Mated to My Fiancé’s Alpha King Brother

26 Chapter 26

Seraphina’s POV 1

The next morning, I arrived at Nightshadow Industries with dark circles under my eyes and a heavy heart that felt like it had been carved out of lead. I’d spent the entire night staring at my bedroom ceiling, replaying every moment from the lobby encounter, every word Anna

had spoken, every second of Damien’s devastating silence.

As I settled into my desk, I could hear Anna’s shrill laughter echoing from the break room, already holding court with whoever was

unfortunate enough to be within earshot.

“Oh, it’s such a romantic story!” her voice carried across the marble floors like fingernails on a chalkboard. “Five years we’ve been apart,

but true love always finds a way, doesn’t it?”

I forced myself to focus on my computer screen, pulling up Damien’s schedule for the day and trying to ignore the way my

tightened every time I heard Anna’s voice. Professional composure, I reminded myself. That was all I had left.

chest

At exactly nine o’clock, Anna sauntered over to my desk wearing a blood-red dress that was so tight it looked like it had been painted on. Her platinum blonde hair was styled in perfect waves, and her makeup was applied with the precision of someone preparing for a photo

shoot rather than a day at the office.

“Good morning, bestie!” she chirped, plopping herself onto the corner of my desk with enough force to scatter my carefully organized

paperwork. “Isn’t this just like old times? Working together again!”

I gathered the scattered papers with steady hands, not trusting myself to look directly at her. “Good morning, Anna. If you don’t mind, I

have quite a bit of work to catch up on.”

“Oh, work!” Anna waved her hand dismissively, her perfectly manicured nails catching the morning light. “Don’t worry about that silly little stuff. I’ll handle all the important tasks. You just focus on… I don’t know, filing or something. The boring omega work.”

Before I could respond, the elevator chimed, and Damien stepped onto the floor. He looked devastatingly handsome in his charcoal gray suit, his dark hair perfectly styled and his blue eyes scanning the office with that familiar intensity. When his gaze landed on me,

something flickered across his expressio.

Anna immediately sprang into action, practically launching herself from my desk to intercept him before he could reach his office.

“Damien, darling!” she cooed, pressing herself against his side with the subtlety of a freight train. “I was just organizing our work division with Sera. I thought I could handle all your personal scheduling and important meetings, while she takes care of the more… basic

administrative tasks.”

I watched Damien’s jaw tighten almost imperceptibly. “Miss Blackwood, I believe Claire explained the office hierarchy yesterday.

is my senior assistant.

flash of irritation in

that you might

office,” Damien cut her off, his voice carrying that

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work, and there

his office and closed the door with a decisive

slipped for just a moment, revealing something ugly and calculating beneath the surface. But the moment passed quickly, replaced by that same

to me with false brightness, “I suppose we’ll

was open, she became the picture of professional efficiency-answering phones with crisp politeness, organizing files with impressive speed, even bringing him

closed, however,

a stack of her own filing onto my desk. “Would you mind taking care

important work to handle

her voice dropping to

Some of us are destined for greatness, and some of us

category you

had become a dumping ground for every task Anna didn’t want to

runs, all while

within sight.

the last of Anna’s neglected reports when Damien’s

emergencies.

His voice carried through the soundproof office, sharp with concern. “How bad? … When did this

hour.”

gathering files from his desk, his movements efficient and focused. This was pack

required an

phone to call the corporate jet pilot when Anna shouldered past

grabbing the phone from my hand.

travel for weeks.

smug smile. “Trust me, darling, I can handle

should probably come with you! As your future Luna, I should be involved in

as arctic wind. “This is a territorial dispute involving potential violence and bloodshed,” he

authority to make the windows rattle. “You will remain here. Both

to reveal something petulant and ugly. “But

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He gathered his files and strode past both of us without another

Anna’s entire demeanor shifted. The sweet, simpering mask fell away

that made my wolf

could react, Anna’s hand shot out and grabbed a fistful of my hair, jerking

manicured nails bit into my skin as she leaned close,

little omega,” she hissed, her voice dripping with the same venom I remembered from our