3 A New Home

Alexander Zi had been living in the Zi mansion all his life. Yet, a year after he came back from college, he desperately wanted his own space away from his grandparent's constant bickering. The fact that he was unmarried at twenty-seven had not gone unnoticed by Old Madam and Old Mr. Zi.

His older sister had gotten married earlier in the year and they were happy. However, Alex was their only grandson and the heir of the family. They also wanted him to spoil them with grandchildren. While he had been good at dodging their marriage discussions and their constant nagging, Alex was beginning to lose his mind. Especially since his grandparents took on the task of inviting their friend's daughters and grand-daughters to dinner and setting him up for dinner dates with potential wives. Their meddling made Alex rather furious, so he wanted out.

None of the girls they picked had qualities that piqued Alex's interest. Although anyone who saw the women would admit that they all looked beautiful, Ales was not moved. He knew some of them were only after his money whilst others were simply infatuated with the idea of dating him or just wanted to be in the spotlight. Those were the type of girls he hated the most.

He had threatened to find his own place numerous times if they continued. After months of enduring their mischievous plans, he decided to move out of the mansion despite knowing his grandparents would be displeased. To put their mind at ease, he had willingly agreed come back home for dinner three days a week which he often missed because of his busy schedule.

Being a lover of nature and serenity, his secretary found him the most ideal condo on the outskirts of the city. Lake-view Condos was only fifteen minutes away from his office and on good days the traffic was bearable.

The pictures Secretary Zhang had captured on his visit to the condo had won Alex over. He did not want to spend too much time mulling over a place because he desperately wanted to leave the mansion and immediately. Alex agreed to the lease and asked if he could add his personal touch which the landlord agreed upon.

To Alex, a home was not a home unless it had a personal touch from its owner. He had ordered Secretary Zhang to buy some famous paintings and furniture to match his style and arranged to move two weeks after the agreed move in date.

Arriving at Lake-view Condo now, Alex was stunned by the view on the way there. Lake-view stood on a small hill and the sunset outside the car's window was breathtakingly captivating. Alex was speechless because he never once imagined that he would see this view his very first time there. He rolled down the window and ogled over the magnificent orange shade the sun had colored the west side of the sky. He sharply inhaled the sweet succulent air that enveloped the back seat of his car and felt his entire body relax.

'I think I will like it here.' He quietly thought as he remembered how dejected his grandmother looked when he told her he would be staying somewhere else. Alex comforted her but there was not an ounce of worry. Leaving the mansion was one of the best decisions he had made, considering how obnoxious his grandparents were at their age.

Grandma Zi the clever lady she is had attempted to pry by asking him about his new place. Alex had not wavered and refused to tell. The only people who knew where he moved to, were his secretary and his two friends.

Secretary Zhang had a pleased look on his face as he secretly eyed his boss in the rearview mirror. He raised his brow in shock when he noticed his boss looking out at the sunset, and imaginatively patted his self on the back for finding this gem of a neighborhood. Not wanting to get caught, he quickly withdrew his eyes and set them back to the road ahead.

The moving truck was scheduled to arrive at eight in the evening with a few personal things Alex took from the mansion. The paintings and furniture he ordered arrived a week earlier and Secretary Zhang made sure everything had been taken care of before his boss moved in.

When the car had been parked Alex dismissed secretary Zhang after giving him a few instructions and waited for the moving truck. They arrived at exactly eight, they unpacked and organized everything and finished the task before eleven in the night.

Before heading upstairs to shower, he let his eyes roam around the first floor of the condo. He inspected his new home in awe and satisfaction. Even though the condo looked way too big for one person, Alex liked having his own space. Being away from the bothersome grandparents of his would make his life more fulfilling and less stressful.

He had a long warm shower, then walked back down the stairs into the kitchen. He pulled a grape flavored ice pop from the freezer and ate it hungrily.

He was to relax and enjoy his first night in his new place but as always, he had brought home some work to finish. He walked into his home office to work before heading to bed.