Reborn: The Alpha I Called a Mistake

Chapter 10

Aurelia’s POV

The first was a sleek, modern firm with glass walls, minimalist furniture, and an atmosphere so polished that it made me feel like an outsider the moment I stepped through the doors.

Then I saw his name on the directory.

Ethan Black.

His company.

My stomach tightened.

I could already imagine what it would be like to work there—to see him across conference rooms, to pass him in hallways, to pretend that nothing had happened between us.

I was not ready for that.

I walked out before the receptionist could even call my name.

The second offer came from Ryan.

He had been promoted—or perhaps he had simply claimed the position everyone had always expected him to have. He was now the CEO of Hart Entertainment, the company his family had built over three generations.

He offered me a position in the marketing department, one that suited my skills and paid considerably more than I had ever earned.

Then he asked me to move in with him.

His penthouse overlooked the entire city, its floor-to-ceiling windows turning the skyline into a sea of lights every night.

I said yes before I could convince myself not to.

We moved in together on a Sunday afternoon.

For the first few days, everything felt almost perfect.

Almost.

I applied for the position at Hart Entertainment, and I got the job.

That was where Vespera returned to my life.

I saw her in the hallway on my first day.

Our eyes met for a brief, electric moment.

She said nothing.

Neither did I.

But something about that silence unsettled me.

Ryan and Vespera never openly interacted in front of me. They never spoke unnecessarily. They never gave me a reason I could point to and say, There. That is proof.

And yet, I noticed things.

I noticed how people deferred to her.

I noticed how employees lowered their voices when she walked past.

I noticed how she seemed to have an invisible authority that extended far beyond her official position.

Vespera had the upper hand in the entertainment industry. Her influence was enormous, and everyone knew it.

Including Ryan.

Especially Ryan.

I learned just how much influence she had when the scandal happened.

Vespera was caught behaving cruelly toward a makeup artist. I happened to be there when it happened, and the incident quickly became public.

The scandal exploded across the industry.

And somehow, I became the convenient target.