CHAPTER 6: WHAT STILL LIES.

~~~Anya~~~

The next morning felt colder than usual. It wasn't because of the weather, but because of the place I'm headed to. Sterling Corporation—Ridgewood Holdings, stood tall before me. Its glass exterior was reflecting the early morning sunlight as if nothing, not even the air in it had changed. 

But for me, everything had really changed. For the entire company and for the pack. I walked towards the entrance of the building adjusting the strap of my bag on my shoulder. Yesterday's paused whispers started the moment the glass doors slid open. 

“Woah, she really has courage. I'll give her that.”

“Does she really still work here? If I were her, I would've disappeared.” 

I had expected this, and so my step never stopped. I passed them confidently. Although, hearing it from them was different. The lobby suddenly felt too big above my head. Too full of watching eyes, and too bright. I kept walking towards the elevator like I had been walking in everyday for the past few years. Except for today, everyone now looks at me like a very different person. Not as their beloved Beta’s daughter. Not their usual project manager. Instead, they now see me as the rejected mate of their Alpha Kane. 

I stepped inside the elevator the moment its doors opened. Four other employees followed me in, and the silence that followed and filled the space felt thicker than a fog. None of them spoke. Neither did I. But the glances they kept sending loud enough. 

I stepped out quickly immediately as the elevator stopped on the executive floor. My office was just a few steps away from Kane's. It hadn't really bothered me before, but now, it felt like a cruel joke. I had barely reached my desk when the glass door to Kane's office opened. And then she stepped out. 

Meena.

She wore a fitted red dress which hugged her body perfectly, then her long brown hair fell over her shoulders. As she glanced around the office floor, her lips curved into a very satisfied smile. As if she already owned it. 

The moment the employees noticed her presence, they straightened immediately. Some even bowed their heads fastly. My stomach twisted at the sight before me. She was already acting like the Luna she was marked to become.

“Good morning everyone,” Meena said smoothly. Her voice caressed easily through the office space. “I hope everyone is working hard for Alpha Kane.” 

Some of the employees nodded quickly. One of the assistants even rushed to bring her a cup of coffee. I simply kept my eyes straight at my laptop. ‘Ignore her,’ I heard my wolf say. 

Certainly, that was impossible of course. Because the next thing Meena decided on was to walk straight towards my desk, her heels clicking gently against the tiled floor. Then she stopped just right in front of me. 

“Well,” she began slightly. I slowly raised my head to look at her. Her smile was sweet. But her damn eyes, were anything else. “You're still here,” she added, her tone made it sound like she had expected me to disappear overnight. 

“You seem to suddenly forget that this is still my work place, isn't it?” I replied gently.

Something flickered in her gaze. Then she laughed it softly. That kind of one that says ‘so she could actually defend herself.’ 

“How admirable,” she managed to say, her voice lowering softly. “But do you know that some wolves would be too embarrassed to show their faces after what happened?” 

I held her gaze. “And do you also know that I'm not ‘some wolves’?”

“I'm very sure you'll adjust to your new position very soon,” she added.

My jaw tightened. The door to Kane's office opened again before I could respond. Then he stepped out. Alpha Kane, tall, composed and commanding. Quickly, the entire office floor went quiet. Our eyes met for one second. And something twisted painfully in my chest that very second. Because right there, the man standing there was still my mate. Even if he had rejected me. But his expression didn't change. His eyes moved past me like I wasn't even there. As if I was nothing more than furniture in the office room. 

“A meeting will be held in the conference room,” he said to every department head. “Now,” he ordered, then he turned and pridefully walked away. He did not say a single word to me. Not even a simple acknowledgement. The pain fired stronger than that day, but I decided to ignore it. ‘You said you wouldn't break,’ I remembered. So I took my tablet and stood up straight. 

As both the project manager and Kane's legal assistant, my presence is needed in every major meeting. Even if he didn't want to see me, I just had to be there–for the pack. 

