The Exiled Alpha's Human Male Mate.[BL]

It was a hotel, though far more expansive than Bryce had expected. The lower floors housed a busy dining area where guests and visitors filled the tables, while the middle floors contained several boardrooms designed for meetings and corporate gatherings.

The upper levels were reserved for private rooms where guests could stay and rest.

By the time Vincent and Bryce reached the room where the meeting was being held, Gemshine had already presented its work.

Several men in suits were exchanging handshakes, apparently bringing the meeting to an end.

Bryce immediately recognized Gemshine’s CEO, though everyone else in the room was unfamiliar to him.

The man looked even more impressive in person, so polished and striking that Bryce found himself wondering why the CEOs of these companies always seemed to look so good.

Was looking attractive somehow part of the job requirement?

The moment the man’s eyes settled on Bryce, they stayed there.

He stared without the slightest attempt to hide it, and Bryce was caught off guard when Vincent stepped directly in front of him, effectively blocking the man’s view.

Bryce almost scoffed.

Vincent was pretending as though he had done nothing, but Bryce knew exactly what he was trying to accomplish.

"Mr. Walker, from everything I’ve heard about you and from the encounters we’ve had, I’ve never known you to be a latecomer. You’re always on time."

A man rose from his seat as he spoke, gathering the papers scattered across the table, clearly preparing to leave.

"We’ve waited for you for quite some time, and we’ve decided to cancel the meeting because we can no longer afford to wait. The meeting is adjourned."

Vincent didn’t appear bothered by the announcement. He showed no urgency whatsoever, which left Bryce wondering whether he intended to use his abilities or whether he was simply that confident even after being told that the meeting had been cancelled.

"Mr. Ashton, the fact that you know I’m never late, and that you’ve personally seen how punctual I usually am, shouldn’t that tell you that something serious must have happened for me to be late for the first time?"

Vincent spoke with remarkable composure as he approached the man and extended his hand.

Mr. Ashton accepted it.

He proceeded to greet the others in the same manner, offering each of them a handshake, except for the Gemshine president.

He intentionally ignored the man’s extended hand before taking his seat.

What the hell? Bryce thought.

He followed Vincent’s lead, greeting the men around the table, including the Gemshine president, unlike Vincent, who had simply ignored him.

He couldn’t help wondering why Vincent had deliberately snubbed the man.

Enemies, obviously.

But why make it so blatant?

Vincent’s arrogance in that moment was almost astonishing.

Bryce was about to take the seat beside him when Vincent stopped him. His tone gentle and composed.

"No. You go to the front. You have some work to do, remember?"

Bryce reluctantly moved toward the front.

"What could possibly have happened to make you this late that I had to fly overseas and arrive before you?"

The Gemshine president’s voice carried open hostility as he fixed Vincent with a hard stare.

"Mr. Ashton, you’ve already seen something you consider impressive and original. Trust your judgment. This man doesn’t deserve any more of your time after keeping you waiting this long, especially when he clearly doesn’t even look apologetic about arriving lat..."

"I apologize, Mr. Ashton, for keeping you waiting."

Vincent cut in before he could finish, then turned toward the Gemshine president.

"And Mr. Rivers, why are you speaking so strongly against me? Are you afraid that once Mr. Ashton sees what we have to present, he’ll abandon your work altogether?"

Mr. Rivers’s expression darkened.

Vincent paid him little attention and turned back toward Mr. Ashton.

"Something Mr. Rivers is so determined to prevent you from seeing must be worth your attention, especially if he’s afraid it might make you change your mind. You should see this, Mr. Ashton."

His confidence was almost infuriating.

"Our presentation is of exceptional quality, but it will only take a few minutes of your time. So please, have a seat."

Mr. Ashton looked conflicted.

For a moment, it seemed as though he was weighing whether to object or simply leave. Before he could make his decision, Vincent took out the integrated tablet and projected their design onto the large screen at the front of the room.

The reaction was immediate, with several people gasping in surprise.

Bryce watched as attention snapped toward the design, the room suddenly filled with quiet murmurs and impressed expressions.

Vincent leaned back slightly, a satisfied smirk appearing on his face as though he had known precisely what reaction it would provoke.

"Begin, Mr. Jones."

Bryce swallowed.

For a moment, the pressure threatened to overwhelm him, but as his eyes settled on the design, his thoughts gradually quieted, and the details he knew so well took over.

His confidence returned, allowing him to begin the presentation without letting the tension in the room affect him.

Vincent controlled the presentation while Bryce delivered the explanations with clarity and confidence, guiding the room through every aspect of the design until they finally reached the end.

Mr. Ashton remained composed throughout, but the approval in his expression was impossible to miss.

"What can I say? It’s impressive," he finally admitted.

Excitement surged through Bryce at the words, and when he glanced toward Vincent, he found him smiling genuinely at him.

