When the ointment felt dry enough, I took fresh bandages and began wrapping them around his torso, my hands circling his waist repeatedly.
“That’s enough. Stop.” His voice broke the silence, rough and gravelly.
I froze, still holding the unfinished bandage, confused. “I’m almost done… Did I hurt you?”
His expression darkened, complicated. Without answering, he pushed my hands away. “Get off. I’ll finish the rest myself.”
His tone was cold. His breathing had quickened.
I stood there, stunned, feeling a surge of anger rise inside me. I’d been careful. Patient. Professional. So what was his problem?
How hard could it be to work as this man’s secretary without losing your mind?
Alpha Sebastian must have sensed his harshness, because his voice softened slightly. “Go whip something up in the kitchen,” he said. “I’m starving.”
I nearly exploded on the spot. The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed them down.
As I rose from the bed, my legs went numb from sitting too long. I stumbled and fell to the floor with a soft thud.
Alpha Sebastian blinked, then glanced down at me-kneeling there like some pitiful servant, hands resting on the bed. His brow lifted. “What’s this? Begging for a raise?”
“My legs fell asleep, you arrogant wolf,” I snapped back.
I sat for a moment, rubbing my aching knees before pushing myself up and storming out of the room.
In the kitchen, I opened the refrigerator, still simmering with resentment. Any heroic image I’d built of him after he saved me was thoroughly shattered tonight.
Knowing that no matter what I cooked, that impossible man would find fault with it, I spotted some fresh noodles and decided to prepare a simple soup.
I grabbed some greens and an egg, assembling the plainest noodle soup I could muster, my movements halfhearted.
When I carried the bowl to the dining room, I found Alpha Sebastian had already left his bedroom and was sitting in the living room.
“Are you eating here?” I asked, holding the bowl out toward him.
He stood. “In the dining room.”
I bit back a sarcastic reply. Why was he sitting in the living room then?
I placed the soup on the dining table, barely containing my frustration.
Alpha Sebastian sat down and stared at the bowl of noodles, garnished only with vegetables and a poached egg.
After a moment of silence, he said, “Not bad.”
“Glad you like it, Alpha,” I replied with a forced smile, rolling my eyes inwardly.
Sarcasm? Fine. He could eat it or not-I didn’t care.
“I can’t finish this alone,” he said. “Get another bowl. I’ll share with you.”
“I’m not hungry,” I said immediately.
As if I wanted to share a bowl of noodles with him! I had come to see him out of genuine concern, only to be mocked for being presumptuous. I had carefully changed his bandages, only to be accused of roughness. And now, I’d made him food, only to be criticized again.
Did he think I had no dignity at all?
My frustration must have been obvious because Alpha Sebastian suddenly said, “I’m sorry.”
His apology caught me off guard. My anger softened a little. “If you can’t finish it, just leave the rest.”
“I meant about earlier,” he clarified. “Earlier.”
Which earlier was he talking about?
But he didn’t explain further. He simply lowered his head and began eating.
I watched silently as he methodically finished the entire bowl of noodles.
When he was done, he wiped his mouth and looked up. “It was good.”
Fine. Whatever.
I was tired of trying to read his mind. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back downstairs.”
I waited for him to dismiss me, but Alpha Sebastian just stared at me, making me wonder if I had something on my face.
Just as I was about to ask if he needed anything else, he finally spoke.
“From now on, no matter where I am or who I’m with, you don’t need to deliberately avoid me.”
His eyes darkened, intense and consuming. “And if there’s something between us… I won’t let it become the subject of gossip.”
His expression was deadly serious, his gaze so deep it felt like it might swallow me whole.
Celina
I found myself standing motionless in the dimly lit hallway, my thoughts swirling in a haze after our earlier exchange. The words he had spoken still echoed in my mind, especially his apology. It wasn’t for what I had initially assumed – it was about the way he had addressed me when I first stepped into his bedroom.
Could it be that the cold, commanding Alpha had suddenly developed a conscience? That thought both surprised and unsettled me.
But then, what exactly did those final sentences mean? I kept replaying them over and over, dissecting every word, every pause, trying to grasp their true intent.
Gradually, clarity began to emerge.
–
His earlier anger had stemmed from my hesitation to enter his room right away. As his secretary, he expected immediate compliance, and my reluctance had only fueled his frustration, filling my mind with needless worries.
With this understanding, his concluding remarks started to make sense. He was reassuring me that nothing inappropriate would ever happen between us, and he would make sure no rumors ever took root.
A blush of embarrassment crept over me. Of course-that was exactly what he meant.
“I understand,” I said quietly, nodding with a solemn air. “You’re right. Those who are innocent have nothing to fear. I’ll be more professional from now on.”
Alpha Sebastian regarded me with an expression I couldn’t quite read. Had I completely misjudged him?
Later, back in my cozy apartment downstairs, my mood had improved significantly. Though Alpha Sebastian could be hard to please, at least he was willing to lower his defenses and clear the air. That gave me hope we could avoid future misunderstandings.
Half-asleep in bed that night, I was startled awake by the soft ping of a message notification. Reaching blindly for my phone in the darkness, I squinted at the screen.
Alpha Sebastian: [Cecilia, remember to come to work tomorrow.]
My eyes barely open, I lazily typed a response, my fingers fumbling in their sleepiness. What I didn’t realize was that my drowsy thumbs had slipped just slightly upward, turning my intended “Yes, boss” into a far more intimate “Yes, baby.”
–
After sending the message, I carelessly swiped away the chat window, tossed my phone aside, and sank back into my dreams, blissfully unaware of the potential disaster I’d just created.
–
The following morning, at 7:30 AM sharp, Lian had already prepared breakfast. Alpha Sebastian had mentioned he’d be heading to the office today.
Normally, the Alpha was up by six for his morning run, seated at the breakfast table by seven, scrolling through financial news. Before leaving exactly at nine, he’d make calls or hold video conferences in the garden.
But since his injury, his routine had shifted.
Eight o’clock came and went without a sign of him.
Beta Sawyer arrived, surprised to find that Alpha Sebastian hadn’t yet emerged from his bedroom. “Did something happen last night? Has our Alpha finally discovered nightclubs?” he joked, though his tone was clearly strained.
It was a poor attempt at humor.
Even without his injury, Alpha Sebastian’s nightlife was as dull as a monk’s who had taken vows of abstinence.
Lian folded his hands, sighing with concern. “It’s strange. Alpha Sebastian never sleeps in.”
Neither of them dared knock on his door.
At 8:30 AM, Alpha Sebastian finally appeared. His pale, handsome face looked drained, as if sleep had eluded him. Dark circles framed his eyes.
Beta Sawyer and Lian exchanged glances, wondering if he really had been out clubbing.
Ignoring their silent questions, Alpha Sebastian walked straight to the dining room, the two men close behind.
As he sat down to eat, Beta Sawyer assumed his mood was too somber to bring up the day’s agenda. Lian quietly served him.
To their surprise, after sipping his juice, Alpha Sebastian smiled. “Mmm, the juice is especially good today.”
Beta Sawyer blinked in confusion.
Lian stared, wondering if the juice was somehow different.
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