After the incident. I tried to sleep.
I don't fucking remember the last time I actually slept. Like really slept. Not that light, restless bullshit where your body shuts down, but your mind keeps spinning—keeps fucking calculating, planning, anticipating the next fucking disaster. Nah, I mean real sleep—the kind where you wake up feeling rested instead of hollow.
Yeah? Can't fucking recall that.
I crashed at 3 a.m., brain still racing, body tense as hell. And like fucking clockwork, Cale's call yanked me right out of whatever excuse for rest I'd managed to grab. Phone buzzed like a pissed-off wasp on my nightstand, screaming at me at 6 a.m. My head was pounding. My limbs? Heavy as fuck.
I dragged a hand down my face, exhaling sharply. 'Of course,' I muttered before answering.
"Kael."
Cale's voice? Off. Too fucking steady for him. That bastard doesn't do hesitation—he faces shit head-on with that cocky-ass grin. But this morning? That edge was missing.
"What?" My voice was sharp, biting. No patience for morning pleasantries, sweetheart.
"You need to come to Evren. Now."
That did it. Adrenaline slammed into my system like a fucking freight train. I sat up straighter. "What happened?"
Cale hesitated. And Cale never fucking hesitates.
"Alexander Reed."
Fucking. Hell.
My jaw clenched, fingers going white-knuckled around my phone.
That fucking bastard.
Reed—one of our biggest investors, a smug fucking alpha who played nice, acted loyal—had finally shown his true colors. Just like every goddamn alpha does. They pretend. They manipulate. And when the time's right? They fucking sink their teeth in.
Because that's what alphas do.
Betrayal's in their nature. Greedy, power-hungry, self-serving pieces of shit. Reed had been sniffing around for months, waiting for the right moment to fuck us over. I should've expected it.
Didn't make me any less furious.
I threw on a shirt, ran a hand through my hair, and stormed out. Sleep? Fuck sleep. Rage burned through my veins hotter than caffeine ever could. By the time I reached Evren, I was ready to tear Reed's fucking throat out.
The glass doors slid open, and I marched straight to Cale's office, the receptionist barely managing a stammered greeting before I shoved through.
Cale sat behind his desk, legs crossed, all casual, but his jaw was fucking tight. His dark eyes tracked me as I stormed in.
"Sit."
I dropped into the chair across from him, arms resting on my knees. "Tell me."
Cale exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Reed pulled out. He's backing other company instead."
My eyes narrowed. "Of course he fucking is."
"We knew this might happen," he muttered.
"Yeah, doesn't mean it's any less fucked up."
Cale's gaze flicked to mine. "What are you thinking?"
I laughed—dark, humorless. "I'm thinking Reed just made the biggest fucking mistake of his life."
Because I wasn't letting this shit slide. Evren wasn't just some fucking company. It wasn't just business. It was my war against the alphas. Against Vaelora. Against every smug, power-drunk piece of shit who thought they could control me.
And if Reed thought he could fuck with me?
He was about to regret it.
"We need to replace him," I said, voice sharp as a blade. "Fast. Before Evren starts bleeding."
Cale's lips curled, sharp and dangerous. "I already started making calls."
"Good," I muttered. "Because if word gets out that Reed pulled, investor confidence is gonna fucking tank. The second Evren looks weak, those bastards are gonna circle like sharks."
Cale rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I get it, Kael. But this isn't something we can fix overnight."
My eyes snapped to his. "We don't have overnight."
Reed's timing wasn't a coincidence. That fucker knew exactly what he was doing, striking when Evren was in the middle of high-stakes deals. If we didn't fill that gap now, those deals would fucking collapse. And then?
Then we'd have blood in the fucking water.
And alphas? They smell blood a mile away.
But Evren wasn't weak. I wasn't weak.
I turned to the window, staring at the skyline, at my own reflection in the glass. Hard, sharp, unreadable. Just the way I needed to be.
"We'll find someone better," I said quietly. "Stronger. And when we do..."
