Here’s the situation. I’m currently looking for a beta and while I know a bunch of really excellent writers I look up to follow me, I’d feel extremely bad knocking at their door and asking for time they probably don’t have.
So umm... yea if you’ve got any idea of how I work you’ll know I’m a mess and I need someone to put my ideas in perspective or I’ll never get anything done
wanna help me out?
[ i mean think about it. you get dibs on my angst and you get to make it worse LOL]
In which Clarke and Bellamy are two CEOs who find themselves in completely different situations and then, they find each other. Rated M [Chapter One]
Chapter WC: 2899
Total WC: 6568
a/n: i’m posting this a day earlier than i intend to because i’m going to be completely busy this final week of may and won’t have time to update.
APRIL 9
Critics are calling it the Bonding of the century. Raven Reyes is to be Bonded to Kyle Wick in a lavish ceremony at the Butterfly Palace. Reyes herself has told me Bellamy Blake is to be her representative. We at Soulmate Daily can hardly wait for our exclusive invites. In other news, Bellamy Blake was seen being awfully cosy with Fai Lee last night at Dropship.
The elevator doors dinged open and Bellamy moved swiftly, heading for his office. Normally, he would stop to greet everyone he encountered along the way but, he was already late. He needed to pick his conquests more carefully. He had wasted his morning trying to get her to leave. Apparently, she thought she was being adorable by making him chase her around his penthouse. She didn’t get that he was serious about her leaving. Bellamy did not do one-night stands or girlfriends. That was the only thing that the media had gotten right about him.
Then, she had wasted some more time by not wanting to get into the limousine that he had so generously called for her. “Why can’t I stay another night?” Her whine still rang in his ears and he cringed inwardly. How did he ever think she looked like the personification of Aphrodite, he would never find out. Perhaps it was the lighting at Dropship and the significant amount of alcohol he had ingested. However, he did remember making it absolutely clear that he wasn’t looking for anything other than a night of bliss and fun.
“Good morning, Mr. Blake,” Hannah, the office receptionist, greeted as he breezed past her on his way to join in the cacophony of congratulations and praise that resonated from the floor.
“Call me Bellamy.” Although he had told her to call him Bellamy so many times that he had lost count, he humoured Hannah who reminded him of his mother.
The rest of the office greeted him in a chorus of cheers of good mornings and was punctuated with Harper’s success as he walked in. He peeked over at Harper’s HoloScreen and barked a laugh. She had successfully bought a seventy-percent stake at Frost and Company, a department store corporation that he had been trying to woo for months. Normally, he would probably spend a good half of his day celebrating with his crew but he had a conference call that he needed to attend to immediately. So, he said quick congratulations, gave Harper a slap on the back and promised her a bonus.
Bellamy entered his office to find Octavia, Miller and Jasper lounging on his furniture. “Holy crap,” he mumbled to himself as he settled behind his desk, setting his briefcase on the floor. He had forgotten that he had called for them first thing in the morning to present their status reports as well as update him on the Mount Weather division.
Octavia was in her customary chair directly in front of Bellamy’s desk with her feet thrown over the arm rest although he had lectured multiple times that her boots would scuff the leather. Jasper was perched on Bellamy’s desk, flirting unsuccessfully with Octavia while Miller was stretched out on his favourite couch by the windows, reading one of Bellamy’s Greek mythology classics. They’re like a bloody pack of wolves, Bellamy thought.
“Looks like The Prince finally decided to grace us with his presence.” That was the tone Octavia always used with him when she was annoyed. She didn’t look up but continued to scroll through her HoloPhone. “What happened? You got run over by a pack of girls thinking you’re their Soulmate?”
“I’m sorry. She made me play catch in the apartment. I haven’t played catch since you hit puberty.” He tried to sound as nonchalant as possible, as if this sort of thing happened every day.
“That girl you went home with last night?” Jasper slid off the desk and into the chair next to Octavia’s. She just rolled her eyes. “I tried to warn you, man, but you wouldn’t listen.”
Bellamy didn’t humour Jasper, not wanting to continue the conversation on another clingy conquest. He rolled his shoulders, straightened and fired up his HoloScreen. “Pleasantries over. Begin.”
However, there was silence. Frowning, he looked expectantly at the three wolves, waiting for one of them to say something even as his screen flooded with email notifications and progress updates. But, they just stared at him. “This is where you all begin talking…,” Bellamy prompted.
Octavia looked at Jasper who in turn looked at Miller who looked back at Octavia but neither of them would meet his eyes. They usually bickered on who got to present first. Octavia had once single-handedly shoved both Jasper and Miller out of the room because they refused to be silent when she was speaking. Eventually, they had drawn up a chart detailing which day of the week they got to speak first but none of them stuck to it. Secretly, Bellamy enjoyed their petty banter. “Earth to the Fates. We have work to do.”
