Page 14 of Grumpy Alien Boss

Hundreds of protesters pack the plaza, their faces twisted with rage as they spot Darwin. My stomach drops as their shouts grow louder, more hostile.

"MURDERER!" someone screams. "YOU'RE KILLING THE PLANET!"

Darwin's jaw tightens, his earlier playfulness vanishing as he stares at the sea of angry faces before us.

CHAPTER 6

DAR

Ahalf-empty coffee cup sails past my head. These protesters have terrible aim. I pull Olivia closer, shielding her with my body as we push through the angry crowd.

"Murderer!" A scruffy man in hemp clothing lunges at us.

"Back off." My voice carries enough threat that he retreats.

"Darwin, maybe we should-"

"Keep moving." I deflect a wadded-up newspaper before it hits her face. The smell of patchouli and unwashed bodies mingles with Olivia's lingering arousal. The combination makes my head spin.

We reach the front doors. Chains snake through the handles, secured with heavy padlocks. Two police officers stand guard, radioing for backup.

"Sorry Mr. Rook. Bolt cutters are on the way."

I grunt in acknowledgment. Olivia presses against my back, her breath warm on my neck. After what happened in the limo, having her this close is pure torture.

"You're destroying the planet!" Someone hurls an empty water bottle.

I catch it mid-air. "If you care so much about the environment, why are you throwing plastic?"

The protestor's face turns red. More shouts rise from the crowd. Signs wave in the air - "Save the Rainforest" and "Stop the Destruction."

"Darwin." Olivia's fingers dig into my arm. "What's this about? Did your company really destroy part of the rainforest?"

The hurt in her voice cuts deep. I want to explain that sometimes sacrifices are necessary, that there are bigger threats than deforestation. But I can't tell her the truth. Not yet.

"We need to focus on getting inside." I scan the crowd, looking for any real threats among the peaceful protestors. All I want is to get Olivia somewhere private and finish what we started. Instead, I'm stuck dealing with this mess.

The bolt cutters finally arrive. Metal screeches against metal as the officers work on the chains.

"How does it feel to murder Earth's lungs?" The protestor shouts as police drag him away. His dreadlocks whip around his face. "You're killing us all!"

"Darwin would never do that." Olivia steps forward, chin raised. "He donates millions to environmental causes."

My chest tightens. The faith in her voice tears at me. The crowd goes quiet, waiting for my response.

"The story is true."

"What?" Olivia spins to face me. "But why?"

"Sometimes difficult choices must be made." The words taste like ash in my mouth. If only I could tell her about the fungal infection spreading through those trees, engineered by the Grolgath to devastate Earth's oxygen supply. About how we had to contain it before it spread beyond control.

Her green eyes cloud with disappointment. The same eyes that sparkled with passion in the limo just an hour ago. Now they pierce me like daggers.

A rock strikes the wall beside us. More projectiles follow. I pull Olivia against me, sheltering her from the barrage. Her safety matters more than her approval.

The thought hits harder than any debris. If she joins Veritas, she'll face far worse than angry protestors. She'll be a target for the Grolgath, forever marked as my ally in this secret war.

The police finally clear a path. I guide Olivia through the doors, my hand protective on her lower back. She doesn't pull away, but the distance between us has grown far wider than physical space.

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