Chapter 66
Dante’s POV
The smell hit me before I even tasted it.
Wrong. Just… wrong.
I paused, the cup halfway to my lips, and frowned. Then I took a small sip anyway, just to be sure.
The second the coffee touched my tongue, I set it down.
“Have her make it again,” I said, not looking up from my documents.
Chad stood there for a second, probably surprised. “Of course, Alpha p>
I went back to my work, unbothered. It wasn’t a big deal.
Ten minutes later, Chad returned with another cup.
I didn’t even bother tasting it this time. Just lifted it, took one whiff, and set it right back down.
“What’s going on here?” I asked, my patience thinning.
Chad shifted his weight. “Secretary Sherry is probably just nervous, Alpha. It’s her first time making your coffee. She might not have gotten the temperature quite right, or p>
“Secretary Sherry?” I cut him off, finally looking up. “What about Elodie p>
Chad’s expression changed. Uncertain. Almost… careful.
“Luna Elodie left the company, Alpha. I thought you knew p>
I stared at him.
Left?
“When?” The word came out flat.
“Last Thursday p>
I leaned back in my chair slowly, processing that information.
Thursday. That was almost a week ago.
She’d left Wilson Group, and no one had bothered to tell me?
Well. That was annoying.
But also… typical Elodie behavior, really. Getting emotional about something, probably that whole situation with Sienna at the banquet and making some dramatic gesture to prove a point.
She’d probably expected me to notice immediately. To call her. To ask her to come back.
Which I hadn’t done, obviously, because I’d been busy and assumed she was still showing up to work like a responsible adult.
“I see,” I said finally.
Chad waited, clearly expecting me to say more.
I didn’t.
Because honestly? This was fine. Elodie had worked here for years. She’d been competent, reliable, knew exactly how I liked things done. But she’d also been getting… difficult lately. Moody. Distant.
Maybe some time away would be good for her. Let her cool off, realize she was being irrational, and then she’d come back.
She always came back.
That’s what Elodie did. She got upset, she pulled away for a bit, and then she came back because where else was she going to go?
“The coffee?” Chad prompted carefully.
“Take it away. Just bring me water p>
“Yes, Alpha p>
After he left, I sat there for a moment, staring at the spot where the coffee cup had been.
___________
**Elodie’s POV p>
By noon, Johnny had left for a business lunch with some potential investors, which meant I was on my own.
I headed to the company cafeteria, grabbed a tray, and found a table in the corner by the windows.
A few people from my department were already there. When they saw me, they nodded politely. “Elodie p>
“Hi p>
That was it. They went right back to their conversation, and I went back to my lunch.
I didn’t blame them. Why would they be warm to me? I was the woman who’d somehow gotten their respected colleague to quit on his first day meeting me.
I ate my salad mechanically, barely tasting it, and tried not to think about how lonely this felt.
After lunch, I went straight back to my desk and dove into the work Simon had handed over—Yale’s unfinished projects.
The code was good. Really good. I could see why the team valued him.
But there were also inefficiencies. Small things that could be optimized. Algorithms that could run faster with a few adjustments.
I lost myself in it, my fingers flying over the keyboard, and for a few hours, I didn’t think about Dante or Sienna or the humiliation of this morning.
Just code. Just logic. Just problems I could actually solve.
Around five o’clock, I saved my work and walked over to Simon’s desk.
“Hey,” I said quietly. “I’m almost done. Can you take a look p>
Simon glanced up, clearly distracted. “Done with what p>
“Yale’s projects. The ones you assigned me this morning p>
He blinked. “Wait, what p>
I sent him the files, and he opened them on his screen, his expression confused at first.
Then his eyes went wide.
“You… you finished all of this p>
I nodded. “Yeah. Is there something wrong with it p>
“Wrong? No, I—” He scrolled through the code, his mouth slightly open. “This is… Elodie, Yale spent *ten days* on this work. And you—you did it in *one p>
“I had a fresh perspective,” I said, trying to downplay it. “Sometimes that helps p>
But Simon was already reading deeper, and I watched his expression shift from shock to something like awe.
“This isn’t just finished,” he said slowly. “You optimized everything. You found solutions to problems we’ve been stuck on for weeks p>
A few other people had started drifting over, curious about what had Simon so worked up.
“What’s going on?” someone asked.
“Elodie finished Yale’s entire workload in one day,” Simon said, still staring at his screen. “And she improved on it p>
The gathered crowd went silent.
Then someone laughed nervously. “You’re joking p>
“I’m not joking. Look at this.” Simon turned his monitor so they could see.
One by one, their skeptical expressions melted into disbelief.
Simon looked at me like he was seeing me for the first time. “You’re really just an undergrad? You didn’t go to grad school p>
The question made my chest tighten.
“No,” I said quietly. “I didn’t attend graduate school p>
“But—*how*?” someone else asked. “We’re all PhDs here. Top universities. And you p>
They didn’t finish the sentence, but I heard it anyway.
*And you’re better than us p>
“Why didn’t you pursue further education?” Simon pressed. “Financial reasons? Family obligations p>
I looked down at my hands.
The real answer was too complicated. Too painful.
“Just personal reasons,” I said instead, forcing a small smile. “Maybe someday I’ll go back to school. If the opportunity comes up p>
The lie tasted bitter.
Simon studied me for a long moment, and I wondered what he saw. If he could tell how much it cost me to stand here and pretend I was fine.
After spending another hour helping a few colleagues troubleshoot some code issues because apparently word had spread fast about what I could do, I finally packed up my things and left.
When I stepped out of the office, it was nearly seven. The sky had that dusky purple glow that came just before full dark.
And Johnny was waiting by the door.
I stopped, surprised. “What are you still doing here p>
He grinned. “Waiting for you. You cleared up everyone’s doubts on your first day and earned their respect. I’m impressed. As always p>
Something warm flickered in my chest, pride, maybe, or just gratitude that someone believed in me.
“Should I buy you dinner as a thank you?” I offered.
Johnny raised an eyebrow. “What else do you think I’ve been standing here for p>
I laughed, actually laughed and it felt strange. Like I’d forgotten how.
We walked to his car and drove to a restaurant nearby, one of those upscale places with soft lighting and cloth napkins that Johnny liked for business dinners.
“This okay?” he asked as we pulled up.
“Perfect p>
We got out and headed inside, and I was feeling lighter than I had in weeks. Maybe months.
Maybe things really could get better. Maybe I really could build something new here, something that was mine.
We climbed the stairs toward the second-floor dining area, and I was mid-step when a child came barreling down toward us, chasing after someone, laughing and completely oblivious.
I jerked backward to avoid the collision, my heel catching on the edge of the step.
I felt myself tipping, my arms flailing uselessly—
And then Johnny’s hand was on my waist, steadying me, pulling me upright before I could fall.
“Whoa, careful,” he said, his grip firm but gentle.
“God, thank you,” I breathed, my heart racing. “I almost p>
Then I saw them.
Dante and Levi.
Standing at the top of the stairs. Just… standing there. Staring.
My breath caught.
Dante’s expression was unreadable, blank in that way that meant he was feeling something but refusing to show it.
And Levi? Levi looked almost amused. Like he’d just stumbled onto something interesting.
Johnny’s hand was still on my waist.
I stepped away from him quickly, my face flushing hot. “Thanks,” I said again, quieter this time.