All Chapters of The Alpha’s Accidental Surrogate : Chapter 61 - Chapter 69

Lisa's POV‘Why did I think sleep would calm my mind?’ If anything, it fanned the flames of my paranoia.There I was, sprawled on my bed like a beached starfish, phone held above my face and rereading the message for the fourth time this morning.“Mandatory?”MANDATORY?!That word alone had me pacing in mental spirals now. It didn’t seem like anything last night, but suddenly I read too much into it.I narrowed my eyes at the screen, suspicion rising like a dramatic musical score in my head.And that’s when my brain decided to stage a full-scale, high-budget production.Inside the neon-pink thought bubble floating over my head, a cartoon version of me stood center stage, furrowed brows and all. Enter: Chibi Selena, with perfectly curled hair and devil horns holding a clipboard that read: Operation: Derail Lisa. Attempt #140725“Let’s give her two days off,” chibi-Selena cackled. “That way she’s out of the loop just long enough for something to go sideways. Hehe~ sabotage complete!”I

Lisa's POVHe held the girl with this easy familiarity, like she'd always belonged in his arms. They even looked alike.‘It’s like looking at a mirror image.’I ducked low in the seat, just enough to not be seen, and cracked the door open.Babbie said nothing. Just popped a lollipop in his mouth and scrolled casually on his player. Like watching me tail someone into a mall was a casual Wednesday afternoon for him.I slipped out and crept closer, using a tree and one of those animal-shaped trash cans as cover.From behind a smiling giraffe, I watched Damon lift the little girl higher in the air as they went further and further from the residential area towards the mall.“What have you eaten today?” he asked.She shook her head, pouting. “Nothing.”Damon narrowed his eyes. “Really? Then how come I see ketchup on your cheeks, huh?”She rubbed her cheeks fast, looking scandalized. “Where?!”He burst into laughter. “Nowhere. But good to know you’re a messy eater.”She stuck her tongue out

Lisa's POV“Oh really now?” Damon said, squinting at me.“What?”“Nothing nothing.” He laughed.“Yup.” I popped the ‘p’ and nodded with faux seriousness. “I am. Come onnn, just a matter of time and mom Lisa will be on the scene”He scoffed. “Ey, whatever you say, Lisa.”We both burst out laughing.Our footsteps crunched softly on the gravel path, the breeze carrying the scent of something grilled in the distance. Probably someone’s barbecue two streets over. Kids had long gone inside, and porch lights were blinking to life one by one. It felt like the world had taken a deep breath and settled into quiet.The neighbourhood sure seemed like a safe yet lively one.“This is such a wholesome way to spend your day off,” I said.Damon didn’t answer immediately. He tilted his head back, eyes fixed on the sky like he was trying to read something written in the clouds. His smile dimmed a bit, not sad exactly, just… removed.“Yeah,” he said quietly. “It is.”I glanced over at him, catching the

Lisa's POVTruth be told, I’d seen the signs.Selena had a plan, or maybe even two. Maybe three.She hadn’t made a move yet, not a real one, but I’d been watching her closely these past few days.She’d been watching me too. Not obviously. Never in the open. But there was something about the way her eyes followed me a beat longer than normal.The way her lips twitched at the corners whenever I spoke during planning meetings. Always smiling. Always graceful. But always… calculating.She was waiting.I figured she hadn’t pulled anything before because it would’ve ruined her standing. Sabotaging me before Red Loom’s public showcase would’ve painted her in a very obvious shade as the guilty part, especially if our past history came to light. But now?Now, if she could twist the narrative, take credit for something major, or better yet, derail one of my key contributions without a trail leading back to her, then she’d be untouchable.She could walk away with deals from other major names, no

Lisa's POVI grabbed my phone from the side pocket of my bag.First step: evidence.I made my way back to the hallway. The door I’d broken out from still hung slightly crooked on its hinges, the dented knob dangling like a loose tooth. I snapped pictures of the door first, the scratches from the rod, the linen-wrapped metal I’d left by the wall. Then as I videod, for live footage if you will, I spotted something.Right at the seam of the door, glittering faintly in the corridor light, one of Selena’s earrings. That little obsidian teardrop thing she wore like it was her trademark. The clasp was broken. I didn’t speak in the video. I didn’t need to.Once that was done, I beelined to the control room, heels echoing against the sleek tile.The guards stiffened a little when I knocked, but opened up when I flashed my Red Loom badge and name tag.“I need video access,” I said, cutting straight to it. “North corridor. Around fourty minutes ago.”One of them blinked. “Is something wrong, ma