Breaking the alpha's curse

Chapter 2

The next day, Emily arrived at Alexander's office and asked to speak with him in private. Alexander looked surprised but agreed to speak with her in his office.

"Is everything okay, Emily?" Alexander asked, sensing her unease.

"I overheard a conversation yesterday, and I just wanted to clarify something. What did you mean by 'make sure she's the one'? And why did you need to do a background check on me?" Emily asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

Alexander hesitated for a moment before responding. "I'm sorry, Emily. I should have been more transparent with you. It's just that, with the amount of money involved, we need to make sure everything is perfect. We did a background check on you to make sure you were a good candidate for surrogacy, but that's all it was."

Emily wasn't convinced. "That doesn't explain why you're being so secretive. Is there something you're not telling me?"

Alexander sighed. "Look, Emily, there's something you should know. My wife and I have been trying to have a child for years, but we've never been successful. We've gone through multiple surrogates before, but none of them worked out. We're just hoping that this time, it will be different."

Emily felt a pang of sympathy for Alexander and his wife. "I understand that, but why can't you just be honest with me? I need to know what I'm getting myself into."

"You're right, Emily. I apologize. We just don't want to get our hopes up again, only to be disappointed. We really need this to work," Alexander explained.

Emily nodded, feeling slightly better now that Alexander had been honest with her. "Okay, I understand. I'll do my best to make sure everything goes smoothly."

As the weeks went by, Emily's pregnancy progressed without any complications. She had regular check-ups with Alexander and Sophia, and they grew closer with each passing day. Emily couldn't help but feel a sense of attachment to the child growing inside her, and she knew she was going to have a hard time giving it up once it was born.

One day, as Emily was walking through a park, she noticed a woman staring at her. The woman looked familiar, but Emily couldn't place her. Suddenly, the woman approached her.

"Excuse me, are you Emily?" the woman asked.

"Yes, I am. Do I know you?" Emily asked, confused.

The woman hesitated for a moment before responding. "My name is Laura. I was a surrogate for Alexander and Sophia a few years ago."

Emily's heart raced as she realized what was happening. "What are you

talking about?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"I'm talking about our baby, Emily," Alexander said, his eyes pleading with her to understand.

"Our baby? What do you mean?" Emily asked, feeling confused and scared.

"I mean the baby you're carrying. It's mine, Emily. Sophia and I wanted a child so badly, but we couldn't conceive naturally. We had to turn to surrogacy," Alexander said, his voice filled with emotion.

Emily felt a wave of anger wash over her. How could Alexander have lied to her like this? How could he have been so manipulative?

"You lied to me, Alexander. You made me believe that this was just a business arrangement, but all along, you were planning to take my child from me," Emily said, her voice rising.

Alexander shook his head, his eyes filled with tears. "No, Emily, that's not what I'm trying to do. I love you, and I want to be with you. But we can't keep this a secret forever. Sophia knows, and eventually, our child will know the truth. I don't want to lose you, Emily. I want us to be a family," Alexander said, his voice pleading with her to understand.

Emily felt conflicted. She had developed feelings for Alexander, but she couldn't forgive him for lying to her. She had always dreamed of having a family of her own, but not like this.

"I need some time to think," Emily said, her voice shaking.

"I understand. Take all the time you need, Emily. I'll be here for you, no matter what you decide," Alexander said, his voice full of sincerity.

Emily left the restaurant, her mind racing with thoughts of what to do next. She knew she needed to talk to someone, but who could she trust? She couldn't talk to her family or friends about this. They would never understand.

As she walked down the street, she saw a sign for a support group for surrogates. She decided to go in, hoping to find someone who could help her sort through her feelings.

Inside the support group, Emily met a woman named Sarah, who had been a surrogate twice before. Sarah listened to Emily's story and offered her some advice.

"I know it's hard, Emily, but you need to decide what's best for you and the baby. You have the right to decide what happens to your child," Sarah said, her voice full of compassion.

Emily nodded, feeling a sense of clarity. She knew what she had to do. She called Alexander and asked to meet him at a park nearby.

When she arrived, Alexander was waiting for her, looking nervous and unsure.

"I've made a decision, Alexander. I'm going to keep the baby," Emily said, her voice firm.

