Page 16 of The Alpha's Crimson Vow

Annie straightens up too, clutching the remaining cans to her chest. She’s a hardworking kid—quiet, but determined. I’ve noticed her at the office, always focused, always trying to prove herself. I haven’t had much time to mentor her directly, but it’s nice to see her outside the corporate bubble.

“Come on,” I say, gesturing toward the counter. “Let’s get these scanned. Put them on my tab.”

She hesitates, her lips parting as if to protest, but the clerk is already scanning the cans, and I don’t give her a chance to argue.

“Where are you headed?” I ask as the clerk finishes packing up her items.

“Just heading home,” she says quietly, her tone shy and reserved. It’s such a stark contrast to the sharp-tongued executives I deal with daily, and it makes me soften a little.

I nod, my decision made before she has a chance to argue. “Great. I’ll give you a ride.”

Her eyebrows lift slightly, and I can see the wheels turning in her head as she debates whether to accept. I narrow my eyes just enough to make it clear she doesn’t have much of a choice. Finally, she gives a small smile and mutters, “Thanks.”

The drive is quiet for the most part. The hum of the engine fills the silence, and the faint scent of her soda lingers in the air between us. I glance at her occasionally, offering a few words of encouragement about her work ethic and how much I’ve noticed her efforts. She mumbles her thanks, her voice still small, and I let the conversation drift into silence.

When we finally pull up in front of her apartment building, she reaches for the door handle, but then she hesitates. Her hand hovers there for a moment before she pulls it back, turning to face me instead.

I notice the way her throat tightens as she swallows, her eyes darting between me and the dashboard. “Ms. Lockhart, there’s… there’s something I should tell you,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper.

I sit up straighter, my curiosity piqued. “What’s up, Annie?”

She hesitates again, her gaze dropping to her lap. “I… I wasn’t really just shopping at the supermarket back there,” she admits, her voice tinged with something like guilt.

“Oh?” The word slips out, and I feel a strange knot form in my stomach.

“I was actually… well…” She takes a deep breath, as if willing herself to say it. “I was watching you.”

My eyebrows shoot up, and I feel the knot tighten. “You were watching me?”

“Yeah,” she murmurs, barely able to meet my eyes. She moves uncomfortably in her seat before continuing. “Mr. Frank asked me to. He said he needed me to stay out of sight and watch you for a while. To see if you were with anyone… any man.”

The knot in my stomach unravels into something hotter, sharper. My jaw tightens.

Frank.

Annie’s voice wavers as she continues. “He said if I did it—and reported back to him—he could help me get a good spot in the company. But…” She shakes her head, her voice firming up slightly. “This doesn’t feel right.”

I nod slowly, anger bubbling beneath the surface.Frank. How dare he?

She looks at me again, her eyes steady this time. “Ms. Lockhart, I don’t know what’s going on, but… I think you’re a good person. Just… be careful.”

Her words hang in the air for a moment, and I force myself to smile faintly. “Thanks, Annie,” I say, my voice calmer than I feel.

She nods, clutching her bag tightly as she steps out of the car. I watch her disappear into the building.

I exhale, the kind of long, deep exhale that feels like it’s coming from somewhere buried deep inside.

Who was I kidding? Really?I lean back in the driver’s seat, letting my head rest against the headrest as my fingers tighten around the steering wheel. It was never going to be that easy. Frank. The elders. All of them. Of course they weren’t going to let this go.

I need to do something.

Chapter Six

Katherine

The quiet hum of my car engine running is the only sound I hear. My eyes rest on the apartment building Annie just walked into, but my mind is far from thinking about the architecture.

I can feel the frustration simmering just under the surface, but I press it down. Fine. If this is the game they want to play, then I’ll play it better. I’ll be more thorough, more precise, more calculated than ever.

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