Silence and then Bellamy sighed in frustration. “If you don’t have anything to say, get out and get to work.” Still, the threat in his voice didn’t prompt them to speak. He raised a brow. “You guys usually cannot shut up. What is with you three?”
Then, Jasper and Miller looked at Octavia in unison. The blinking red square in the corner of his screen indicated that there was an incoming call. This video conference call with Monroe and Fox in Mount Weather, he really needed to answer. Quickly, he texted them to say that he was being held up and would reschedule. Frustrated, he was about to dismiss the three of them for wasting his time when Octavia rolled her eyes and threw her hands in the air.
She jumped out of her seat and yelled at Jasper and Miller. “When it comes down to convincing Bellamy to attend a party, I have to do it. Why? Is it because I’m a girl? Are you boys scared shitless? I can’t believe I have to work with you!”
“Hurry up, guys.” It was no secret that Bellamy hated attending parties. They usually had to push, prod and cajole him into attending anything and if they had such a difficult time deciding who should bring it up, this one had to be a high-society one. He hated them the most, especially Engagement Balls. All the young and eligible debutantes seemed to throw themselves at him even though he had made it very clear that he was not interested. However, he was forced attend them and pretend he was having fun if he didn’t want to be a social outcast.
On the other hand, parties at nightclubs with pretty young starlets were a whole different story. Those, Bellamy loved and he didn’t care if the media called him “a heart-breaking man-whore.”
Before Jasper or Miller could reply, and Bellamy knew they were raring to go for they both had gotten out of their seats, he interjected, “Come on; let’s get it over with so we can get to more important matters. What party am I forced to endure this time?”
Octavia handed him a golden card, the sun reflecting off the shiny material and almost blinding him. Gold meant that it was even more important than Bellamy had expected and he cringed. “That came for you and me today. It’s from Raven.”
Bellamy’s heart instantly felt much lighter when he learned that it was Raven and not some society-bred debutante. No matter how many times he told the media that he intended to never find his Soulmate, every girl in TonDC seemed to think that she would be the one to change his mind. And if he wanted to remain in society’s good graces and the debutantes’ investor fathers in his pockets, he had no choice.
However, even though it was his best friend’s Bonding, Bellamy had an impending deadline on Mount Weather’s flagship Blake Department Store. Fox’s last report hadn’t been too optimistic as shipments for the light fixtures were delayed and it was too short notice to order the specific lighting he wanted from a different supplier.
His objection to attendance must have shown on his face for before he could get the words out, Octavia said, “You can’t back out of it anyway. She accidentally on purpose made it public and now everyone’s expecting you to turn up. To back out would mean social suicide for you and for the company.”
“That’s what I have you and Monroe for.” Bellamy was confident in Octavia and Monroe’s abilities as his public relations team to sneak him out of attending Raven’s Bonding Party. He couldn’t afford to miss any time off work. For fuck’s sake, he had to head out to the Mount Weather in two weeks. He always made sure that he was onsite for the final touches to any project and this department store was going to be his pride and joy.
“We’re not bailing you out this time, Bell.” Octavia took the card from his fingers and flipped it open, almost shoving it at him. “Raven says that if you don’t go, she will ruin you beyond reasonable doubt. She says that if I try to bail you out, she won’t invite me to any more parties.”
“We have a deadline to meet.” Bellamy was on the edge of becoming as whiny as the model he had just put into the limousine.
“Raven also says your deadline is not an excuse. She has seen you work with shorter time frames.” The smirk that Octavia wore said she agreed with Raven and Bellamy couldn’t deny it. He was well-known for working on the tightest schedules.
He knew that there was no way he would be winning this argument and the more he thought about it, the more he felt an obligation to be Raven’s representative. She had no other family save for him and Clarke Griffin. “Fine,” he said grudgingly. “If I have to go, the rest of you are coming as well. The more the merrier, right?”
None of them looked particularly bothered that they also had to attend Raven’s Bonding Party. In fact, they looked ecstatic, especially Miller and Jasper. Although they ran in society circles, they weren’t high enough on the food chain to warrant an invite and knowing Raven, it would be a highly intimate affair. Bellamy hardly doubted Soulmate Daily was going to get any exclusive invites and he was glad for that. One night without the paparazzi trailing him was good, even if he had to be stuck inside a ballroom.
“Don’t look so pleased about it. Those fortune hunters are going to make it hell. Your net worths are climbing and no one gives a damn about your Marks.” Bellamy’s grumbling did nothing to deter their excitement. They were practically vibrating with energy. Inside Bellamy’s office, they didn’t have to care about appearing professional. “It’s like no one gives a shit about Soulmates anymore.”
“Look who’s talking.”
