Page 35 of The Billionaire Alpha's Assistant

“Yes,” I say, my chest squeezing with a mix of horror, regret, and despair.

Rafael whips his head around to look at me, and I’m alarmed to see that his eyes are that molten shade of gold. “You’re a journalist.” He spits out the word as though it left a bad taste in his mouth, and I realize what he must be thinking — that I slept with him to gain his trust.

“Yes,” I whisper, heart pounding in my throat.

Rafael gives a jerky nod, a muscle popping in his jaw. “And you’re writing a story about MatchAI . . . or maybe about me.”

“I was,” I murmur. “But I swear I didn’t go into this looking to deceive you. I applied for the job as research for a story. I never expected to get it. When I got the call that I’d been selected —”

“You thought you could use the position to get closer to me.”

All my explanations and justifications form a bitter lump in my throat, and I press my lips together. What am I supposed to say? I’ve lied to Rafael enough these last few days. I won’t insult him by lying more.

“Yes,” I whisper. “But that was before I knew you.”

“Before you knew me?” Rafael hisses, his golden wolf’s eyes narrowing into slits. “You don’t know me, Alex. You were my assistant for three days, and you think that’s enough for a story?”

“No!” I shake my head, needing to explain. “I turned it down — the piece I was writing.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

The devastation written all over his face makes me feel as though someone ripped out my heart and put it through a cheese grater. In this moment, I wish he’d get angry. I wish he’d yell at me to leave and never come back. Anything would be better than this.

“If you don’t mind my asking, when did you decide not to fuck me over?” he murmurs, his amber eyes flashing in the dimly lit room. “Was it before or after I introduced you to my family?”

“After.”

Rafael lets out a breath of humorless laughter. “Was it before or after you fucked me?” He takes a step toward me, that muscle in his jaw working hard. “Before or after I told you that you’re my fated mate?”

Hot tears burn in my throat, but I swallow them down. It doesn’t matter what I say. What I did was unforgivable.

“I was just doing my job,” I whisper, staring at the floor. “I never meant to hurt you, Rafael. And I didn’t expect to fall for you.”

Rafael doesn’t speak, but I can practically taste his disgust. He turns and walks out of the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him.

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