Page 42 of The Alpha's Broken Oath

Reality crashes back into my mind, and I have to be reminded we’ve been running meetings back-to-back because pictures of me hitting Kieran Vega have surfaced all over the net.

The board members, who are pissed about my little stint, narrow their eyes at me, wondering if I’m the final nail to this company’s coffin.

“What you did yesterday was reckless. Hitting Alpha Kieran and the pictures trending online has only led to our stock prices plunging even more than when Wilfred was in charge,” the bald guy seated by the edge of the boardroom table spits.

The younger guy, Mr. Peters, if I can remember correctly, joins in on the conversation, “Alpha Kieran Vega is being pinned as the victim in all this, and while he has said he’ll not be pressing charges on the account that you were drunk, I still recommend us doing something to show the public you are regretful of your actions.”

Regretful, my ass.

“And if I’m not feeling any sort of regret whatsoever for hitting Kieran Vega, what happens next?”

Simon’s face pales.

Mr. Peters clears his throat. “We wouldn’t be recommending this if it wasn’t what’s needed for the company, Alpha Deacon. We all agree here that you’ve raised the company to greater heights than Wilfred ever did, but this… this scandal pushes back every milestone you’ve achieved.”

“What are you recommending me to do then, Mr. Peters?”

The second he opens his mouth, I know for a fact he’s going to soil my mood even worse.

“All this happened because of Ms. Cavanaugh, so everyone agrees with me when I say you should fire her.”

The surface-level distaste I have for his statement must be evident on my face because Simon looks like he’s one sandwich away from fainting.

“Two grown men decide to fight, and your first thought is that the woman is to blame? Isn’t that a bit sexist, Mr. Peters?”

“I didn’t mean—”

“This meeting is adjourned. Miss Cavanaugh is not going anywhere, and anyone who has a problem with that can pack his bags and walk out of this company.”

I walk out of the room, leaving them to discuss whatever terrible plan they have to avert the crisis. If I wasn’t too worried about Winter, I’d educate them a little by telling them the only reason this company is still standing is because Winter works here. If she didn’t love working for this company, I would never have stuck around long enough to buy it from Wilfred.

Simon follows me to my office, and I use him as much as I can to squeeze information about Winter from him.

“In your group chats, is Winter still the topic of discussion?”

“Sir?”

“Everyone from the company has seen Winter in the pictures of Kieran and me fighting, and I’m asking you right now if they are speaking about her.”

“Yes, sir”, Simon replies just as quickly.

“Send another email. Anyone found speaking or in any way spreading false information about Winter Cavanaugh can kiss his fucking job goodbye.”

“Okay, boss. I’ll do so right away.”

I spend the rest of the afternoon gazing at Winter’s empty chair and desk.

Did she leave the city?

Did she run away after finding out the truth?

Every dark thought running in my mind tears me up and exposes another ripped vessel to the air. By the time I’m done thinking about what happened last night, every shred of my energy vaporizes into thin air from exhaustion alone.

I contemplate calling her, but then what do I say? How do I start explaining the rest of the things I hid from her last night, like my father being behind her family’s murder? That there’s so much more behind me rejecting her?

Eventually, I let go of my fears mainly because I miss her, and not having her here today felt like torture. Tapping her number, a minute barely goes by before her phone rings on the other end of the line.

The anticipation of wanting to hear her voice nearly makes me ecstatic, but that ecstasy flies out the window the minute her voice breaks out in a cry.

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