Page 60 of The Alpha's Crimson Vow

“For so long, I had so many questions.”

She exhales, her eyes locking onto mine.

“But now? I don’t even care anymore.”

The finality in her voice slams into me harder than a bullet.

“I don’t care what your mission was. I don’t care why you did whatever you did. Thank you for your business offer. You saved my company, and for that, I’m grateful. But please—outside of work?”

Her voice turns cold. Detached.

“I want you to leave me alone.”

She turns. Walks to the door.

I grip the bouquet of flowers in my hand, the stems pressing into my palm.

She swings the door open. My guards are still standing there.

She barely even looks at them as she pushes past. “Get out of my way.”

They move instantly.

I stand there, motionless, listening to the sound of her heels clicking down the hall. It echoes out, growing fainter and fainter with each step.

I lower my head, my pulse hammering in my ears. My chest aches, my grip tightening around the flowers until the petals crumple.

And deep inside me, my wolf stirs.

It lets out a low, restless growl—weak, pained.

Katherine is my fated mate.

And she just rejected me.

My wolf is growing weaker. Drowsy. The rejection seeping into my very being.

I inhale sharply, my jaw locking.

No.

I will get her back. I must.

Whatever it takes.

Chapter Sixteen

Katherine

It’s been two weeks since Pinnacle Group was on the verge of collapse. Fourteen days since the company nearly went bankrupt, since I was this close to being pushed out of my own position as CEO.

Now, everything is different. Almost miraculously so. The turnaround has been nothing short of stunning, the kind of rebound that makes financial analysts do a double take. The numbers are not just back to where they used to be—they’re climbing higher, stronger. There’s momentum. There’s hope. There’s a real shot at taking this company beyond anything it’s ever been before.

It should feel like a victory. I should feel relieved, maybe even a little triumphant.

And in some ways, I am. It’s easier to breathe now, without the constant weight of impending disaster pressing down on my shoulders. The boardroom isn’t a battlefield these days. Frank is gone. And with him went at least some of the danger. Lawrence and the family elders have backed off too.

And most importantly—James is making progress. Slow, frustrating progress, but progress nonetheless. Every day, he gets closer to uncovering the truth. The truth about who had my parents killed. The truth about who wants me dead.

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