CHAPTER 115: NICHOLAS BACH

Alice stepped into the building like she belonged there. Head high, shoulders pulled back, heels tapping against the polished floor with unsettling clarity.

The towering glass doors closed behind her with a muted thud, locking her into a space that screamed wealth, control, and silence. Security was tight. Cameras in every corner, armed guards stationed discreetly near the exits.

She didn’t dare let her steps falter. Her palms were sweaty beside her, but on the outside, she was every bit the girl she had created in her head. One of those arrogant heiresses who made secretaries sweat and called CEOs by their first names.

At the reception desk, she slowed.

"I’m here to see Director Bach," she said, tone sharp, fingers tapping on the counter.

One of the young women behind the desk smiled politely. "Welcome to Serpentine Corp. Do you have an appointment?"

This was it. The first obstacle. Alice kept her voice steady, a subtle annoyance creeping in. "No, I don’t. But I’m here to see Director Bach."

Blank stare.

Alice’s lips thinned. She let a beat pass, then leaned in slightly, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial murmur. "I’m Aurora Malay."

Blank stares.

Wait... for real?

Aurora really wasn’t that popular?

She rolled her eyes, clicking her tongue. "Call him. Tell him Aurora, the heiress to Malay Corporation and daughter of Priscilla Malay, is here. It’s important."

The lady and the other receptionist beside her exchanged a look. The name "Priscilla Malay" seemed to resonate, and the hesitation in their faces was clear. Alice didn’t let up, fixing them with an annoyed, haughty glare that she hoped was convincing. After a tense moment, the receptionist nodded and made the call.

A short, hushed conversation followed. Then the receiver clicked back into place.

When she hung up, her face was a mixture of apology and deference. "Director Bach just stepped out to see a guest out. He should be arriving in the lobby shortly."

Alice tried not to visibly exhale. Her heart thudded in her chest like it had been drop-kicked.

She gave a slow nod, managing a haughty "Finally," before turning to sit on the nearest leather couch like she was mildly irritated and far too important to wait.

But in her head?

Panic.

She wasn’t sure what scared her more, being caught or being believed.

It didn’t take long before she saw him.

Nicholas stepped out of the elevator with a woman beside him. Maybe in her fifties. Maybe older. Expensive. Elegant. Expensive again. The kind of woman who wore her perfume like a weapon and her jewelry like a résumé.

He was smiling at whatever she said, all warm and slightly bashful. The kind of smile that made you feel like you were in on something rare. The woman was blushing, laughing the way rich people did when they were being flattered and pretending to be humble.

It hit Alice all at once.

Nicholas Wildfire was gorgeous.

Not just pretty or hot or book-boyfriend cute. He was better in person. The kind of guy who’d be the cover model of a romance novel if she hadn’t already met Hades... or Hardy... or... as much as she hated to include them, Gavin and Darwin.

But he was different. Clean. Sharp. Soft around the edges. She’d never noticed it in the videos or the security photos. Not like this.

Alice stood as their eyes met.

His smile faltered for a second. Just a flicker.

Good.

He knew her. That was the first confirmation she needed.

The receptionist spoke quickly. "She’s here to see you, Director."

Nicholas’s smile returned. Smoother this time, polished. "Thank you, Dora" he said warmly. "I’ll just see out guest out."

Dora’s face flushed red instantly.

Alice blinked.

He turned back to the woman, still all pleasant charm as he walked her out the door. She touched his arm like she didn’t want to leave, said something flirty (she guessed). He laughed again, this time a little more distantly. Polite. Measured.

This guy seemed... different. Was he seriously Priscilla’s son?

Then he returned. Standing in front of Alice.

God, he was tall too.

"Miss Malay..." He paused, lips twitching. "Or should I say Mrs. Wildfire. It’s a pleasure to have you here."

His tone was so casual. Friendly. She blinked, confused.

Was he pretending not to know her because they were in public? She was sure he knew her. He had to know she was Alice and not Aurora at least right?

She forced a smile. "I was in the area. Thought I’d drop by."

He nodded, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "I appreciate you coming. I hope you haven’t been waiting too long. I apologize for that." He then turned to the receptionist again, "Thank you again, Dora."

Alice looked at her. The lady had just melted into her chair.

Alice observed him.

"Should we head up for a chat?" He asks Alice.

