Page 6

Chapter Six

L ILA WINTER

Keep my head down. Focus on the job.

I’ve been muttering the same mantra for a whole week.

The problem is, my job wouldn’t be a living hell if my boss weren’t Alaric Hells.

If he were just a demanding CEO with a god complex, I could handle it.

If he were just another Alpha who thought the world should bow at his feet, I could ignore it. But he’s not just that.

He’s the man who threw me out like I was nothing but a mistake. And the worst part is, I was the fool who thought that fate had handed me something real.

How wrong I was. Not only did Alaric treat me like a game piece between him and Julian, but because of him, I had to flee from the pain. I had to spend months terrified, sick, and unsure whether I’d be able to raise a child all on my own.

A few days ago, after my first day at work, I sat in our apartment while Lina excitedly told me about the friends she had made at daycare. How it wasn’t as bad as she thought. How she actually liked it.

I should have been relieved. Instead, I wanted to pack our bags and run.

Back to Fair Haven. Back to a shaky job that barely paid the bills. Back to a cramped, cold apartment where Lina and I shared a blanket in the winters because the heat never worked. Back to safety.

Because this? Being here? Working under him? It’s insane, considering what happened between us six years ago.

At first, I obsessed over why he had hired me. Did he already know I was the one applying? Did he plan to humiliate me further? Rip open old wounds just to watch me bleed?

But Alaric Hells has done none of that.

And that’s what makes this job unbearable.

I was ready for cruelty. I was ready for war.

Instead—

He greets me every morning when he walks into his office.

I brush it off with a cold, clipped, “Morning to you.” But he never calls me out on it. He doesn’t push.

When he asks for documents, he explains exactly how he wants them, how the formatting should be done, even offers to help if I get it wrong.

I never ask for his help, of course. I’d rather drown in toner than ask for his help.

Then there was Mr. Campbell of Silver Industries.

It was the first real moment that made me waver.

The man had been so furious on the phone because I’d told him I couldn’t schedule a meeting without consulting Alaric.

Mr. Campbell was on the verge of insulting me, and that’s when Alaric had stepped in. Without hesitation.

One second, I was gripping the phone, my pulse rising, and the next, Alaric was standing beside me, so close I could feel his warmth, so silent I hadn’t even noticed him approaching.

His hand brushed against mine as he took the phone.

The moment we touched, a jolt shot up my arm, warm and electric.

That pull between us crackled, bringing in a heat I wanted no part of, but by the time I pulled away, the damage was already done.

My skin was already buzzing, remembering how good his touch felt.

Then, with calm authority, he told Mr. Campbell that if he couldn’t respect his secretary, or women, for that matter, then Silver Industries would no longer partner with his company.

Then he hung up. Just like that.

No anger. No hesitation.

And when he handed the phone back to me, retreating to his office without another word…my hatred had for him might have thawed a little.

I told myself it was nothing. That it didn’t mean anything. That it shouldn’t.

But even now, the memory lingers like a thorn I can’t pull out.

But none of that matters now. Because no matter how he acts now, it doesn’t erase the past. And it doesn’t change the fact that sooner or later, I’ll have to face the one person I’ve been dreading since I set foot in this company—Julian.

I still haven’t seen Julian, but since he is Alaric’s nephew, I know I will eventually, and when that happens, I’ll have to face the ugly truth I’ve been avoiding since the moment I set foot in this company.

My new boss might be my baby girl's father.

Oh, and his nephew might be Lina’s father, too.

I can’t think about that. I won’t.

Because thinking about it means asking myself the question I’ve been running from since the moment I saw those two pink lines on a pregnancy test.

The haunting nightmares of how tough my job has been are erased when a small tug on my sleeve wakes me in the middle of the night.

“Mommy?” Lina’s voice is barely above a whisper.

I blink through the darkness, my body aching from exhaustion. “What is it, baby?”

She hesitates, clutching Bear tightly. “Can I stay with you? I can’t sleep.”

Smiling, I pull her close, tucking her tiny body against mine. “Of course, sweetheart.” I smooth down her curls, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Go back to sleep. Mommy’s right here.”

Looking at her sleeping face makes me realize I would battle through hell for her because she's everything I have, and that's enough to ward off all the exhaustion.

By morning, the exhaustion still lingers, but I push through it. I arrive at work expecting just another ordinary workday.

I’m wrong.

Today we are having a meeting that includes members from multiple departments. Marketing, finance, and operations will be present. The meeting has been arranged to evaluate the new initiatives, which means that we’ll be spending more than a few hours in the conference room.

I walk behind Alaric, his scent covering me like a warm summer blanket. He opens the door for me like a gentleman, but I don’t dwell on it as I take my seat next to him.

The long, obsidian conference table is surrounded by at least thirty-two people, and it should make me nervous, but six years of serving coffee to at least a hundred different people per day has made me confident in crowds.

The only problem is, I'm aware of the subtle shift as I sit next to Alaric.

Sitting a few seats away from me is a leggy blonde with enough makeup on her face to bake an entire birthday cake.

I know her. She’s from the thirtieth floor and the same woman who treated me like dirt the first day I tried to greet her.

Amanda was supposed to be Alaric’s secretary after the old one got fired.

Apparently, she is the daughter of an Elder, and she felt that she was guaranteed to get the job.

Unfortunately for her and fortunately for me, Alaric decided that everyone who applied for the secretary job must be interviewed. So, I got the job, and Amanda got a job in a less important department on the thirtieth floor.

She’s been waiting for me to slip up ever since.

Which is why I'm not even surprised when she stands up, wipes off invisible lint from her expensive clothes, and starts the meeting herself.

