The Alpha’s Sacred Taboo

Chapter 10: The Glass Trap

The morning light in the penthouse was cold and uncompromising, reflecting off the sharp angles of the glass furniture. Camille dressed in silence, her body humming with the lingering resonance of Guy’s touch, but her mind was already rebuilding the "Boss Lady" fortifications. She watched Guy as he stood by the coffee machine, his movements fluid and efficient, the dual-colored eyes of Lyle hooded and thoughtful.

"Rhea was quiet during the tasting yesterday," Camile said, adjusting her silk blouse. "Too quiet. She and Selene are usually the first to voice their disdain for the Jimenez family."

Guy paused, a cup of black coffee halfway to his lips. "My sisters are warriors, Camille. They don’t speak unless there’s a throat to be cut. They see the Azul alliance as a strategic necessity. They don’t understand the bond."

"Or maybe they understand it too well," Camille murmured, a sense of unease settling in her gut.

Before Guy could respond, Camille's phone vibrated violently against the mahogany desk. It was an emergency alert from her firm’s headquarters.

The Corporate Siege

"I have to go," she said, her voice snapping into a professional clip. "The AI sector of the firm is under a flash-audit. Someone leaked the Q3 projections—the real ones, including the Moon Star’s underground logistics."

Guy’s expression went from calm to lethal in a heartbeat. "Those files are encrypted behind a triple-layer firewall. Only you and your lead analyst have the keys."

"Then we have a leak," Camile said, her heart hammering. "If those logistics are tied back to my firm, it’s not just a financial scandal. It’s a roadmap for the Council to seize your assets."

As she rushed out, Guy grabbed her arm, his grip firm but not painful. "Camille. If this goes south, don't try to save the firm. Save yourself. I can rebuild an agency, but I can't rebuild you."

"I'm the Chairman, Guy," she said, her green eyes flashing with Alicia’s fire. "I don't lose."

The Witch’s Burden

While Camille raced toward the city, Tiffany was waiting in the gardens of the Winters estate. The witch looked frayed, her violet eyes rimmed with shadows. She had spent the night weaving protection charms, but the betrayal she had witnessed in Marcus’s study felt like a rot she couldn't excise.

She saw Camille's SUV pull into the drive and intercepted her before she could reach the front door.

"Camille, stop," Tiffany commanded, stepping into her path.

"Not now, Tiff! The firm is under attack. Someone leaked the Moon Star data—"

"It was Rhea," Tiffany said, the words falling like lead between them.

Camille froze, her hand on the car door. "What?"

"I saw her last night in your father’s study. She was photographing the maps and the logistics. She’s not just working for the Moon Star, Camile. She’s working with Amara. They’re trying to force Guy’s hand by destroying the only thing that keeps you connected to him: your professional credibility."

Camille felt the world tilt. Rhea—the sister who had survived the rogue attack with Guy, his own blood—was tearing him down. "She thinks she’s saving him from me," Camille whispered. "She thinks if I’m out of the picture, he’ll marry Amara and 'save' the pack."

"She’s already sent the files to the Council’s oversight committee," Tiffany warned. "You have less than an hour before they freeze your accounts."

The Wolf in the Boardroom

Camile didn't panic. She went to her office, but she didn't find the Council waiting for her. She found Amara Jimenez.

The Azul heiress was sitting in Camille's chair, spinning a gold pen between her fingers. She looked up and smiled—a slow, victory-lap of a smile.

"It’s a shame, really," Amara said. "A woman of your intellect, caught in such a messy web of shadow accounting and illicit underground ties. The Council is going to have a field day with your father's legacy."

"You used Rhea," Camile said, her voice dropping to a low, whimsical growl that signaled the wolf was close to the surface. "You used a sister’s loyalty to play a game you can't win."

"I used what was available," Amara countered, standing up. "Guy is an Alpha. He needs a Luna who brings a forest, not a girl who brings a scandal. I’m offering you a deal, Camille. Resign. Leave the sector. Go back to your 'lover', the witch and disappear. If you do, the files I sent to the Council will 'malfunction.' The audit will vanish."

Camille looked at the woman who wanted her mate—the woman who was willing to destroy two packs to secure a title. She thought of Guy’s sweet worship in the dark, and his predatory protection in the light.

"You don't know him at all, do you?" Camille asked.

"I know him better than a 'step-niece' ever could," Amara spat.

"Then you know that if you touch me, he won't just reject you," Camille said, stepping into Amara’s space, her scent of crimson roses and ozone flaring. "He’ll hunt you. He’ll hunt your brothers. And he’ll turn your vineyard into a cemetery. You think you’re the predator here, Amara? I’m the one who handles his finances. I know where every body is buried. And I know exactly how much it costs to make a Jimenez disappear."

Amara’s smile faltered. For the first time, she saw the "Boss Lady" wasn't just a mask; it was a weapon.

"Thirty minutes, Camille," Amara said, her voice trembling slightly as she moved toward the door. "Choose the firm or the Alpha. You can't have both."

As the door closed, Camile slumped against her desk. Her phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number: The tunnels are clear. Meet me at the junction. - G.

She looked at the clock. The trap was set. If she went to Guy, she'd lose the firm. If she stayed to fight the audit, she might lose the only chance to stop Rhea from telling the Council the truth about their bond.