The Alpha's Rejected Heir

Chapter 4: The Game of Pretend

"Ms. Vance," Damien repeated, rolling the name on his tongue as if tasting a lie.

He didn't sit. instead, he took two slow, predatory steps toward me. The air in the office crackled with electricity. My wolf was pacing inside my mind, whining, desperate to submit to him, to nuzzle against his chest. I mentally shoved her into a cage and locked the door.

"That is my name," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. I gestured to the leather chair opposite my desk. "Please, sit. My assistant tells me you’re interested in a partnership."

Damien didn't move. He stood right at the edge of my desk, looming over me. Up close, he was devastating. The years had hardened his features, replacing the boyish charm with a rugged, ruthless intensity. He smelled of rain and power—a scent that used to be my home. Now, it smelled like danger.

"You look remarkably like someone I used to know," Damien said low in his throat. His blue eyes bore into mine, searching for a crack in the armor. "A girl from my past."

I forced a dry, polite laugh. I walked around my desk and sat down, putting physical barriers between us. I needed distance. "I get that a lot. I have one of those faces, I suppose. Who was she? An old girlfriend?"

I saw a muscle in his jaw feather. "No. She was... no one. Someone who didn't survive."

The pain hit me in the chest like a physical blow. No one. That’s what I was to him. Even after five years, the rejection stung. But I used that pain. I let it freeze my heart.

"My condolences," I said, flipping open the file Sarah had dropped, my fingers trembling only slightly. "But I assume you didn't fly all the way from Europe to discuss dead girls, Mr. Blackwood. Let's talk about the fifty million."

Damien stared at me for a long, agonizing moment. Then, finally, he sat.

"Straight to business. I like that," he murmured, unbuttoning his suit jacket. "The Blackwood Corporation is looking to revamp our luxury amenities. Your scent line, Velvet Scent, has captured a unique market share. It’s... addictive."

He leaned forward, inhaling deeply. "Just like the scent you’re wearing now. It’s very distinctive. Lavender and... something wild."

I kept my face blank. It wasn't perfume. It was me. It was the scent he had rejected.

"It's a prototype," I lied smoothly. "I'm glad you like it. Now, regarding the equity split—"

Thump.

A muffled sound came from the break room door behind me.

My heart stopped.

Damien’s head snapped up instantly. His hunter’s instincts were on high alert. "What was that?"

"Nothing," I said quickly, perhaps too quickly. "The building is old. The pipes settle."

"That didn't sound like pipes," Damien narrowed his eyes. He tilted his head, listening. "It sounded like a heartbeat. A fast one."

I felt the blood drain from my face. Leo. Sarah must not have gotten him out in time. Or worse, Leo had broken away. My son had a habit of hiding when he didn't want to do something.

"I assure you, we are alone," I said, my voice hardening. "Mr. Blackwood, if you are going to be distracted by every creak in the floorboards, perhaps we should reschedule."

Damien ignored me. He stood up slowly, his eyes locked on the break room door. "I smell... milk. And vanilla."

Leo’s favorite snack. Cookies.

Damien began to walk toward the door.

Panic clawed at my throat. If he opened that door, if he saw Leo—a miniature copy of himself—it was over. He would take him. Alphas didn't leave their pups, even if they rejected the mothers. He would take my son away from me.

"Stop!" I shouted, standing up.

Damien paused, his hand inches from the doorknob. He looked back at me, one eyebrow raised. "Is there something you're hiding, Ms. Vance?"

I had to do something. I had to distract him.

I grabbed the glass of water on my desk and swept it off the edge.

CRASH!

The glass shattered loudly against the hardwood floor, water splashing everywhere, soaking the hem of my pants and the expensive rug.

Damien flinched, his attention snapping back to me.

"Oh, damn it!" I cursed, feigning frustration. I bent down to pick up the shards. "Look what you made me do! You’re making me nervous, barging around my office like you own the place."

"Don't touch that," Damien commanded.

He was beside me in an instant. He grabbed my wrist just as I was about to touch a jagged piece of glass. His skin was scorching hot against mine. The mate bond, dormant for five years, roared to life. Sparks danced up my arm.

We both froze.

He looked down at where his hand held mine. His eyes went wide. He felt it too.

"Clara..." he breathed, his voice shaking. "It is you."

I yanked my hand away as if burned, standing up and backing away. "Don't touch me! I told you, my name is Clara Vance. And you are behaving inappropriately, Mr. Blackwood."

I was breathing hard, my chest heaving. I pointed to the main door. "The meeting is over. Please leave."

Damien stood up to his full height. He looked at his hand, then at me. Confusion, suspicion, and something darker—hunger—swirled in his gaze.

He didn't check the break room door again. The sparks had distracted him enough.

"Fine," he said, his voice dropping an octave, vibrating through my bones. "I'll go."

He buttoned his jacket, regaining his composure. But he didn't look like he was retreating. He looked like a wolf who had just found a scent trail.

"But this isn't over, Ms. Vance," he said, emphasizing my fake name with a mocking tone. "I'm not just an investor. I'm a man who always gets what he wants. And I have a feeling I'm going to want to spend a lot of time at Velvet Scent."

He walked to the door, pausing with his hand on the frame.

"I'll see you tomorrow at 9 AM. Don't be late."

As the door clicked shut behind him, my knees gave out. I sank into my office chair, burying my face in my hands.

The break room door creaked open a tiny crack.

"Mommy?" Leo’s whisper filled the silence. "Is the bad man gone?"

I looked up, tears stinging my eyes. "Yes, baby. He's gone."

For now.

But I knew Damien Blackwood. He wouldn't stop until he uncovered every secret I had. And I had just started a war I wasn't sure I could win.