I turned, locking eyes with Cale.
"...we'll make Reed regret ever fucking with us."
Cale's mouth curled into a wicked grin. "Now that's the Kael I know."
"Make the calls. Set up meetings. I don't give a fuck if we have to go without sleep—just fucking get it done."
Cale's eyes glinted, dangerous. "Consider it handled."
For a fucking week, we worked like hell. Barely slept. Barely ate. Only to get smacked in the face with disappointment, over and over.
Every investor we chased down turned to ash. Every promising lead backed out last second. Some were polite about it—bullshitting about "timing" and "market uncertainty." Others didn't even bother hiding the truth.
Too risky, they'd said. Not a safe investment. As if they weren't just scared shitless of what we were building.
The whispers were getting louder.
And the worst part? It was fucking working.
Deals stalled. Partners hesitated. The stock? Dipping. Not enough to kill us, but enough to make people watch.
Reed thought he was playing me. That he could force my hand. That I'd crawl back, begging.
But that wasn't fucking happening.
I sat across from Cale, the air between us sharp as a knife. His normally relaxed posture was tight, fingers drumming against the desk. His eyes? Dark as hell.
"Anything?" I asked, knowing the answer.
He didn't look up. "No."
My jaw clenched. My head fucking throbbed. I was running on fumes and rage at this point.
"I don't get it," Cale muttered. "Evren's solid. We're outperforming half the fucking market."
I exhaled sharply. "Doesn't fucking matter."
His gaze snapped to mine. "Because of us."
"Because of us." I leaned back, laughing bitterly. "An omega building a company that threatens alphas? That's not supposed to fucking happen."
Cale's jaw tightened. "Reed's fucking with us."
"No shit."
I stood, pacing toward the window. My reflection? Hollow-eyed. Sharp. Ruthless.
That's what they wanted, huh? For me to break? To fold under pressure? To fucking beg?
Not happening.
"We keep pushing," I said, voice cold. "We don't stop until we find someone who's not afraid to back us."
Cale stood too, his eyes dark with determination. "Even if that means going after the alphas?"
I smirked. "Especially if it means going after the alphas."
Because I don't fucking lose.
And when I win?
They're going to fucking regret ever betting against me.
We were already running ourselves into the fucking ground, barely sleeping, barely eating, chasing every lead we could find—and now this dumbass Cale decided to drag me to some fancy business party.
Fucking fantastic.
I hate these shitshow events. A bunch of overconfident alphas in overpriced suits pretending to be civilized while sizing up their next prey. But of course, I had to fucking go—under the excuse of being Cale's personal assistant. Like hell I was. Cale just loved having this tiny bit of power over me, knowing I had no choice but to play along.
And right now? I wasn't in the mood for games. Reed had already fucked up my week, and now I had to waste my night dealing with more of these power-hungry bastards.
I arrived at the venue a little late—by accident, of course.
The first thing I saw? Cale. Looking as effortlessly gorgeous as ever. Because of course he did. He was the most attractive omega in the room, maybe in the whole damn business world. The most cunning one, too. He played with emotions like it was a sport, weaving through conversations with that sharp smile of his.
I wasn't like him. I wasn't here to charm anyone.
I leaned against the bar, watching as he worked the room—greeting business owners, exchanging pleasantries, pulling strings with that smooth confidence only he had. And of course, the alphas were eating it up.
Pathetic.
Every fucking one of them wanted his favor—or him in their bed.
I downed my drink, trying not to get drunk, and stepped out for some fresh air. Let Cale do his business talks—or flirting, whatever the fuck it was. I didn't care.
Cale didn't hate alphas. To him, it was never about alphas and omegas, just good people and bad people. Must be fucking nice. He never had to live through the shit I did. And I hoped he never would.
The garden was empty. Thank god.
For once, I could breathe. Just a moment of peace, away from all the fakeness inside. But of course, the universe had other plans for me.
Because the second I turned a corner, I saw them.