Olivia’s POV


    I saw a beautiful girl, following Fin’s gaze. She had short, sleek shoulder-length hair and wore a fitted ck satin dress that shimmered under the soft yacht lighting. Her posture was confident-like someone used to being in control


    of a room.


    Before I could even wonder who she was, Fin had already started moving. “That’s Jess Wood,” he told me, his tone tightening just a little. “General manager of the Washington branch.”


    Jess was halfway to the stairs when Fin called out to her. “Ms. Wood!”


    She turned. “Fin,” she replied, crisp but familiar. “It’s been a while.”


    She was about to continue up when she caught sight of me.


    Her expression cooled further. The once-neutral look sharpened as her eyesnded on me like I was a detail out of ce.


    “And this is?” she asked tly.


    I stepped forward, holding out my hand with a polite smile. “Olivia Whitmore. Alpha Alexander’s secretary.”


    She didn’t shake my hand. She didn’t even pretend to consider it. Her eyes stayed on mine a beat longer-long enough to make a point-then she turned and walked off like I didn’t exist.


    I let my hand fall, not bothering to mask my awkward exhale. Fin watched Jess disappear inside, then rubbed the back of his neck with a sigh.


    “She was raised in the Green household,” he muttered. “Her mom and Alpha Alexander’s mother were close. There’s some… emotional entanglement there.”


    I nodded slowly. “So that’s why Washington was the first stop.”


    Fin didn’t answer, but his silence said enough. No wonder Alexander wanted toe here himself. You don’t send assistants to handle ghosts from your past.


    Once the yacht set sail, Fin and I stepped back into the main cabin, Music hummed low, champagne flowed, and con- versations buzzed in moneyed tones. Alexander stood at the center of it all, surrounded by the familiar polished elite of Washington.


    Adele Vasalin, still clinging to his side,ughed at something he said. She was charming, confident—probably used to getting what she wanted. Alexander, to his credit, kept it professional. Polite. Controlled.


    Jess, meanwhile, lingered nearby. She didn’t speak much, but her presence was solid, iming space that no one else


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    Cared to tou. I


    feel something.


    It was hard not to feel out of ce.


    I stayed quiet, arms loosely crossed, watching the triangle from a distance. And then, as if he could sense the exact moment I started thinking too much, Alexander’s eyes cut across the room andnded on me.


    Sharp. Steady.


    I looked away instantly and walked out.


    The wind outside was cooler than I expected. I made my way to a quiet spot on the upper deck where two chairs faced the ocean. I sat down and let myself exhale.


    Finally, alone.


    I reached into my purse and pulled out my old cell phone. I hadn’t turned it on since getting my new number-too many ghosts. But something pulled at me now. Maybe curiosity.


    The screen flickered to life.


    A hundred missed calls. Dozens of messages. My stomach sank.


    Mom. Dad. Ava. Former colleagues. Even business contacts I hadn’t spoken to in months.


    I opened WhatsApp.


    Ava’s name lit up at the top of the unread pile.


    “Liv, don’t answer any calls.” “It’s Ethan.” “He’s calling everyone trying to find you.” “He’s panicking. Please tell me you’re safe.””Where are you?”


    My fingers hovered over the reply box, but I couldn’t type anything.


    I scrolled through the rest-voice notes, missed calls, scattered panic from every corner of my old life.


    Ethan had set off rms everywhere.


    He had the whole world looking for me.


    I stared at the screen for a long while, numb, before finally logging out of WhatsApp. But the torment didn’t end there.


    Dozens of texts and voice messages from Ethan popped up in the notification bar of my old phone. At first, his mes- sages were calm-too calm. He asked where I was, said he just wanted to talk. But as I scrolled, the tone shifted. He grew frantic. Desperate. Then angry.


    And then… pathetic.


    I opened thetest voice message, sent barely five minutes ago. His voice was cracked, shaking. I couldn’t make out


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    most of it at first, just sniffling and a few broken phrases. Then came the words-slurred, rushed.


    “I’m sorry, Olivia… I’m such an asshole. Please… just one more chance. Just one. I’ll take anything-punishment, shame, even death, if that’s what you want. Just don’t leave me like this. Please… please take this trip. I’ll wait for you toe home. I swear. I’ll fix everything. One mistake… just one… do I deserve to die for that?”


    My thumb hovered over the screen.


    I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until my chest hurt.


    No. I couldn’t do this again.


    I powered off the phone, nearly threw it into the sea, but stopped myself. Not because of sentiment-just logic. I didn’ t need any more drama.


    The breeze brushed against my skin. I stared out at the waves, letting the silence cool my nerves. A long while passed before Fin called. He asked me toe up to the second floor.


    Apparently, Alexander was calling everyone in.


    I walked into the entertainment lounge, and it was like entering a smoky casino. The lights were dim, the air smelled like expensive cigars and old money. Alexander sat near the center of a poker table, champagne ss beside him, a small stack of chips in front of him.


    From the looks of it, he was winning.


    Jess sat next to him, slouched slightly, her elbow resting on the table. Her cheeks were flushed, eyes hazy-drunk. And clearly irritated.


    Alexander, calm and detached as always, didn’t seem fazed by her presence. Without even looking at her, he gave a small wave to someone nearby. “Take her to rest,” he said tly.


    No drama. No warmth.


    Fin and I walked over. Jess leaned forward slightly but ducked when Fin tried to help her. She shook him off like a cat with too much pride.


    Fin sighed and looked at me.


    “I think you should try. Maybe she’ll ept your help.”


    I blinked at him. “You wantmeto-”


    “Well, you’re a woman,” he said, lowering his voice.


    “Gee, thanks.”


    Still, I approached. Cautiously. I ced a hand around Jess’s waist and whispered gently, “Come on, let’s get you to a quieter ce.”


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    She spun on me in one quick jerk, eyes zing. Her palm shoved into my shoulder, hard.


    I stumbled back, but Fin grabbed my arm, steadying me.


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    Alexander’s jaw tensed. Without saying another word, he got up and wrapped an arm around Jess’s shoulders, guiding her away like a handler calming a wild horse. As he passed me, he nced at the poker table.


    “Cover for me.”


    What?


    I blinked, unsure if I heard him right.


    Fin pped his hands and stepped forward. “You heard the man. C’mon, sit. You’ve yed poker, right?”


    “Not since college,” I muttered, sitting down reluctantly. “And that was strip poker.”


    Fin chuckled. “No stripping tonight. Just don’t lose us all his winnings.”


    I yed along for a bit, clumsily.


    After a while, Fin leaned closer and whispered, “You should go check on Mr. Green. I’ll cover for you here.”


    His tone was casual, but the reasoning made me raise a brow. Alexander was with Jess-no one was going to question him disappearing for a bit. Still, I didn’t argue. Fin seemed a little too eager to take over the table anyway.


    I left the boardroom with a quiet sigh, grabbing a chilled bottle of water from a nearby tray.


    As I stepped up to the third-floor deck, the breeze greeted me gently. It was quieter here, the kind of quiet that gives you a sense of serene for a while.


    I approached the round sofa beneath the ss canopy, ncing over my shoulder-just instinct, maybe. But that’s when I saw them.


    Two figures, close.


    Jess was on her tiptoes, her arms wrapped around Alexander’s neck.


    His back was to me. And it looked like they were kissing.


    I couldn’t help but choke on the water, shocked by the unexpected sight.