Chapter 2 Brooding

Chapter 2

Julian Blackwood stood at his floor-ceiling-windows in his office,gazing out outside the manhattan skyline.He was out last night at a business associate's birthday dinner,personally Julian didn't care much about social appearances like that, but he has to put up with the lifestyle to be ahead of his rivals in the business world most especially Victor Demario, his eyes narrowed at the thought of Victor Demario his business rival. Victor has been moving more boldly and unabashedly shady these past few months, and Julian knowing Victor and how shameless,ruthless and greedy he is,knew he has to take actions and fast,he put his index finger and thumb on his temple pressing the tout skin of his forehead together in an attempt to tame the rising tension he's feeling inside of him.He had worked so hard and long to save his family business empire and built it to the top,making it one of the most successful business empire in America and not just in the city of New York,he can't afford to lose it or let it slip into the hands of that maniac Victor like his father once did,he'd worked so hard he thought to himself, so damned hard, he had despised his dad,thinking of how weak he was losing what his great-grandfather had built and passed on to his generation,how was he so reckless,undisciplined and immoral,growing up Julian had always revered his father,to him,Austin Blackwood was not just his biological father,but his idol,his second God,his hero.

He had studied too hard to show his dad how reliable and intelligent he was, he graduated at the top of his class in business administration not just to impress his father but to carry on his legacy,he has always loved the idea of businesses, how incredible and demanding creating something from scratch or from a low point to something great and successful.To  him his father's acknowledgement was the world's biggest prize,his father was his ultimate mentor,he looked up to him in every way,from business,down to how he handled his family and household with natural grace,wisdom and ease.To him his father was simply the greatest, most powerful,wise and logical person he knew,his father was simply perfect until his father's dirty dealings and shady deeds came to light. Though, his relationship with his father is strained and conflicted, he still loves him in his own way and sometimes tries to understand that he is human with flaws and also capable of making mistakes but still what is a great man without integrity and discipline ?Thinking back of how scared he had been of losing his mother,

He had just completed his masters degree and was twenty two years old, preparing to join his father in managing the family's business.He remembers the day his life changed forever. His father, once a respected businessman, was embroiled in a scandal that made headlines for weeks. The family's business, once thriving, was now on the brink of collapse.

Julain recalls the sound of his mother's tears, and eventually her having a heart attack and stroke simultaneously,the sight of his father's defeated face, and the feeling of helplessness that gripped their home. The media harassment was relentless, with reporters camped outside their house for days on end.asking invasive questions and snapping photos.

He remembers the shame and embarrassment he felt, the whispers and stares at school, and the loss of friends who no longer wanted to associate with him. His family's reputation was tarnished, and he felt like he was living in a nightmare.

As the business failed, their lifestyle changed dramatically. They had to sell their beautiful home, move to a small apartment, and cut back on every luxury. The boy's parents argued constantly, their stress and worry palpable.

He felt like he was walking on eggshells, never knowing when the next shoe would drop. His father became withdrawn and distant, his mother anxious and depressed and took solace in drinking and smoking,her husband had not only ruin the family's business but his marriage and family too,the new habits she adopted to cope with the sad,sudden and shocking reality of their lives.Julian felt  alone, like he was carrying the weight of their struggles on his shoulders alone

One particularly painful memory stands out - the day his father's business partner,Marcus Thompson, once a close family friend, sued them for bankruptcy. remembers the look of betrayal,regret,shock and sadness on his father's face, the sound of his mother's anguished cry, and the feeling of their world crumbling around them.

Even years later, Julain can't shake off the sadness and regret that lingers, a constant reminder of the scandal that destroyed their lives.