“Lila,” her voice is sickly sweet, her red shiny lipstick drawing the eye, “since we all know I’m the one who was supposed to have your job and you can’t possibly handle this, I'm sure you are not familiar with the company’s strategic plans for the quarter.

So let me be a darling and go over them for you, okay? ”

A few people murmur, others shift in their seats uncomfortably.

Amanda’s words are crystal clear. She’s making me look incompetent as Alaric’s secretary. In front of some of the most important departments in the office, no less.

Alaric doesn’t say a word, but his expression is hard as stone.

I clasp my hands together on the table, wearing the same saccharine smile as Amanda’s.

“Thanks, Amanda, but that won’t be necessary.”

Amanda presses her hand over her expensive cotton jacket and snorts. “Oh?”

“I went through all the strategic planning files on my first day. I believe I'm up to date.”

Another round of murmurs and gasps echoes around the conference table, but I’ve come too far to back down from a challenge. If she wants a show, I'll most definitely give her a show.

Amanda chuckles lightly. Some people sitting at her side chuckle along with her.

“I’m impressed, Lila. I really am, but being a secretary isn’t likely to learn how to read reports.

Hell, everyone here can agree with me that I can read a report from A to Z.

The point here, darling, is that experience is what matters.

Knowing the core values and the needs of the company will always come first, but I guess…

you wouldn’t know that, would you? You’ve been here for what? Twenty-four hours?”

There it is.

Her final blow.

She knows I've been here for a week. Everyone here knows I’ve been here for a fucking week.

But since I'm the newbie, ergo the inexperienced one, no one dares refute Amanda’s claim. If anything, the silent tension in the room tells me I'm alone in fighting against this attack.

Still having the strength in me to continue the fight, I’m about to open my mouth when the man next to me stops me.

Alaric leans forward.

The room falls into immediate silence.

He smirks. My heart nearly falls into my stomach because I know that smirk. I remember him giving me that smirk six years ago, right before he made me orgasm so hard I felt it for days.

Right now, that challenging smirk is thrown at Amanda.

“If experience is what matters, let’s put it to the test,” Alaric grits out.

Amanda’s face turns pale. “Alaric?”

“Amanda, why don’t you outline our three most profitable sectors from last quarter and how the new strategy aims to improve them?”

Amanda stiffens. She looks around the room for help, and when she starts speaking. I know for a fact she doesn’t know squat.

“Alaric I-I thought…if you can give me a minute to…”

“To read the reports? I thought reading the reports was as easy as A to Z,” Alaric taunts. I don’t know where he’s going with this, but I love it.

Amanda expected me to crumble and shrink under the weight of her challenge, but Alaric just flipped the game on her. Right now, she’s the one who’s squirming.

The anticipation of seeing her fail thrums in my veins as I watch her confidence slip and her shoulders stiffen.

Tearing his gaze away from Amanda, Alaric looks at me and asks the same question he fired at Amanda.

“Lila, outline our three most profitable sectors from last quarter and how the new strategy aims to improve them.”

He framed it as a question for Amanda.

But for me, he says it as a statement. Like he truly believes I know the answer to whatever he just stated.

He’s testing me and helping me, too, I realize.

If I fail to answer him, I lose my credibility and Amanda is proven right, but if I answer the question, I prove I'm capable of being his secretary, and no one has the right to question me.

“Of course,” I say smoothly. “Last quarter’s financial reports show that our top three performing sectors were technology investments, international trade expansion, and private client acquisitions.”

I shift my gaze to Amanda, allowing a small pause before continuing.

“To optimize our continued growth in these areas, the company has initiated a strategy that includes expanding our cybersecurity partnerships, securing key global trade agreements with our European sector, and enhancing our elite client services by streamlining high-value accounts.”

I turn back to Alaric. “Would you like me to go into specific numerical projections?”

Alaric holds my gaze for a while, and those dark orbs make me more nervous than Amanda ever did. Then he shakes his head. There’s pride in his voice as he says, “No need.”

Shifting his attention back to Amanda, he asks, “Anything else you need to clarify?”

Amanda looks like she’s about to choke. “No.”

“That’s what I thought.” Alaric leans back, the same cold expression on his face as he adds, “Let’s move on.”

As I start the meeting, my thoughts wander to the man seated by me, following me with his eyes and attention.

He knew Amanda would try to challenge me, didn’t he?

He didn’t stop her because he knew I could stop her myself.

I should feel angry and humiliated for what Amanda did at the beginning of the meeting.

But my mind focuses on what Alaric did. For me.

He did it for me.

No, I can’t go there. It’d be delusional to think he did it for me.

The meeting adjourns an hour later. Fifteen minutes after the meeting, I’m still waiting for the elevator doors to open.

I stay back for a moment, debating whether to say something. Maybe a simple “thank you” for what he did back there. But before I can even open my mouth, Alaric steps past me without so much as a glance, his expression unreadable.

He walks away, his long strides purposeful with Amanda trailing beside him, rambling about doing better in the next meeting.

I clench my jaw, the sting of his cold indifference settling in my chest.

Fine. So that’s how it is.

I push the thought aside, shaking off the sudden weight pressing on my chest. It doesn’t matter. It shouldn’t matter.

Just then, my phone rings loudly in my purse. The sound snaps me out of my thoughts, and when I pull it out and see Patty’s name flashing on the screen, my stomach drops.

Lina.

Something’s wrong.

“Hello, Lila? This is Patty from Little Oaks Daycare and—”

“What happened?” I almost choke on my fear.

“Lila, I'm so sorry. Lina came down with a fever and suddenly passed out. The paramedics had to rush her to the hospital. I’ll send you the location right now. Please hurry.”