The Alpha's Billion-dollar Legacy

The Howl beneath the surface

Chapter Five

The office felt emptier by the second. One by one, my coworkers packed up their desks and shuffled out the door, their footsteps echoing in the silence. Only Aliyah, a couple of others, and I remained. The fluorescent lights buzzed faintly above, the only sound accompanying the low hum of the air conditioning. I leaned back in my chair, watching as the two security guards did their usual sweep, locking up offices and switching off unnecessary lights.

I wasn’t in any rush. My shift stretched into the night, and I was resigned to another round of schematics and balance sheets. I pulled out my notepad, scribbling some notes, when movement outside the window caught my eye. Flashlights—security doing their rounds outside the building. I smirked. They acted like this place was Fort Knox.

Then I saw it. My chest tightened.

Eve’s car.

I groaned quietly, my fist curling against the desk. “She’s here already?” I muttered under my breath, feeling the frustration bubble up. The sleek black car glided through the gates, stopping smoothly as a guard approached her.

I turned away from the window and yanked the curtains shut, trying to shut her out of my mind.

“Hey!”

The voice startled me so badly I banged my head against the window. I spun around to see Aliyah standing there, her brow furrowed, her gaze switching between me and the curtain.

“What’s with you?” she asked, stepping closer. “You’ve been acting weird ever since you went outside with the boss earlier. Are you... drunk?” She sniffed the air around me like she could smell alcohol or, worse, guilt.

“What? No! Of course not,” I snapped.

She tilted her head, unconvinced. “Then what’s up? Spill.”

I hesitated, but her stubborn look told me I wasn’t getting out of this. Sighing, I gestured for her to come closer. “Fine, look at the window. You’ll see what I’m dealing with.”

I pulled the curtain back just enough for her to see. Eve was leaning against her car, laughing with one of the guards like she didn’t have a care in the world.

Aliyah’s face lit up. “Oh, nice ride! Did you scratch it or something? Is that why you’re freaking out?”

“Not the car, Aliyah. Look at her,” I said, my voice laced with frustration.

Aliyah squinted, her expression shifting to one of mild interest. “The girl?” She shrugged. “She’s cute. A little over-the-top with the fishnets, but not bad.”

I groaned. “Her dad owns this bank.”

Her head whipped toward me, her eyes wide. “You’re kidding.”

“Wish I was,” I muttered.

Aliyah’s mouth opened and closed as she tried to process it. “Okay, and? What’s the big deal?”

I sat down heavily, running a hand through my hair. “She’s been... following me. Ever since I helped her out with some trouble, she’s been showing up with gifts, favors, and now this. I’m not interested, but she won’t take the hint.”

Aliyah leaned back, folding her arms. “So, let me get this straight. A gorgeous, rich woman is throwing herself at you, and you’re... mad about it?”

“It’s not like that,” I snapped, my jaw tightening. “I don’t trust her. People like her don’t do things without a reason.”

Before Aliyah could reply, Sam’s voice echoed across the room. “Auston! The boss is on the phone. Wants to talk to you now!”

I shot Aliyah a grim look before striding over to the phone. The conversation was brief—too brief. When I hung up, my jaw clenched so hard I thought my teeth might crack.

“What’s wrong now?” Aliyah asked as I returned.

I exhaled sharply. “The boss just called to tell me the night shift’s canceled. He said Eve requested it.”

Aliyah blinked, then grinned. “Well, that’s great! No night shift for us. See? Win-win.”

I scowled. “Win-win? She’s manipulating everything around me!”

Aliyah shrugged, grabbing her bag. “Maybe she’s just trying to get your attention. You ever think about that?”

I didn’t have a chance to respond before she headed out, leaving me alone with my frustration.

---

By the time I stepped outside, Eve was leaning against her car, her arms crossed, that ever-present smirk on her face.

“C’mon,” she said, her voice teasing. “Not even a hello?”

I stuffed my hands in my pockets, staring at her. “What do you want?”

Her smile didn’t falter. “I told your manager to let you off early. The least you could do is thank me.”

I clenched my jaw. “You can’t keep doing this.”

“Doing what?” She tilted her head, genuinely curious.

“Showing up. Controlling everything. Acting like—”

“Like what?” she interrupted. “Like I care?”

The words caught me off guard, and for a moment, I didn’t know how to respond. She opened the car door and gestured inside. “Come on. Let me take you to dinner. We need to talk.”

Reluctantly, I climbed into the car, my mind a storm of conflicting thoughts.

---

The restaurant was fancier than anything I’d been to in years. The kind of place where even breathing felt expensive. As soon as we were seated, the scent of roasted meats and rich sauces hit me like a wave, making my stomach growl loudly.

Eve raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at her lips. “Hungry?”

“No,” I lied, my tone clipped.

She rolled her eyes and ordered for both of us. When the food arrived, it looked like art on a plate, and I couldn’t stop myself. I ate, hating how good it tasted, hating that she was watching me like she’d already won.

Finally, I set my fork down and glared at her. “Why are you doing this? What do you want from me?”

She leaned back, her expression softening. “I just want you to listen. My name is Eve Rodriguez. My father owns this bank, sure, but that’s not who I am. You don’t know my story, Auston. And I want you to.”

Her voice was calm, her eyes searching mine for something I couldn’t quite place. I wanted to argue, to tell her I didn’t care, but something about her tone stopped me.

For the first time, I saw something raw behind her polished exterior. Something... human. Or maybe, something that mirrored the wildness I fought to keep buried.