The Protagonist Speaks

Dear readers, tonight with us on the interview couch is the CEO of a real-estate empire. He’s a man who knows how to get what he wants, understanding the value of finesse, and the importance of patience and diligence to achieve the desired result.

He is here to tell about how his world turned upside-down after meeting Krystina – the complete opposite of what he thought he wanted in a woman. His instincts failed him at every turn…

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

I grew up living in the Bronx. Specifically, it was a housing project with stereotypical cinderblock buildings, foul odors that never seemed to dissipate, and bars on the windows. The area was riddled with crime and drugs, where gun deaths and overdoses happened almost daily.

Did you have any favourite toys as a child? Any cherished memories?

The people who lived around us had very little in terms of material possessions. That was the norm. My family did not own a car and we couldn’t afford cable. Our phone was without service more often than not because of overdue bills. The few toys that I had as a child were gifts from my grandparents.

It was a struggle just to make ends meet and my mother learned early on how to stretch a dollar so that we could have a decent meal. My father worked, but never in one place for very long. He always had an excuse for his shortcomings as an employee, and someone else was always to blame whenever he got fired from a job. Because of all of this, I began to value the importance of money at a very young age, and it’s the reason why I was determined long ago to be where I am today.

What do you do now?

I currently hold the title of Chief Executive Officer for Stone Enterprise, a multibillion-dollar real estate company that I built from the ground up. I understand the value of finesse, the importance of patience and diligence to achieve the desired end result.  And I never fail.  I only employ the best of the best, and mediocrity is never celebrated.  Incompetence creates chaos in my world where control is of the upmost importance.

What can you tell us about your latest adventure?

My latest adventure, if one would call it that, is to win Krystina Cole back.  I have accepted the inevitable. If I want to hold on to her, I must bare all and release the secrets in my past. There are risks, but she is worth it. No woman has ever affected me the way that she did. She is the sunshine in the darkness. The lightning to my thunder. She is my angel.

What was the scariest thing in your adventures?

For me, the scariest moment came at a time when I was feeling hopeful about my future with Krystina. Fate took a very unexpected turn, causing our past and present to collide. Never before had I been so afraid, as I was faced with the possibility of losing Krystina forever.

What is the worst thing about your relationship with Krystina?

Krystina has a suspicious nature about her, and she is extremely distrusting.  She questions everything, and often poses problems in our relationship because of it. Krystina is a wild card, a fact that I need to remind myself of often.  Her quick wit and feisty temperament is a constant challenge. She is the antithesis to every rule that I had in the book.  But I found her to be irresistible nonetheless.

What is the best thing about your relationship with Krystina?

She made me feel again. Being with her was a wakeup call to how much of a struggle my days were, and how exhausting it was to maintain order in all things that surrounded me.  It was as if each day I was climbing a mountain, hand over hand up an endless rope to a peak that I could never quite reach.

With Krystina, there were times when I felt like I was free falling into an abyss.  However, there where also moments when I felt that I didn’t have to worry about the rope breaking or that I’d hit rock bottom.  As unbalanced as I sometimes felt with her, she somehow had the ability to keep me grounded.

Tell us a little about your friends.

My friends mostly consist of business partners, such as my account and lawyer, Bryan and Stephen. However, there is one friend that I’ve kept close by over the years. His name is Matteo Donati. Matteo and I had a business arrangement, but first and foremost, he was a longtime friend.  He was a keen observer, and he was smart.  I knew that I could always count on him to cut out the bullshit and give it to me straight.

Whom (or what) do you really hate?

Outside of my deceased father, the only other man I loathe more is Charlie Andrews. I have zero tolerance for the gambling addict that used to be my sister’s husband.  He is a despicable waste of a human being. His attempts at blackmailing my sister for money to support his habit are a constant nuisance that I need to deal with.

Can you share a secret with us, which you’ve never told anyone else?

Many secrets are still hidden in the dark. The trial for Charlie Andrews is pending, and I know it means that my carefully guarded life is about to be blown wide open. The road ahead will need to be navigated with extreme caution, as I cannot allow anything else to stand in the way of my future with Krystina. I finally have her back, and I will not lose her again.

Dakota Willink is a contemporary romance writer and editor, and the author of The Stone Series. She is an associate member of Romance Writers of America and a Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards winner.

You can find Alex and Krystina on the pages of Heart of Stone and Stepping Stone.

Join us next week to meet a woman with powers beyond any human, trying to prevent the destruction of her world by her father. Please follow the site by email (bottom-right), via Twitter, or like our Facebook page to be notified when the next interview is posted.