Chapter 23
“Oh. I’m so sorry!” I exclaimed, looking flustered. “I didn’t mean grab
Silas shook his head, brushing it off with a smile. “Don’t worry about it. I’m
hard.”
I pulled a small pink band aid from my purse. “Here,” I said, gently applying it to the
Silas chuckled, watching me with amused eyes. “You’re always so thoughtful,”
mark. “Just in case.”
He began eating his meal, and I took a sip from the coffee cup
on
his desk, leaving
behind a faint lipstick stain on the rim.
was a small, deliberate mark–one that would speak volumes when arrived. Silas didn’t notice, too absorbed in his food, but when he glanced up he saw the coffee stain on the corner of my mouth.
“You’ve got a little something,” he said, reaching out
wipe
His fingers brushed against my lips, lingering for a expression–the hesitation, the pull.
darkened slightly, and I saw the shift in his
He was so close, closer than he had ever been before. His hand moved from my lips to my cheek, and for a brief second, I thought he might actually
kiss me.
But then I heard it. The unmistakable sound of heels clicking sharply against the floor outside the office.
I barely managed to push Silas away before his lips could brush mine. My heart pounded in my chest, but I kept my composure. I couldn’t let Lena walk in on us in that compromising position–not yet.
Not when I hadn’t fully laid out all the pieces of my plan.
“I just remembered something urgent at the office,” I said quickly, grabbing my bag. I offered him a quick, apologetic smile, feeling his confused gaze follow me as I rushed out the door. “I’ll see you later. Enjoy the lunch!”
Without waiting for his response, I slipped out of the office and hurried down the hallway. But I didn’t leave. Instead, I ducked behind a large green plant just outside his door, crouching low enough to remain hidden while still keeping an eye on the entrance.
My breath came in short, excited bursts. It was only a matter of time before Lena would show up, and I wasn’t going to miss the show.
Sure enough, it didn’t take long. The sound of her sharp heels clicked against the polished floor, growing louder as she approached Silas’s office.
I bit my lip to suppress the grin that threatened to break across my face. Right on time. She stormed in, pushing the door open with more force than
necessary.
From my hiding spot, I could just make out the outline of her rigid posture as she stood frozen in the middle of the room, surveying the scene.
I imagined her eyes falling on the love bento I had so carefully prepared for Silas, neatly arranged on the desk like a taunt. Then, she would see the lipstick stain on the coffee cup, the one I had left there intentionally, and the real fireworks would begin.
I heard the crash before I saw it–the sound of the coffee cup shattering against the floor. Lena’s voice, filled with fury, rang out, demanding answers.
“What the hell is this, Silas?” she snapped, her tone high–pitched and accusatory.
“Calm down, Lena,” Silas replied, sounding bewildered. “It’s just a cup.”
“Just a cup?” she echoed, her voice trembling with rage. “There’s lipstick on it, Silas. Lipstick!”
I could imagine the way her eyes blazed, how she pointed to the cup like it was evidence in a murder trial.
Silas, to his credit, tried to stay calm. “It’s nothing,” he said, reaching for the cup, but before he could grab it, Lena’s gaze zeroed in on his hand.
And there it was–the pink band–aid I had so sweetly applied to the scratch I’d left. Her eyes widened, and for a moment, there was stunned silence. I held my breath, waiting for the explosion.
It came swiftly.
12:29
Alpha’s Regret: Magnificent Return of the Rejected Luna
49.1%
Chapter 23
Lena’s scream of rage echoed through the office as she slammed the shattered pieces of the coffee cup to the ground and swept the lunch box off the desk in one violent motion. Food scattered across the floor, and Silas’s calm façade cracked as he stared at her in disbelief.
“What are you doing?” he demanded, his voice sharp, but Lena was far beyond listening.
“You’ve been with another woman, haven’t you?” she spat, her eyes flashing with accusation. “There’s a woman’s hair on your shirt! And you’re wearing a shirt and tie I’ve never seen before!”
I had to bite down hard on my lip to stop from laughing.
The shirt and tie were both gifts from me, carefully selected to stir up exactly this kind of reaction.
As for the hair, well, I had placed it there on purpose, a single strand of my own, barely noticeable but enough for Lena’s eagle eyes to catch. Everything was falling into place perfectly.
Bena, you’re being paranoid,” Silas said, his tone turning defensive. “There’s no other woman.’
She wasn’t listening. Her eyes were wild as she grabbed his hand, pointing furiously at the pink band–aid. “And what about this?” she demanded, her voice shaking with fury. “A woman put this on you, didn’t she?”