"Sure."

She followed closely behind him.

He held up his pass to a scanner, and the turnstile opened with a soft click. Alice still hesitated, lost in her thoughts. He noticed, holding the button down for her.

She followed him, dazed.

"Hope you haven’t been waiting long," he added as they walked. "I should’ve been down faster. Sorry about that."

At that exact moment, a staff member, a lady, with coffee in hand, completely distracted and ogling him, almost tripped.

He caught her by the elbow, a genuine concern on his face. "Be careful, Grace. Wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself. This department wouldn’t function without you."

The woman, a blush spreading across her face, stammered, "You... you know my name?"

Nicholas laughed softly. "Of course. We’re all a team here. You’re all special."

People were blushing. And not just the girl. Every other woman, and even some men were quietly swooning. A group of interns huddled near a wall like they were watching a K-drama scene unfold in real time.

There was a poster too. On the wall near the elevator.

DIRECTOR OF THE MONTH.

Nicholas’s picture.

Another board underneath it.

12x Winner. 13th Month as Director.

Alice’s jaw almost dropped. Was this guy... normal? Or maybe in this case, abnormal? Because he seemed to perfect.

Was she in the middle of a Nicholas Bach’s fan club meeting?

The elevator dinged.

Nicholas turned to her, still holding the door.

"Miss?"

She hadn’t realized she was staring at the board.

"Oh. Right."

She joined him. The elevator closed. Silence wrapped around them. Thick, still, awkward silence.

He didn’t look at her. She didn’t look at him.

The silence was very uncomfortable. Thankfully, the elevator opened and he stepped out. She stepped out too, following his lead.

As soon as they passed the outer office where a tense, silent secretary glanced up and quickly back down, they moved into the inner sanctum. The door to the director’s office opened with a hushed swoosh, and Nicholas held it for her like a gentleman.

Except that illusion shattered the moment he shut the door behind him.

Alice barely had time to turn before she heard the click of the lock, and suddenly, slam. Her back hit the wall so hard her skull snapped back against it. Pain flared behind her eyes. A choked gasp escaped her lips.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Nicholas snarled, his face inches from hers, his hand flat against the wall beside her head. His eyes were unrecognizable, wild, vicious. "Did you come to threaten me?"

Threaten?

Alice blinked through the ache in her head, a twisted laugh caught in her throat.

Ah, there it was. The darkness. The reason her gut never trusted him fully. She knew he was too good to be true. She’d rather take Hades’ blatant cruelty or Gavin’s pointed jabs than the mask Nicholas had been wearing. The gentle smiles. The calm eyes. The measured tone. This version, this real version, was worse. Creepy. Twisted.

Still, it was what he said that caught her attention.

Threaten.

She wasn’t supposed to be a threat. Not unless...

So he thought she was Aurora?

That made no sense.

But it also made everything make sense.

He didn’t know.

Why didn’t he know she was not Aurora but Alice?

Also, the question implied a pre-existing, non-friendly relationship with Aurora.

Alice fought for breath, trying to push down the panic that wanted to rise in her throat. She narrowed her eyes at him instead, forcing a scowl that wasn’t hard to summon. "What do you think you’re doing right now?"

He blinked.

For the first time, he seemed genuinely taken aback.

Like she wasn’t reacting how he expected her to.

The pressure on her shoulder lessened, and though he didn’t step back, the menace shifted. His brows drew together, not in anger, but something else. Confusion.

"Why are you here?" he repeated, slower this time. "Does Mother know you’re here?"

Mother.

So it was true.

Priscilla did have a son.

A full grown secret son!!!

Alice tried to shove him back, if only to reclaim an inch of air. But his arm still blocked her path.

She was calculating now, adrenaline forcing her brain to move fast. She couldn’t blow her cover. Not now.

She sneered at him. "I told you I was in the area..."

But Nicholas didn’t seem to be listening to her. His gaze lingered, sharp and searching.

Something in her face, her tone, maybe even her scent, was off to him.

"You seem..." he paused, eyes flicking over her with that cold analyst’s stare, "...different."

There it was.

She held his gaze, tight-lipped.

And for a moment, just a moment, something like fear passed through her.

Because Nicholas Bach was not stupid.

And if he could easily tell she was different, just how close had he been with Aurora?