ALEXANDRO’S POV.

The ball I tossed across the room bounced back to me, and I caught it with ease. My mind, however, was far from whatever Mario was ranting about on the other end of the line.

“Lex, are you even listening?” Mario asked, his tone laced with suspicion.

“Yeah, yeah. Go on,” I replied distractedly, my attention still on the ball as I continued tossing it in rhythm.

The merger had been a success. Despite the opposition, I, Alexandro "Lex" Castello, always got what I wanted. It wasn’t about negotiations; it was about leverage. They could either accept my offer or lose it all. No middle ground.

“You’re ‘not’...