jacket, and exhaled. I didn’t want another argument. I didn’t want another lecture about duty or legacy or alliances.

I wanted Serena. And I wasn’t going to let anyone decide that for me.

The elevator ride down to her department felt slower than usual, each floor ticking past like a warning. I ignored it.

My feet were already moving before the doors fully opened, carrying me down the wide hallway, past rows of curious employees.

It didn’t matter. Let them talk.

Her department was quieter than most—focused, structured, professional. The moment I stepped through the glass door, however, the air shifted. Heads lifted. Fingers paused over keyboards. Conversations stopped mid-sentence.

No one dared breathe too loudly. This was the second time they were seeing me here.

I didn’t bother offering explanations. My gaze found her instantly. Her small frame was bent over her laptop, her hair falling softly along her cheek. Oblivious to the chaos she caused inside me.

"Serena."

Her head jerked up, eyes widening the second she saw me. A hush fell across the entire room, thick and electric.

"Sir?" she whispered, confusion flickering in her eyes.

"We’re leaving," I said simply.

Every employee within earshot froze.

Serena blinked, stunned. "Leaving? As in... now?"

"Yes." I stepped closer, lowering my voice. "Pack your things. I’ll wait."

Her breath hitched, colour rising to her cheeks as whispers erupted behind us—shocked, wild, and impossible to contain.

The CEO had come here... for her.

A pulse beat hard beneath my ribs as she hesitated, torn between propriety and something dangerously close to trust.

She rose to her feet slowly.

And as the entire department watched with wide eyes and hidden speculation, one truth settled heavily inside me:

I didn’t care about the banquet politics, I cared about her.