The sight caught Bryce off guard, making his heart skip for a brief second before he forced himself to look away.

"It’s not that Mr. Rivers’ work isn’t impressive. It is. It follows everything we were looking for in this trophy, but this one stands out. I’m sorry, Mr. Rivers, but I’ll have to change my decision. But since your design still offers a fresh perspective and was good enough to make us seriously consider it, you can keep it for next year while you gather more ideas. That doesn’t mean it’s not good enough now. It simply means we’ve decided to go with this one."

Mr. Rivers’ fingers curled tightly at his sides, his expression hardening as the veins along his temples became prominent, but he said nothing.

"You can sign a contract with us for next year’s design, that way, you’ll have the assurance that we’ll seriously consider your work again next year." Mr. Ashton added.

Mr. Rivers nodded stiffly.

"Mr. Walker, could I have a word with you?"

"Of course."

Vincent rose and followed Mr. Ashton toward the far end of the room.

Bryce remained seated for a moment, but his mind had already returned to the plan he had been forming all morning.

This was his opportunity.

While Vincent was occupied with Mr. Ashton, he could leave.

The only problem was how to disappear without making Vincent suspicious.

He could simply tell him that he’d gone to the washroom, Vincent seemed unusually attentive to him today, and Bryce wasn’t certain how quickly he would notice his absence.

He pulled out his phone and prepared to send Vincent a message as he stood up, but Mr. Rivers approached at that moment, smoothly stepping into his path with a broad smile.

"I’ve always wondered what was behind Luminous’ impressive creations over the years. Turns out, it’s you." He gestured toward Vincent. "Of course, it can’t be him. He’s only good at arrogance. We can agree on that, can’t we?"

Bryce’s expression tightened.

"I must say, you’re a remarkably talented young man, Mr. Jones."

The compliment did nothing for Bryce, instead, irritation stirred inside him at the casual insult directed toward Vincent.

Vincent might not have been a designer, but without his strategies, his decisions, and everything else he brought to Luminous, would the company really have grown into what it was?

Vincent didn’t seem to use his supernatural abilities to manipulate people during business dealings.

If he did, he could have used them today and ended the entire competition without allowing anyone to object.

And who had decided Vincent couldn’t design?

Mr. Rivers’s words made Bryce understand Vincent’s hostility toward him a little better, and he could see why Vincent chose to ignore the man, so Bryce decided to do the same.

Without acknowledging the compliment or the insult, he stepped aside and attempted to walk past him, only for Rivers to move into his path again.

Bryce glanced toward Vincent.

He could see that Vincent was watching them, his attention clearly on them despite Mr. Ashton speaking to him. Whatever conversation they were having, Vincent wasn’t listening to it at all.

"Did I offend you?" Rivers asked.

Bryce remained silent.

"I apologize. Sometimes my mouth runs ahead of my judgment and doesn’t know when to stop."

For some reason, the apology sounded genuine.

"Let’s start again." He extended his hand. "I’m Griffin Rivers."

Bryce hesitated, staring at the offered hand as he considered whether to accept it, but before he could decide, Vincent appeared beside them.

The suddenness of his arrival made Bryce look toward Mr. Ashton. The man was standing motionless at the other end of the room.

Bryce’s eyes widened slightly as he recognized what Vincent had done to him.

"Mr. Rivers," Vincent said.

His voice remained calm, but the restrained anger beneath it was unmistakable.

"I hear you’re openly gay. Unfortunately, Mr. Jones is already taken. And if your interest is business with him, you should also understand that he’s already occupied. He works for the greatest company in the industry, so don’t assume your little offers will persuade him to let you buy him. He’s not that cheap."

Bryce stared at Vincent blankly.

Rivers looked amused rather than intimidated.

"At least I’m openly gay, not hiding myself in the closet because I’m afraid of what people might think of me."

Rivers continued without giving Vincent a chance to respond.

"What about you, Walker? You married a woman when your desires clearly lie elsewhere?"

Bryce’s eyes widened slightly.

"Oh, and does Mr. Jones know how interested you are in him? How obsessed you are? Or are you just pretending to work with him while using every excuse you can find to keep him close?"

Vincent’s expression hardened.

"I can read you like an open book, you know."

Rivers turned his attention toward Bryce.

"Just a piece of advice, Mr. Jones. A man who keeps you hidden will never be the perfect man for you. Don’t keep telling yourself he’ll change one day. If he’s willing to hide you now, he’ll keep hiding you forever, especially when he’s married, worse... to a woman, and you’ll waste your time waiting for him to become someone he has no intention of being."

Rivers delivered the entire speech without pausing for breath.

Bryce barely absorbed the supposed advice.

Instead, one thought kept circling through his mind.

The man really didn’t know when to stop.

And Vincent was clearly angry now.

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