Chapter 25
Alpha Zach’s possessiveness ran deep.
Even after choosing another woman at our wedding,
He couldn’t stand anyone speaking ill of me.
I kicked off my heels and walked toward him.
Without hesitation, I grabbed the suit jacket draped over his chair and slipped it on.
“You-!”
Callie’s expression twisted from pitiful damsel to rabid she–wolf in a blink.
“Why are you wearing Zach’s jacket?! Take it off! Now!”
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She lunged at me, fingers clawing at the fabric like a madwoman.
I’d pulled an all–nighter before this–and then hauled myself up ten flights of stairs-
so for a moment, I couldn’t fight her off.
She yanked open not only the suit jacket, but also the shirt I had on underneath.
And then, she hugged Zach’s jacket to her chest and shoved me to the ground.
My body hit the floor hard.
But I didn’t care.
All my instincts screamed one thing–protect the belly.
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I curled around it without thinking, arms shielding the tiny life I wasn’t supposed to care about.
Then I realized what I was doing.
My hands trembled.
I clenched them into fists, pressing my nails into my palms to force the emotion back down.
This wasn’t the time to fall apart.
“Zach…”
Callie turned toward him, eyes shining with expectation like waiting for praise.
Alpha Zach twirled a pen between his fingers, his gaze unreadable.
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“Juliet, I’ve always wondered,” he said lazily,
“what it would take to crack that perfect little mask you wear.”
Ah. So that was it.
He wanted to see me break.
Wanted to see the cold, unshakable Beta lose control in front of the entire room.
There was a time I was soft–laughing, trusting, open.
And it nearly ruined me.
When I let my emotions slip during a business negotiation, we lost everything.
Almost ended up on the streets, the three of
- us.
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Since then, I’d learned.
Never let them see your weakness. Never give them an opening.
But if Alpha Zach wanted a show…
Fine.
I looked him in the eye–and slowly, deliberately, I unbuttoned the rest of my shirt.
“You wanted to see the real me? Take a good, long look.”
Gasps exploded around the room.
“She’s shameless!” someone cried.
“Flashing everyone in the middle of a
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meeting!”
The conference room was in chaos.
Gamma Kit shielded his eyes like I’d just dropped a bomb.
“Alpha Zach, what should we do?!”
Alpha Zach didn’t move.
Didn’t speak.
Just stared at me.
I walked right up to him and slapped him across the face.
“Alpha Zach,” I said coldly, “are you satisfied now?”
His expression twisted into something
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urunreadable–guilt, regret, angeger, maybe all
ththree.
Themen, finally, he turned to Kit.it.
“Givéve me your jacket”
Kit obeyeyed silently.
Alpha Zazach draped it over my shouldersrs himselfelf.
Then, withoudutinissing a beat, he pulled Callie into his armsarahd began comforting herer gently, murmurining softly.
Exactly the wayalyehesused to comfort me. e.
I thought I was pasash the point of feeling anything for himm.
But there it was.s.
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A dull ache in my chest that wouldn’t go
away.
It’s nothing, I told myself. Men come and go. Money stays.
“Don’t be mad, Callie” Alpha Zach said sweetly, kissing her forehead.
“I’d feel terrible if you let some washed–up has–been ruin your mood.”
I nearly gagged.
I sneered, “Control your woman. And tell her to stay the hell out of my way.”
That moment was a turning point.
I was done pretending.
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Done being the loyal, selfless Beta who silently cleaned up everyone’s messes.
I’d originally planned to finish up my projects and resign with grace.
But screw that.
From that day on, I clocked in on time and clocked out the second the workday ended.
I stayed in my glorified supply closet, feet up on a box, sipping tea and doing absolutely nothing.
And it felt amazing.
The others?
Not so lucky.
Turned out I’d been carrying more weight
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than they realized.
Now they’d have to figure it out themselves.
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