Arguments

Time moved forward, indifferent to emotions, as Vania strode through the towering halls of the building that once bore the weight of her authority. Her steps were sharp, her expression unreadable, but within her chest, a storm gathered. She had returned expecting familiarity, expecting to see her sister’s dominion over these walls, yet what greeted her instead was an unsettling shift in power. The golden plaque outside the CEO’s office gleamed under the soft overhead lights: Xander Alekto. The name carved into the surface struck her harder than she anticipated. It wasn’t Valeria’s. It wasn’t hers. It was a name that silently declared her displacement.

Her hands clenched. She pivoted, walking with purpose toward the director’s room, expecting to confront Valeria, expecting to demand explanations. But the room stood eerily empty; no presence, no warmth, only the quiet hum of the air conditioning. A deep breath, slow and measured, pushed past her lips. The absence of anyone there only fed the uneasy curling inside her. The office of the CEO was the same; no sign of life, no lingering scent of her sister’s perfume, no trace of authority that should have belonged to the bloodline she shared.

And then, as if time conspired against her, she heard the nearing footsteps. The sound was steady, deliberate, echoing against the polished marble floor. Vania turned, gaze sharpening as Xander emerged into view. He was clad in a soft yellow sweater, the color impossibly warm, almost deceptively casual, yet the way he carried himself was anything but. He moved with purpose, the kind that spoke of plans set into motion, of foundations laid down before she even had a chance to grasp what had changed.

Beside him, Valeria walked, her expression unreadable, her presence intertwined with his in a way that unsettled Vania. There was no hostility between them, no battle for dominance. Instead, there was an unspoken understanding, a balance that hadn’t existed before. Xander wasn’t simply standing beside Valeria; he was guiding her somewhere, leading her as if there were things only he could unveil.

And then he spoke, his voice even, carrying the weight of things already decided. "The Zenith Summit venue is finalized. I’ll show you the layout."

He didn’t look at Valeria for approval. He simply stated it, as if the decisions had long since been made, as if the future of this building; of everything Vania thought she understood; was no longer something dictated by the past.

Vania stares at Xander after Xander sat;

Vania’s heels clicked sharply against the polished marble floor, each step carrying the weight of her indignation. Her fingers clenched the strap of her handbag, knuckles turning white as she navigated the lavish expanse of the office. She had stormed in with the intent to confront Valeria in the director’s office, only to find it empty; just like the CEO’s room. But now, her course had shifted. The murmur of voices, the low timbre of a man speaking with deliberate authority, drew her toward the executive lounge.

As she stepped past the frosted glass partition, her gaze locked onto the very nameplate that had sealed her displacement; CEO Xander Alekto. The title, etched in bold, unshakable lettering, was an unspoken declaration: Vania was no longer in control here.

Her lips pressed into a thin line as she rounded the corner, and there they were; Xander and Valeria. They sat in the plush seating area, enveloped in an air of quiet dominance, as if they owned every inch of this tower. Valeria, poised with a composed expression, her manicured fingers tapping lightly against the armrest. And Xander; dressed in a mustard-yellow sweater that, under different circumstances, could have been mistaken for a casual touch; leaned slightly forward, his expression unreadable as he finished his statement regarding the Zenith Summit.

“....a strategic move,” Xander concluded, his voice even, exuding the unwavering confidence of a man accustomed to authority. His words carried an undeniable finality, a sense of vision that had been meticulously calculated.

Vania barely gave him room to breathe before she let loose.

“Strategic move?” she echoed, her voice sharp, edged with something between disbelief and condescension. “That’s an interesting way to phrase pushing me out of what I built.”

Xander barely flinched. He turned his gaze toward her, composed, observant. The flicker of amusement; or was it patience?; in his expression only fueled her irritation.

“Tell me, Xander,” she continued, stepping forward, her eyes flicking between him and her sister. “Did Valeria hand you the keys to my empire? Or did you take them yourself while playing the gallant savior?”

Valeria exhaled quietly, as if bracing herself for the inevitable storm. But Xander, unbothered, simply tilted his head, his gaze steady.

“Your empire?” he mused, almost as if he found the idea mildly entertaining. “Funny. Because from where I’m standing, what you left behind was an empire's hemorrhaging potential.”

Vania’s jaw tightened. “You have no idea what I left behind.”

“Don’t I?” Xander’s tone remained maddeningly neutral. He gestured subtly toward the cityscape visible through the towering windows, the sprawling expanse of Zenith Summit; the very project he had just outlined with precise, methodical detail. “That’s the difference between us, Vania. You saw this place as something to command. I see it as something to elevate.”

Vania let out a sharp breath, her composure fraying. “Is that what you tell yourself? That you’re elevating my work?” She scoffed, shaking her head. “You may wear the title, Xander, but a title doesn’t make you a leader.”

Xander finally leaned back, a slow, measured movement. His fingers drummed lightly against the armrest, betraying none of the irritation that Vania clearly wanted to provoke. He studied her, dissecting her fury with the detached curiosity of a man who had faced worse.

Then, with an ease that infuriated her, he smirked. “And yet, here we are.”

They are arguing and Vania kind of disparage Xander.

The lounge of the executive office was bathed in natural light, filtering through the high-rise glass windows, casting a golden hue over the sleek, modern decor. Xander sat with a composed air, his fingers drumming lightly against the armrest of the plush leather chair, while Valeria, her arms crossed, scrutinized him with a knowing smirk.

He had just finished delivering a sharp yet methodical rundown of the Zenith Summit event; a conference he had personally orchestrated with precision. The event wasn’t just a mere networking session; it was a power move, a pivotal strategy that would not only elevate their standing but triple the income from the tower’s tenants. It was his vision unfolding, a testament to his capability beyond mere adherence to disciplinary regulations. Xander wasn’t here to be anyone’s puppet; his objective was clear: reliability, efficiency, and results.

