Chapter 4 - CEO Alex

Alone inside the doctor's house, Alex contemplated on how he would take revenge against his stepmother who had tried to kill him. As his father's only son, he was tasked to learn more regarding how to manage their big company. As his dad's representative, Alex had to meet lots of people especially businessmen like himself and all they talked and cared about was how to gain more profits. At a young age of twenty-three, Alex had become the CEO of their hotel and restaurant company, a position that was being envied by some his relatives, especially his uncle John, third cousin of his father, who had been a hotel manager for almost two decades.

During company meetings, John would cite to the board members or the other senior directors of the company that his nephew is too young to become a high ranking official and that he was only appointed as the CEO because his father was the chairman, period. Chairman Ivan did not try to argue with his cousin, instead, he gladly showed the members his son's achievements throughout his young career. To shut up the other board members who were siding with his cousin, the chairman reminded them how the young Alex got the approval of the biggest food company in the country to supply their restaurants with their products with lower prices but with good quality. During the meeting held a few weeks before the CEO's disappearance, John counteracted by saying in front of the other directors, "He got the deal because he dated the daughter of the chairman! And from what I heard, the young woman wanted to be his wife but your dear son said no! Ha!ha!ha! If your son did not use his charms, do you think the chairman would allow us to partner with them, knowing that they are also in talks with another big company such as the Schlossbergs?"

The chairman got up from his seat, smiled at his cousin, then said, "You know what, John, my dear son dated her before we even had a deal. You have been fed with a wrong intel, sir! The woman that he actually charmed was Ms. Monterio's mother and not the daughter, okay? By the way sir, my son will agree to the marriage because he already told Jenna's mom that he will marry her daughter."

John's face reddened at the news that he had heard. His secretary never told her about the meeting that occurred between his nephew and the heiress. To save face, he got up too and remarked, "Well, I have no idea that my dear nephew would finally chose to settle down. Kudos to you, Alex! (his eyes were focused on the CEO who was sitting quietly on the right side of his father.) I hope you'll find married life as challenging as your work as the CEO!"

As the news of the coming marriage was announced, the board of directors congratulated the young man and the chairman and told them that they had chosen well for they know how pretty and gorgeous the heiress was. Even Manager John Sapiro's son Gilbert courted her but she rejected him. She told him clearly that she only likes Alex and would marry him in the end.

The said meeting that happened before his disappearance was still clear to him. Now that he was on the island with a stab wound on his right waist, he thought of his father whom he knows, was very worried and his future wife - Jenna Monterio. She might even think that he died and she could have been looking now for someone to replace him, but wait...what about Katerina? He knows that the young woman likes him but she rejected him while he tried to kiss her. "Maybe I got it wrong when we were at the beach in the morning...hmm...but I felt that she likes me! Oh, that woman, she wants to play with my feelings! I will make her pay for that, hmmp!" he murmured to himself while he was feeling the stab wound that he got from one of the gunmen that was hired by his stepmother.

Alex's mother died when he was five years old. She was a nurse at the hospital owned by the Morales and was once courted by doctor Joshua himself. She married Alex father in a small church with only their closest of friends who attended the ceremony. The Kraisheks did not attend the wedding. The old Kraishek, Alex's grandfather, did not recognize Monica Gonzales as his son's wife. Ivan, on the other hand, had to beg his parents to accept his wife but they did not. Even their grandson Alex was being branded as an outsider. Although the then chairman Fyodor Kraishek did not approve of his son's marriage to the nurse, he still appointed his son as the vice chairman of the company, because he was his only heir and he trusted him more than he trusted his other relatives. During those years with his parents, the young Alex felt their love and affection but it did not last long, his mother developed a brain cancer and died, leaving him to the care of his father.

Like any loving parent who wanted their children to grow up in luxury and to be accepted in the society that they were part of, Ivan asked his father again to accept his son but the old man told him bluntly that he will accept the young boy if he remarries again and this time to the woman of their choice - Margarita Milan, the heiress of the Milan group of company that Ivan met at one of the charity events that was sponsored by his father. He readily accepted her as his wife although she was already heavy with a child from her previous relationship. The young Alex was then introduced to his new mother but she abused him every time his father was not around.

All those sad memories he had kept inside his heart. Sometimes, he even cried and wetted his pillows with tears because he was not given food by his stepmother at night. He did not even dare to tell his father about the ill treatment that he was receiving, instead, he always show his father that he was being taken cared of and loved by his second mother. One day, when he was already ten years old, he saw his sister, Allyson, who was then five years old, climbing the stairs with a jar of cookies on her hand. the housemaids were on the kitchen busy with clearing the table and washing the dishes that they forgot to check on the young girl. Ivan and his wife, Margarita, were on the living room, watching a movie together.