The conference room was already half full when I entered as executives were already seated around the long glass-wooden table. 

The Beta—Tyran, stood near the entrance, arms folded. His eyes briefly met mine. Unlike everyone in the room, his expression didn't hold mockery or pity. Just a quiet understanding. 

Kane entered a few seconds later. I opened my files as I took my seat. Meena, following him like a tail. She casually took the chair beside him instead of sitting with the assistants. Fitting as if she already belonged there. Kane didn't object and the meeting began.

“We are having a problem with the West Rift Contract,” Kane bluntly said.

Immediately, the room filled with tension. That contact was one of the company's biggest deals within this quarter. 

“The investors are doing their best to pull out,” he continued. “The legal team discovered a clause in the agreement that could cost us millions.” 

Murmurs erupted in the room. Then within the members of the senior managers, someone spoke nervously. “ We've been trying to negotiate the clause, Alpha, but their lawyers refused.” 

Another person also added. “If they withdraw, we'll not only lose the contract, but the partnership with three other companies.”

The next thing that fell in the room was silence. Even Meena looked really interested now, her eyes dartling with confusion. Kane just leaned back on his chair. 

“Solutions?” He simply inquired. 

No one spoke, because the truth was clear—this wasn't an easy one. My gaze moved across the documents in front of me. I was the one who revised this contract some weeks ago. Then, something about it had bothered me. A small detail mostly everyone had overlooked. My fingers tapped slowly against my tablet. I hesitated. Then slowly, I raised my hand. All eyes in the room turned to me. 

Even Kane's focus drifted to be—confused. “What,” he said flatly. Just a single word, no name, no title. I ignored the sting of it. 

I cleared my throat, and arranged my sitting position. “The clause they're using against us is based on section eleven of the original agreement,” I said calmly. 

One of the lawyers clapped his hands and said, “yes,” impatiently. “That's the problem,” he added. 

“No, not exactly,” I said. Most of the people my eyes fell on frowned their faces. I turned my tablet around and projected it on the screen. “The clause only applies if the project timeline exceeds four months,” I said. 

“Which, it definitely will,” another executive said.

“No, only if we restructure phase two,” I added.

The room went quiet, still. Then I continued. “The legal timeline resets, if we separate the resource distribution state from the infrastructure development.”

The lawyers kept their eyes strictly on the screen. Then, one of them suddenly leaned forward. “She's definitely right from the look of things,” he said. Another one started to flip through papers quickly, then said, “that would completely invalidate their claim.” 

Murmurs erupted through the room again. Excited murmurs this time. 

“They'll have nothing legal around breaking the contract,” I included, “ if we announce the restructuring before they withdraw.” 

A long crushing silence followed. Then Tyran moved forward and spoke for the first time. “That would really save the deal.” 

Everyone turned and looked towards Alpha Kane. Throughout my entire explanation, I noticed he hadn't moved. His expression remained unreadable. In what felt like forever, he finally turned to the legal team. “Confirm it please,” he said. 

“Yes, Alpha Kane.”

After some seconds, they were done reviewing the documents. Then one raised his head up and nodded. “It works.” 

Relief spread across their faces as the room erupted in quiet conversation. Millions have been saved, and a disaster avoided. And for the first time since the rejection, every eye in the room turned towards me. Even Meena, she kept taking a glance at me every now and then. Her smile had completely vanished, just pure confusion. Kane slowly leaned back on his chair, his gaze settled on me. This time, it didn't move past me. It stayed cold, observing and weighing. 

The entire room seemed to disappear for a moment. Then he looked away. “I need the changes to be implemented immediately,” he cautioned. Like nothing had really happened, the meeting resumed. No acknowledgement, not even praise. Not even my name was mentioned. 

As I stood up to leave gathering my things, I felt it. His eyes are really on me. Weighing and measuring. And for the first time since he really rejected me… 

Alpha Kane was paying attention.