The Billionaire and His Intern (A Christian Romance)

Chapter 17: In The Shadows

Arielle leaned forward on the counter, taking sips of the cranberry juice in her cup as she stole glances at her boss from afar. She tried to keep her mind busy with light journaling, but she was curious about him and the changes that seemed so apparent.

But the changes in her were apparent too. The result of her fast led her to an answer she wasn't expecting. She wasn't prepared for it, but as time went on, she focused on God even more during her fast and His peace practically swept her off her feet as soon as it begun.

She began to feel much more empathy for her boss while he was away, but along with that empathy came the realization. It was an early morning, before her best friend or mother had awoken. The sun hadn't even peaked over the mountains yet, but Arielle sat there alone in her living room praying. It was then that she received the answer.

In a revelation she wasn't expecting, she learned that Alexander would be an important man in her life and she be would important woman in his. They were to get married in the future if they were to follow the right path, but it didn't end there. Lorenzo, he would change for the better and something would turn his heart toward God too.

These revelations shocked Arielle at first, but then she felt overjoyed realizing that she would witness the salvation of not one, but two souls.

So that night, she was surprised to see Alexander, but she was also so joyful to hear his confession. He wanted to know more about God.

Even the way he stood seemed to be a stark difference from how he had been just a week before. His entire demeanor came off as vulnerable, but there was a new fire blazing behind his eyes that Arielle did not want to be quenched. She wanted it to grow, to be tall and bright, capable of bringing light to the night, like a city on a hill.

So she sat there and she wrote, prayed, and occasionally looked over at him with deep curiosity as to what brought him to this moment and although she didn't have the answer exactly, she knew that it was God and for that she was grateful.

His concentrated stare was more akin to a glare as he studied the computer screen in front of him.

His fingers tapped quickly and quietly as his eyes stayed glued to the laptop. Her mother had finished serving dinner over an hour ago, but Alexander didn't budge from his seat even after finishing it.

It was as if the Latin dish weighed him down, canceling any hope of movement. Never had she seen a man scarf down food as quickly as he had. Maybe he had hardly eaten after his trip. He did seem to have lost a bit of weight and she found herself frowning at the thought of him skipping meals.

Was it due to stress? She wondered.

He had mentioned that he left for business-related reasons and she wondered if the duty that called was simply too much to handle on his own. She could only imagine the strength required to not fall asleep in every board meeting. Although, Arielle had regularly caught his yawns and the depth of color below his eyes. Sleep was not a close friend of Alexander Marquee, that she knew.

She and many of his employees could easily tell, but the man worked himself to the bone and that seemed to be his way of life. The way he breathed and the way he survived, since it all began.

He practically carried the heavy responsibilities of his company on his back. Shielding his employees from the mysterious men who were so willing to harm him and those he cared for.