Betrothed To The Alpha

CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE

HANNAH

I stare up at the towering glass facade of the M. Corp skyscraper, my stomach churning with dread. Is subjecting myself to more humiliation by returning here really worth it? I could quit, and start searching for a new job elsewhere...but what are the guarantees I'll find decent employment in time? I need a steady income. As kind as Mila has been to let me crash at her place this past week, I can't keep imposing on her hospitality forever. The way things are disintegrating, I fear soon I may be utterly alone with no means to support myself.

Releasing a shuddering sigh, I brace myself and stride through the lobby, making a beeline for Alex's office. Rae's gaze is laced with pity as I arrive, and the look makes me want to disappear. Maybe I should just request a recommendation letter from him instead of asking Alex to transfer me to another department.

"You can go in now," Rae's voice interrupts my thoughts, prompting me to rise from my seat. As I stand, I resolve to pursue both options. I'll endure this job for a minimum of three months before moving on. Leaving after just one month would raise suspicions among potential employers, even with a recommendation letter in hand. If I can avoid seeing Alex daily, perhaps the pain will dull over time. And with luck, people in the company might eventually forget about me, allowing me to fade into obscurity.

I step into his office, finding him bent over his desk, features obscured by a cascade of paperwork. Even hunched in concentration, he's still heartbreakingly handsome - the same man who captivated me at first sight. It feels cosmically unfair that betrayal hasn't tainted his attractiveness in my eyes, made him repulsive after the anguish he's put me through. Squaring my shoulders, I clear my throat and softly call his name.

"Hannah," he responds, my name rolling off his tongue in that deep timbre that never fails to send a shiver down my spine. My heart clenches traitorously in my chest, and I ignore the dull ache as I wet my lips to speak.

"I would like to be transferred," I state, keeping my tone clipped and professional. I don't even bother sitting down before going straight to the point.

"Why?" He furrows his brow in apparent confusion, and I can't resist arching one of my own in disbelief. Did he really just ask me that?

"No problem, I'll have it done right away," he course-corrects, seeming to realize his blunder.

"Thank you." I spin on my heel, hand gripping the doorknob, but his voice stops me as I start to turn it.

"Wait!" The air in the room seems to shift, thickening with an electric tension.

I pivot back slowly. "What is it?" I ask, leaving my other hand on the knob, ready to make my escape.

"How are you?" he asks so casually it makes my jaw go slack.

"How am I?" I parrot back, unable to mask my disbelief that he would even ask such a thing right now.

"Yes. How are you?" he repeats, rising from his chair to approach me. My heart stutters in my chest as he draws near. As angry as I am, he's still my mate, and such close proximity after so long apart is...unwise. We haven't been intimate in over a month, ever since I decided to withhold that connection until he proved himself worthy of it again.

"Tell me, I want to know," he urges, holding my gaze intently. Is something wrong with Alex? I can only stare back, baffled by his expectant expression, as if he genuinely wants me to pour my heart out.

I part my lips to respond, but the door is abruptly flung open behind me by Alice. In an instant, all the hurt and fury I've been suppressing comes crashing back in full force at the intrusion.

"Goodbye," I mutter, brushing past the bewildered bitch Alice before she ruins yet another moment and rubs more salt in my wounds.

Mercifully, the rest of the morning passes without any further run-ins with Alice or my traitorous mate. I'm heading to the cafe for a late lunch when a reminder for the company's annual ball this weekend pings on my phone. Panic surges through me and I quickly abandon my plans to eat, instead rushing out to the nearest mall. I need to find the perfect dress, and fast. Calling Mila, I beg her to meet me so I have reinforcements in my corner for this crucial shopping expedition. In Times like these, I ache for Bea's presence - I know she would have dropped everything to be by my side, no questions asked. But she's all the way in New York, her studies keeping her occupied, and I didn't tell her about this mess with Alex and Alice. Jason honored my request not to share the details with her, and I'm grateful - she has enough on her plate without me piling on more stress.

I hit a few stores solo before Mila arrives, and then we make a determined sweep through every promising boutique. Finally, I slip into a changing room to try on a gorgeous gown, and that's when the last voice I want to hear pierces the air in a shrill whine.

"Mila! It's so nice to see you."

Oh, my goddess, of course, she's here. Of all the places in this city, why did that vapid bitch have to pick this same store to visit? Grinding my teeth, I squeeze my eyes shut and massage my throbbing temples, steeling myself.

When I finally emerge, Alice clings to Alex like a leech, her arm wound so tightly around his bicep that it's a wonder he can still breathe. His expression is carefully blank, eyes hollow and distant like every other time I've caught them together. He never looks happy or content in her presence, which I find utterly baffling...but I push that stray thought aside, focusing on the more pressing issue at hand.

"Hannah, you're here too," Alice trills with fake delight, her gaze flickering over me in disdain. I simply roll my eyes and turn away, examining my reflection to avoid looking at them.

"It's perfect, Hannah," Mila gushes, ignoring Alice as she rushes to join me in front of the mirror.

The camel-hued sheer tulle gown skims my figure exquisitely, the bold gold sequined embroidery on the bust and dropped waist accentuating my curves. Silver beading along the neckline adds just the right touch of elegance and sparkle.

"You think so?" I ask, smoothing my hands over the delicate fabric. I love how it makes me feel - beautiful, confident, powerful.

"You should definitely get this one," Mila insists with a nod.

I quickly slip back into the changing room and peel off the gown, unable to stop admiring it. Once I'm dressed, I step out to make my purchase...only to find Alex blocking my path, his expression thunderous.

"Give it to Alice. She wants it," he growls, and a flicker of hurt lances through me. Of course, she does. Because taking everything I want for myself is her favorite pastime.

I simply roll my eyes at his demand, used to this treatment by now. As I move to brush past him, his hand clamps around my wrist like a vise.

"Give..." he starts to snarl, but I don't even let him finish. Wrenching free, I whirl and fling the exquisite dress directly into Alice's smirking face, the delicate fabric exploding in a cloud of tulle and sequins.

"Mila, let's go," I bite out, grabbing her hand and storming away, leaving Alex and Alice gaping in shock behind me. I know Alice's game, her ploy to provoke me, but I'm just...not in the mood for her pettiness right now. I'm not.

We scour several more boutiques but can't find anything as breathtaking as that first gown. Resigning ourselves to try again tomorrow after work, we finally head back to the office. I bid Mila farewell and make my way to my floor, unsurprised to find Alice and Alex in attendance at our staff meeting. Of course, they are - this is just another opportunity for that bitch to flaunt how she has my mate wrapped around her perfectly manicured finger, to rub my face in her perceived victory over me after the mall debacle.

Sure enough, she wastes no time draping herself all over Alex, making sure I see every lingering caress, every provocative glance she throws his way. I'm not used to seeing them behave like this, so shamelessly physical and amorous. But the sting of it is starting to dull, the pain no longer as fresh and raw as those first few times. I can't help wondering if, soon, I'll truly become numb to the torment of watching them together.