Chapter 176: I Slapped Alexei
I lowered myself gingerly onto the leather office chair, biting back a sharp wince as my aching lower half screamed in protest with every tiny shift. Fresh knots from last night—why do I keep being such a complete idiot?
The second I beg any of them for more, it backfires hard. Those words barely leave my lips before they pounce, knotting me brutally with zero mercy, railing me senseless into the mattress until I’m a trembling, overspent mess.
Lesson never learned. Why don’t I ever learn my lesson?
With a deep, frustrated groan, I braced my hands on the desk and pushed up again, ignoring the persistent throb between my thighs. Dressed sharp in a tailored black pantsuit—crisp blouse hugging my curves, blazer nipped at the waist—I scratched an itch on my nose and headed for the elevator.
Herlos deserved better than that crumbling old headquarters with its leaky roofs and outdated wiring; we’d snapped up this sleek new tower downtown just last month.
Lavish marble lobbies gleamed under recessed lights, floor-to-ceiling glass walls flooding every floor with natural sunlight; employees buzzed with real energy now, numbers doubled overnight, chatter lively as they hustled between open-plan desks and coffee nooks.
The ground floor hummed like a well-oiled machine—receptionists tapping away, creatives huddled over mood boards, interns darting with coffee trays. Staff spotted me immediately, offering respectful nods and warm smiles.
"Morning, Ms. Emily—great jacket!" one designer called.
"Looking fierce today, boss," beamed a junior marketer with a quick bow.
I returned them easy, chin high, until my gaze snagged on him—Alexei, my sleazy stepbrother, striding straight toward me through the crowd, that infuriating smirk plastered across his sharp features like he owned the place.
"You look radiant as always, dear sister," he drawled smooth, voice dripping false charm, his eyes raking over me too bold, too hungry—lingering on my hips, my chest.
"Shut the fuck up, Alexei," I snapped, voice pure ice, stepping forward to cut off his advance. "Who the hell let a creep like you into my building?"
He shrugged all casual, hands in pockets like he belonged. "Bribed my way past the front desk—easy money. Just wanted a quick chat with my only sister, catch up on family matters."
"Sister? Save it—that lecherous stare isn’t brotherly; it’s straight-up lust. Don’t get cocky just because you scraped together some rinky-dink automobile startup from your stepdaddy’s leftovers."
He chuckled low, unfazed, stepping closer—too close, cologne sharp and invasive. "I’m a good guy at heart, Emily, promise. But damn, you look too fine today—those curves in that suit? My eyes can’t peel away no matter how hard I try."
His gaze stripped me slow and deliberate, tracing from my legs up to my cleavage, making my skin crawl with disgust. Face darkening, I clenched my fists tight, nails biting palms.
"I’ll poke those filthy eyes out myself if you don’t quit staring like a pervert—try me!"
"Emily, why you going be so damn difficult every time? I call your phone a dozen times—you ghost me completely. Blocked on every social too. Come on, family is supposed to talk, right? Blood’s thicker and all that."
"Alexei, we don’t share any blood connection, and get the hell out now before I have security drag you out by your collar. This is your last chance—I’m not asking."
He ignored the warning, gesturing lazily at the lobby’s massive screens looping ad campaigns. "Hellen torched my tech firm to ash with those ruthless hacks, and you snatched up Viktor’s fashion scraps like vultures. Herlos dominates the game without dropping a single luxury line—bet that’s next, handbags or heels maybe. Oh wait, almost forgot—you’re the pretty model face too, aren’t you?"
He nodded at the TVs—me beaming playful with fluffy pups in Helly Paws gear—capes and collars matching cute; then everyday HIER fits, casual chic hugging my frame just right.
"Alexei, leave me alone. Zero interest in you, your pity party, or your creepy games. Walk away."
His gaze dropped deliberate to my left hand, lingering on the gleam. "Four rings? Quite the shiny collection there. Or did you forget Felix is still your official fiancé? Paper doesn’t lie."
"Don’t you dare mention that bastard," I hissed low and venomous, hand twitching with the urge to ball up again.
He held up palms mock-innocent. "He’s a bastard, sure—I’ll give you that, full agreement. Sleazy prick. But technically? He’s your fiancé on paper; engagements don’t just vanish."
"Alexei, keep your eyes off my rings. And shut your mouth about him forever. I’m not your weak little omega anymore to bully and push around. Leave. Final warning—don’t test me."
He leaned in even closer, breath ghosting my ear, voice turning silk-slick and possessive. "Emily, you’re like that wild rose I planted myself in my garden back home—mine to tend, prune however I like, pluck petals when the mood strikes. Family privilege, right?"
"Out. Now," I growled, stepping back, spine steel.
"Or what, exactly? Some whore spreading wide for four alphas, begging for their knots like a desperate bitch in heat?"
My palm cracked across his cheek—sharp, stinging slap echoing loud through the stunned lobby, heads turning.
Glaring pure daggers, I barked, "Security! Get over here now—escort this trespassing creep out the building. If he resists even a second, toss him like yesterday’s trash, no questions."
He rubbed the blooming red welt slow, smirk unbroken, eyes gleaming darker. "Oh, I’ll remember this sweet slap forever, Emily. An omega like you? Too soft, too squeamish—couldn’t even hit hard enough to bruise."
"Want round two? I’ll swing harder, make it really sting this time."
"Emily, I’m happy you touched me at all—your soft hand on my skin... pure electric thrill." Burly security stormed in from both sides—two ex-military types in black polos, arms like tree trunks grabbing his shoulders firm, faces set in murder glares as they hauled him backward toward the revolving doors.
He twisted mid-drag for one last oily leer over his shoulder. "This isn’t over, sister. Not by a long shot."
Glass doors swung shut with a decisive whoosh, the revolving panels clicking firmly into place like a final full stop, sealing Alexei out in the fading evening light of the city street. I stood frozen for a beat, heart hammering wild against my ribs—thud-thud-thud echoing in my ears, chest rising and falling too fast, a mix of adrenaline and fury buzzing under my skin like live wire.
Stepbrother scum, still sniffing around like a mangy dog in heat, his entitlement dripping off every word, every leer; that possessive ’rose in my garden’ bullshit clinging to the air like cheap cologne.
