Filed to story: Watch Me Win Alpha (Olivia & Ethan)
Fin and I exchanged a glance, and in that moment, we both knew.
This wasn’t just a reception. It was a setup.
Alexander greeted her with his usual calm, composed manners. Not cold exactly, but not warm either. And yet-he didn’t distance himself. He didn’t shut it down.
Adele laughed softly at something he said, tilting her head just enough to appear charmed. Alexander gave a faint smile. Maybe that was just his way-polite, detached, untouchable.
Still, she hovered close.
And he didn’t move.
Fin leaned over and muttered under his breath, “If Alpha Alexander knew this was a matchmaking setup, he’d never have shown up.”
I crossed my arms and tilted my head. “Why not? She’s cute. If they like each other, maybe it’ll work.”
Fin scoffed. “She’s not his type.”
I gave him a sideways glance. “And you know that how?”
He opened his mouth to answer, then paused.
His eyes darted toward the dock, expression sharpening in an instant.
Then, almost like a reflex, he muttered, “Why isshehere?”
I straightened. “Who?”
But Fin didn’t respond. He just kept staring, lips slightly parted.
I followed his gaze.
Olivia’s POV
I saw a beautiful girl, following Fin’s gaze. She had short, sleek shoulder-length hair and wore a fitted black satin dress that shimmered under the soft yacht lighting. Her posture was confident-like someone used to being in control of a room.
Before I could even wonder who she was, Fin had already started moving. “That’s Jess Wood,” he told me, his tone tightening just a little. “General manager of the Washington branch.”
Jess was halfway to the stairs when Fin called out to her. “Ms. Wood!”
She turned. “Fin,” she replied, crisp but familiar. “It’s been a while.”
She was about to continue up when she caught sight of me.
Her expression cooled further. The once-neutral look sharpened as her eyes landed on me like I was a detail out of place.
“And this is?” she asked flatly.
I stepped forward, holding out my hand with a polite smile. “Olivia Whitmore. Alpha Alexander’s secretary.”
She didn’t shake my hand. She didn’t even pretend to consider it. Her eyes stayed on mine a beat longer-long enough to make a point-then she turned and walked off like I didn’t exist.
I let my hand fall, not bothering to mask my awkward exhale. Fin watched Jess disappear inside, then rubbed the back of his neck with a sigh.
“She was raised in the Green household,” he muttered. “Her mom and Alpha Alexander’s mother were close. There’s some… emotional entanglement there.”
I nodded slowly. “So that’s why Washington was the first stop.”
Fin didn’t answer, but his silence said enough. No wonder Alexander wanted to come here himself. You don’t send assistants to handle ghosts from your past.
Once the yacht set sail, Fin and I stepped back into the main cabin, Music hummed low, champagne flowed, and con- versations buzzed in moneyed tones. Alexander stood at the center of it all, surrounded by the familiar polished elite of Washington.
Adele Vasalin, still clinging to his side, laughed at something he said. She was charming, confident-probably used to getting what she wanted. Alexander, to his credit, kept it professional. Polite. Controlled.
Jess, meanwhile, lingered nearby. She didn’t speak much, but her presence was solid, claiming space that no one else
Cared to tou. I feel something.
It was hard not to feel out of place.
I stayed quiet, arms loosely crossed, watching the triangle from a distance. And then, as if he could sense the exact moment I started thinking too much, Alexander’s eyes cut across the room and landed on me.
Sharp. Steady.
I looked away instantly and walked out.
The wind outside was cooler than I expected. I made my way to a quiet spot on the upper deck where two chairs faced the ocean. I sat down and let myself exhale.
Finally, alone.
I reached into my purse and pulled out my old cell phone. I hadn’t turned it on since getting my new number-too many ghosts. But something pulled at me now. Maybe curiosity.
The screen flickered to life.
A hundred missed calls. Dozens of messages. My stomach sank.
Mom. Dad. Ava. Former colleagues. Even business contacts I hadn’t spoken to in months.
I opened WhatsApp.
Ava’s name lit up at the top of the unread pile.
“Liv, don’t answer any calls.” “It’s Ethan.” “He’s calling everyone trying to find you.” “He’s panicking. Please tell me you’re safe.””Where are you?”
My fingers hovered over the reply box, but I couldn’t type anything.
I scrolled through the rest-voice notes, missed calls, scattered panic from every corner of my old life.
Ethan had set off alarms everywhere.
He had the whole world looking for me.
I stared at the screen for a long while, numb, before finally logging out of WhatsApp. But the torment didn’t end there.
Dozens of texts and voice messages from Ethan popped up in the notification bar of my old phone. At first, his mes- sages were calm-too calm. He asked where I was, said he just wanted to talk. But as I scrolled, the tone shifted. He grew frantic. Desperate. Then angry.
And then… pathetic.
I opened the latest voice message, sent barely five minutes ago. His voice was cracked, shaking. I couldn’t make out most of it at first, just sniffling and a few broken phrases. Then came the words-slurred, rushed.
“I’m sorry, Olivia… I’m such an asshole. Please… just one more chance. Just one. I’ll take anything-punishment, shame, even death, if that’s what you want. Just don’t leave me like this. Please… please take this trip. I’ll wait for you to come home. I swear. I’ll fix everything. One mistake… just one… do I deserve to die for that?”
My thumb hovered over the screen.
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?