Bonds of the Alpha Billionaire (Maya and Alex)

Chapter 44

-Alex's POV-

I slumped back in my chair, the weight of the morning's news settling heavily on my shoulders. Miranda, with her usual brand of twisted amusement, had informed me of the merger between Amaya's and Ivan's packs. Individually, each pack hold considerable power, but combined, they were a force to be reckoned with. A grudging part of me acknowledged the strategic brilliance of the move, but the thought of their combined strength sent a jolt of irritation through me.

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What bothered me most was how smoothly things seemed to be progressing between them. My wolf growled in frustration, a primal echo of the anger simmering beneath the surface.

'She doesn't matter anymore, I repeated to myself, a mantra I'd been chanting for weeks now. Amaya had hurt me, betrayed me, and I wouldn't allow myself to be consumed by these lingering feelings. Just then, the soft tap-tap-tap of heels on the hardwood floor broke through my reverie. "Sir?" My head snapped up to meet the concerned gaze of Ruth, my ever-patient personal assistant. "What?" I barked, the harshness of my tone surprising even me. Truth be told, I'd been on edge all morning, and Amaya's name hanging in the air hadn't helped matters.

Why did she have to come back and disrupt everything?

Ruth flinched slightly. She was a master at navigating my moods, but even her calm demeanor seemed to falter under my glare. "I was just reminding you about your appointment at two o'clock, sir," she said softly.

Appointment? My brow furrowed in irritation. What appointment could possibly be important enough to tear me away turmoil brewing within me?

"Appointment with who?" I asked, forcing myself to sound somewhat professional.

"The interior designer, sir," She replied.

from the

The reminder sent another wave of annoyance crashing through me. The whole redesign project felt trivial compared to the sanity struggle brewing in my head.

Couldn't it wait?

"Can't it be rescheduled?" I grumbled, the words tumbling out before I could stop them.

she said carefully. "But the interior

that the designer, whoever she was, had the audacity to dictate my schedule was infuriating. Yet, a part of me knew she was right. Putting off the renovations any longer would only

hand through my hair. "Fine," I muttered, the anger still clinging to my voice. "Tell her I'll be here."

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a small victory in the face of my obvious frustration. "Of course, sir," she said, her

the simmering anger, and the unwelcome resurgence of Amaya in my life,

wave of

exited the room, I closed my eyes, the silence amplifying the storm raging within me. Dealing with the interior designer could wait. Right now, I needed a way to quell the relentless anger that threatened

rest of the morning crawled by in a blur of paperwork and forced cheer. Just as I was about to call it a day and drown my frustrations in a stiff drink, my phone buzzed on the desk.

shot through me. Today of all days, I was not in the mood for him. With a deep breath, I answered the call.

My gut clenched, a premonition of bad news

He said, a hint of amusement creeping

"What? How is he getting out?" My voice rose an octave, laced with disbelief and a fury

into a sigh of exasperation. "By stepping out of jail, Alex. Seems his lawyers managed to find some technicality, some loophole in the charges. He's

grating in my ear. "This can't be happening," I snarled. "I thought... I thought we had him locked

sympathy. "Look, I just wanted to let you know.

need your damn breadcrumbs, Christian," I roared, my frustration boiling over. "I'm not

edge. "Neither am 1, Alex. I just called to deliver a

and clear," I spat back, my anger mirroring his

near destroyed everything I built!" I bellowed, every word laced, "I pay you good money to just let him

what you asked me to. Daniel Stone was a thorn at your side. I had him removed for you. He was investigated, his company fell and he went

always something you can do, Christian," I shot back, fueled by a potent amount of anger,

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Chapter 44

connections, influence. I will not have

do?" Christian challenged, his voice laced