Filed to story: Watch Me Win Alpha (Olivia & Ethan)
And walked away.
By the time I returned to the room, Jess was awake and brushing her hair calmly in front of the mirror like last night’s drama had never happened. Her eyes met mine through the reflection, and she gave a composed smile.
“Thanks for taking care of me,” she said in a clipped, professional tone.
I nodded slightly, unsure how much of her ‘drunkenness’ was real and how much was just strategy. Without waiting for more, she gathered her things, straightened her jacket, and left like nothing happened.
At 9:00 a.m. sharp, I accompanied Alexander, Gai, and two senior executives to the Washington branch office for a routine inspection. Jess was already there waiting at the front entrance, dressed in a crisp white suit that fit her like it was tailored to perfection. Her heels clicked against the marble floor, her aura collected, sharp, and commanding.
She welcomed Alexander with a bright smile. “Alpha
Alexander. Welcome.”
He gave a polite nod.
No handshake. No warmth. Just a formal exchange before we all followed him into the conference room where the scheduled activities for the day began.
It was a whirlwind. The hours slipped past in a blur of presentations, audits, project debriefings, financial reviews, and a deep dive into regional operations. Jess facilitated most of it efficiently, guiding every segment without missing a beat. Alexander, as usual, was quiet but commanding, listening more than he spoke-until he did, and then everyone listened.
For lunch, Jess had arranged a business meal at one of Washington’s most prestigious local restaurants. I was too focused on my notes to taste anything. Gai looked as tired as I felt. I noticed him stifling a yawn, his fingers tightening around his tablet.
When the dinner meeting finally rolled around, Jess was still fresh-faced. She hosted it in a private booth at an upscale hotel with several potential investment partners. Gai and I stepped outside mid-meal to catch our breath and review some numbers in peace.
I leaned against the railing outside the booth, flipping through the reports on my tablet. Something wasn’t adding up.
“Gai,” I said, my voice low, “look at this.”
He stepped over and peered at my screen.
“The factory’s system logs 2,035 clock-ins daily… but the attached employee roster shows only 2,026 active names,” I explained. “It’s been consistent across multiple weeks. That’s not a fluke.”
His brows furrowed. “That’s a nine-person gap.”
“Exactly. Nine employees getting paid who don’t exist. That’s payroll fraud.”
He whistled under his breath. “If that’s been happening for ten years-“
“It’s a million-dollar bleed,” I finished. “Someone’s been syphoning money by inflating the headcount.”‘
He began pacing. “This means someone inside the system- maybe mid-level or even at the auditing stage-knows how to manipulate the checks. The list goes through layers, but no one really verifies every name manually at the top.”
“Which is why it never triggered a red flag until now,” I murmured. “It’s disguised just enough to look clean, but the numbers don’t lie.”
“We need to report this to Alpha Alexander,” Gai said immediately.
I nodded. “Yes. But he’s going to be swamped with the alpha summit tomorrow.”
Gai rubbed his temple. “Then?”
“I’ll go to the factory,” I said. “In person. Quietly. If we can identify who’s behind it before bringing it to Alexander, we’ll have a stronger case.”
Gai looked at me with something between concern and respect.
“You’re serious.”
I didn’t answer. I just turned back to the screen and started scrolling for more anomalies.
What neither Olivia nor Gai noticed was the man who had stepped out from a nearby booth just moments before. His cigarette dangled between his fingers, forgotten, as he stood frozen-only partially hidden behind a glass panel. His eyes narrowed, face hardening with every word he overheard.
What Olivia and Gai had stumbled upon… wasn’t just a minor payroll error. It was a thread tied directly to something he had worked hard to bury.
And they were pulling it loose.
Olivia’s POV
The dinner ended later than expected. The moment we stepped out of the restaurant, I caught a glimpse of Alexander walking ahead with a stiff, serious look etched across his face.
“Is he… Drunk?” I muttered, half to myself.
“Yes. He is,” Gai said beside me. “When he tapped his card to check out just now, he fumbled twice. That man only misses the mark when he’s been drinking.”
My eyebrows lifted. That didn’t quite match the Alpha’s usual control. But before I could reply, Jess suddenly surged forward.
She looked radiant under the streetlights-heels clicking, her pace brisk and focused. She reached Alexander quickly, her hand slipping through the crook of his arm with the familiarity of someone who had done it a hundred times before.
“Let’s go back to my room,” she said in a light, persuasive tone. “I saved the wine you like!”
Alexander didn’t hesitate. “No.”
It was sharp. Final. He pulled his arm free, stepping past her without even looking at her face.
Jess faltered but tried to recover with a brittle smile.
The hotel hallway carpet was slightly uneven, and Alexander’s foot caught just a bit too long on the edge. I saw his weight shift, his posture dip slightly forward. Gai and I were just a step behind him. We both reached out instinctively-but Jess was faster.
She stepped in with her arms out, body tilting just enough to receive him. I held my breath.
But then, in a blur of movement, Alexander twisted away from her and turned toward me instead.
His hand caught my wrist so tightly that I yelped. In the same motion, he pulled me toward him-and straight into Jess’s space.
I stumbled forward, crashing awkwardly against her. My forehead nearly bumped hers, and for a terrifying second, I thought I was about to be forced into an accidental kiss. Jess recoiled, furious, and shoved me aside with a loud huff.
Alexander was already walking away like nothing had happened.
I stood there, stunned, still tasting the tension in the air.
Jess glared at me as if I were the one who’d planned it. Her heels pivoted and she stormed off, muttering something under her breath.
I watched her retreating figure disappear into the parking lot.
She looked somewhat envious.
She could walk away whenever she wanted. I couldn’t. I was still the new hire. Barely three days in. I didn’t have the luxury of outbursts or exits. Not yet.
We all got into the car. I slid into the seat beside Alexander, and
Gai sat in the front with the driver. My knee throbbed faintly, reminding me of the moment I had collided with Alexander’s shin as he jerked me forward.
Beside me, Alexander leaned against the car window. One hand rested on his temple, his eyes closed. Calm. Untouchable. I couldn’t tell if he was asleep or just disinterested.
Neither would surprise me.
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?