From the driver’s seat, Gai caught Alexander’s eye in the rearview mirror. “I’ll go with you.”

Alexander considered this for a moment, drumming his fingers

thoughtfully against his knee. “Actually, no. Olivia, you’lle

with me instead.”

Both Olivia and Gai were dumbfounded. Olivia’s eyes widened

slightly, while Gai’s grip on the steering wheel tightened.

“The task is fairly straightforward,” Alexander continued, with

a matter–of–fact tone as he looked at Olivia. “It would be a good

experience for you, given that you’re still getting familiar with

how we handle business operations.”

Olivia wanted to decline. But he was her boss. She couldn’t

exactly contradict him without a valid reason or already

scheduled engagement.

So, she just nodded. “Of course, if you think that’s best.”

But it was Gai’s reaction that took the cake. From his position in

the driver’s seat, he slowly began connecting the dots.

It appeared the truth had been staring at him all along, but he’d been too blind to see it. The first time the thought urred to

him, it’d seemed terribly farfetched. However, when he put this

current decision of Alexander’s, coupled with his behavior at

the luncheon, and how his Alpha had taken a knife in the back

for Olivia, there was only one conclusion he coulde to.

There had to be some form of special rtionship between the

two.

As it dawned on him, Gai’s eyes widened. The realization was so

staggering that his hands trembled on the steering wheel.

Before he knew what was happening, the car veered toward

the center line. Gai’s heart pounded as he struggled to maintain

control of both the vehicle and hisposure.

After a brief scolding from his Alpha, Gai kept the car in steady

motion up until they reached the safety of the office.

The moment they came to a stop in front of Green group, Olivia

rushed out of the car and made a beeline for the break room.

ording to the spreadsheet she received earlier, Alexander

was due for another cup of coffee.

But just before she hit the elevator button, Gai caught up to her.

“I’ve got this covered. You should focus on preparing for the

trip.”

Olivia agreed on the spot. Well, she was exhausted and Yve kept nagging at her subconscious to debrief on the entire luncheon.

But Gai didn’t just stop there. Throughout the day, Gai

continued to intercept Olivia’s tasks. Every time she went to do

something for Alexander, Gai was there to ‘help her out.

He organized Alexander’s schedule, prepared his afternoon tea

with the exact amount of sugar Alexander preferred, and even

took over the responsibility of sorting through Alexander’s

correspondence.

It was shocking, but pleasant still. To her, Gai appeared to be

stepping up as a supportive colleague, perhaps recognizing her

need to concentrate on more pressing matters. It was nice to see

that Gai had her back in such a high–paced environment. And

since this was her first day, she greatly appreciated the gesture.

But what she did not know was that wasn’t Gai’s motivation at

all.

The following week passed in a blur. Olivia was busy trying to

understand thepany’s operations. She spent her lunch

breaks with colleagues from different departments, learning

about their processes and building rtionships. Well, as the head of the secretarial department, she had to get to know

them.

It was easier than she thought, as most of the employees were weing and most of the rumors surrounding her had started

to die down.

The only thing that put a damper on her mood was the impending business trip with Alexander. However, her wolf, Yve and Ava did not agree with that sentiment. So much so that

on the eve of the trip, as Olivia filled her luggage with suitable outfits for the trip, Ava started putting ideas in her head.

She was sprawled across the couch painting her nails a vibrant

red color when she began.

“So, let me get this straight, you’re going on a business trip with

your incredibly attractive boss, just the two of you, and that is

what you’re packing?” Ava pointed at the green turtle–neck

sweater Olivia had in her hands.

Olivia looked up. “It’s a business trip, Ava. Not a romantic

getaway!”

“Right, but you’ll be alone together. Come on, Liv. When’s the

“An opportunity for what?”

Ava blew on her finger before answering. “To see if there’s

something more between you two.”

Oliviaughed at that, shaking her head. “Trust me, you don’t

want something to happen between us. Alexander isn’t the kind

of guy who could be easily handled.” She didn’t budge,

effectively throwing Ava out of her apartment when her friend

tried to coach her on subtle flirting techniques.