After a moment, footsteps resounded from above. Calm, quiet, they approached the stairs, then started to come down.
Soon, Alex appeared in the stairs, barefoot, wearing shorts and a sleeveless top. His breath was calm, in contrast to what could have been expected given his sweaty appearance.
Wiping his face with a towel resting around his neck, he walked down as he met Leyna's calm gaze with a composed gaze of his own.
His eyes went down to the handbag she was carrying, then back up to her greyish-blue eyes as he greeted flatly:
"You are here."
"I am here."
Blinking with a smile, Leyna nodded. With a teasing curve making its way to the corner of her mouth, she amusedly remarked:
"You do not seem happy to see me, Alex."
Alex glared at her, then crudely but firmly rolled his eyes:
"No kidding."
Making no show of hiding his dissatisfaction, Alex walked past Leyna and made his way to the kitchen to take a bottle of milk and serve himself a glass. He ignored his unwelcome guest, but the latter did not take offense.
Letting out a soft laugh, Leyna spun on her heels and followed Alex to the kitchen where she put her bag down, and took out a leather-bound folder, along with a few other documents which she put down before looking at Alex.
Alex looked at all her actions with a single eye, then simply left the kitchen, leaving her behind. Putting his glass of milk down to half its contents on the coffee table in the middle of the living room, he started stretching his arms.
Leyna glanced back at Alex, then simply picked up everything she had taken out then walked over with a smile. As Alex faced the bright but still soft blue sky, she put down her things, except for the folder which she opened and held toward him.
When he ignored her, she amusedly forced his attention over with a single sentence:
"I will need your signature on this, chairman."
Alex gave the paper with dense words in the folder held toward him a side-eye, then threw Leyna a sidelong glance:
"Are you not afraid of my vengeance after I take the seat?"
"I am, but I can do nothing about it, so I can only obey the chairwoman and have you sign this."
Alex gave Leyna a long look, then his dispassionate look gave way to a scowl as he spat out with 'bitter hatred':
"Tch. I promise I will demote you."
Leyna casually smiled:
"Understood, chairman."
"It is interim chairman. Interim, got it? Humph!"
Despite all the grumbling, Alex still picked up the pen in the folds of the leather cover of the folder.
"Right, interim, interim chairman, I got it."
Leyna casually agreed with Alex and pulled back her hands with a smile. Checking the signature on the digital document that would give Alex power over the multinational giant standing among the top in wealth, influence, and power, she then closed the cover of the folder, securing the document inside to be archived later.
Alex rolled his eyes at Leyna's conscientious behavior, then went on to step onto the treadmill beside the window.
Leyna put the leather-bound folder back into her bag and smiled at Alex:
"Thank you. Now that the power transfer is complete–"
"Temporary power transfer!"
Interrupted with a glare, Leyna's lips twitched. She instinctively had something to say but held herself back.
If he was so determined not to stay as the chairman of Arland Group for long, why did he not even read the document before signing it? He had already signed it, agreeing to everything and any possible trap to keep him where he was about to sit.
But under the firm look in Alex's brown eyes, Leyna could only swallow back the retort and nod before correcting herself:
"Alright, temporary power transfer."
Alex nodded in satisfaction, then turned back to adjust the settings of the treadmill. Leyna exhaled with a headshake, and let out a slight smile. She knew that it was not just trust in her or the chairwoman, but absolute confidence in himself that made Alex sign without another look.
Looking at him as he started the treadmill, Leyna put those fleeting thoughts aside and went back with a smile to what she had actually been saying before being interrupted:
"There are some documents you will have to review to get a clear view on the actual situation of the Group. Do you want me to bring you paper copies or would you rather have access to the digital versions of them?"
"Just go, you are being an eyesore here."
Saying that, Alex glanced at the documents on the coffee table beside his glass of unfinished milk, then pulled his gaze away while flatly continuing:
"Those things you brought with you must have what I will need. You can go."
Alex waved Leyna away while starting to run on the treadmill. Leyna picked up her bag with a smile:
"Sorry to have upset you so early in the morning."
She knew how reluctant Alex had been to care about the inheritance with his name written on it. It was not even irresponsibility, as the crown had been thrown onto his lap while he had always been indifferent to it. But now, because of his mother's health, he caved in, and took the seat, even if, maybe, only temporarily.
It was ironic how others were drooling over what he could not even be bothered to care about. But maybe that was precisely why he had been designated as the heir, among other reasons.
Giving Alex one last deep look filled with affection and apology, Leyna spun around and walked to the door with the crisp footsteps she arrived with.
Alex looked at her back, then rolled his eyes:
"I accept your apology, but I will still demote you."
"Then I will be waiting. I will send a message to the board and the management to inform them later. See you next week, interim chairman."
Waving behind her with a light laugh, Leyna closed the door and left.
Alex's eyes remained on the door for a while, before his face loosened up, and he let out a light smile. Shaking his head with the helplessness he had been nursing, he turned back to the treadmill, upped the speed, and started moving along, to vent, to unwind, and to taste the freedom slipping away.