"What's wrong? Do you have any objections?"
Alaric’s voice was calm, yet laced with unmistakable contempt. He leaned back against the leather couch, his gaze sweeping over Adina with slow, deliberate scrutiny—searching for something, dissecting her with nothing more than his eyes.
"I thought Omegas like you—bottom feeders of society—were born without a sense of shame."
Adina’s breath hitched. The words sliced through her like a knife, but she wasn’t sure which part of her they wounded the most.
Alaric, however, barely spared her another glance. As if she wasn’t worth the effort. Instead, he turned away, picked up the black wallet from the coffee table, and flipped it open.
The manager beside him signaled to the security guards. "Take her away."
"Wait," Alaric interrupted before they could move. His gaze flickered to Caleb. "Where is it?"
Caleb hesitated. "Where’s what?"
"You know exactly what I’m talking about. Hand it over."
Caleb exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ladies, hurry up and return whatever it is before this gets worse." His gaze flicked to Adina—calm, eerily so. That was the problem. He could smell trouble on her. The other girl? The one still sniffling and clinging to the doorway? She wasn’t the one they should be worried about.
"I didn’t take anything from the wallet," Adina said, her voice steady, certain.
Alaric’s cold stare settled on her. "There was a button inside."
Silence fell over the room.
Adina frowned. "A… button?" She had no idea what the hell he was talking about. Even if there had been one, what was the big deal?
"Give it back."
Alaric grabbed the collar of her dress, yanking her toward him. His fingers curled around the fabric, his grip firm but not yet bruising. His eyes burned with something unreadable—sharp, dissecting, lethal.
Adina’s pulse thundered in her ears. "I didn’t touch anything in your damn wallet! I don’t know what button you’re talking about!"
A sudden voice cut through the tension. "If it was white, I… I saw it," Maeve stammered from the doorway, her voice barely above a whisper.
Alaric’s head snapped toward her. "And?"
Maeve swallowed. "I thought it was useless, so… I threw it into the wine pool."
Adina exhaled sharply. Shit.
Alaric’s fingers tightened on her collar for a fraction of a second before he let go. Without warning, he yanked her forward and dragged her out of the room.
"Clear the club." His voice was quiet, yet it carried an undeniable command.
Within minutes, Pony Bar, once pulsing with music and neon lights, fell into an eerie silence. The crowd vanished, leaving behind only the scent of alcohol and the lingering remnants of chaos.
Adina’s stomach twisted as she was pulled to a stop beside the massive wine pool in the center of the club. The whiskey shimmered under the dim lights—an expensive, extravagant waste. The kind of indulgence only the absurdly wealthy could afford.
"Go down and look," Alaric ordered.
Adina’s heart pounded.
No.
She had nearly drowned once before. A freak accident. Since then, even the sight of a swimming pool sent a cold sweat down her spine. And now?
Alaric shoved her.
Adina didn’t even have time to scream. One moment she was standing on solid ground, the next she was plunging into the deep abyss of amber liquid.
The whiskey burned her throat, filled her lungs. She kicked wildly, her body flailing, but there was no bottom. No foothold. Just liquid suffocating her, pulling her under.
She was drowning.
Again.
No one would save her.
She had learned that a long time ago.
But she wasn’t the same girl anymore.
Adina clenched her fists, forcing her panicked body to fight. She thrashed, trying to keep herself afloat, trying—
A hand shot up from beneath the surface for a split second before vanishing again.
Alaric’s pupils dilated.
"Pull her up." His voice was sharp, edged with something unreadable.
Two men in black rushed forward, plunging into the pool and dragging Adina out. Her body collapsed onto the floor, coughing, heaving, whiskey pouring from her mouth.
Alaric crouched beside her, gaze locked on the small object clutched between her fingers. He pried it from her grasp—a white button, soaked in whiskey.
His frown deepened. It wasn’t the one he was looking for.
His gaze traveled lower. Her collar was missing a button.
So, she had played him.
Even now, soaking wet, half-conscious, she had tried to outmaneuver him.
Interesting.
"Want me to clean this up?" Kaia, his Beta, asked indifferently.
Alaric stood, his expression unreadable. His fingers curled around the button in his palm. "Have you checked her background?"
"The file’s on your desk."
He glanced down at her again—at the face that was undeniably beautiful, the lips still slightly parted from gasping for breath.
"Tell her to bring my watch to headquarters by eleven tomorrow morning," he said coolly. "I want to see what else she’s capable of."
Then, without another word, he walked away.
---
Maeve stirred awake just as Caleb finished giving instructions to take Adina to a private room.
"Where’s Adina?" she asked, still groggy.
Caleb gestured toward the black sofa in the dimly lit room. Adina was curled up there, barely moving.
"She passed out," he said. "She’ll be fine. Oh, and tell her—she better bring that watch to Yue Da’s top floor office before eleven."
With that, he left.
Maeve bit her lip, guilt washing over her. "Adina, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know it was him."
Adina’s eyes fluttered open. She exhaled slowly. "It’s fine. Just bad luck."
But the glint in her eyes was anything but defeated.
"I’ll get it back from him sooner or later," she murmured, a wicked smile curling on her lips.
---
The Next Morning
Adina walked into the grand office building, the watch tucked inside her pocket.
"Right on time," Kaia noted, leading her toward the elevator.
As the doors opened, Adina came face to face with a woman.
A woman who glared at her like she was filth.
"Who the hell are you?" the woman sneered.
Adina blinked. "Who’s asking?"
"Rosalind. Alaric’s fiancée."
Adina smirked. "And what does that have to do with me?"
Rosalind’s face twisted in fury. "How dare you speak to me like—"
"Kaia."
Alaric’s voice cut through the tension.
"Take her out."
Rosalind gawked at him. "You’re kicking me out?"
"Without my permission, you’re not allowed in this building," he said flatly.
Her face contorted with rage as Kaia ushered her away.
Alaric turned his gaze back to Adina. He leaned back in his chair, watching her with dangerous amusement.
"Nothing to say?"
Adina crossed her arms. "What? You want me to comment on your taste in women?"
Alaric’s lips twitched.
"Can’t stand her?"
"Can’t stand you," Adina corrected, flashing a wicked smile before turning on her heel and walking out.
Alaric watched her go, a slow smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Adina," he murmured, rolling the name on his tongue.
Oh, she was going to be fun.