All Chapters of dear Alpha, my twins are no longer yours: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Selene's POV The gala was still going when I found Lyra standing near the tall windows, a glass of untouched champagne in her hand. She looked calm and collected and to be honest, it grated on my nerves. My mind flashed to the way Kaelen had been staring at her and how he had defended her and I didn't know when I tightened my fist. "There you are," I called out, plastering on my warmest smile. She turned, her face carefully polite. "Selene." "I've barely had the chance to speak with you properly," I continued, closing the distance between us. "Not since you got back." "We spoke earlier today," she reminded me. "That was business." I waved a hand. "I mean properly. Woman to woman." She raised an eyebrow but stayed quiet, waiting. It was obvious she was not going to make this conversation and easier. 'slimy bitch!' I cursed her bitterly in my mind. Though I tried to hide it but I could not deny the fact that I was jealous of her. "I only wanted to ask," I pressed on, keepin

Lyra's POV"They've reached a decision," Nina announced, striding into the suite without knocking, her phone still pressed to her ear.I looked up from the paperwork I had spread across the coffee table. "Already? It's barely been a day.""Silver Crescent made the shortlist." She lowered the phone, grinning. "You're a finalist, Lyra."I should have felt relief. Instead, I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach."That means more time here," I muttered."At least another two months, maybe three," Nina confirmed, reading my expression correctly. "Final contract signing won't happen until the Alliance clears every remaining company.""Two months." I dropped my pen onto the table. "In this city.""You knew this was possible when you accepted the invitation." She reminded me."Knowing and living it are two different things," I shot back, harder than I meant to.She didn't argue. She only reached over and squeezed my hand once before pulling her phone back up to relay the news to Brooks.I sat

Kaelen's POVThe site visit had been on my calendar for two weeks before anyone bothered to mention which company would be sending a representative."Silver Crescent's confirmed," Rowan mentioned that morning, barely looking up from his tablet. "Lyra's coming herself, apparently. Didn't want to send a junior engineer for something this size."I told myself that meant nothing. Her company was in on the project too so of course she'd attend in person.I told myself a lot of things lately that didn't hold up well once I actually examined them and that was how I found myself at the site too.I told myself I was also coming to supervise too but I knew it was not true. Even though I hate to admit it to myself, I wanted to see Lyra again.I thought things would be different after that night. After the sedan. After the messages. After she stood beside me on that dark street and, for once, didn't pull away when I said I'd handle it but I was wrong."Alpha Ashthorn." Lyra barely looked up when

Lyra's POVAfter that day, I never saw that suspicious looking hotel staff again and nothing from Cassian and Marcus side so I just decided to focus on the my work with the inter-pack alliance.I got so engrossed that I didn't even think about breakfast until my stomach reminded me with a growl."You missed breakfast." Nina said looking up from her laptop."I know but I need to finish this before anything else." I replied."You need strength to work effectively Lyra." She reminded me."I will, just give me few minutes." I said smiling and we both went back to work.At noon, we heard a knock on the door and a food tray was carried in by a young man in hotel uniform who set it down without a word and left before I could even ask who had sent it.I stared at it for a moment before lifting the silver cover. Inside was grilled chicken, roasted vegetables arranged with care, a small side of rice shaped neatly into a mound. It looked like a meal someone had actually thought about, rather th

Lyra's POVMarcus arrived within the hour, his jacket still damp from the rain outside, his expression already grim before I'd said a single word to him."Nina called me on the way over," he said, setting his bag down on the table with more force than necessary. "Walk me through everything. From the beginning. Don't leave anything out, even if it seems small."So I did. I told him about the first plate of chicken, the coffee that arrived exactly ten minutes before a meeting I hadn't told anyone I was nervous about, the warm bread from a bakery I'd mentioned once in passing. I told him about Cassian's confusion, how genuine it had seemed, how it had somehow made everything worse instead of better. I told him about the six orders stretching back to a day before I'd even agreed to return to Black Ridge City, and about the message that had arrived while Nina and I sat frozen at the table."I want everything cross-checked," I said, pacing in front of the window while he listened, his jaw g