Alpha's Secret Bride

Scarlet was making her way down the street when she heard a voice call her name.

"Scarlet!"

She stopped and glanced over her shoulder.

One of her neighbors stood outside his house, lifting a hand with a warm smile. The gray-haired man was well into his sixties, and every time their paths crossed, he never failed to greet her.

Scarlet smiled back and gave him a small wave.

"Moonrise," she called before turning around and continuing down the busy street. People moved past her in every direction as she quietly made the rest of the journey on foot.

By the time she reached the coffee shop, she was already late.

A wave of relief washed over her when she realized Gregory had already left.

The moment Ama looked up and saw her, the smile on her face disappeared. Scarlet’s steps slowed.

"Moonrise, Ama," she greeted softly.

Ama didn’t return the greeting.

"Scarlet, come to my duty chamber. Now."

Without another word, Ama turned and walked away.

Scarlet followed in silence.

As she passed the counter, she noticed several of her coworkers looking at her before quickly looking away. No one said a word.

Her stomach tightened.

Eira came here.

The thought settled heavily in her chest as she continued behind Ama.

Ama stepped into her duty chamber and waited until Scarlet entered.

"Please, have a seat," she said, pointing to the visitor’s chair.

Scarlet lowered herself into the seat and folded her hands in her lap.

Ama remained standing for a moment before taking her own seat behind the desk.

"You were late today," she said.

"I’m sorry." Scarlet lowered her eyes. "I walked here today."

"You didn’t take a cab?"

Scarlet shook her head.

"No. I just... wanted to walk."

Ama studied her quietly for a few seconds.

"Gregory..."

Scarlet’s fingers tightened around each other beneath the desk. The moment Ama mentioned Gregory, her heart dropped, and she lowered her eyes to her lap.

So this was why she called me in.

"What is it?" Ama asked, studying her face.

Scarlet quickly shook her head.

"Nothing."

Ama leaned back in her chair and let out a weary sigh before folding her hands on the desk.

"Gregory had an argument with the manager this moonrise. I was so upset that I fired him. He had no right to call one of our customers, especially one of our oldest customers, ’an arrogant billionaire.’"

Scarlet’s eyes widened in surprise.

"What?" she asked. "He actually called him that?"

Ama gave a slow nod.

"He did. Gregory got angry and walked out."

Scarlet lowered her gaze again. Her lips parted as she searched for the right words.

"Um... I..."

Before she could continue, Ama leaned forward with a small smile.

"I want you to take over as the new manager."

Scarlet looked up at her.

"I’ll increase your salary," Ama continued. "You’ll also have an official car."

Scarlet stared at her in silence. The envelope she had carried all moonrise suddenly felt heavier in her hands. She swallowed hard, ran her thumb over its edge, then slowly placed it on the desk between them.

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a brief moment, and gathered the courage she had been trying to find since leaving home.

"I want to resign," she said softly.

Ama’s smile disappeared.

"Scarlet..."

"I’m sorry," Scarlet whispered.

She gently pushed the envelope across the desk.

"This is my resignation letter."

She rose from the chair before the tears filling her eyes could spill over. She had barely taken a step when Ama hurried around the desk and caught her wrist.

"Scarlet..." Ama’s voice was quiet now, almost pleading. She searched Scarlet’s face before asking, "Did I do something wrong?"

"No."

Ama searched her face for a moment before asking another question.

"Did Cassara say something to you?"

She slowly shook her head.

"No."

"Did any of my customers insult you?"

"No."

Ama let out a quiet sigh and rested both hands on her hips.

"Then what is it, Scarlet?"

She looked away. Her fingers tightened around the handkerchief she was holding.

"It’s personal," she said after a long pause. "I don’t want to talk about it."

Ama was silent for a few seconds. Then she gave a small nod.

"Alright." Her voice softened. "When everything is sorted out... will you come back?"

Scarlet looked at her and nodded.

"Yes."

She dabbed the corners of her eyes with her handkerchief, managed a faint smile, then turned and walked out of the chamber.

A few minutes later, she stood outside the coffee shop, waiting for a cab to take her home.

