Episode 20

Alexander's POV

The day was full of meetings loaded with things on which I had to make important decisions with Elisa, who, after these, called me to invite me to lunch. I thought it would be a lunch to talk about things about the company, since that was what we used to talk about.

Elisa and I walked together to a nearby luxury restaurant, exchanging a few words about work along the way. Her presence was comforting, and I realized that our relationship, which had continued as something work-related, could once again become something close like in the past.

"By the way, Alexander, I've been thinking about throwing a birthday party at my house. It will be a wonderful occasion to have a good time and make good contacts and partners, I will invite many acquaintances."

The idea of a lavish party at her house, or rather mansion, intrigued me, to which I nodded with interest, even though I wasn't fascinated by the idea of being in a place with a lot of people, but it seemed like a good time to to do business and relax at the same time.

"Sounds good, I'll gladly go," I said calmly, although I knew I had to mentally prepare myself to be in such a crowded place.

She nodded with a satisfied smile, it seemed like she was about to let go of something interesting.

"And of course, what would a party be without an interesting guest list? Is there anyone you'd like to invite, Stone?" she said with a smile that seemed like she was playing.

The question took my breath away for a moment, because I realized that I had no one to invite other than a bunch of executives. My closest friends were scattered around the world, and I really had no interest in inviting people who weren't significant to me.

"The truth is, I have no one else to invite other than other executives. Most of my friends are abroad at the moment," I confessed.

Elisa's expression seemed to light up with a spark of amusement as she listened to my response.

"Well, you can always invite your new secretary, can't you? What was his name? Ethan, right?" she said so calmly, but I couldn't decipher what was going through her mind.

Her suggestion took me by surprise, but after pondering for a moment, I saw the sense in it, after all, Ethan was an important part of my team, and it would be a perfect opportunity for him to mingle with other executives and strengthen his connections in the company.

"Yes, you are right. It would be a good idea to invite Ethan. Thanks for the suggestion, Elisa."

Elisa's smile widened and she seemed pleased to have contributed to the guest list for her own party. As we continued our lunch, the idea of having Ethan at the party began to take shape in my mind, and I hoped it would be an opportunity for him to feel more integrated into our team and our business community, but there was also some joy in the idea of spending time with him outside of work that he didn't understand for sure.