Bellamy had a retort ready but he bit his tongue. It was true. He didn’t care about Soulmates. His mother’s Soulmate had left her and he never knew who had fathered him. Hell, he and Octavia didn’t even have the same father but Bellamy knew he was lucky to have been born with a penis between his legs. He had witnessed first-hand at Raven’s first engagement party how men had leered at Octavia and tried to get a glimpse of the Mark she sported behind her ear. She had only been sixteen, hardly anywhere near her Discovery.
There was nothing she could do to escape but shuffle closer to Bellamy who had kept her protectively by his side ever since. He wouldn’t allow his baby sister to go through the disgusting, archaic practice of Engagement or even Bonding. Fuck Soulmates. It was a stupid idea anyway that some stupid Mark defined the person you spent the rest of your life with. “Monogamy is unnatural” was Bellamy’s motto.
Bellamy shrugged nonchalantly in surrender and Octavia smirked, knowing that she had the last word. “Get back to work. All of you.”
The excited grins were still plastered on their faces as they presented their morning reports. Bellamy had never heard a more enthusiastic briefing and it amused him. Now, he knew what it took to boost team morale. “Sky Constructions are practically begging for us to buy them over. I’m heading to their office later today to meet with the president. Hopefully, we’ll get a deal by the end of today,” Nathan Miller, Chief Executive of Acquisitions reported. He handed Bellamy a thick file. “Meryl and Bros. are a shipping company and they’re going public.”
“I’ll let you know tomorrow morning if Blake and Co. is interested.” Miller nodded and then left the room. He had a plane to catch.
Bellamy turned to Jasper Jordan, Chief Executive of Human Resources, and without needing to be told, he gave his report. “Vie Electronics are threatening to go on strike. It appears that they want Victor back as president. They said that they’re going to steal all the parts in the middle of the night.”
“That son of a bitch is the one who drove the company to bankruptcy.” Bellamy shook his head but he understood loyalty. His three vice presidents were the most loyal people he knew and so were those who worked for him on the floor.
“That’s what I told them.” Jasper flipped through his HoloPad. “I even told them they’d all get criminal records if they stole parts. They said they didn’t care. Victor was all that mattered.”
Bellamy frowned. Such a threat was not one that the group could have come up with collectively. There had to be an instigator and he was certain that it was Victor or someone in his pocket. “Find who started it and fire him immediately. Tell them that we run the show now and if they don’t like it, offer them a nice compensation package.”
Bellamy turned to Octavia, surprised that she had let the other two go first but his surprise turned into amusement when he caught the excited gleam in her eyes. “So, you’re too oblivious to have heard it but Clarke Griffin is all over the news today!” Bellamy couldn’t see where she was going with this but he nodded in acknowledgement. “Apparently, The Prick dumped her and Soulmate Daily has the exclusive.”
“How is this relevant to the company, O?” She was never this obtuse about anything. Normally, she couldn’t wait to get her report over and done with so she didn’t have to sit in Bellamy’s office any longer.
“I knew you didn’t read it! The Prick said something about Griffin Medical that you would be really interested in.” From the tote at her feet, Octavia pulled out a fresh copy of Soulmate Daily and Bellamy resisted the urge to roll his eyes. It was her job to watch for the latest trends but she read Soulmate Daily like the Bible. She flipped to her desired page and slid the tabloid in front of Bellamy. “Harper told me earlier that their share prices have dropped. It seems that people want her out of there.”
“He’s going to ruin her like he did Raven. And this time, he has his position to help him.”
Only Bellamy and Octavia knew about Raven and Finn’s secret relationship and how Raven had come to be Clarke’s best friend. At first, Raven was only Clarke’s friend because she wanted to see the woman that Finn had dumped her for but as she got to know the girl behind the glass wall, Raven found that she and Clarke were not so different.
Octavia shrugged. “You’ve wanted to take down Jaha since forever. Now’s our chance. She won’t lose her job if we move in. Only Jaha would. Plus, we don’t have a hospital or a research facility yet. This could be a good move for Blake and Co. It shows that we care about more than just profits.”
A smirk formed on Bellamy’s lips and he resisted the urge to rub his hands together like an evil villain. “Miller also says that Griffin Medical is financially sound so we won’t have much work to do. Jaha is the only problem there so once we get rid of it, we’ll be running it smoothly.”
Bellamy frowned slightly as something just came to mind. “Isn’t Abby Griffin the president?”
Octavia shook her head. “Abby’s only president of the hospital. Jaha and the Council run the research facility which totally sucks because Abby should have put Clarke in that position but Clarke only holds a two percent share. The rest of the board hold five percent with Jaha holding ten. It’s apparently the arrangement since Abby started the company.”
Ah, typical Jaha. Taking advantage of widowed women since the beginning of time, Bellamy thought as the gears turned in his head. It had to be a subtle takeover and no one could know except his top executives. Although he pushed his security hard to get rid of any rival spies, the business of spying was becoming more sophisticated and it was harder to pick them out.
“Hostile takeover, then?”
Octavia smirked. “They’ll never know what hit them.”
