Followed by the memory of him looking at me in ne, longingly. I just couldn’t help with those memories returning.


    Unfortunately, Alexandernoticed.


    He looked down at me with an unreadable expression. “Something on your mind?”


    “Nope,” I said way too fast. “Just… spacing out.””


    “Mhm,” he muttered, clearly not convinced. His lips curled slightly, but he turned his gaze away.


    When we reached the top floor, I expected him to take me


    straight to dinner. But no, he pushed me into the living room of


    his penthouse, which looked like something out of a luxury


    magazine–clean lines, dark wood, and minimal furniture.


    “Dinner’s still a few minutes away,” Alexander said. “Thought


    we could get something done first.”


    “What?” I asked, instinctively, but corrected my rudeness right


    away. “I mean, what are we supposed to do?”


    He didn’t answer. Just pushed me toward a room. The den.


    And then… he closed the door behind us. Why did he close the


    door like that? I hoped his intentions are not what I think they


    are.


    I swallowed. “Um… why’d you close the door?”


    He raised a brow. “Because it’s a den, Olivia. Not a public waiting


    lounge.”


    Right. Totally normal.


    He wheeled me up to a desk–his desk, apparently–and pulled


    out a stack of neatly arranged papers.


    “Gai is gone for a while,” he said, cing them in front of me.


    “These are some simple contract adjustments. Tell me if this is


    too hard.”


    So, Gai was gone and I would serve as his recement for now.


    “Oh, this is what you meant earlier!” I muttered to myself but


    forgot that werewolves can hear sharper. Alexander must have


    heard it.


    He tilted his head. “What did you say?”


    “Nothing! I just said something about my mobility” I waved


    vaguely. “You know, just some issues with certain


    movements…. That’s all. Haha.”


    “Hmm, I think you can manage well,” he narrowed his eyes. “If


    that’s what you actually said.”


    “Surely!” I said while looking down.


    But I noticed Alexader from the corner of my eyes. He didn’t


    his mouth.


    I didn’t wait any further and pulled the papers closer.


    For the next twenty minutes, we worked. Sometimes I would


    look at Alexander partially. He sat five feet away from me


    typing away on hisptop, legs crossed, expressionposed


    like always.


    Even casually dressed, and barefoot, he seemed too attractive to


    not look at. But I kept continuing my work.


    Then, suddenly, I felt the chair being pulled back gently.


    “Enough for now,” Alexander said. “Dinner must be ready. Let’s


    go.”


    And then he wheeled me out of the study and into the dining


    area, where warm lights lit up the elegant yetfortable


    space. Before I could even process anything, Mike came out of


    the kitchen like a storm with oven mitts in hand.


    “Olivia! You’re right on time! Dinner’s ready, piping hot, and


    smelling like heaven–if I may say so myself, he beamed.


    I chuckled, trying to keep a straight face. “Do you hype up your cooking before every meal, or is this special performance just


    today?”


    Mike ced a hand over his heart dramatically. “I’m offended.


    This isn’t hype. It’s confidence. Wait till you taste my chicken &


    spinach soup with fresh pesto. Alpha nearly licked the test


    time.”


    “I did not,” Alexander said tly from behind me.


    Mike gave him a look. “Oh, right. Sorry. You posedly wiped


    it clean with a fork and no expression. Much better.”


    I smothered augh with my hand.


    Alexander remained calm, his face unreadable as he pushed me


    to the table. “Sit. Eat before he starts narrating the chicken’s life


    story<b>.</b><b>” </b>


    Mike pulled out a chair and set the dishes like he was hosting a


    royal dinner. There were grilled vegetables, seasoned rice, some


    chicken zed with something mouth–watering, and the special


    soup for me that made me salivate just from the aroma.


    “Careful, Miss Olivia,” Mike warned. “Everything’s got vor


    today. Your taste buds might throw a party.”


    “Amazing,” I murmured after the first bite. “Mike… this is


    amazing.”


    His eyes lit up. “Right?! I told you! Alpha, did you hear that? She


    said it’s amazing!”


    “I heard,” Alexander said mildly, sipping his soup.


    “Eat more, Olivia,” Mike encouraged. “You look like you’ve barely had a meal all week. That hospital food is practically


    punishment.”


    “I will.” I said while scooping another spoon of the soup.


    It just took me a moment to realize that I had already ate a lot. I


    didn’t think I overate like this in a long time.


    “I am so happy, Olivia, that you finished all the soup,” Mike


    I blinked. “Wait… what? All of it?”