Chapter 156: Chapter 156 There was something she wasn’t telling me
Aria’s POV
I woke up gasping.
Sunlight was streaming through the curtains like a judgment, and I shot upright in bed, my heart hammering against my ribs. The clock on the nightstand read 11:47 AM.
Eleven forty-seven.
"Shit, shit, shit—"
I was already throwing the covers off when I felt his arm wrap around my waist, pulling me back against his chest. His voice was low, rough with sleep, and god, it sent a shiver straight down my spine.
"Relax. I already called your office."
I twisted in his grip to look at him. "You did?"
"You think I’d let anyone disturb you after last night?"
His black-gray eyes were half-lidded, lazy, but there was a possessive gleam in them that made my stomach flip. I remembered everything.
The vibrator. His voice in my ear. The way he’d taken me apart piece by piece until I couldn’t remember my own name.
"My phone’s ringer is off," he continued, his thumb tracing circles on my hip. "You needed rest."
Rest. Right.
"What did you tell them?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady even as his hand wandered lower.
"That you had a family emergency. Very serious. Very personal."
"You didn’t."
He smiled. It was not a reassuring smile.
"I told Diana you’d be in by afternoon. Gave you plenty of time to recover."
I groaned and buried my face in the pillow. Oh God. Everyone at the office was going to know.Why I couldn’t get out of bed this morning—because of him.
I wanted to disappear into the mattress and never come out.
---
By the time I get to the office, it’s already past two. I smooth down my blouse and try to look like I haven’t just spent the morning in bed with the Alpha King.
*Focus, Aria. You’re here to work.*
I’m heading toward the break room to grab something quick for lunch when I see her.
"Jennifer?"
She was stepping out of the elevator across the hall, head down, shoulders hunched.
She looked like she hadn’t slept in days. I’d approved her leave that morning—a full paid day off because I knew her family situation was rough. She never asked for time unless it was serious.
So why was she here?
"Aria!"
Her head snapped up, and I caught the flash of panic in her eyes before she masked it. She looked... guilty. Like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
I walked over, keeping my voice light. "I thought you had something to take care of. Everything okay?"
She nodded too quickly. "All done. It wasn’t that big of a deal anyway. Sorry to make you worry."
"Don’t apologize. If you ever need more time, just tell me. The company’s not going to collapse without you for one day."
I reached out and squeezed her shoulder, trying to put her at ease. Jennifer was the first junior I’d ever taken under my wing in Crane Group.
She was the youngest in the department, but damn if she didn’t work twice as hard as anyone else. She was smart, sharp, caught on to everything in seconds. I saw something in her—a hunger, a resilience—that reminded me of myself.
We weren’t just colleagues. She was the closest thing to a sister I had in this Pack.
"Okay..." she started, but the word barely left her mouth before the elevator behind us chimed open.
I turned.
Nathan stepped out, looking like he’d just rolled out of someone’s bed.
His shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, no tie, no jacket. His hair was mussed, and there was a lazy smirk plastered on his face that I’d learned to associate with trouble.
His eyes met mine, then slid to Jennifer beside me.
A slow, knowing smile spreads across his face.
"Well, well. Fancy meeting you two here."
Something cold settles in my stomach. Instinctively, I shift sideways, putting myself between him and Jennifer.
"Mr. Smith," I say coolly. "You’re in late today. Rough night?"
He laughs, and the sound grates on my nerves. "Something like that. Had to play hero, you know how it is."
*Hero?* What the hell is he talking about?
His gaze slides past me, landing on Jennifer. She’s gone completely still beside me, her face so white she looks like she might faint.
"Looks like Mr. Smith had an interesting evening," I say, keeping my voice light.
I remember Victor had warned me about Nathan. The man went through women like water. Different styles, different types, none of them lasted more than a few weeks.
And right now, the way he’s looking at Jennifer makes my skin crawl.
"Interesting?" Nathan’s grin widens. "I’d say productive. But I might need to take some notes from you, Miss Smith. Seems like you’ve had your own share of excitement."
My jaw tightens. What does he know? What does he think he knows?
"Aria, weren’t you going to lunch?"
Jennifer’s voice cuts through the tension, high and strained. She grabs my arm, her fingers digging in hard enough to leave marks.
I turn to look at her, and my concern spikes. Her eyes are glassy, her breathing shallow.
"Jennifer, you look terrible. Are you sure you’re okay?"
"I’m fine." The words come out too fast. "Let’s just... let’s go eat."
Nathan snorted behind me. I heard his footsteps start to move away.
"I’ve got things to do. See you around."
He paused, turned back. His eyes found Jennifer again—and she flinched.
"Oh, and Aria." His smile widened.
"The deal with Riverside Pack is signed. It’s a quarterly priority project now. Their side is hosting a dinner tonight—senior management only. You’re expected to attend."
Before I could respond, he was gone.
The Riverside Pack.
Vanessa.
I closed my eyes and took a breath. Of course. Of course it had to be their project.
I’d tried to avoid it. I’d suggested other teams, other leads. But this morning’s meeting was clear—Vanessa specifically requested my group.
From a business standpoint, I had no grounds to refuse. Crane Group wouldn’t kill a partnership this profitable just because I had personal history with the Alpha’s daughter.
But that didn’t mean I had to like it.
"Aria, you’re really going to take on the Riverside Pack project?" Jennifer’s voice was tight. "Can’t you pass it to someone else?"
I sighed. "I can’t. The project level is too high, and they specifically requested us. From a professional standpoint, I have no reason to refuse. And Crane Group isn’t going to cut ties with a major downstream partner just because I don’t want to work with them."
I softened my voice. "Don’t worry. I’ll keep my distance from Vanessa. I won’t give her an excuse to cause trouble."
"But what if she doesn’t need an excuse?" Jennifer’s eyes were worried. "What if she just does it anyway?"
"I can’t avoid every project she’s involved in for the rest of my career, Jennifer. That’s not how this works."
She bit her lip. "Then let me come with you tonight. To the dinner."
I hesitated. The dinner was technically senior management only. But Jennifer was my right hand. And honestly? Having her there would make me feel less alone.
"Okay," I said. "Come with me."
She nodded, but the relief on her face didn’t quite reach her eyes.
And I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something she wasn’t telling me.
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