My fingers tighten around the phone 82

Ethan’s POV
“Ethan, these documents need your attention,” my Beta David placed a folder on my desk, filled with various papers. I
took the folder but set it aside. David remained standing before my desk, fingers fidgeting nervously.
I looked up at him. “Something else?”
“Miss Emma has been calling repeatedly about the charity ball,” David’s voice carried obvious hesitation. Despite having
several interactions with Emma, his feelings were quite clear. He disliked her but maintained a professional and polite
demeanor when handling affairs related to her, which had become increasingly frequent lately.
I had already muted Emma’s messages so her constant calls and texts would no longer disturb my phone. When Emma
started calling the pack’s public line, I told David to filter her calls for me so I could finally focus on work. “She wants me
to add the event directly to your schedule?”
I rubbed my face with my hand and leaned back in my office chair, a groan escaping my lips as my spine protested the movement. My back muscles throbbed from hours hunched over paperwork.
“I haven’t even agreed to—” I began, my voice heavy with exhaustion.
The door to my office swung open without so much as a knock, cutting me off mid-sentence. Leo sauntered in, dressed
in an expensive-looking charcoal suit. His Italian leather shoes gleamed under the office lights, and his cashmere scarf—
completely unnecessary for the current weather—was draped artfully around his neck.
“Ethan,” he acknowledged with a slight nod. His eyes scanned my disheveled appearance with barely concealed
judgment.
“You look like you’re heading to a fashion show,” I remarked dryly, raising an eyebrow at his excessive attire.
“And you look like shit,” he snorted, pointing at me. I glanced down at my suit to find it wrinkled beyond salvation, my
shirt askew. I tried to remember the last time I had changed clothes, showered, or gone home, but drew a blank.
“Yeah, I’ve been a bit busy,” I laughed, gesturing for him to sit in the chair opposite my desk. “What’s up?”
“I’m bored out of my mind, thought I’d come see if you wanted to have some fun?” Leo grinned. Though we’d known
each other since we were young, he rarely came to see me. I glanced at David, giving him a slight nod to leave. He smiled
politely and closed the door behind him.
“Alright, what can I do for you?” I played along with his game.
“Take you out to enjoy some sunshine, wine, and women?” Leo spread his arms wide. I couldn’t help but shake my head.
He chuckled, “I’m heading to a yacht party with some friends. Want to join?”
“I’m good, man,” I answered promptly, my voice firmer than intended. The truth was, unless Aria was somehow going to materialize at this yacht party, I couldn’t muster even a flicker of interest.
My mind drifted without permission, conjuring an image so vivid I could almost feel the gentle rocking of a boat beneath
my feet. There was Aria, her olive skin glowing golden in the sunlight, raven hair tousled by the sea breeze. She was
lounging on the deck of my yacht, a rare, unguarded smile playing on her lips as she watched Lucas.
The fantasy dissolved as quickly as it had formed, leaving a hollow ache in its wake. My chest constricted painfully, reality
crashing back like a bucket of ice water. That perfect scene existed only in my imagination—and might forever remain
there.
Leo narrowed his eyes, “You smell like a men’s bathroom and look even worse. I’m trying to do you a favor here, Ethan.”
“No, what I need is to finish my work. But to satisfy your mother-hen concern, I’ll go home for a bit, at least take a
shower,” I sighed in frustration.
“Come on, man! You’re such a block of wood,” Leo leaned back in his chair, resting his elbows on the armrests and
stroking his lips with his fingers. He lifted his arm and sniffed, “Do I smell? Is there a sign on my forehead that says
‘Abandon Leo Day’?”
I burst out laughing, “Why do you ask?”
“The only reason I have free time today is because Aria canceled training,” he shrugged, then leaned back again, “and
then all my business meetings for the afternoon got canceled for various reasons. So I came to find you, not that I
particularly wanted to.”
“Wait, why did Aria cancel training today?” The question shot from my lips before I could stop it, my hand cutting
through the air. Felix’s ears perked up inside me, instantly alert at the mention of her name.
“Because her car still isn’t fixed.” Leo’s tone was dismissive.
I leaned forward so abruptly my chair creaked in protest, palms flat against my desk, shoulders tensed. “What happened
to her car?”
Leo rolled his eyes dramatically. “I don’t know. She called me yesterday to pick her up from the roadside, and then we got
Lucas early from school.”
My heart skipped a beat, then accelerated. “Her car broke down, but why did you need to get Lucas early?” A knot
formed in my stomach, tight and insistent. My protective instincts flared like a sudden brushfire.
“Oh, her kid was sick,” Leo shrugged, his expression souring as if recalling something distasteful. “It was awful. The little
guy ruined the back seat of my Mercedes.” His voice took on a whining quality that set my teeth on edge. “The car’s on
its third cleaning trying to get rid of that terrible smell. I don’t usually complain anything about Aria and Lucas, but that
was my favorite car. I specifically chose it to go see Aria.”
Planning your weekend reading? Ensure you’re on 𝗻𝚘𝑣𝘦𝕃5s.com for uninterrupted enjoyment. The next chapter is just a
click away, exclusively available on our site. Happy reading!
The blood in my veins turned to ice, then rapidly heated to boiling. I shot to my feet so fast my chair slammed against
the wall behind me. “Are you kidding me?” My voice had dropped an octave, taking on the dangerous edge that made
lesser wolves cower.
Leo blinked up at me, genuine confusion written across his face. “What?”
“Lucas was sick, and you’re upset about your damn car?” The words came out as a barely controlled snarl, each syllable
dripping with contempt. My fingers curled into fists at my sides, knuckles white with restraint. “Seriously? I hope to God
you didn’t yell at Lucas about your car.”
Leo shifted uncomfortably in his chair, his usual smooth confidence cracking under my glare. A flicker of indignation
crossed his features. “I didn’t yell at the kid. I’m not an idiot.” He straightened his already perfect tie, a nervous gesture. “I
just dropped them off at the apartment building and left.” He paused, then added almost as an afterthought: “But I did
tell the cleaners to throw away that child seat Aria got from her car. The vomit on it was impossible to clean.”
“That was probably Aria’s only child seat,” I finally managed, the words coming out strangled.
A flash of guilt crossed Leo’s face. “I didn’t ask,” he said, his tone verging on defensive. “Aria made it clear she could
handle things herself.”
Without conscious thought, I was grabbing my keys, shoving my phone into my pocket, mentally cataloging everything
I’d need. I jabbed the intercom button with enough force to nearly break it. “David, cancel all my remaining appointments
for today.” My voice brooked no argument.
“Yes, Sir,” David responded.
Leo stood, straightening his jacket, a flicker of hope crossing his features. “You’re coming to the yacht party with me?” His
expression was cautiously optimistic, completely misreading the situation.
I turned to him, letting him see the full force of my disgust, not bothering to mask the alpha dominance rolling off me in waves. “Get lost,” I growled, each word laced with contempt.
“Just because Aria can handle things herself doesn’t mean she should have to face everything alone.”