Alexander looked relieved, but also sad. "I understand, Emily. But what about us? What happens to our relationship?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

Emily took a deep breath. "I need some time, Alexander. I need to focus on being a mother and figuring out what I want for my life. I don't know what the future holds for us, but for now, I need to focus on the baby," she said.

Alexander nodded, his eyes filled with emotion. "I understand, Emily. I'll support you, no matter what," he said, his voice full of sincerity.

As they parted ways, Emily felt a sense of relief. She had made the right decision for her and the baby. She knew that the road ahead would be challenging, but she was ready to face it, with or without Alexander by her side.

Emily sat in her office, looking at the documents spread out in front of her. She had spent the past few weeks going through everything she could find related to the company's finances, and the more she looked, the more concerned she became. There were discrepancies and irregularities that she couldn't explain, and she was convinced that someone was embezzling funds from the company.

She sighed and leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples. She was tired and stressed, and she knew that she couldn't do this alone. She needed someone she could trust to help her, and the only person she could think of was Alexander. Despite everything that had happened between them, she still trusted him more than anyone else.

Emily picked up the phone and dialed Alexander's number. It rang a few times before he answered. "Hello?" His voice was guarded, and Emily knew that he was still upset with her.

"Alexander, it's me," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "I need to talk to you about something important. Can we meet?"

There was a long pause before Alexander spoke again. "I don't know, Emily. I'm not sure I'm ready to see you yet."

"I understand that, but this is really important. Please, just give me a few minutes of your time. It could be crucial for the company."

There was another pause before Alexander sighed. "Fine. I'll meet you at the café around the corner from the office in thirty minutes."

Emily hung up and grabbed her coat. She knew that she had a lot to explain to Alexander, and she wasn't sure how he would react. But she had to try. The future of the company was at stake.

She arrived at the café and found Alexander sitting at a table in the back. He looked up as she approached, and Emily could see the anger in his eyes. She took a deep breath and sat down across from him.

"I'm sorry, Alexander," she said, not sure where to start. "I know I messed up, but I need your help. Something is going on with the company's finances, and I can't figure it out on my own. I think someone is embezzling funds, and I need your expertise to help me track it down."

Alexander raised an eyebrow. "Why should I help you? You lied to me and betrayed my trust. I don't owe you anything."

"I know, and I'm sorry. But this is bigger than us. The company is in trouble, and if we don't do something about it, we could lose everything. I need your help, Alexander. Please."

There was a long silence before Alexander spoke again. "Fine. I'll help you. But don't think that this means everything is forgiven. We have a lot to work through, and I'm not sure if we'll ever be able to trust each other again."

Emily nodded, grateful for the small victory. "Thank you, Alexander. I know this won't be easy, but we have to try."

Over the next few days, Emily and Alexander worked tirelessly, going through the company's finances with a fine-toothed comb. They discovered irregularities that they couldn't explain, and Emily's suspicions were confirmed. Someone was stealing from the company, and they had to find out who.

As they dug deeper, Emily and Alexander found more evidence that pointed to a single person: David, the company's CFO. He had been skimming money off the top for years, using elaborate schemes to cover his tracks. Emily couldn't believe it. David had always been a trusted employee, and she had never suspected him of anything.

"We have to go to the police," Emily said, her voice shaking with anger and betrayal.

David had always been a trusted employee, and she had never suspected him of anything.

"We have to go to the police," Emily said, her voice shaking with anger and betrayal.

Alexander looked at her, a mixture of shock and disbelief on his face. "Are you sure?" he asked, his voice quiet.

Emily nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. We can't let him get away with this. He stole from us, Alexander. He betrayed our trust."

Alexander sighed heavily, rubbing his temples with his fingers. "Okay," he said finally. "Let's go."

They gathered the evidence they had gathered and made their way to the police station. Emily was a bundle of nerves, but she was determined to see this through.

After explaining the situation to the police, they were referred to a detective who took charge of the investigation. Emily and Alexander spent the next few weeks working closely with the detective, providing any additional information or evidence they could gather. They also made sure to tighten up their security measures to prevent any future thefts.

During this time, Emily found herself drawing closer to Alexander. They had always had a strong connection, but the events of the past few weeks had brought them even closer. Alexander was there for her every step of the way, providing a shoulder to cry on and a listening ear when she needed it.