All Chapters of Behind the Beta's Mask: The Hidden Omega: Chapter 11 - Chapter 18

Cassian’s POV The room was quiet, but my head wasn’t. I had a file in my hands — something about land policies and zoning — but I’d been reading the same sentence for the past ten minutes without processing a single word. My eyes moved over the lines, but my mind was far away, trapped in that damn ballroom again, in that moment when Orion’s scent had wrapped around me like a vice I didn’t ask for. I exhaled sharply and dropped the file on the table. This was getting ridiculous. A knock came. I didn’t look up. “Come in.” Kai stepped in, tablet in hand, his usual calm expression in place, though I could tell something about him looked... entertained. “There’s someone from the South here to see you,” he said. My eyes snapped to him. “Orion?” Kai smirked. “No. Not the Prince himself. His secretary. Also his maid. Also his friend. Apparently.” I arched an eyebrow. “He really multitasks his staff, doesn’t he?” Kai’s lips twitched. “She said her name is Nora. She ca

Orion Drevenhart – POV The car was quiet as it drove through the morning fog. I sat in the back seat, staring out the window, deep in thought. My hands rested on my lap, but my mind was spinning. The silence inside the vehicle felt heavier than usual, thick like the mist curling around the trees. The driver said nothing. Even the radio was off — just the low hum of the engine and the occasional crunch of gravel under the tires. I welcomed the stillness, though. It matched the storm building inside my head. I was on my way to meet my uncle and the Southern council. And I had one goal. Convince them to accept the 50/50 deal Cassian offered. I didn’t want to accept it at first. I still didn’t love it. But the truth was simple: we needed that deal. It’s not that the South was weak or poor. We had resources. We had land. We had money. But when it came to technology, the North was far ahead. Cassian’s company had the best systems, the best workers, and the most advanced tech

Orion Drevenhart – POV The words landed harder than I wanted to admit. If the North pulled out… if Cassian walked away… the South wouldn’t just lose an opportunity. We’d lose years. Everything our people had worked for would collapse—and with it, my promise to them. A coil of tension wound tight in my chest. Pride wanted to argue. Survival silenced it. Survival always won. I reached into my case and drew out the second document—Cassian’s original draft. Clean. Balanced. Fair. Power split evenly, jobs divided, no traps buried in the fine print. Sliding it across the table, I said quietly, “This is the version we’ll sign.” His eyes flicked to it. His face stayed unreadable, but the air shifted. Approval. Without a word, he lifted the pen. The scratch of ink against paper was soft, yet it sounded like a verdict. My pulse thundered as I rose and circled the table. Relief surged—sharper, heavier—carrying something I refused to name. Up close, I caught the scent of him. Sh

And Cassian knew it. He pulled back just enough to look at me, his lips still hovering dangerously close. His eyes burned into mine, dark and unrelenting, for a moment, I thought he might lean in again. I was still struggling to breathe normally, still reeling from the heat of his mouth, my fingers clinging to his shirt. He seemed calm. Controlled. Like he hadn’t just shattered every wall I’d built. “Say it,” he murmured, his breath hot against my mouth. “Say you didn’t feel that.” I clenched my jaw, refusing to answer. If I opened my mouth, the truth might slip out. Cassian smirked, the kind of smile that told me he’d already won. His thumb brushed the corner of my mouth—light, deliberate—like he was staking a claim. “Thought so.” Anger flared hot in my chest, cutting through the haze. I shoved him, harder this time, enough to put space between us. My palms pressed against his chest, and for a heartbeat, I swore I felt his pulse hammering too. “Don’t you dare,” I sn