Fated Alpha

"Who is this?" Caelia, who just arrived home stood frozen in her place when she saw an unfamiliar woman with a child in her hand. She looked at his mate, Darius, who averted his gaze and instead turned to look at the woman with a warm look. She was frozen in disbelief. The look on his face was something she never once saw. She was aware. More than aware of the fact that he never once loved her. Caelia has always composed herself despite his cold treatment towards her. She never complained. No. She was never given the right to do so. Even now. The sight of the three looked exactly like that of a happy family. She always dreamt of such a scene. Where she hold their child on her arms and he strokes the baby while kissing her forehead. But as always. It will remain a far-fetched dream. She might have finally seen him with that warm look, but not towards her. It was directed to someone else. Caelia, although used to his cold demeanor, could not fathom the pain she is experiencing right now. She wants an explanation. She need one. But she forcibly swallowed her words as she let out a self-deprecating laugh. Maybe, she was never meant for such a warm smile. Maybe, she was meant to suffer until the day she dies. The woman, who was preoccupied with tending to her pup flinched after hearing her voice. She turned to look at her and tilted her head. She has the eyes of someone who had no idea of who the woman in front of her was. Caelia understood. Darius would never introduce her as his mate. They were bound not because of love, but because of a tradition they must fulfill as the heir of their house. She knew love was impossible between two beings who met each other forcibly. But to think that he would never change his mind no matter how many years have passed. The woman, as if sensing that she has no intention of answering, finally asked. "Who is she?" Her innocent eyes drifted from Caelia to Darius, who turned to look at her with a smile. Caelia waited for an answer, wondering how he would introduce her. A maid? That would be possible, if not for her looks which is above the average, she might as well be a maid who just so happen to be prettier. A cook? She could be one too. She's always the one who cook for him anyway. Or maybe a friend? It might hurt, and definitely will, but atleast, they have a connection that bounds them together. "Let's go to your room. Kael looks sleepy, he must be tired from the travel." Caelia's heart sank. She stared at them with their receding back. Not a maid. Not a cook. And not a friend. She forced out a smile, but all that came was a transparent blood flowing out of her eyes. How will the woman perceive her? She wondered. Even Darius refuses to have even a little bit of connection with her. Her heart, already shattered, has no more space to break once more. Their backs disappeared along with their footsteps. She was left alone in front of the door. The mansion was huge, but it was desolate. Maybe it wasn't the emptiness of people, but of warmth. She had nothing to lose back when she entered this path. But it feels like she has lost everything and have no other way of taking it back. 'Will he give her my room too?' she wondered. Although the mansion is huge and has plenty of guest rooms, Darius and her room was especially huge. If she's thrown out, then it is no different from being a guest with no affiliation with him. Despite being mated, they never shared a room. Having such a huge place to sleep in is a luxury not everyone can have. But the luxury can never cover the emptiness the place holds. She wiped her tears, inhaled, and let out some air. She hoped the pain would also go away. She was reluctant to go upstairs. If she did, she might witness her things flying out of the room. So she decided to stay, no. She decided to leave and go back to the company. Caelia is the assistant manager of Darius. The company she is working at is the inheritance bequeathed to Darius upon agreeing to the contract—the tradition. Without her, he wouldn't have owned such a major company. Although Caelia is the assistant manager of such company, she was not allowed to stay even a meter close to Darius. She was stuck in her office, doing Darius' job while he do nothing but stride leisurely in the company. Caelia is not a pushover, but because of the tradition they must uphold—she must endure. If she did not offer herself, her younger sibling, not even of age, might be forced to mate with a man she did not love. Although she loves Darius, her love for her family weighed heavier. She has to stay all night, doing tasks she's never supposed to do. If she take a break, Darius will only treat her more coldly. He is a prideful man. He would never admit defeat over another company. This is especially the case for their rival company—Sunlit. It's a company that drives their economy. A huge company that critics believe would never go bankrupt. Luminara, the company owned by the Thorne family—now owned by Darius, is a major company, but compared to Sunlit, they are like a peck of dust. If not for Caelia working her ass off to save the company from going bankrupt, then it might have turned into a reality. Caelia is a capable person, but the one she wanted validation for never once acknowledged her. Would leaving the company fill him with regret? She always asked such question, but she can't, no, she couldn't. Everything is for the sake of her family and for her love. Even if it is not reciprocated, it wouldn't matter. She is too broken to even feel emotions anymore. Too broken to feel love from someone who doesn't feel the same. After a few minutes, she arrived at the company. Its towering height overwhelmed her at first, but now, she felt nothing. People, both familiar and not, entered and left the company. They are both employees and clients with different lives. All living a monotonous life for a greater goal. But she can't afford to care, when she, herself, has more problems left to take care. She inhaled a deep amount of oxygen, although reluctant to exit her car, she still did so. Her life, no matter how tiresome, has to continue. She stepped out with her left leg first, expecting the scorching sun to burn her slacks, but to her surprise, it never came. Instead, she saw a shadow of someone waiting outside of the car. She lifted her head to see who it was, only to widen her eyes in surprise. A man 6 feet long, a slim body under the suit, but muscles visible through the thin shirt. His combed, neat hair flew handsomely. A curve formed on his perfectly sculpted lips. "Hi miss. Need an umbrella?" It was none other than their rival company's CEO—Draven Von Noir.