The familiar black luxury car rolled to a stop beside her.

The passenger window slid down, revealing Eira’s smiling face.

"You really are a good girl with a stubborn streak," Eira said with a satisfied smile. "Come on. Get in. I’ll take you home."

Before Scarlet could respond, a taxi pulled over in front of her.

She walked past Eira’s car without a word, opened the taxi door, and climbed inside.

The cab pulled away, leaving Eira’s smile slowly fading as she watched it disappear down the road.

"Good," she murmured. "I don’t want anyone coming between Gregory and me. He’s mine, and no one is taking him away."

A soft laugh escaped her. She started the engine and drove off, certain Scarlet would never stand in her way again.

What Eira didn’t know was that she had paid Draven, Amaris’s manager, to provoke Gregory and keep him away from the coffee shop. The first part of her plan had succeeded, but the second had failed. Gregory hadn’t stopped coming. If anything, he visited even more often and had gone so far as to persuade Ama to promote Scarlet to manager.

The smile on Eira’s face only grew wider, completely unaware that her plan had backfired.

Scarlet walked to the closet and quietly took out her clothes. One by one, she folded them and packed them into a small travel bag. When she finished, she looked around the apartment. Most of her belongings were still there, but she couldn’t bring herself to pack everything.

She zipped the bag shut, picked it up, and walked to the door.

"I’ll come back for the rest later," she murmured to herself.

After locking the apartment, she slipped the key into her purse and walked away without looking back.

She still had enough money in her account to rent another apartment, but finding a new place could take several days. Rather than rush into another lease, she checked into a nearby resting den.

Inside the chamber, she dropped her bag onto a chair and slowly lowered herself onto the bed. The silence wrapped around her. She reached for a pillow, pulled it tightly against her chest, and buried her face in it.

The tears she had been holding back all day finally came.

Her shoulders shook as she cried until her eyes burned. The dark thoughts she had been pushing away for weeks crept back into her mind. This time, she didn’t argue with them. She lay there, staring at nothing, letting them crowd every corner of her thoughts until exhaustion finally pulled her into sleep.

When she opened her eyes again, the chamber was dim.

She reached for her device and frowned at the time.

4:29 PM.

Her screen was filled with missed calls.

Seven were from Gregory.

The others were from her coworkers. She didn’t need anyone to tell her why they had called.

A few seconds later, the device began to ring again.

Gregory.

She stared at his name until the ringing stopped. Then she held the power button and switched the device off. The chamber fell silent once more.

That same Monday, Gregory left work earlier than usual and arrived home shortly after four in the moonfall.

He had been looking forward to seeing Scarlet all day.

When he stopped by the coffee shop that moonrise, she hadn’t been there. He had called her again around noon, but she never answered.

As he stepped out of his car, he pulled out his device and glanced at the missed calls on the screen. His brow furrowed. After a brief pause, he slipped the device back into his pocket and headed inside, unable to shake the uneasy feeling that something was wrong.

The moment Gregory’s car pulled into the driveway, Eira hurried out of the house.

Gregory usually didn’t return until six in the moonfall. He always spent time at Ama’s coffee shop after work before heading home. Seeing him arrive so early made Eira’s pulse quicken.

Did Scarlet tell him everything?

She searched his face as he stepped out of the car. There was worry in his eyes, but no anger.

Relief washed over her.

Without another thought, she ran to him and threw her arms around him.

Gregory reacted quickly, wrapping an arm around her waist to steady her before she lost her balance.

"Easy," he said with a small smile.

"You came home so early." Eira beamed as she reached for his briefcase. "That’s not like you."

Gregory let her take it before closing the car door.

"Yeah." He sighed. "I’m worried about my moonally. She’s going through a difficult time, and I haven’t seen or spoken to her since this moonrise."

Eira glanced at him.

"Which moonally?"

"The one who came here yesterday."

Recognition flashed across Eira’s face.

"Oh..." She paused for a beat before curling her lip. "That gold digger?"

Gregory’s head snapped toward her.

"Don’t ever call her that again."

Eira stared at him.

For the first time, she saw something in his eyes that had never been there before.

And it terrified her.

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