He called on the young girl to go down stairs because she might fall down carrying a heavy jar on her hands. "Please come down, Ally!" he said but his sister did not listen to him, instead, she continued traversing the steps until she tripped and fell down.Alex immediately went to her rescue but her sister was too heavy for him that they both fell down on the floor. His back was hurt terribly but his sister was okay. The young girl cried so loud that the maids suddenly appeared to their rescue and helped them get up. The cookie jar was broken and the sound it made was heard by the couple, aside from the cries coming from the young girl. Margarita was the first one to see what happened and she immediately slapped the young boy. "What have you done with my daughter, huh? Did you push her while she was holding the cookie jar! Answer me! You bastard!" she was about to slap the boy again but her arms were stopped by the newly-appointed chairman. "What are you doing, Marge? Don't you dare lay a hand on my son! You...bitch!"

Alex immediately went to his father and narrated what happened. His face was reddened because of the slap he had received from his stepmother. The chairman got very mad at the pathetic sight of his beloved son. "Don't just stand there and get something to help my son!" his eyes were darted at the housemaids who rushed to the kitchen to get cubes of ice to be placed on the swollen cheeks of the young boy.

After the incident, Alex dragged his wife to their room and slapped her hard. She was thrown on the floor because of the strong impact the slap had on her. Instead of asking for mercy, she laughed like a madwoman and her eyes were focused on the chairman. "You know what, Ivan! I don't care if you would hit me again and again because I am used to it, okay? You never treated me properly as your wife, so how could I treat your son as my child? I hate your son Ivan! And I hate you too, asshole!"

Ivan left her and went to his son's room. The young boy already calmed down after crying too much. When he saw his father, he quickly came to him and embraced him. His tears welled again, blocking his eyesight. Ivan wiped them with a handkerchief and promised him that he will never let anybody hurt him again especially his wife. Since then, he made sure that his son would stay with him the whole day after classes. He ordered the company driver to bring his son to his office where they eat snacks together and let him sleep in a room adjacent to it. On weekends, Alex and his father used to visit his mother's graveyard and stayed there before lunch time. At night, his father had to make sure that he was already sleeping before leaving him.

Memories of those days have been brought again when the young man remembered his only parent. He missed his father. Even though he is already twenty-three years old, his younger self wanted his father very badly. He wanted his reassurance that he will always be there for him and that he will come for him and punish the person that separated them. Alex finally got up from the bed. There was a noise coming from the kitchen. When he entered the kitchen, he saw the figure of Katerina. She was making a fruit dessert. Alex did not approach her anymore, afraid that she would reject him again. After all, why did he even thought of wanting her? He had lots of flings in the city and he even promised to marry an heiress! Why should he even bothered seducing an island lass, whom he thought was interested in him but in the end...she was not.

He left her alone then closed the door behind him. He does not want to talk to her or even look at her but his heart is telling him to go out and make peace with her but his stubborn self won - he did not go out until the doctor came in the afternoon to share lunch with them. The young woman cooked chicken adobo - a favorite dish of his father and even Alex. She also prepared green salad as side dish and after the meal, she took out the fruit salad which was also his father's favorite. "Wow Kate! It's been a while since you make this! Thank you dear!" the doctor kissed his daughter on the forehead and thanked her again.

On the other hand, Alex got up from his seat and said goodbye to the doctor and his daughter. The doctor furrowed his eyebrows and asked why he did not even taste the salad that his daughter made for them. "Why don't you try eating the salad, Alex? It tasted so delicious! Not that my daughter made this but it's really good, please try! Kate give him a spoon of the salad so he would know that I am telling the truth!"

Katerina followed her father's advice and handed the young man a spoon of the salad but he pushed her hand away gently. "I'm sorry, Kate but I don't eat fruit salad...please forgive me...Doc, when my condition got better, I would like to contact my father so I could go home. I've been giving you headaches, it seems. I'm going back to the room now. Thank you for the food!" the young man bowed his head and walked his way to the bedroom.

The young woman ate the fruit salad, instead of putting it back on the bowl. "The salad is good, father! I don't know why he does not like it..."

Her father smiled. He thought of something which could have been the reason why the young man was sulking and did not even try tasting the food. His daughter noticed it and asked, "What's wrong father? Why did you suddenly smile?"

"You know when I and your mother were still newly-wed, she used to cook food everyday. Even though the taste was not good enough to eat, the food tasted so good because it was your mother who prepared it. You see, dear, if a person loves you, whatever you cook, though it tasted bad, it will always tasted better. On the contrary, even if the food tasted so well but you don't like that person, then you would not even think of tasting the food, thinking that it does not go well with your standards."

"You mean father that Alex does not like me?"

"Well, it seems that way...why are you hurt, dear? Do you want me to call him and force him to eat?"

"No father, don't do that! What can I expect from someone who lives in the city. Of course, he will never like a woman who lives on an island..."her voice was low and sadness could be felt in her words.

"C'mon Kate! Father will always be here to eat all your food! Come sit beside me! Perhaps next week he is already with his family and we will be living our lives again as they were before he came. Don't be sad, okay?"

The young girl smiled and sat beside her father. Living with her only parent is her joy and happiness and no one could ever replace what she felt whenever she is with her father but why was there a void in her heart? Even when she was grinning as she eats with her father, there was something that she wanted - it is more than the love of her father - it is the love and attention of the stranger, CEO Alex Kraishek, who alone in his room, was waiting for Katerina to come to him and hug him and probably...kiss him...