Chapter 5 Behind closed doors

Williams sat behind his massive mahogany desk, the tall windows of his office offering a sweeping view of the city below. The cold, efficient air of the room matched the man who inhabited it. His sharp features were illuminated by the soft glow of the desk lamp, and the papers before him seemed to blur as he read through them with a focused intensity.

His secretary, Ethan, stood near the door, his posture rigid, awaiting instructions. Ethan had been with Williams for years, a trusted ally in the business world, and someone who understood Williams's quiet, calculating nature better than most. Today, however, Ethan's usually unflappable demeanor was slightly strained, as if sensing the weight of the recent events that had unfolded.

"You have the latest financial reports?" Williams's voice cut through the silence, sharp and direct.

"Yes, sir," Ethan replied, handing over a sleek tablet that displayed the figures on screen. Williams took it, his eyes scanning the data swiftly, absorbing every number, every shift in the market, every potential threat to his empire. He wasn't one to overlook even the smallest detail.

"Things are unstable," Williams muttered to himself, his fingers lightly tapping on the tablet. "The press frenzy has hurt the company's reputation more than I anticipated."

Ethan nodded, his expression neutral. "The creditors are circling. They've already started making inquiries into possible buyouts."

Williams's eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening at the mention of buyouts. The vultures were already circling, eager to claim what was his, but he would not let that happen. Not on his watch.

"I need you to take care of that. Contact the board of directors and make sure we hold our ground," Williams instructed, his tone colder than ever. "I'll be meeting with a few key investors this afternoon. Make sure the PR team prepares a statement on the situation. We need to control the narrative."

Ethan nodded once more, moving toward the door as he prepared to execute the orders with the same precision that had made Williams's empire unshakable.

"Wait," Williams called before he could leave. Ethan paused, his hand still on the doorframe, waiting for his boss's next command.

"Have you spoken to Nonna?" Williams asked, his voice less sharp now but no less commanding.

Ethan looked down, his eyes flickering with something that Williams couldn't quite place. "I've been in contact with her lawyer. She's... she's dealing with her father's condition, sir. It's a delicate situation."

Williams leaned back in his chair, his eyes focused on the skyline outside. Nonna. He hadn't seen her since the hospital, but her face haunted him still. The fear, the vulnerability in her eyes as she had knelt beside her father's bed, was still fresh in his mind.

"I'm aware," he muttered. "But the sooner we stabilize her, the sooner we can stabilize everything else. She's not just the heiress of a crumbling empire. She's also my... responsibility."

Ethan's brow furrowed slightly at Williams's words, but he kept his mouth shut. His boss was many things-ruthless, cold, and calculating-but there was a layer of something softer beneath the surface. And in the past few days, that softness had been directed at Nonna.

"Understood, sir. I'll keep monitoring the situation," Ethan said before he stepped out of the office, leaving Williams to his thoughts.

As the door clicked shut, Williams let out a long breath, his fingers drumming lightly on the desk. He wasn't sure what had happened to him since the events of the past few days. He'd always been in control-of his business, of his emotions-but with Nonna, things were different.

He had been compelled to act, to step in and offer her a lifeline, even though it meant taking on more than he'd originally intended. The fragile situation with her father's health, the threat to the family business, and the unwanted paparazzi attention had thrown them both into a world of uncertainty. But none of it mattered as much as Nonna did, despite how unwilling she was to admit it.

Williams ran a hand through his dark hair, a rare sign of frustration slipping through his composed exterior. The deal-marriage, financial rescue-was supposed to be a simple transaction. A way to tie up the loose ends of the Hathaway family's empire and his own interests. Yet somewhere along the way, it had turned into something far more complicated.

"Focus," he muttered to himself. "This is just business. She's just a means to an end."

But as his gaze lingered on the documents before him, Williams couldn't shake the image of Nonna, kneeling at her father's bedside, her tear-streaked face so full of vulnerability. The weight of the situation was beginning to settle in for both of them. And for reasons he couldn't quite pinpoint, Williams felt an odd sense of protectiveness rising within him.

He shook his head, trying to push the thoughts away. There was no room for feelings, not in his world. There never had been.

The door opened again, and this time, it was his secretary who stepped in, holding a phone to his ear. "Mr. Vose, we've received word from the investors. They want an immediate meeting to discuss the situation further."

Williams straightened in his chair, slipping into his usual persona-the cold, ruthless businessman who ruled over the empire he had built. "Set it up," he said, his voice steely. "And make sure Nonna's situation is handled swiftly. We have no time to waste."

The secretary nodded, slipping back out of the room. Williams turned back to the view outside, his mind racing through the many possible outcomes of the day's meeting.

He had no intention of letting anything or anyone stand in the way of his plans. But as his thoughts flickered back to Nonna, he couldn't shake the feeling that, despite his best efforts, things might not be as simple as he had hoped.