Mated to My Fiancé’s Alpha King Brother

23 Chapter 23

Seraphina’s POV 1

The blessing of an impossibly busy Friday was that it left no room for my mind to wander into dangerous territory. Every time my thoughts tried to drift toward Damien-toward the way his hand had felt wrapped around my wrist, toward the questions in his eyes that I couldn’t quite decipher-another crisis would demand my immediate attention.

By lunch, I’d fielded seventeen phone calls, rescheduled eight meetings, and consumed enough coffee to power a small city.

It was exactly what I needed.

Damien, on the other hand, had been in what could only be described as a spectacularly foul mood all day. I’d watched him through the

glass partition of his office as he prowled back and forth like a caged predator, his shoulders tense beneath his perfectly tailored suit

jacket. His phone conversations had been terse to the point of rudeness, and I’d seen him slam his palm against his desk hard enough to

make his coffee cup rattle.

“Professional boundaries,” I’d muttered under my breath, forcing myself to focus on the quarterly budget reports spread across my desk.

“He’s your boss, not your responsibility.”

But even as I said it, part of me wanted to march into his office and demand to know what was wrong. The mate bond between us

hummed with awareness every time he moved, every time his scent shifted with emotion, every time he looked in my direction with

those devastating blue eyes.

the weekend. Damien had been

much as a “good night.” I stayed until well past eight, organizing files and

schedule.

buzzed with a text from Ophelia: *Picked up Adrian from school. We’re

we’re having a blast!*

twisted in my stomach as I typed back a quick thank you. Ophelia had been covering for me constantly since

late, babysitting when I had emergency meetings, never

me than my own family had ever been, and I wasn’t sure I could ever repay that kind

I said aloud to the empty office, “give Ophelia the biggest bonus imaginable as soon as I get

last of the contract revisions and locked away the sensitive documents in the

the only sounds the distant hum

against the marble floors.

than usual, probably because I was the

ground floor, I expected to find the usual nighttime security guard reading behind his

few late-departing employees

Instead, I heard voices.

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23 Chapter 23

the deep timbre sending an automatic shiver down my spine. “Cost isn’t an issue. Just make sure

heels clicking softly against the polished marble of the

in a gesture of frustration I’d come to recognize. He’d loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeves, giving

made him more attractive.