Marcus exited the café with coffee still in his mouth and a little smile on his lips. He crossed to the narrow alley next to the shop. The alley was quiet, filled with ancient signs and little shops that looked like they'd been there for centuries.
The alley opened to the main road. Cars crawled by, horns blaring. Pedestrians rushed by in the afternoon rush. Marcus mixed into the crowd, walking at a relaxed pace.
He glanced up every now and then, staring up at the skyscrapers. Glass and steel reflected the sun's rays. Each building trying to outshine the next.
One tower, however, outshone them all. The Apex Holdings headquarters.
The company name was written across the top in large silver letters that gleamed in the sun. The building rose high above the others, all sharp lines and steel beams. Its glossy surface reflected the city around it, making it look like it was part of the skyline and somehow above it too.
Marcus paused at the base and looked up.
Father's empire. And now, for the time being, mine to clean up.
He clenched his jaw. His father had told him two weeks ago, "Take a position in the company and keep a low profile. I'll inform Sam."
Yet they made him a manager. A head of a department. Suddenly being transferred to the Apex Holdings headquarters as a department head was high profile enough as is.
How am I supposed to keep a low profile with a job title like this?
Marcus frowned.
I'm sure Sam did this on purpose.
Sam was the secretary of his father. As far as the company was concerned, right now, Sam was the only person who knew his true identity, that Marcus was the CEO's son.
Marcus shook the thought off and entered the building.
Cold air hit him as soon as he stepped into the lobby.
The lobby smelled clean..polished stone and fresh flowers from the desk.
Right away, people greeted him.
"Good afternoon."
"Welcome back, sir."
"Hope you had a nice lunch."
Voices came from all directions. Staff walking past. Interns carrying files. Even a few higher ups nodded at him. Marcus nodded back, his face calm and distant.
It wasn't that he disliked them. He just didn't have energy for small talk. Not when his mind was full of questions, suspicions, and the pressure of a name he never asked for.
He knew what people called him behind his back. "The Ice Prince."
The name made him smile a little. Only two weeks in the company and he already had a nickname. But perhaps it worked in his favor. If people saw him as cold, then they wouldn't come too close. They wouldn't dig too deep. They wouldn't ask the questions he didn't want to answer.
He could live with that.
The elevator doors opened. He stepped in and pressed the button for the sixth floor. The ride was short. His reflection stared back at him from the shiny walls, a man who wore calmness like armor.
The sixth floor was busier. The advertising department had just come back from lunch. Desks were full of noise, talking, laughing, papers shuffling.
When Marcus walked in, the voices got a little quieter. A few people looked up. It was like his presence alone made the room settle.
He gave a small smile as he walked toward his office. "Afternoon, everyone."
"Afternoon, manager," they answered together.
Marcus stopped at a desk near the hall. Lina, one of the younger workers, looked up quickly from her notes.
"Lina," he said, steady, "when Ethan gets back, let him know I'd like to see him in my office."
"Yes, sir." She nodded.
Marcus kept walking, his steps was calm and purposeful. The quiet murmur of the team started up again behind him as he went into his office.
Another day of playing the role. Let them see the Ice Prince if that's what they need. I know why I'm here. And it's not to make friends.
*******
Marcus sat at his desk, leaning forward slightly. His face showed deep focus as his fingers moved through a stack of papers.
Each page made a soft crackling sound in the quiet. His eyes scanned the lines carefully, like every word might hold a hidden meaning.
He picked up a pen with his right hand, tapped it once against the paper, then leaned in and underlined a sentence with quick, firm pressure.
He glanced out the window, lost in thought.
Two months ago, the news reached me overseas...
A knock on the door snapped him back to the present.
"It's Ethan."
"Come in."
The door opened and Ethan walked in, about five foot eight, wearing black pants and a gray shirt. He carried a few papers in his left hand.
Ethan was Marcus's assistant. And a friend. He was the one who'd told Marcus about Bliss & Brews, the café where he'd met Ryan earlier.
"Heard you were looking for me?" Ethan said.
"Where's the X project?" Marcus asked.
"Here." Ethan put the papers on Marcus's desk and sorted them out. "I brought it because I knew you'd ask. It's been fixed, so don't worry." He leaned on the desk with both hands, waiting.
Marcus didn't look up. He kept reading.
"Alright, look, I'm sorry for ditching you at lunch, so... can you please stop sulking?" Ethan groaned. "Luanna wanted to check out that new restaurant. I had to take her!"
Marcus looked up. "No, thanks for ditching me."
"And now you're being sarcastic." Ethan grunted and sat down, folding his arms.
Marcus paused. He thought about Ryan. Their short conversation. He smiled.
"No, I'm not."
"Ugh, come on..." Ethan started.
Marcus cut him off. "Isn't it almost time for the meeting?" He looked at Ethan in a way that made it clear that the subject was closed.
Ethan sighed and stood. "Okay, Ice Prince. Have fun freezing everyone around you." He sang the words jokingly as he walked out of the office..