Semua Bab Three Billionaire Alphas on Their Knees: Bab 11 - Bab 20

The moment she stepped back into her office, the system's expedited response notification popped up on her screen.[Judicial Review Board - Notice of Compliance]Status: Special Authority Temporarily RecognizedRequirement: You are required to submit proof of Pack Affiliation within 72 hours. Failure to comply will result in immediate suspension of Crisis Control authority.Three days.Darcy leaned back against the cold leather of her office chair, her fingertips drumming a slow, rhythmic beat against the desktop. The sound was the only thing breaking the silence of the room.The old wolves were clever. They hadn't overturned the permissions Asher had given her. They'd just put a countdown on it.No Pack affiliation meant any high-level authority was just an illusion. After seventy-two hours, if she couldn't produce a Pack identity, the paths that had opened for her today would close just as quickly as they'd appeared.Before she could even begin mapping out a counter-strategy, her enc

The black SUV came to a smooth stop in the underground garage beneath Kingston's top-floor private residence. After the engine cut out, the cabin fell into several seconds of silence, broken only by the dull thud of rain against the roof. Asher didn't look away. Darcy's fingers were still resting on the inner door handle, but she didn't avoid those dark gold eyes. Her expression remained cool, as if everything that had happened in Apartment 402 had nothing to do with her."You flatter me, Mr. Kingston. What else could I possibly be? If my background weren't clean, I never would have passed Kingston's screening in the first place."Asher's eyes narrowed. "Don't brush me off. People from the North Barrens crossed half a continent to find you. They brought silver-mist, live sampling needles, and they didn't ask what your name was." His gaze settled on her face. "If you expect me to believe you're just some ordinary Omega, you're going to have to try harder than that."Darcy didn't so much

Asher stood a few steps away from Darcy, waiting until the last trace of silver-white had completely faded from her eyes before slowly withdrawing the fir presence that had nearly broken loose. He didn't spare a single glance at the Elders on the dais, their faces a mix of shock and calculation. He simply turned his head slightly, his dark gold eyes cutting coldly toward the head of security stationed at the exit."Hearing adjourned. Under wartime sealing protocol, seal the hall. Wards up, records frozen. If a single word spoken on this dais today leaks beyond these walls, the review board and the security detail will be held jointly accountable."No hysterical threats. Just the cold, precise imposition of absolute order. The guards moved immediately, sealing the massive doors, locking down every exit. The Elders on the dais sat frozen, their mouths still open, robbed of their chance to push further.Darcy turned to leave. But her left shoulder flared with pain again. Her step faltered

The fitting area on the top floor of Cass had returned to quiet. But the aftermath of that permission verification was clearly not over. Several high-ranking ladies who had been whispering earlier kept glancing toward Darcy, their gazes inevitably landing on the black-gold permission card in her pocket.Maeve carried a stack of clothes the clerk had just brought over, trailing behind Darcy and muttering under her breath. "I still don't feel right about this."Darcy glanced at her in the mirror. "What doesn't feel right?""The card!" Maeve looked around, then made a tight "one" gesture with her finger. "Priority One."She lowered her voice, eyes wide with significance. "Do you know how long I've worked in admin? I've seen department directors' cards. Regional heads' cards. I've even sneaked a peek at an Elders' Council temporary authorization once. But I have never, ever seen the Lord's Office give Priority One to an employee. Not once."Darcy's fingertips traced the sharp lapel of the

The entire hall remained silent for two long seconds. Darcy's hand was already in Asher's. Only when he led her toward the center of the dance floor did she fully realize what that single choice meant. After tonight, Darcy Clark would no longer be just the risk lead who had suddenly risen to Kingston's top floor. Anyone watching her, investigating her, or trying to trace the eight years she'd buried would know exactly where she stood now.Every survival instinct she'd honed over those eight years warned her that visibility came with a price. But she didn't pull back. If the storm was already coming for her, she would rather stand at its center than keep running from the edges.Asher's hand settled firmly at her lower back as they stepped onto the dance floor, heat seeping through the thin fabric of her gown, steady and grounding. Darcy leaned in just enough that only he could hear her. "Mr. Kingston, you've put me directly in the crossfire of every eye in this room."Asher guided her s