The Alpha Behind The Mask-Chapter 62: Embarrassed

Aurora’s POV

​I stared back at him, my grip tightening on the edge of the table. The audacity of this man was staggering. After hours of silence and a morning spent treating me like I was invisible, he thought he could just snap his fingers and I’d run.

​"I am on my lunch break," I said, my voice ice-cold. "And you told me this morning that you weren’t obligated to respond to my greetings. So, as your assistant, I’m not obligated to listen to you right now." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

​I turned my back to him, picking up my water glass as if he weren’t there. I expected him to roar. I expected a lecture. Instead, Oliver didn’t say a single word.

​I felt the air shift as he stepped behind me. Before I could even gasp, I felt the chair lurch. Oliver didn’t pull me out of it—he grabbed the entire wooden chair by the frame and lifted it. With me still sitting in it, stunned and frozen, he began to walk.

​"Alpha Oliver! Put me down!" I shrieked, my face heating up as the entire restaurant went silent.

​Silverware clattered. People stopped chewing, their eyes wide as they watched the Alpha King of the entire region casually carry his secretary—still seated in her chair—toward the exit like he was moving furniture.

​I looked back at the table, desperate for help, but Oscar was the worst of all. He didn’t move an inch to stop him. He just leaned back, a glass of wine in his hand, laughing so hard his shoulders shook. He was enjoying the show, watching his brother lose his mind.

​"Alpha Oscar, do something!" I yelled.

​"Sorry, Aurora," Oscar called out, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "I don’t get in the way of a man and his ’obligations’."

​Oliver kicked the front door open, the bell chiming mockingly as he carried me out into the humid afternoon air. Passersby on the sidewalk stopped and stared, some even pulling out their phones. I felt the sting of hot, prickly disgrace crawling up my neck. I was being kidnapped in broad daylight in the most humiliating way possible.

​Once we were a good distance from the eatery’s entrance, near his parked car, he finally dropped the chair. The legs hit the pavement with a jarring thud. I jumped out of the seat instantly, my chest heaving with rage.

​"You’re insane!" I screamed, the tears of frustration finally pricking my eyes. "Do you have any idea how disgraced I feel? Everyone saw that! My coworkers, the public... they’ll all be talking about how the Alpha King treats his staff like literal property!"

​The humiliation was like a physical heat crawling up my face. I was shaking, my chest heaving with every breath, and all I could see were the flashes of smartphones from every direction.

Oliver stood there, his chest broad and his breathing heavy. He stepped into my space, his shadow completely swallowing me.

​"Let’s go back to the office," Oliver said, his voice dropping into that dark, authoritative tone that made my skin prickle. "You will have your lunch there."

​"No!" I shouted. "I’m not going anywhere with you. You don’t get to treat me like this and then expect me to just... follow you like a dog!"

​Oliver didn’t look angry. Instead, a dangerous, playful glint appeared in his eyes—the kind of look that reminded me far too much of Raymond. He stepped even closer, until his chest was brushing against mine, forcing me to tilt my head back just to see him.

​"Aurora," he whispered, loud enough for only me to hear, "if you don’t get in that car right now, I am going to kiss you. Right here. In front of everyone."

​I gasped, my eyes darting to the sidewalk. "You wouldn’t dare."

​"Look around," he challenged, gesturing vaguely at the crowd. "I believe there are plenty of cameras already capturing this moment. You know who I am. Any news about the Alpha King is a hot topic. Do you want the headline tomorrow to be about our ’office romance’?"

​I turned my head. He was right. People were gathered on the corners, some whispering, others holding their phones up like they were filming a movie. If he kissed me now, my life—my reputation—would be over. I’d be labeled as the King’s plaything forever.

​"My car. Now," he commanded. "Or I’ll kiss you, and I promise you, I’ll make the headlines worth it."

​"You can’t be serious—" I started, but before I could finish, his hand shot out.

​He grabbed my waist and yanked me flush against his hard body. His other hand came up to cup the back of my neck, his thumb grazing my jawline. He began to lean down, his eyes focusing on my lips with a hunger that made my knees weak.

​"Stop! Stop!" I shouted, pushing against his shoulders. "I’ll go! I’ll go!"

​He froze, his face inches from mine. A slow, triumphant smirk spread across his lips.

​"I thought so," he murmured. He looked almost disappointed, his eyes darkening as they lingered on my mouth. "I actually would have loved it if you had resisted a little longer."

​Then, before I could pull away, he leaned forward and gave me a quick, firm peck on the tip of my nose. My eyes widened in total shock. The Alpha King—the cold, untouchable Oliver—had just teased me in public. He pulled away with a low chuckle and opened the passenger door of his sleek, black car.

​"Come," he said, the command back in his voice, but this time it was laced with something else.

​As I walked toward the car, I felt the weight of a hundred lenses on me. My heart was thundering against my ribs. I climbed in, the leather cool against my skin, and watched as he rounded the front of the car with the grace of a wolf. He didn’t care about the cameras. He didn’t care about the scandal. He only cared that I was back where he wanted me.