Semua Bab Right Love, Wrong Alpha: Bab 171 - Bab 180

VioletHe said and I took a deep breath, recalling all the things we had shared, the way he had said he would risk getting beaten again and again for me.“Of course, I do. She ruined our life once, not again.”She turned to look at me with a mixture of curiosity and disbelief.“You are truly smitten by him, aren’t you? Let me show you his true face.”She looked at someone standing beside the large screen she had put up, one I had completely forgotten about and nodded her head once.And a video began to play.“How many times are you going to play the same fucking…” I started but stopped short when I saw Elijah on the screen.He was wearing the same clothes I had seen him wearing on the first day I met him. The same glint in his eyes as he sat by the table casually having his drink.And then Nicole walked in from one of the doors at the back, heading straight towards Elijah.I watched in horror as she casually pushed the chair aside to throw herself on his lap, straddle him with her leg

NicolePerfect.The word sang through my mind as I watched Violet's face crumble, as I saw the exact moment my carefully crafted revelation shattered whatever pathetic fantasy she'd built in her head.I could see it in the way her eyes widened with horror, in the way her mouth opened in a silent gasp, in the way every drop of color drained from her face until she looked like a ghost standing there in her pretty lavender dress.She looked exactly how I'd felt when Elijah had told me it was over. When he'd said he didn't want me anymore, that we weren't right for each other, that he needed to leave.Now she knew. Now she understood what it felt like to have your heart ripped out while everyone watched.And Goddess, it felt good.I watched her turn and run, her heels clicking frantically on the marble floor as she fled from the ballroom teary eyed.The irritating little bitch who I had grossly underestimated and had her hooks into Elijah was erased from the picture.Now it could be just

ElijahThe bottle was already half empty when Tyler found me.I'd made it to the garage, to the old storage room at the back where the man who fathered me kept his vintage collection. Rows of expensive whiskey and scotch lined the shelves, bottles worth thousands gathering dust because Alpha Alaric preferred to hoard rather than drink.He wouldn't miss one bottle.Or five.I took another swig, the liquid burning down my throat. The burn was good. It helped drown out the memory of Violet's face as it shattered, helped muffle the echo of her footsteps as she ran.I raised the bottle to my lips again which was nearly empty now. It was pathetic how quickly I could drain it."Elijah."Tyler's voice came from the doorway. It was cautious and concerned like he was approaching a wounded animal that might lash out.I didn't acknowledge him and simply finished the bottle and reached for another, my fingers fumbling with the seal."Maybe you should slow down," Tyler suggested, stepping into the

(Three weeks later)VioletThe glow of my screen painted everything in the same pale shade, turning sketches into shadows, turning numbers into something colder, something easier to focus on than the mess inside my head.I leaned back in my chair for a brief second, rolling my shoulders before bending over the tablet again, stylus moving in sharp, controlled strokes. The design in front of me was already my fourth iteration, and I could feel the frustration building in the tight set of my jaw.Dane had graciously let me off for a month just after joining and I wanted to pay it back by doing my best for the upcoming Lunar Gala collection.He had been very clear about wanting people to forget Deveraux Enterprises even existed for one night. He had said it casually, almost with a smile, but I had seen the tension underneath, the rivalry that ran deeper than business.Deveraux.Even the name felt like a splinter under my skin.My grip tightened on the stylus and the line I was drawing we

VioletThe office had emptied hours ago, but I stayed.It had become a habit now, something close to instinct, to sit in that same chair long after everyone had left. The silence that remained wasn’t peaceful, not really, but I was slowly coming to terms with it.I stared at the screen, at the lines and curves that were beginning to blur together despite my best efforts to stay focused. The light above blipped again.My eyes burned faintly, but I ignored it, zooming in, adjusting a detail that probably didn’t even need adjusting, just to keep my hands moving.“You’re still here?”The voice was gentle, almost amused, and so out of place in the stillness that it made me look up immediately.Dane stood a few steps away, his hands tucked casually into his pockets, his expression soft but observant.I straightened slightly, instinctively closing a few tabs before turning the screen toward him.“I lost track of time,” I answered.His gaze lingered on me for a second longer than necessary, t