Chapter 139

Evaline:
“That you can’t pretend to be anyone but you for more than just a few seconds.”
The second those words left my mouth, the air in the office seemed to tighten.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed his fingers stilling where they were tapping against the side of his chair. The gleam in his eyes, the one that had begun to return just moments ago, was now narrowed with intensity.
His voice was quieter when he asked, “What is that supposed to mean?”
I didn’t look up from my paperwork. “You know exactly what it means.”
“I want to hear it from you,” he said in a slightly sharper tone, it was edged with that signature Rogue Alpha demand. “Explain yourself, Evaline.”
I met his gaze only briefly, then calmly returned to my notes. “Not in the mood to play twenty questions today.”
His jaw flexed. He was clearly not used to being dismissed so casually, especially not by someone like me. A month ago, I might have frozen. Even a week ago, I might have tried to hold myself from pushing him too much. But today, I was feeling oddly in control.
Just as his mouth parted again, probably to press the matter further, my phone started buzzing on the desk between us. I glanced at it and saw my lunch reminder flashing across the screen.
Saved by the bell.
“I have to go,” I said, rising to my feet and grabbing my phone. “Lunch hour.”
He didn’t say anything as I walked past him, but I was able to feel the weight of his stare all the way to the door.
– – –
The cafeteria wasn’t crowded, thank the stars.
I grabbed a tray and a simple lunch – roasted vegetables, rice, and soup – before finding a quiet spot near the far windows. My head was still throbbing lightly and I was in no mood to be social.
While I ate, I thought back to what I had said. I hadn’t planned to poke at him, but something about him pretending to be indifferent when I could see through him… It made my fingers itch.
He wore his power like armor, but last night, for a flickering moment, the armor had cracked. Beneath the cold confidence, I had seen something human. And now he hated that I had noticed.
After lunch, I returned to the office expecting more tension or confrontation. But surprisingly, he didn’t bring it up again. Instead, he handed me a file folder with a few reports that needed reviewing and a note on what he wanted highlighted.
Then he busied himself with calls and paperwork, the way a proper Alpha King should.
There were no smug remarks. No cryptic insults. Just quiet professionalism.
It was almost disappointing.
By late afternoon, around four, I received a call from an unfamiliar number. The person on the other end introduced herself as one of the delivery staff from the dry cleaning store.
“I’m here at the lobby to deliver your item, miss,” she said politely.
“Be right down,” I replied and hung up.
When I reached the lobby, the woman handed me the familiar garment bag. The dress was now freshly cleaned and folded with perfect care. I thanked her, signed the delivery note, and carried it upstairs with a sigh. It was finally time to return the last of it.
Back in the office, I grabbed the bag with the heels and the box containing the jewelry from the cabinet behind my desk, then walked over to River’s desk.
He was flipping through some documents, but the second I placed the items on his desk, he looked up with a frown.
“All of the stuff are here,” I said while pointing at the bags.
He studied the bags, then leaned back in his chair. “They are yours now.”
I blinked. “No, I’m returning them.”
“They are yours,” he repeated, now with that exasperating calm of his. “Consider it your bonus for accompanying me to the dinner.”
I folded my arms. “You already promised me double salary for that.”
He smirked. “Then consider it… gratitude. For ensuring I reached the hotel and was sleeping in the penthouse safely.”
I gave him a flat look. “I still won’t accept them. They are way too expensive.”
That earned me a raised brow, but only for a second. He leaned forward and nudged the bags back toward me.
“I mean it,” he said as his gaze held mine. “I owe you.”
I let out a short breath. “You really don’t.”
“Evaline.”
My name, it was spoken like a warning but sounded almost… tender.
“I appreciate the gesture,” I said, carefully. “But I don’t want things I didn’t earn.”
He narrowed his gaze. “You didearn them.”
“I didn’t do it for rewards,” I said firmly. “I just didn’t want you passed out in some hotel with dozens of people eyeing you like you were their prey for the night.”
We locked eyes in a tense silence.
Then, finally, he sighed and picked up the smaller jewelry box. He held it between us, studied the label, and said, “The boutique doesn’t take returns.”
I blinked. “Then donate them.”
“Evaline.”
I hated how easily he said my name. Hated how it almost always softened my resolve.
“If you won’t keep them,” he continued, “then throw them away. I don’t need them, and I’m not interested in bartering over a pair of heels.”
“You are seriously going to waste-” ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ.net
“They are yours,” he cut me off, his tone final.
And that was the end of it.
I stared at the bags, still sitting stubbornly on the edge of his desk, and realized he meant it. He really wasn’t going to take them back.
I grabbed them slowly and turned to walk back to my desk, muttering under my breath, “You are impossible.”
He didn’t deny it.
I carefully placed the items in the cabinet. They were looking more like trophies than gifts.
I didn’t want them. Not really. Not when they came with a night full of unwanted memories – awkward hotel room chaos, an accidental headbutt, and a glimpse into a man I still didn’t fully understand.
But throwing them away wasn’t an option either.
So, for now, I was keeping them.