Married To The Billionaire Alpha King-Chapter 29 - she’s the one

29

~Elara’s POV

The woman dropped to her knees so fast the air shifted around her.

"I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it like that! Please, Alpha, forgive me!"

My stomach clenched. I had no idea why he looked that angry. And I had absolutely no idea if... if this was because of me.

She bowed her head to the floor, hands trembling, voice cracking.

"I apologize, Alpha! I...I didn’t mean any disrespect! I beg you....please...."

Two security guards stepped in immediately after Darlon made a call.

"Bundle her out."

Her scream echoed in the office.

"Alpha, please! I... didn’t! I swear I didn’t...!"

The guards grabbed her by her arms and dragged her out like she weighed nothing. Her heels scraped against the tiles. Her pleas faded down the hallway until the door slammed shut again.

Silence crashed into the room, heavy and suffocating. I felt like the walls were closing in.

I swallowed hard, my fingers gripping the edge of my desk. "What just happened?"

Darlon looked at me, his eyes softening slightly. "Don’t worry about her."

That... did not answer my question.

He checked his watch, and for a moment, his face softened before settling back into that calm, collected expression he always wore.

"I have a meeting to attend," he said gently, his eyes lingering on me as if he wanted to say something else. "Rest for now."

My mouth opened, but no words came out. My mind went blank the way it usually did when I got nervous. I just nodded slowly, trying to look normal even though my heart was beating too fast.

He paused, like he noticed something, but he didn’t ask. Instead, he walked out with those long, confident steps. The door clicked shut behind him, and the silence fell so quickly it felt like someone had pressed mute on the world.

I exhaled, shoulders dropping, and sat back in my chair. The desk in front of me looked untouched. Too untouched. Not a single file. Not a single email. Not even a sticky note. Just clean emptiness staring back at me like it was judging my existence as I tried to figure out what was going through Darlon’s mind.

My fingers tapped against the table. My legs started bouncing. Time moved like a snail on melatonin. I kept checking the clock even though only two minutes had passed each time.

By the time noon rolled in, my stomach growled so loudly it almost echoed.

I pressed my palm over my shirt, like that would silence it. It didn’t.

"Okay... yeah, I can’t starve," I whispered to myself, pushing my chair back as slowly as if the floor might explode if I moved too fast.

I stood, smoothing down my dress, and peeked out the office door. I had absolutely no idea where the cafeteria was, but then, luck.

Two women walked past, chatting.

"Cafeteria?" one asked the other.

"Yeah, let’s go."

Perfect.

I followed behind them quietly, keeping enough distance so they wouldn’t notice me at first. They walked with loud heels and louder gossip, and I just trailed them like a ghost. When they stepped into the elevator, I quickened my pace before the doors closed, slipping inside at the last second.

Both women snapped their heads toward me so fast I almost flinched.

Their faces twisted instantly, like the air had suddenly become polluted just because I walked in. One wrinkled her nose. The other raised a brow, scanning me from head to toe with the slow, judging eyes of someone who believed they were better than everyone in the room.

I moved to the corner of the elevator, placing my back against the cold metal, my eyes fixed on the glowing floor numbers as they counted downward. I tried to breathe quietly, hoping they would pretend I didn’t exist.

They didn’t.

"Is that her?" one of them hissed, loud enough for me to hear but low enough to pretend she wasn’t talking to me.

"That’s her," the other replied immediately, her voice dripping with annoyance. "The Alpha’s new personal secretary."

My heart dropped straight to the bottom of my stomach. A cold, heavy feeling settled there.

"What?" I breathed out, my voice barely making it past my lips. The elevator felt much smaller suddenly, like the walls were inching closer.

"And didn’t you hear?" the first woman continued, crossing her arms. "Lisa got fired because of her."

My breath caught. My eyes widened at the metal doors in front of me. My chest tightened until it hurt.

"Wait, what?" I whispered again, unsure if I was asking them or asking myself.

"Exactly," the second woman said with a scoff. "And tell me how she got that job? There was no interview. No posting. Nothing."

She clicked her tongue sharply.

"She must have slept with him. I mean, look at her. Lowborn. Probably desperate."

My ears rang.

"She definitely slept with him," the first added, rolling her eyes. "How else does someone like that get hired by an Alpha? And for that position?"

Heat rushed to my face so fast it felt like fire. My throat tightened, squeezing painfully with every breath. My vision blurred as shame and confusion fought inside my chest.

The elevator kept moving, floor by floor, the numbers glowing in front of me while their words echoed in my head like they were tattooed into my skull.

The elevator dinged, and they both stepped out slowly, turning to glare at me like I’d committed a crime.

One muttered, "Shameless."

The other let out a small, cold laugh. "Just wait. Karma spins fast."

The doors closed on their faces.

I stood there alone, breathing unevenly, staring at my reflection in the elevator wall. My fingers shook. My eyes burned.

I didn’t do anything. I didn’t even know what I was doing here. I didn’t even know why he fired her. I didn’t even know how to defend myself.

I just knew one thing:

I already felt like I didn’t belong. And somehow... this made it even worse.

I stayed behind for a second, breathing slowly, trying to steady my shaking hands.

I didn’t even feel like eating anymore, but my stomach twisted painfully, reminding me that I hadn’t had lunch. So I forced myself to walk toward the cafeteria.

When I finally pushed open the cafeteria door, the noise inside dropped, not completely silent, but enough that I noticed. Heads turned. Eyes moved. People paused mid-conversation.

It felt like someone had put a spotlight on me.

I froze.

A heat rushed up my neck again, but this time it wasn’t anger; it was pure humiliation. Their stares weren’t curious. They weren’t friendly. They were sharp... probing... judging.

Whispers moved around the room like tiny sparks catching fire.

"She’s the one..."

"That’s her..."

"Lisa..."

"Alpha..."

My breath trembled. My fingers curled into my palm without me realizing it. I tried to keep my face blank, neutral, anything but the panic running through me.

I walked forward slowly, pretending I didn’t hear anything, pretending I didn’t feel hundreds of eyes on my back. The line moved too slowly. Every second felt like I was standing on stage with no clothes on.

I picked the simplest food I could find, a plate of rice and a small drink. My hands shook so badly that the drink almost slipped from my grip. I avoided everyone’s eyes. I didn’t want to see their expressions. I didn’t want to know what they were thinking.

As soon as I turned away, I moved fast...too fast. It probably made me look guilty or weird, but I didn’t care. I just needed to get out.