Chapter 29
Chapter 29
KESTER
It was meant to be a busy day, packed with meetings, calls, and endless files to review, but trust me, I made damn sure it wasn’t. I canceled everything. Cleared my schedule entirely and made sure to attend to every fucking matter right in my office.
I sat here, eyes locked on her. Watching her like she was the only thing worth my attention in the world. And perhaps she was.
It felt like letting Mine stay away from my sight would make me die an instant death. I watched her all day, almost unable to do anything right.
Kasmine tried to focus, but it was obvious she couldn’t. She fidgeted in her chair. She’d been uncomfortable the whole time, as expected. But she’ll be fine eventually. This was all new to her.
She could hardly get anything done. The files I had given her to compute were not even done in a fraction. But that was fine. Why should I be mad at her?
I caught Jake stealing glances at her. Over and over again. The bastard thought he was subtle, but I saw every desperate attempt to get her attention. She didn’t give him the satisfaction, though.
Good
She was too shaken, too caught in the aftermath of last night. And that was exactly how I liked her. Maybe I’d keep her in this state every damn day, just to keep scum like him at bay.
She lifted her gaze for the millionth time today and glanced at me, and as usual, my eyes were fixed on her. I saw how uncomfortable it made her feel, but fuck it. I didn’t care. I didn’t bother pretending otherwise.
Perfect.
The moment our gazes locked, I smirked and let my eye blink in a slow, deliberate wink. She stiffened, her discomfort rippling across her face. Her cheeks flushed as she returned her focus to the files in front of her. But she wasn’t working. Not really. She was too aware of me, too consumed by my presence,
This–whatever it was between us–was becoming more than I ever anticipated. At first, it had been admiration, longing, a desire I thought I could contain. But now? It was an obsession, pure and simple. It felt…
The sharp trill of my phone shattered the moment, and my jaw clenched in irritation. People really don’t know when to leave a man the hell alone.
I snatched the phone from my desk, seeing, Sylvia’s name flash on the screen. My head of operations. She wouldn’t dare call me unless it was important, but right now, I didn’t give a damn about her definition of “important.”
This had better be good,” I growled, pressing the phone to my ear.
Sir,” Sylvia began in a cautious tone.
“Get to the point, Silvia I’m busy,” I replied, doing all I could to not let my anger show,
There was a slight pause before she finally spoke, “We’ve received some news from our flagship branch in Denver. The supervisor there noticed men from a construction company scouting the area near our location. Naturally, he looked into it.”
I already knew where this was going My grip on the phone lightened as she continued
“And guess what he found?” she asked, her voice laced with the kind of anticipation that made me want to hang
+25 BONUS
Chapter 24
up on her.
But I didn’t need her to finish. I knew exactly what she’d found.
Alpha Kex
That slimy bastard.
My blood simmered beneath the surface, my teeth grinding in frustration. That conniving son of a bitch thought he could undermine me? On my turf? I rose from my seat, my gaze flicking to Kasmine, who was still fidgeting with the files. My anger simmered low but deadly, threatening to boil over.
“Tell me it’s been taken care of,” I asked her, knowing what instruction I had given to them the other day about this. We were perfectly prepared for Kex. So prepared that he won’t see us coming.
“Yes, sir. It’s been handled.” Sylvia’s voice carried a triumphant edge, a hint of pride I didn’t mind hearing. “He won’t be bothering the Denver location anymore. We made sure of that.”
“Good” A satisfied smirk tugged at my lips. Sylvia had proven time and time again that she was one of the best. Efficient, Toyal, and precise–everything I needed in my team. I just can’t do enough to show her how special she was to the company.
One day, I’d find a way to show her just how invaluable she was to the company.
“And, sir, there’s more. Valor Lante Technologies is already reeling from its failed stunt. I guess they didn’t think through the consequences.” Her excitement was infectious, though I kept my reaction measured.
“Go on,” I urged, sitting back on my chair.
“They’ve had to jack up the price of the Sentinel 12X Quantum Server–from $56,000 to $108,000. Desperate attempt to recover their losses.”
I scoffed, shaking my head. That fool. An extra $10,000? Amateur move. Did he not have competent advisors? Or was he just that arrogant?
“This is our moment, Sylvia. Move on to the next phase. We’ll recover our own losses as well. Raise the price of the Sentinel 12X to $95,000–make it clear the promo sales are over. And, listen carefully: increase the prices of all other products slightly. I mean barely noticeable, Sylvia, Just enough for the public to accept it without raising questions.”
“Yes, sir.” She replied.
Good” I ended the call and placed the phone on my desk, my mind already shifting focus. That had been worth my time.
Turning toward the adjoining office, I instinctively searched for her–my butterscotch, Mine. But her chair was empty. My stomach twisted for a split second until my gaze landed on Jake.
I breathe in a sigh of relief. I thought they had snuck out to the bathroom together again. I’d have killed him this time around.
The moment Jake started to rise from his seat, I was already on my feet.
Where the fuck was he going?
I stepped out of my office, intercepting him before he could even make it out of theirs. My presence froze him in
“Going somewhere, Jake?” I asked.
+25 BONUS
His face paled instantly, his weak attempt at confidence dissolving under my glare. What a pathetic excuse for a man. This was who my little sister thought she wanted? This quivering, useless excuse for a wolf?
“Uh… I was just…”
“Cat got your tongue?” My disgust was impossible to hide. My words dripped with disdain as I took a step closer, towering over him. “Where is Kasmine?”
He swallowed hard, sweat beading on his brow. “I don’t know, Alpha. I think she went to the ladies.”
He was no threat to me–never had been, never would be. Still, I cast him one final, condescending glance before turning away.
And guess where I was headed?
Chapter 30
+25 BONUS
Chapter 30
