Chapter 153
Lirian laughed, the sound filling the room and easing the tension from earlier.
For a moment, it felt like everything was right in the world.
The next day, I attended a business drinking party, expecting nothing more than the usual networking and small talk.
However, the moment I entered the room, I sensed something was off.
The atmosphere was heavier than usual, the air thick with unspoken tension.
As I scanned the room, my suspicions were confirmed. Among the investors and executives, two unwelcome faces stood out: Alpha Caden and Linda.
Linda spotted me almost immediately, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.
She raised her glass in a mock toast, her eyes gleaming with malice.
I clenched my jaw, refusing to let her rattle me. But it was clear that this wasn’t a coincidence.
This gathering was a trap, carefully laid out with me as the intended prey.
I pressed my phone to my ear as I stood at the ornate doors of the private lounge.
My voice was calm but firm, finalizing a few details before walking into the gathering.
The muffled chatter and occasional bursts of laughter from inside grew louder as I stepped in, pushing my way through the thick haze of cigar smoke and clinking glasses.
The scene before me was all too familiar, a circle of influential figures indulging in excess.
At the center of it all was Alpha Caden, his imposing figure lounging comfortably at the head of the table.
Beside him, Linda sat poised and polished, her gaze flicking between the guests like a hawk.
My attention, however, was immediately drawn to my assistant, Zoe, who was perched on the edge
of the circle.
Her cheeks were flushed a deep crimson, her glassy eyes wide with discomfort.
She fidgeted nervously, her trembling hands clutching a half–empty glass of wine.
Zoe was a fresh graduate, a bright and hardworking girl from a modest background.
We had met at university, and she had quickly become indispensable to my company, handling affairs with an efficiency far beyond her years.
But now, she looked completely out of her depth.
“I really can’t drink anymore.” Zoe stammered, her voice barely audible over the boisterous
laughter. Her body was rigid, as if bracing for the humiliation that was about to follow.
Alpha Caden sneered, his lips curling into a cruel grin. “If you can’t drink, you can’t do business,” he declared, his voice carrying the weight of authority. “No one here will take you seriously otherwise.”
Zoe’s knuckles whitened around her glass, her eyes darting nervously between the predatory gazes locked onto her.
The room seemed to close in on her, the weight of their expectations pushing her to the brink.
Slowly, she raised the glass to her lips, her jaw set in reluctant determination.
Before the liquid could pass her lips, I was at her side, my hand catching her wrist mid–motion.
“Who told you to drink?” I asked, my voice low and icy, the kind that could cut through steel. My gaze locked on hers, and for a moment, her composure crumbled.
Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, but she quickly composed herself, straightening her back as if shielding herself from further embarrassment.
“President, I-” she began, but her voice cracked, betraying the strain she was under.
“It’s alright,” I said gently, though my tone carried an edge of finality.
I turned to the table, my eyes sweeping over each face with a glacial detachment.
These were supposed to be leaders, men and women of influence, yet here they were, delighting in making a young girl squirm.
Let me introduce myself,” Zoe said shakily, clearly trying to salvage the situation. “This is the founder and president of Lumora.”
The laughter at the table faltered, replaced by a wary silence.
„The Alpha’s Substitute Luna A Heart Claimed, A Soul Reborn
Chapter 153
My reputation preceded me, and for a moment, I allowed the weight of it to settle over the room.
Imet each gaze in turn, memorizing the smug expressions of those who had been so eager to
humiliate Zoe moments before.
“She’s not well,” I said sharply, my tone leaving no room for argument. “She’s coming with me.”
Alpha Caden leaned back in his chair, his grin widening as he regarded me with mock amusement. “Leaving so soon?” he drawled, his tone laced with condescension.
“The business isn’t done yet. If you’re so protective of your assistant, why don’t you drink in her place?”
A ripple of anticipation spread through the room as all eyes turned to me. It was a challenge, a power play meant to test my resolve.
I followed their gaze to the row of glasses lined up on the table.
The deep amber liquid glinted under the dim lighting, the sharp scent of high–proof alcohol wafting
into the air.
These weren’t casual drinks–they were a deliberate attempt to intimidate.
Hg Alpha’s Substitute Labor. A Heart Clannel. A Sond Reborn