,he shook himself out of his deep thoughts and stopped reminiscing about a past that doesn't seem so far,a past that had casted a dark shadow over his family like a evil and malefic spell.With  renewed determination and strong convictions,he promised himself never to go down the same route as his father,hadn't he heard  whispers from people, that he will grow to be just like his father and end up like him?! Hadn't he watched people who had  once looked up to his father,people whom his father had helped,people whom he had dined with,hosted and celebrated with,people who had once smiled gleefully and swore that they were loyal,people whom he had trusted and thought he could rely on,turned his back against him at the dire time of need.He had seen the deep seethed regret,shame and humiliation his father had gone through,he had seen it firsthand,how a man who lacks discipline and integrity can fall quickly from grace and honour,to humiliation,disgrace and shame.He had watched intriguingly how people can switch up and switch sides to favour them, as long as you're no longer beneficial to them. Like the saying "a dog eat dog world" many of his father's business rivals and associates seemed like they were waiting for Austin Blackwood to fail so they can buy his business for peanuts in the guise of helping him survive.He can't  be his father,he thought to himself, hell no! he can't, he is not weak,he is not stupid and he is definitely not indisciplined. He remembers one of his father's "morality" lectures, in one of their short  luxury family leisure trips together, he lectured Julian about how being upright is important and to never compromise his integrity for anything or any price.He shook his head, bringing himself out of his long thoughts and brooding.

He sighed, walked behind his desk, drawing his  luxurious leather chair back and sat down, stretching his legs forward.He picked up a report his secretary  Martha,had kept on his desk and began skimming through making sure the report was apt and detailed just then,his assistant,Martha,buzzed to announce the arrival of a journalist from daily times,Julian frowned,his eyes flashed with annoyance and impatience,Julian is a very patient man when it comes to playing,winning and securing business deals,but he lacks patience for irrelevant things and people like journalists, the paparazzis and reporters,closing his eyes he remembered the times when the media had gotten a scoop of his father's dealings,bankruptcy and illicit affairs.The paparazzi would camp outside their family mansion and harass anyone who comes out of the building with numerous unintelligible questions , microphones and their damned stupid cameras and flashlights, he wasn't even given the decency to attend school peacefully, him and his family were thoroughly harassed with their pictures embarrassingly displayed across numerous tabloids,news papers and even televised. The media  didn't  care about how much his father's reckless decision had affected his whole family and how they were faring, his mother was sick and suffered a slight stroke from hearing the news of her beloved and morally upright husband's illicit sexual affairs, shady business deals and the bankruptcy of their family's business.The media didn't care about anything,not when his father was loosing everything,they were only concerned about publishing the bad stories to garner attention and views,not that he blamed them, sometimes people are more interested in bad news and illicit stories; and what they usually term as "tea" why would they suddenly care now?he had recently seen a few newspapers and tabloid articles and headlines about himself and the resurrected family business and just last month he was listed among the top ten most handsome,wealthiest and eligible bachelors and CEOs of New York.Martha buzzed again drawing his attention from his thoughts,he sat up squaring his shoulders,"who is that"? He asked, "Samantha Taylor"Martha announced,opening the door to reveal a young woman with a determined look on her face,Julian raised an eyebrow,she was not what he expected,he slowly observed her from her beautiful heart shaped face with the cute little freckles scattered across her pointed nose ,her bright green eyes and luscious curly brown hair,smooth fair skin with a faint lovely hue of gold,her skin tone seem like she enjoys summer outdoor activities or like being outside, he slowly dragged his eyes down taking note of her delectable neck and collarbone and further looked down lingering his eyes on the slow rising and falling of her full firm looking breasts concealed by her black camisole.She's petite,he observed,her eyes were darting around his office, and eventually landed on him,she blinked twice,giving him a hint of nervousness that was quickly masked by reinforced determination.Interesting! She's a little firecracker he thought to himself amusingly.

Miss Taylor was certainly not what he expected when he got buzzed by his assistant, Martha,about a journalist.Most journalists he had met were middle-aged women and men with a cynical and disdainful air about them.This one is different from the ones he usually encounters ,she seems very much younger and carries an attitude of defiance,feistiness and determination,which makes him slightly intrigued and interested.

"Ms. Taylor,"he said,his voice firm but polite,"what can I do for you?"

He watched her smile,her eyes sparkling with intelligence and mischief."I'm here to ask you some questions about your fast and rapid  business growth if you don't mind,Mr Julian."she said sweetly.