I let Vanessa finish her tirade, my gaze clear and icy as it bore down on the smug she–wolf.
“High–born? What, because you’ve got a brain that can’t even handle tic–tac–toe? Or because you’re treating my hand–me–downs like treasure? Or maybe you’re crowing over a job I didn’t want anymore?”
“And ‘our circle‘? Who said you and I are in the same one?”
“All you do is mess around like some barnyard animal. I wouldn’t step foot in your stinking pen. You and Alpha Adrian can lock yourselves in there forever.”
My tone was gentle, but my words dripped venom–sharp enough to slice through her arrogance.
Vanessa, always easily provoked, looked ready to combust.
Her young face twisted into something monstrous,.
Halfway through my verbal takedown, she lost it, shrieking,
“Shut up! I’ll rip your mouth off! I’ll kill you!”
She leaped from her chair, charging to slap me.
I stood my ground.
As she closed in, I hurled the stack of files in my hand, smacking her face so hard she stumbled backward,
nose bleeding crimson.
“Handover’s done. Good luck tanking Helixon Enterprises.”
With that, I strode out.
“Vivian, you’re dead! I won’t let you get away with this!”
Vanessa’s deranged screams echoed through the halls.
The team didn’t dare go near her–wise, given her current state.
I left the office, and only after I’d walked a distance did my team cautiously approach, their faces full of
concern and sympathy.
Erin Blake, the group’s leader, braved the office to retrieve my things.
She fished my trophies from the trash, carefully wiped them clean with a cloth, and packed them into a box.
“Vivian, I’ll carry this down for you.”
My heart warmed, my eyes misting slightly. “Thanks.”
Even in my darkest moment, there were still glimmers of light–good wolves who hadn’t forgotten what decency meant.
The team walked me to the elevator, and Erin carried the box downstairs for me.
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<Chapter 12
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Before leaving, I pulled Erin aside, lowering my voice.
“Tell everyone to keep their heads down and do their jobs. Don’t clash with that princess. Best case, she gets bored and bails. If a project goes south on her watch, go straight to Alpha Adrian–don’t let her pin it on you.
Erin nodded, her jaw tight. “I’ll pass it on.”
I hugged her quickly. “Stay in touch.”
As I drove away from Helixon, rain began to fall.
Ten days left.
Almost there.
Vanessa stormed upstairs to tattle, where her brother Damien was with Alpha Adrian.
Seeing her swollen, red nose, Damien blinked, stunned.
“What happened to you?”
Vanessa plopped between them, sobbing dramatically.
“I was nice! I made Vivian coffee, gave her my chair. But she came in cursing me out, calling me shameless, saying me and Alpha Adrian are ‘stinking animals.‘ I asked her about work stuff, didn’t even fight back, but she wasn’t done. She beat me, threw the handover files in my face, and slammed me to the ground!”
Alpha Adrian’s face darkened, but he stayed silent–for once, not immediately rushing to her defense.
Damien was floored, his anger flaring.
“Is she insane? That’s way out of line! Alpha Adrian, how do we handle this? The Quinn pack won’t stand for
this insult.”
Alpha Adrian’s voice was flat, unyielding.
“I apologize on her behalf. She’s been off lately.”
That’s it?
Vanessa had expected him to drag me in by the scruff, make me beg for mercy.
Furious, she snapped, “I don’t want your apology! I want her on her knees, begging me! And I want to hit her
back!”
Alpha Adrian’s eyes turned to ice, his alpha aura spiking. “Not happening.”
Damien bristled, standing straighter.
“Why not? She attacked my sister for no reason. She doesn’t answer for it? If you let this slide, the Quinn
pack won’t hesitate to take it to court–ruin the alliance.”
Alpha Adrian’s hand clenched into a fist, and after a pause, he said,
“If that’s how it’s gotta be, I’m sorry, but we’re not just done with the deal–we’ll see you in court.”
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< Chapter 12
The Quinn siblings were shocked, their mouths hanging open.
Damien stared, disbelief etched on his face.
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“You… care about her that much?”
Alpha Adrian leaned back in his chair, his tone resolute.
“She’s my mate. No one touches her.”
Vanessa trembled with rage.
He was happy with her, barely went home to me, had no love left for me–so why did he still care?
Why did I still occupy a sliver of his loyalty?
Realizing she ranked below me in his heart, she wanted to tear me apart.
But more than that, she feared losing Alpha Adrian entirely.
Swallowing her pride, she backtracked, her voice softening into a whine.
“Fine, forget it. I know Vivian’s just mad because I’m close to Alpha Adrian. I didn’t mean she should actually
kneel–I was just venting. Don’t be mad.”
Damien was speechless.
His sister, a Quinn pack princess, groveling to compete with a no–name she–wolf? Humiliating.
“But, Alpha Adrian,” Vanessa pouted, batting her lashes,
“I’ve been so wronged. You owe me.”
His expression softened, his eyes warming slightly.
“Of course.”
Vanessa left, seething, her nails digging into her palms hard enough to draw blood.
I got home and picked up a call from Sabrina.
“Sweetie, tomorrow afternoon, Julian from Solarys is playing golf with Alpha Gideon.
I told Julian I’m bringing someone–you.
Show up and work your magic. Charm the pants off him, or at least get him to notice your resume.”
“You’re the best, Sabrina. Mwah!” I gushed, relief washing over me. Finally, a glimmer of hope.
“Ugh, you’re giving me goosebumps. See you Wednesday.”
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
The good news had me eating extra at dinner–seconds of venison stew, a slice of honey cake–until I was
stuffed.
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Late that night, I hit the home gym to walk off the meal, stepping onto the treadmill.
After twenty minutes, my phone rang. Alpha Adrian.
He hadn’t come home–par for the course.
But why call at this hour?
Hesitant, I answered, my finger hovering over the end call button.
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The line connected, and heavy breathing–male and female–blared through the speaker, loud and
unapologetic. Moans, whispers, the sound of skin on skin.
My stomach, already uneasy from the rich food, churned violently.
I doubled over, vomiting onto the gym floor.
My phone slipped from my hand, crashing to the ground, screen shattering into a spiderweb of cracks.
I retched until bile burned my throat, still dry–heaving long after there was nothing left.
I don’t know how I made it back to my room–probably crawled, my legs too weak to stand.
I braced for a sleepless night of agony, expecting to want to rip my heart out, to scream until my lungs
out.
at the “poison” didn’t hit.
Lying there, eyes open, I listened to my slow, heavy heartbeat in the deafening quiet.
Time ticked on.
At some point, I closed my eyes, and darkness swallowed me
I woke at dawn, my throat raw, but surprisingly calm.
I got up, cleaned myself, tidied the gym floor–scrubbed the vomit until no trace remained–ate a small
breakfast of toast and tea, and bought a new phone.
That afternoon, I headed to the golf club as planned, my resume tucked into my bag, my game face on.
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