"Kate has been working as my secretary. Though I hadn’t t her before this, in this short ti I’ve co to admire her," Sage said smoothly, keeping his tone respectful. "Your Majesty, I believe your daughter and I can grow stronger together her success will be mine, and mine will be hers. I’m aware she has reservations about alpha wolves, but I’ll make sure she sees how worthy of love I can be."
Raidan’s sharp gaze narrowed. "Did my daughter tell you she dislikes alphas?"
"Yes," Sage replied without hesitation, deliberately letting the Alpha King know about it. Then, with calmness, he added, "Did His Majesty not know? Perhaps she likes a beta... or an oga. If that’s the case, I will not stand in her way. I would step back rather than force what her heart doesn’t want."
"No, that’s not true," Raidan cut in firmly, his tone leaving no room for doubt. "She is simply adamant about not marrying you. The truth is, Sage, she does not like you."
Sage inclined his head slightly. "Your Majesty, forgive for speaking so boldly... but promises, once made, cannot be broken. If the Alpha King cannot convince his own daughter, then who will believe in the weight of his word?" His voice carried a defiance, the kind that skirted dangerously close to insolence.
"Enough!" William interjected quickly, his face paling. He bowed his head toward Raidan. "Forgive my son for his rudeness, Your Majesty. He speaks out of passion, not disrespect."
"I don’t mind it," Raidan said, lifting a hand dismissively to ease William’s concern. "Sage is absolutely right. I gave you my word, William, and yet I’ve failed to honor it."
"Then grant one month, Your Majesty," Sage pressed. "Allow the chance to win Princess Katelyn’s heart. I’ve placed mine entirely in her hands. There will never be another woman for . If not Katelyn, then not anyone else. I’m serious about her."
Raiden studied him for a long mont, caught between duty and the weight of his promise. At last, he exhaled slowly. "Very well. To deny your father... it does not sit well with either." His gaze sharpened as he leaned forward slightly. "You have one month, Sage. But listen carefully, you are not to tell my daughter of this agreent. If, within that ti, you cannot win her heart willingly... then this promise is void. Do you accept these terms?"
"Wonderful, Your Majesty. I accept it wholeheartedly," Sage replied with a determined glint in his eyes.
"Your Majesty, I’m grateful that you’ve given a chance to my son. He’s truly serious about your daughter," William said, glancing at Sage, who had kept his head low.
"Yes, I can see that. I also want Sage to beco my son-in-law. I hope he wins Kate’s heart soon," Raidan said with a bright smile.
’Sorry, Your Majesty. I’ve to lie to you. But this is the only way Kate can beco mine,’ he thought.
~~~~~
Flora picked up her freshly brewed coffee from the machine, savoring the warmth in her hands. She turned around, only to collide hard against one of her colleagues. The hot liquid sloshed over her chest, searing through the thin fabric of her blouse.
"Ahhh!" she cried, clutching at herself as the scalding pain made her eyes water.
"Oops! My bad," Delphine said carelessly, glancing down at her own shirt. Instead of concern, irritation colored her tone. "Honestly, Flora, can’t you walk straight with your eyes open? Look what you’ve done. You ruined my expensive shirt too."
Flora froze, stunned that Delphine was blaming her. Her burning skin throbbed while Delphine’s words stung just as sharply. From the corner of her eye, she caught two other colleagues stifling their smiles, clearly enjoying the humiliation.
Unable to bear their mocking expressions, Flora pressed her lips together and rushed out of the break room, her chest aching. She hurried into the washroom and locked the door behind her, her hands trembling as she dabbed at the stain with paper towels.
The scald left a red mark beneath her blouse, and as she tried wiping the coffee from the fabric, she realized in despair, it wasn’t going to co out easily.
"Nothing is going my way," Flora whispered to her reflection in the mirror in a trembling voice. "How long do I have to bear this? If I say sothing, it may only backfire on ." Her chest tightened with anxiety, the rapid thundering of her heart echoing in her ears.
She lingered in the washroom until her breathing steadied. Finally, gathering the courage to face the office again, she stepped out. But instead of returning to her desk, she decided to use the remainder of her break to escape the suffocating walls of the company.
Outside, she walked quickly to a nearby cafe. Ordering a coffee, she carried it to a quiet corner, deliberately choosing an isolated table away from the chatter of other custors.
With each slow sip, she tried to untangle the thoughts racing through her head, searching desperately for a way to end the constant humiliation she endured at work because of what she had done to Alie.
Her mont of fragile peace was broken by the sudden buzzing in her pocket. She pulled out her phone, frowning when she saw the unfamiliar number glowing on the screen.
She answered the call and heard a familiar voice.
"Zander?" Flora exclaid with shock.
"How are you?" Zander asked.
"Good," Flora replied. "It’s your new number. Why did you call ?"
"Yeah, I changed my number. I’m in San Ravendale. I thought perhaps I should et you," Zander stated.
"Sure. I’ll be free in the evening. After five... You should tell where to et you," Flora stated.
Zander looked outside the window of her hotel and continued, "Umm... What about the City Center Mall?"
"Okay," Flora replied. "See you then," she added.
"I’ll wait for you," Zander said, hanging up the call.
Flora lowered the phone on the table. A small smile ford on her lips as she suddenly felt better. Zander was a kind of friend, who would appear in her life when she would feel loneliest.
’He is the only one, who despite my flaws understood ,’ Flora thought and slowly took a sip again.
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