CONTRACT WITH THE ALPHA CEO

CHAPTER 6

THE TRUTH HE FEARED

Adrian stared at Charlotte as though he had never seen her before.

The silver necklace lay in his palm.

His fingers were still tingling from the strange sensation that had passed between them.

Charlotte looked just as confused.

"Adrian?"

He forced himself to look away.

"Go upstairs."

Her eyebrows pulled together.

"Why?"

"Because I need to think."

"About what?"

"Just go."

Charlotte didn't move.

For the first time since she had met him, she saw something close to fear in Adrian's eyes.

Not anger.

Not irritation.

Fear.

She folded her arms.

"You can't keep doing this."

"Doing what?"

"Whenever something happens, you shut me out. You refuse to explain anything, and then you expect me to pretend everything is normal."

Adrian looked at her.

"You signed a contract."

"I know."

"Then follow it."

Charlotte's expression hardened.

"I agreed to pretend to be your girlfriend, Adrian. I didn't agree to become a prisoner in your house."

His jaw tightened.

"I never said you were a prisoner."

"Then stop treating me like one."

Silence filled the room.

Adrian wanted to tell her everything.

He wanted to explain why her presence affected him.

Why his wolf had become restless since the day she arrived.

Why her scent had become impossible to ignore.

Why touching her had felt like something inside him had awakened.

But he couldn't.

Not yet.

Because if his suspicions were correct, Charlotte wasn't simply a woman he had hired.

She was his mate.

And Adrian wasn't ready to face that truth.

He had spent years convincing himself that he would never allow another person to have that kind of power over him.

He couldn't lose someone again.

Charlotte stepped closer.

"Who gave you that necklace?"

Adrian looked down at it.

"My mother."

Charlotte blinked.

"Your mother?"

"She gave it to me before she died."

Charlotte's expression softened.

"I didn't know."

"You weren't supposed to."

"Then why did you give it to me?"

Adrian didn't answer.

Because he didn't know.

He had seen the necklace in his mother's belongings a few days earlier. For reasons he couldn't explain, the moment he saw it, he thought of Charlotte.

It had seemed like an ordinary decision.

Now he wasn't so sure.

Charlotte reached for it.

Adrian pulled his hand back.

"Not yet."

"Why?"

"Because I need answers."

"About me?"

"About everything."

Before Charlotte could ask another question, Daniel entered the room.

"Sir."

Adrian turned.

"What?"

Daniel looked uncomfortable.

"We found something."

Adrian's expression changed immediately.

"Where?"

"At the eastern gate."

Charlotte looked between them.

"What did you find?"

Daniel hesitated.

Adrian answered instead.

"Someone left a message."

Charlotte's stomach tightened.

"What kind of message?"

Daniel handed Adrian an envelope.

Adrian opened it.

His eyes moved across the paper.

His face became completely expressionless.

Charlotte noticed.

"What does it say?"

Adrian folded the paper.

"Nothing you need to worry about."

She sighed.

"Of course."

Adrian looked at Daniel.

"Increase security."

"Already done."

"And nobody enters the property without my permission."

Daniel nodded and left.

Charlotte waited.

Adrian turned toward her.

"You're going to stay inside for the next few days."

"Absolutely not."

"Charlotte."

"No."

He walked toward her.

"Someone is watching you."

"Then tell me who."

"I don't know."

"Then how do you know they're watching me?"

Adrian stopped.

He couldn't explain.

He had recognized the symbol on the message.

It belonged to an old enemy of the Blackwood Pack.

An enemy who had been silent for years.

An enemy who should have been gone.

But if they had returned, Adrian knew exactly what they wanted.

His position.

His pack.

And possibly Charlotte.

He looked at her.

"I need you to trust me."

Charlotte gave him a tired smile.

"That's difficult when you don't tell me the truth."

Adrian had no answer.

That night, Charlotte couldn't sleep.

She kept thinking about the necklace.

The strange sensation when she touched Adrian.

And the look in his eyes.

Something wasn't right.

She got out of bed and walked toward the window.

The garden was dark.

Security lights illuminated the paths around the mansion.

Everything appeared peaceful.

Then she noticed movement near the trees.

Charlotte froze.

Someone was standing there.

A shadow.

She stepped closer to the window.

The figure disappeared.

Charlotte's heart began racing.

She quickly stepped away from the glass.

A knock sounded on her door.

She nearly screamed.

"Charlotte?"

Adrian.

She opened the door.

"What happened?"

"I saw someone outside."

Adrian's expression immediately changed.

"Where?"

"Near the trees."

He moved past her.

"Stay here."

He walked toward the window.

Charlotte followed.

"Do you see anything?"

"No."

Adrian stared into the darkness.

His senses were stronger than a human's.

He could smell every creature within the surrounding forest.

But there was nothing.

Then he caught it.

A faint scent.

Someone had been there.

Recently.

His wolf growled.

Protect her.

Adrian closed his eyes.

"I knew it."

Charlotte looked at him.

"Knew what?"

He turned.

"Nothing."

She shook her head.

"You keep saying that."

Adrian stepped closer.

"Charlotte, listen to me."

She looked into his eyes.

"You are not safe."

"Because of your enemies?"

"Yes."

"Why would they care about me?"

Adrian hesitated.

That was the question he feared most.

"Because you're with me."

Charlotte looked away.

"So this is all because of the contract."

"No."

Adrian's voice was immediate.

Charlotte looked back at him.

"No?"

He swallowed.

"This isn't about the contract anymore."

Her heart skipped.

"What does that mean?"

Adrian didn't answer.

He couldn't.

Not until he was certain.

The following morning, Adrian secretly contacted his pack's oldest advisor.

Elias had served the Blackwood family for decades.

When Adrian showed him the necklace, the old man's expression changed.

"Where did you get this?"

"My mother."

Elias stared at him.

"And who has it now?"

Adrian looked toward the hallway.

"Charlotte."

Elias went silent.

"What?"

Adrian's voice was low.

"I think she's my mate."

The words felt strange coming out of his mouth.

Elias slowly sat down.

"Are you certain?"

"No."

"But your wolf?"

"He has never reacted to anyone like this."

Elias looked at the necklace again.

"Then you need to find out who Charlotte Bennett really is."

Adrian frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"There are things about the Bennett family that your mother once investigated."

Adrian's expression darkened.

"What things?"

"I don't know everything."

"Then find out."

Elias nodded.

Adrian stood.

He had spent years running from destiny.

Now destiny seemed to have found him anyway.

And the more he learned about Charlotte, the more dangerous the truth appeared to be.

Because if Charlotte truly was his mate, then the contract between them had never been a coincidence.

Someone—or something—had brought them together.

And Adrian was determined to discover why.