Just as he exhaled, allowing the gravity of his words to settle in the room, the lounge door swung open with a force that made even Valeria raise an eyebrow.

Vania strode in, heels clicking against the polished marble floor, her expression of simmering fury beneath a veil of professional composure. She did not march toward the director’s office as she might have done in another fit of rage; no, this time, her destination was different. She made a beeline toward Xander and Valeria, eyes locked onto the former with a heat that could have melted steel.

“Unbelievable,” Vania seethed, coming to a halt before him. “Absolutely unbelievable, Xander. You sit here, unfazed, delivering your grand plans like some untouchable mastermind, while the rest of us are left cleaning up the mess of your unchecked ambition.”

Xander tilted his head slightly, not a single flicker of offense passing over his face. Instead, he reached for his coffee cup, taking a slow, deliberate sip before placing it back down. “Vania,” he greeted evenly, voice as smooth as ever. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Valeria stifled a laugh, clearly enjoying the spectacle, but Vania was far from amused. “Spare me the pleasantries,” she snapped. “You think this Zenith Summit is the perfect move? That pulling every string in the book without consulting the right channels is some stroke of genius? Do you even realize how much backlash this is causing?”

Xander rested his elbows on the armrests, fingers interlaced as he studied her. “Backlash?” he echoed, his voice almost teasing. “Or resistance from those who are afraid of change?”

Vania’s nostrils flared, her fingers curling into fists at her sides. “Don’t patronize me, Xander. You’re too arrogant to see that you’ve overstepped. Again. You think because you can manipulate numbers and strategize with military precision, it makes you untouchable? It doesn’t. It makes you reckless.”

Xander remained unruffled, his demeanor unwaveringly cool. “Reckless?” he mused. “Or simply ahead of the curve?”

Valeria chuckled under her breath, thoroughly entertained. “He does have a point, Vania. The projections are solid, and the tower’s tenants are on track for exponential growth. Isn’t that what matters?”

Vania shot her a sharp glare before returning her gaze to Xander, her tone laced with disdain. “Oh, of course. Let’s all bow to the genius of Xander, the man who believes strategy is everything and consequence is nothing.”

Xander exhaled softly, leaning back. “I believe in progress, Vania. And I don’t need approval to execute a plan that works.” His tone remained steady, unwavering. “You’re upset because I didn’t ask permission before making moves that should have been made months ago. If this was about discipline, you would have stormed into the director’s office, not here. But we both know this isn’t about that.”

Vania’s eyes narrowed. “Oh? And what exactly is it about, then?”

Xander gave her a measured look. “Control. You don’t like that I don’t operate within your parameters. That I don’t bend under pressure, that I don’t wait for validation before acting.” He spread his hands slightly. “I get it. But let me make one thing clear; my focus isn’t to be anyone’s ‘man.’ It’s to be reliable. To deliver results. And that’s exactly what I’m doing.”

Vania clenched her jaw, her temper warring with the undeniable logic in his words. She despised that he was so unshaken, so relentlessly steadfast in his convictions. But more than that, she hated that part of her knew he was right.

With a sharp exhale, she straightened her posture, her expression hardening. “Don’t get too comfortable, Xander. Your luck will run out.”

Xander merely offered her a knowing, almost lazy smile. “Luck has nothing to do with it.”

Vania’s eyes narrowed as she stared at Xander, her irritation sharpening like a blade. It wasn’t just about the Zenith Summit or the fact that he was now sitting in a position of power within Valeria’s company; no, this frustration had deeper roots.

This wasn’t their first meeting. They had crossed paths before, long before Xander carried the weight of a CEO title, back when all three of them; Valeria, Vania, and Xander; walked the same halls of their elite senior high school.

Back then, Xander had been different. Less polished, more rebellious in a quiet, calculated way. He was the kind of guy who didn’t seek attention but somehow commanded it. The type who would ace a test without ever looking like he studied, who had the nerve to challenge teachers with sharp, precise arguments, and who carried an air of detachment that both intrigued and annoyed people.

And Vania? She remembered resenting him even then. He had been close to Valeria, though never in a way that suggested romance; just this unspoken, mutual respect that infuriated Vania. Xander was an outsider who had somehow inserted himself into their world without asking permission, and now, years later, he had done it again.

Xander met her glare with an unreadable expression, the kind that made people second-guess themselves. He didn’t flinch at her disparaging words, nor did he react with irritation. Instead, he exhaled slowly, as if he had already expected this.

“You haven’t changed a bit, Vania.” His voice was calm, smooth, almost infuriatingly composed. “Still quick to judge, still assuming you know everything before hearing the full picture.”

Vania’s jaw tightened. “And you have changed, huh? You went from being the guy who barely cared about status to suddenly taking charge of my sister’s company?” She scoffed. “Or maybe you were always planning this. Climbing your way up, securing your spot, making sure Valeria keeps you around.”

Xander chuckled softly, leaning back against the lounge chair. “If I really planned all this, don’t you think I would’ve made it happen sooner?” His gaze locked onto hers, assessing, measuring. “You’re angry, but not just because of this. You don’t like seeing me here because it reminds you that I’ve always been a step ahead of what you expected.”

Vania’s hands curled into fists at her sides, her irritation flaring. “Don’t act like you know me, Xander.”

“Oh, but I do,” he said smoothly. “High school may be over, but some things never change.”

His confidence only fueled her annoyance. The memory of those years still lingered between them; silent battles, unspoken rivalries, and now, an unshakable reminder that Xander Alekto had, once again, positioned himself in a place where she had no control over him.

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