Destined Hearts

Chapter 1: Elevator Confrontation

I was drag out to a party last night by a friend, Juliet, despite having an important meeting today with the government officials.

I agreed to party because I was stressed from work and my mental health is getting worst. I know since the meeting was by 1:00pm I would be awake and ready regardless of how tired or drunk I might be.

By 10:00am I was at my office for the business of the day. Sofia, my beautiful and smart personal assistant reminded me of my schedule. “Thank you so much, Sofia.” I murmured as I sank on my executive chair, trying not to reflect on my emotional problems.

Sofia smiled warmly and uttered. "The pleasure is mine” before returning to her desk.

I couldn’t keep my mind off about a contract we bided for. The Vision Corp and another company has been listed for the award of the contract.

By 12: 05 p.m., I called Antonio to inform him we were going out. I picked up my iPhone and purse and headed out.

When I reached the ground floor, Antonio was already waiting for me and we headed to the venue.

Hastily, I stepped into the elevator that was about to take off. As soon as I get settled, I recognized the man beside me, Alex. “What! “You!” I uttered.

As the CEO of my father’s company, I’ve learned to appreciate twists of fate and shocks after two years of experience.

Not at all what I had dreamed of. Not exactly cordial, our history is. Back in college, we were not best of friends. We live like cats and dogs.

By nature and upbringing, I'm an outspoken and daring person unlike Alex, who is not the same as me, but he has a way of getting to my nerves, and we often clash like two titans vying for dominance.

And judging by the glare Alex shot my way, it seemed neither of us had forgotten those bitter days. ‘Shit' I cursed under my breath, knowing I had no alternative than to use the elevator.

The consciousness of time management my father instilled in me, always rings a bell in my head. ‘Darling,' he would say, ‘no matter how good you are, if you are always late for a meeting, you would be looked down on and would be seen as an unserious person.’

I shook my head slowly. No, I can’t be late now, this meeting is important. As the elevator doors closed, the atmosphere grew thick with tension.

We would exchanged glares every thirty seconds, and the weight of our mutual scorn filled the air. The silence between us became deafening.

I couldn't help but wonder if this elevator had become our personal battleground. I became uncomfortable with the atmosphere and decided to make it habitable for the few minutes I would be there.

I brought out my handkerchief and wiped my forehead as I cleared my throat loudly and murmured ‘Excuse me.' Alex pretended not to bother with what I was doing.

Yes, I called it pretense because his facial expressions showed otherwise. He curled his lips like a little boy and stole a glance. The ascend began, but neither of us made a move to break the silence.

It was as if the years apart had done nothing to ease the amenity between us. If for anything, being confined in this small space only intensified the discomfort and flashbacks of the bitter memories.

Just as I was about to let out a sarcastic comment to shatter the silence, the elevator jerked to a sudden halt. I stumbled, grabbing onto the handrail to steady myself.

Panic spewed as I intentionally pressed the emergency button, hoping for a quick resolution. But the blaring alarm only added to the confusion.

Alex's lips curled into a cold smile. "Just our luck." I couldn't resist a scoff. "Don't act like this is my doing." “Whoa! Isn’t this guilty conscience? I haven’t mentioned anyone’s name here.” Alex snapped.

The other three occupants in the elevator were silent, leaving only the two of us. I shrugged after glancing at them to determine if they were in support of Alex or me.

The emergency lights cast sinister shadows, and our situation became even more unbearable. Boxed in together, we learned to abide by each other's constant proximity.

To stem the tension that was building inside of me, I leaned against the elevator wall and wrapped my arms around my legs. "Well, isn't this a charming turn of fate that I’m trapped with you?" Alex shot me another long glare.

The sarcasm in his voice was so glaring that even a blind person could sense it. "Oh, that’s interesting. I must say." I rolled my eyes and murmured. “Thank you.” I forced a cold smile touching my forehead.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "As if you have any room to complain or have other options." We were at a standoff, neither willing to admit an inch.

The secluded space only seemed to intensify our mutual contempt. As minutes ticked by, the silence returned, heavy with unresolved tension.

I tried to imagined what Alex might be thinking. Finally, he broke the silence, his tone as biting as ever. "You know, Mia, I can't pretend that being with you here is fine. I couldn’t imagine worse way to spend my day."

His words hit me like a sharp arrow. I wanted to fire back, but the presence of other occupants, not knowing who was who, made me change the manner I wanted to react.

I smirked, unable to resist the complete urge to provoke him further. "Oh, come on, Alex Taylor, don’t be a daddy’s boy. It's not all that bad. Just a little elevator accident.

We'll be out of here in no time." “I’m sorry if you have something urgent to do.” He scoffed, his frustration evident.

I’m pretty sure he knew I didn’t mean any single word I uttered. "You always did have a gift for seeing the silver lining, didn't you?" I smiled coldly and furrowed my eyebrow.

"And what does that supposed to mean, huh?" Alex sighed, his expression hardening. "It means not everything is a happily-ever-after, Mia. Life can be... complicated and some times miserable."

Alex curled his lips and fixed his gaze directly opposite me. He pretended to be lost in his thoughts.

“Oh, I see. You know you have to be positive and focused at all times.” I chipped in. Even though his words hung in the air, I couldn't deny the truth in them.

Maybe I wasn’t realistic, always searching for the perfect solution. But in that confined space, with nothing but time and the murmur of the elevator, I couldn't help but wonder if there was more to Alex than met the eye.

The seconds turned to minutes, the static position we found ourselves continued to drag on. I looked at Alex, he seemed not too worried. Which I’m not too surprised at. This is an attitude he had right from school. He attached not much importance to stuff.

I couldn’t control the tone despite trying. The anger in the words spoken was heavy, laced with visible hatred and coldness. We were enemies trapped in a box and not even the unfortunate incident we found ourselves could change that.

As the elevator finally resumed its operation, the tension remained. But what neither of us knew yet that this unexpected meeting was just the beginning of a story neither of us had seen coming.