Mated to My Fiancé’s Alpha King Brother

66 Chapter 66

Damien’s POV 1

The silence in the car was suffocating. Caleb sat on the opposite side of the leather bench seat, staring out the

window at the passing city lights with what appeared to be studied nonchalance. But | could smell the tension

radiating from him.

My driver navigated through the evening traffic with his usual professionalism, but | caught his eyes in the

rearview mirror more than

once.

*This is ridiculous, * | told myself, forcing my hands to relax where they were clenched on my thighs. *You're

behaving like a teenager who caught his girlfriend talking to another boy.*

But that was exactly how I felt, and the rational part of my brain seemed to have completely abandoned ship.

Every t| closed my eyes, | could see Caleb standing in Sera’s kitchen, moving around with familiar ease while

she smiled at him.

Lucas’s voice filled my mind through the pack link, cutting through my brooding thoughts like a knife through

butter.

*Damien, | need you at the office. There are scontracts that cin after you left-time-sensitive stuff that

needs your signature

tonight.*

| closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling a headache building behind my temples. *How time-

sensitive are we

talking ?*

*If we don’t get the paperwork back to them by nine tomorrow morning, they're walking away from the table.

Twelve million dollars,

gone.*

*Fuck.* | glanced at Caleb, who was still studiously ignoring my existence. *Fine. I'll be there in twenty minutes.*

*Thanks.*

| said aloud, leaning forward slightly. “Change of plans. We need to stop by the office first.”

“Of course, sir.” Driver responded.

Caleb finally looked at me, one eyebrow raised in polite inquiry. “Business emergency?”

His voice was carefully neutral, but there was something in his expression that suggested he wasn’t entirely

surprised by this

development. Maybe he was expectingto find an excuse to cut this awkward situation short.

“Time-sensitive contracts,” | explained, attempting to match his reasonable tone. “It shouldn't take long-maybe

thirty minutes at most.

Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt

You're welcto wait in the car, or if you prefer, | can have driver drop you at a hotel first.”

“The car is fine,” he said finally. “I don’t mind waiting.”

The rest of the drive passed in that sstrained silence, the city lights blurring past.

The elevator ride to the executive floor felt longer than usual, my reflection in the polished steel doors showing a

man who looked like

he was heading to a funeral rather than signing business contracts. My dark hair was disheveled from running

my hands through it.

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The executive floor was dimly lit, with only the essential security lighting and the glow from Lucas’s office

casting long shadows across the marble floors. | could see him through the glass walls of his office, surrounded

by stacks of documents and wearing the slightly frazzled expression he got when dealing with particularly

complicated negotiations.

“Thank God you're here,” he said, looking up as | approached.

“Just showwhat I need to sign,” | interrupted, not in the mood for detailed explanations.

Lucas studied my face for a moment, then wisely decided not to push.

| was halfway through the third document when | heard the familiar click of high heels on marble, accompanied

by a voice that made my

skin crawl.

“Damien! What a lovely surprise to see you here so late.”

“Anna,” | said curtly, not looking up from the contracts. “What are you still doing here?”

“Oh, you know me,” she purred, sashaying into the office with the kind of exaggerated hip movement that was

probably meant to be seductive but just looked ridiculous. “Always so dedicated to my work. | wanted to make

sure everything was perfect for tomorrow's

board meeting.”

“The board meeting preparation was completed this afternoon,” I said flatly, still focused on the documents in

front of me. “By Claire.”

Anna's smile flickered slightly at the mention of Sera’s name, but she recovered quickly. “Well, | just wanted to

double-check everything.

You know how important it is to get these things right.” She moved closer, close enough that her cloying

perfmadewant to gag.

“Actually, | was wondering if you might have tfor a late dinner? | know this wonderful little place-very

private, very romantic...”

“I don’t have time,” | said firmly, signing the last contract with perhaps more force than necessary. “I need to get

home.”

“Oh.” Her voice dropped to what she probably thought was a sultry whisper. “Are you taking someone home?

Please tellit's not Sera

again. That woman is clearly not right for someone like you,

Damien.”

“My personal life is none of your concern, Anna.”

| gathered the signed contracts and handed them back to Lucas.

“I'm taking a friend home,” | said coldly, moving toward the door. “And now I'm leaving.”

But Anna wasn't finished. She followedout of the office and toward the elevators, her heels clicking rapidly

against the marble as she

struggled to keep up with my longer stride,

The elevator doors opened with a soft ding, and | stepped inside, hoping she would take the hint and leave me

alone. Instead, she followedinto the small space, her presence making the air feel thick and suffocating.

“I'm just concerned about you,” she said, reaching out to touch my arm with her perfectly manicured fingers.

“You've been different lately. Distracted. And | can’t help but worry that someone might be taking advantage of

your good nature.”

The elevator descended in tense silence, the numbers on the display counting down like a timer on a bomb.

When the doors finally opened on the ground floor, I strode out with relief, heading for the private entrance

where Marcus was waiting with the car.

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Anna’s heels clicked behindlike gunshots on the marble floor.

“Damien, wait,” she called, but | didn’t slow down. | could see the car through the glass doors, could see Caleb's

silhouette in the back

seat, and all | wanted was to get this nightmare of an evening over with.

| pushed through the doors and into the cool night air, breathing deeply for the first tin what felt like hours.

But my relief was short- lived, because Anna burst through the doors behindlike a woman possessed.

She was already tapping on the window with her knuckles, her face pressed against the glass like a child at a

candy store window.

“Well, hello there,” Anna purred, her voice dropping into the register she probably thought was seductive. “I

don’t believe we've met. I'm

Anna, Damien's... personal assistant.”

Caleb looked up from his phone with polite confusion, clearly not expecting to be accosted by a strange woman

in a parking garage.

“Hello,” he said carefully. “I'm Caleb.”

“Caleb,” Anna repeated, as if testing the non her tongue. “What a strong, masculine name. And such

handsfeatures.” She leaned

closer to the window, her smile becoming predatory. “Are you single, Caleb? Because | know swonderful

places we could go

together. Very private, very... intimate.”

“Anna,” | said sharply, my voice cutting through whatever response Caleb might have been formulating. “Get

away from the car. Now.”

She straightened up with obvious reluctance, her expression shifting from seductive to petulant in the space of a

heartbeat. “I was just

being friendly, Damien. There's no harm in being welcoming to your guests.”

“There's a difference between being welcoming and being inappropriate,” | said coldly, opening the car door and

climbing in beside

Caleb. “Go home, Anna.” | said wearily, “take us home.”

“Of course, sir.”

The car pulled out into traffic, and | finally allowed myself to sink back against the leather seats. The adrenaline

from the confrontation

with Anna was starting to fade, leavingfeeling drained and slightly sick.

“I apologize for Anna’s behavior,” | said stiffly. “She's... difficult.”

“Hm. Caleb was quiet for a moment, staring out the window at the passing city. “What did you say her name

was? Anna...?"

“Anna Blackwood.” | couldn’t keep the distaste out of my voice,

“Anna Blackwood,” Caleb repeated slowly, as if testing the name. “That's... interesting. | think I've seen her

before,” he said quietly. “Not

recently, but... somewhere”

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