All Chapters of KNOTTED BY THE ALPHA STEBROTHER I HATE : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

He was standing so close our chests were practically touching. The heat radiating off him was intense, prickling across my skin and making the empty hallway feel way too hot.The heavy scent of rain and cedar wrapped around me. It pushed against my own scent, fighting for space in the narrow corridor.My hands were curled into tight fists at my sides. I really wanted to hit him. I wanted to wipe that cold, arrogant look right off his face and watch him bleed.But then something else hit me.It was a sudden, jarring instinct that spiked right at the base of my spine. My muscles actually seized up. For a split second, I didn't want to fight him at all. I had this strange, confusing urge to tilt my head back and bare my own neck to him.It made absolutely no sense. I had never felt anything like it in my life.I gritted my teeth and forced the feeling down, fighting my own body. It took everything I had to lock my knees and keep my head level.I looked past him and saw the security camer

I sat at my desk on Wednesday morning and pressed two fingers against my temple.A dull, persistent ache throbbed right behind my eyes. I blamed the whiskey Torin bought at the bar last night, but three glasses of water and aspirin hadn't touched it. It was a strange, heavy pressure that seemed to pulse in time with my heartbeat, but I didn't have time to worry about it.I had to move fast before the board meeting on Friday.I looked up as Torin walked into my office. He wasn't alone. He brought a guy in a wrinkled gray suit who looked like he hadn't slept in a week."Dante," Torin said, shutting the door behind them. "This is Elias. He is the lead risk analyst for the strategy division.""Levi's lead analyst," I corrected.Elias shifted nervously on his feet and clutched a tablet to his chest. He looked around my empty office like he expected security to jump out of the closets."I really shouldn't be down here," Elias said. "If Mr. Cross finds out I took a meeting with you, he will

I waited in the quiet antechamber for twenty long minutes.The heavy doors to the main executive boardroom were shut tight. I stood near the glass windows, watching the afternoon traffic move far below the tower. I knew exactly what was happening inside that room.My phone had buzzed in my pocket ten minutes ago. It was an automated company email sent to all division heads. It stated that a sudden restructuring vote had passed. All operations task forces were now legally subordinated under the strategy division.Levi didn't just steal Elias back. He locked a collar around my entire team.The boardroom doors finally opened.Gideon Thorne walked out first. He buttoned his suit jacket and stopped when he saw me leaning against the wall. Gideon didn't look apologetic. He just gave me a faint, knowing shrug of his shoulders and kept walking toward the elevators. He had played both sides perfectly.The other executives filed out right behind him. None of them looked at me. They kept their h

Levi didn't answer my question.He stared at me for three long seconds. I could see the anger burning behind his eyes, but he refused to let it show on his face. He set his crystal glass down on the edge of the bar. It hit the marble counter with a sharp clink.He turned his back on me and walked away.He moved fast, weaving through the crowded ballroom. He headed straight for the heavy glass doors that led out to the hotel terrace. He wanted to escape the heat. He wanted to get away from me.I didn't let him.I pushed off the bar and followed him. I ignored a group of socialites calling my name and matched his fast pace. He reached out to push the brass handle of the terrace door.I stepped sideways and cut him off.I put my back flat against the thick glass, blocking the exit."Move," Levi said.He kept his voice low. He didn't want the nearby investors to hear us arguing."You were staring at me," I said.Levi didn't look at the crowd. He kept his eyes locked on mine. "I was keepin

I sat at my desk and pressed the heel of my hand hard against my temple.A dull, persistent ache throbbed right behind my eyes. I had been fighting the exact same headache since Tuesday night. I took three aspirin with my morning coffee, but the heavy pressure wouldn't go away.It seemed to pulse in time with my heartbeat. Every time I closed my eyes, I could still smell the sharp scent of cedar from the dark terrace.It was Thursday morning, and I desperately needed a distraction.I opened the company network on my laptop. I pulled up the master executive calendar to see what the strategy division was working on today.Levi had a major signing scheduled for three o'clock this afternoon. It was a massive, multi-year logistics contract with a Japanese shipping firm. The deal was supposed to secure our eastern transit routes for the next decade. It was the crown jewel of Levi's quarter.I downloaded the attached files and started scrolling through the transit logs.The deeper I looked i