Page 2 of Rivals Next Door

“Okay… So, how do you know what field I’m in? Been keeping up with me?”

Her eyebrows furrowed “Please, Alex, every move you make ends up in the business and tech blogs. You’re quite popular around here. It was hard not to keep up.”

I grinned. Of course, I knew that. I just wanted to hear her say it. The satisfaction of having her know how successful I’d become felt good. She had to be astounded that I made it this far… surpassed her even. My eyes narrowed on her face, but Olivia could be difficult to read… except when I was driving her wild in bed.

Stop it, Alex.

I couldn’t afford to get distracted by the past.

“You’ve done well too, Olivia.” I knew her weakness, and I latched on to it. “But not good enough.” She’d always been hard-pressed about succeeding in a male-dominated sphere and about living up to her father’s expectations.

The slightest hint of dismay flashed in her eyes. I would have missed it had I not been watching her closely. I was being a dick, but I wanted her to feel every disappointment I felt nine years ago.

“This meeting is over, Alex. You can go now,” Olivia hissed.

I laughed. She hadn’t lost the arrogant spark that came with being a Brentwood. Apparently, she still thought that people should ask “how high” when she said “jump” because of her last name. Her attitude must have gotten worse since she became the head of the Brentwood empire. I’d take great pleasure in taking her down a notch. Actually, I was going to take her all the way down to zero. Seeing her snooty demeanor and the way she looked down her nose at me… I was going to enjoy every minute of destroying Olivia Brentwood.

“I’m the one who’s entitled to give orders here,” I said. “This is my company, after all.”

Her derisive snort made me grit my teeth. “I haven’t sold it to you, Alexander. When I agreed to meet with the anonymous buyer, I never said I’d hand my company over. I said we could discuss terms.”

“You don’t have a choice but to hand BioTech over to me.”

Her stare was icy. Ice Princess… that’s what I used to call her. She could freeze a man’s balls off with that stare.

“I have options,” she bit out.

“Your dwindling bank account says you don’t,” I countered.

Her throat bobbed and her long, thick black lashes lowered to hide her eyes. Her show of worry lasted only a second before she was back to being the Ice Princess. That sliver of uncertainty was enough to satisfy me though.

“I have time to save BioTech,” she said.

“Not nearly enough.”

“Don’t underestimate me, Alex.”

“I never have.” Standing up, I straightened my tie. “You can’t win this one. However, if you insist on prolonging your torture and failure, who am I to stop you? Go ahead and scramble to save yourself in the limited time you have. It’ll be fun to watch. I’ll be back to boot you out of my office soon. Take care, Liv.” I used the moniker because I knew it would annoy her. On cue, her eyes flashed with fury.

Before she could wield that sharp tongue I knew she had, I walked out and closed the door. A tiny smile played on my lips as I basked in my moment of gratification. However, my smile and my delight quickly faded because a realization hit me. I still felt a flicker of something when I saw Olivia.

That wasn’t supposed to happen. Everything I once felt for her was supposed to be dead. I’d been certain of it when I set out on my mission for revenge. My friends told me I was crazy. They said I was playing a dangerous game that would end badly. After what I felt trying to surface in Olivia’s office, were they right?

I took a moment to consider. No. Shaking my head, I walked away. On my way through the office, I smiled at Olivia’s assistant. The woman glowered at me, and my smile widened. She wasn’t happy with me because I’d ignored her protest and barged into her boss’s private office.

I made my way to the parking lot and hurried to my car. Inside, I stared at the colossal building that housed BioTech. It would be mine soon, and I couldn’t wait to see the look of defeat on the CEO’s face.

The man she looked down on and tossed aside years ago had risen to dethrone her. However, the longer I stared at the structure of the Brentwood empire, the harder it was to keep thoughts of the past at bay. Memories of Olivia and how fast I fell for her swamped me…

2

ALEX

Twelve years ago…

“Go long! Go Long!”

I picked up speed as I sprinted across the expanse of the campus lawn. The distant sound of laughter and chatter from other students milling around carried in the breeze. The autumn air was crisp, and the grass was slightly wet under my feet.

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