Chapter 7: The Breaking Point

The office was unsettlingly silent while Alpha Andrew leaned against the big window, gazing at the city beneath. His wide shoulders were rigid, and his jaw was set firmly. The recognizable buzz of the fluorescent lights appeared more intense than normal, saturating the area with a clinical, nearly overwhelming atmosphere. He sensed the day's burden bearing down on him, every fleeting second driving him nearer to the brink.

His phone vibrated on the stylish glass desk, jolting him from his daydream. He looked at the screen, feeling his chest constrict as he recognized the name. It was Marcus, his business partner, who was calling.

“Not at this moment,” Andrew whispered to himself. He knocked the phone off the desk, ending the call. However, it was irrelevant. The harm had already been inflicted.

***

Earlier that morning, Andrew was caught off guard by a shocking piece of news. His separation from Cecilia had circulated rapidly. In a matter of hours, his private life was exposed for everyone to observe. The results were instant. 

The initial setback occurred when one of his key investors, Lucas Patterson, withdrew from a significant deal. The reasoning was clear: “I refuse to work with men who leave their wives, particularly in times when she is dying.” 

The impact of the words struck Andrew more deeply than he anticipated. He had not recognized the extent to which his personal life had been exposed to the public, yet here it was, completely uncovered. The buzz in the media, the rumors, the murmurs behind closed doors. 

And now, his opponent—Victor Harris, someone Andrew had loathed for years—had descended and taken the contract that ought to have belonged to him. 

Andrew walked back and forth in the room, his thoughts swirling. How did everything get out into the open?

He had stored the specifics of his divorce and family challenges away. The public was not meant to be aware of Cecilia's illness. They weren’t meant to be aware of how the divorce had been imposed upon him. However, here he stood, confronting the consequences of his personal life being exposed.

Marcus's previous call had served as a reminder of just how profound the damage was. The contractor who was close to finalizing a significant agreement with Blackwood’s Enterprise had now departed.

Everything is due to his ex-wife. The idea flashed through Andrew's mind before he could halt it. Cecilia.

His hands tightened into fists, his anger bubbling just underneath. He had worked tirelessly to hold his life together, to stay in command of everything—his business, his image, his relationship. But now, everything was slipping away from him.

Without a second's delay, Andrew snatched his coat and rushed out of the office. The descent in the elevator felt endless, with every floor taking him nearer to the clash he realized was unavoidable. 

As the doors swung open, he walked out confidently, making his way directly to his car. He ignored any niceties while getting in, forcefully shutting the door after him. His chauffeur didn’t inquire; the atmosphere was so charged that speech wasn’t needed. 

As they drove away from the office building, Andrew’s thoughts were already spinning, planning his next step. He couldn’t allow this to continue. Cecilia had overstepped a boundary, and the moment had come to address it. 

I will put an end to any game she is playing with me. 

***

When the car finally stopped in front of Annie’s apartment, Andrew was already out before the driver could open the door for him. He didn’t wait. He couldn’t.

He burst into the building, his steps reverberating through the entrance door as he approached her door. His hands trembled with suppressed rage. 

He knocked once, the sound sharp and demanding.

No response.

Again, louder this time.

Still nothing.

A soft growl resonated in his chest as his hand moved toward the door handle, his eyes glowing with rage. He shoved it open with a power that made the hinges groan. 

Cecilia stayed rooted to the spot when the door swung open with a loud bang.Her pulse quickened,and her stomach recoiled with fear. The strong aroma of Alpha Andrew's presence reached her before he uttered a word. She didn't hear him come, didn't hear him rap. Yet now, he found himself here, and there was no way she can avoid the storm that was on the verge of striking. 

Their gazes locked, and she sensed her breath hitch in her throat. His stare was frosty, a blend of anger and skepticism. 

"Andrew," she murmured, almost unable to voice the name before he interrupted her. 

“Don’t. Don’t even start.His tone was quiet and steady—but there was a poison in it that chilled her to the bone. He moved ahead, narrowing the gap between them with one step. “Are you fully aware of the mess you've created?”

Cecilia felt her chest tighten with fear as she moved backward,a deep urge inside her telling her to run. However, she held her position, her hand naturally placed on her abdomen. 

“I…I don’t understand what you are saying,” she faltered, attempting to maintain a steady tone. 

"Don’t deceive me," Andrew retorted, his tone escalating with every syllable. “Everyone in the world is aware of the divorce now.” "You’ve completely changed my life, Cecilia!" 

He moved forward, and she automatically stepped back, her heart racing in her chest. She wished to clarify, to inform him that she was unaware of how the information became public, and that she did not desire any of this. Yet the words refused to flow. 

“What were you expecting to happen?” he went on, his tone laden with sarcasm. "You believed you could simply divorce me, act like the victim, and everything would turn out alright?" 

 Is that it?”

“I didn’t want this either!” she shouted back, her voice breaking."But you brought this on yourself, Andrew. You were having an affair with your ex-lover. And not only that, you went ahead and got her pregnant."

His eyes flashed with fiery anger,but for the briefest of moments, His expression momentarily darkened with pain, something deep and unvoiced.It faded away just as quickly.

"I’m not through with you yet," he sneered.You've done your part, but now, you’re responsible for putting this right. You will stop whatever you’re doing to ruin me. Do you understand?"

Cecilia stayed silent. Her pulse raced with panic, Her voice faltered as her throat tightened. She was certain Andrew would stop at nothing to get what he wanted, But she wasn’t going to let him dictate her life again.

All of a sudden, Andrew's phone started to vibrate. It was a message from his personal assistant, Norah.

The urgency in the message was palpable.

"Your attention is needed at the office by 1 PM tomorrow. A man who identified himself as Mr. Harris says he has a message for you. Thank you."

The name Harris struck a nerve in Andrew. What did this man want from him, after taking the contract that rightfully belonged to him?

Andrew turned back to Cecilia, his brown eyes blazing with a mix of rage and something else.

"Listen, Cecilia," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Meet me in my office by 10 AM tomorrow. If you don’t, you won’t like my next move."

Without another word, Andrew stormed out of their apartment.

Cecilia stood there, feeling a mix of confusion and unease. Too many questions raced through her mind. “What does Andrew still want from me?” she whispered to herself.