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.

said carefully. "But the interior designer said she wouldn't be

match to a tinderbox. "Wouldn't be available?' The implication 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 cause

I ran a hand through my hair. "Fine," I muttered, the anger still

61%

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

the energy for any further conversation. The weight of the day, the simmering anger, and the unwelcome resurgence of Amaya in my life,

a wave of my hand. "Just

my eyes, the silence amplifying the storm raging within me. Dealing with the interior designer could wait. Right now, I needed a way to

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.

the mood for him. With a deep breath, I answered the call. "Christian," I growled, the remnants of my earlier frustration coloring my

My gut clenched, a premonition of bad news

of amusement creeping into

"What? How is he getting out?" My voice rose an

sigh of exasperation. "By stepping out of jail, Alex. Seems his

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

his voice devoid of sympathy. "Look, I just wanted to let you know. Not exactly breaking

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

laced with a dangerous edge. "Neither

clear," I spat back, my anger

word laced, "I pay you good money to just

I did 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 to jail. All of that, I did," He ground out, "The

I shot back, fueled by a potent amount of anger, "That's why you are you.

Fri, 21 Jun

Chapter 44

you do. You have connections, influence. I will not have him work

Christian challenged,