Page 101 of The Alpha's Uncovered Mate

I can't stay at this job.

I don't even know if I can stay in this city.

Now that he knows where I am, it's only a matter of time until he finds out about Riya. I may be financially comfortable, but Adam is more resourceful than I am. What if he decides to snatch Riya from me?

My lower lip trembles and my eyes harden.

I can't let that happen.

I have to hide her.

I have to leave.

I have savings. Since I never had to pay rent and my salary has been really good, I've been able to form a sizeable nest egg. I could pack up and leave tomorrow. As I reach my apartment, I've already worked out how many boxes I will need and what I will be taking with me and what will be going into storage. Riya and I can go on a trip while I apply for jobs. Wherever I find one, I'll set roots down there.

Tony is waiting for me, and one sniff has his face turning pale.

"You saw Adam."

It's not a question.

"He's my new CEO." I toss my coat on the table as I go to check on Riya. My body is moving on autopilot because my brain isworking in overdrive. I have to come up with a solid plan. The man I met tonight was not the Adam I remember. Or perhaps, this was who Adam had been all along. This cold-eyed man with a ruthless edge to him.

Riya is sleeping, and I stroke her hair, my heart shaking.

I take in her scent and feel comforted by it.

Stepping out of the room, I close the door behind me quietly, and motion towards the living room. Tony follows me.

"Has he become the alpha?" I ask abruptly.

"Yes."

"When?"

"A year ago. Jonathon put up some roadblocks for him and was trying to come up with a way to discredit the evidence against Norman. When that didn't go his way, he extended his hold on the alpha position. The officials sided with him until Adam began to take them down, one by one. There were cases of embezzlement, fraud, stealing, and similar things. Most of the officials had been in Jonathon's pocket, so Adam outed them."

"So, all this time, he's been busy," I mutter. "Too busy to look for me. But now that he's become the alpha, he suddenly pops up here." I look at Tony. "I can't stay. Riya and I will leave tomorrow."

His eyes widen. "What?"

"I can't risk Adam finding out about Riya, Tony!" I burst out. "He can take her from me. I don't want my daughter exposed to the Moore family at any cost. Once Adam knows about her, it'sonly a matter of time before Jonathon and Norman will as well. I can't take that risk."

"You need to calm down." Tony puts his hands on my shoulders and guides me over to the couch. "You have a job here, a home you've built. You can't just run like this."

"So what?" I stare at him. "You want me to wait around and see what happens? Because that sounds like a horrible plan. And I already told him that I'm going to resign."

"What did he say?"

"Nothing. But Tony, he wasn't surprised to see me. This tells me that he expected to run into me here. He's been looking for me. I'm telling you, he has!"

I bury my head in my hands. "I can't let him take Riya away from me. She's mine!"

"Nothing will happen to Riya," Tony tries to assure me. "If you're worried, she can stay with me while you're at work. You don't have to send her to preschool for a couple of days. And if he's found you once, he can find you again. You can't keep running for the rest of your life. Legally, Riya is your daughter. And since you left Seattle, you walked away from the pack. He can't force you to return, and he can't take Riya so easily either. If you want to switch jobs, I'll help you look for another one, but going on the run is not the ideal solution. You need to know why Adam is actually here before you make such a hasty decision."

"And what if he finds out about Riya?" I demand.

"Taking her from you isn't going to be as easy as you imagine," Tony says. "And Maya and I will be watching out for her. Before,it was just you, Cynthia. Now, you have a daughter to worry about. You can't let your fear uproot her life. If it was just once, I would understand, but I don't think it's healthy for either of you if you spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder and running. It will impact Riya in a negative way."

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