Chapter 131: A Surprising Invitation

Amelia's POV

I left campus and headed straight for the bus stop, Daniel's words still echoing in my mind. Was what he's saying true? Was my decision right or wrong? I shook my head and checked my watch—no time to dwell on that now.

The city bus arrived with a hiss of brakes, and I climbed aboard, grateful for the twenty-minute ride that would take me from campus life to my other world. As the university buildings receded in the distance, I felt myself transforming with each mile. Student Amelia faded. Professional Amelia emerged.

By the time I pushed through the glass doors of Westbrook Industries, my heels clicking confidently against the marble floor, there was no trace of the flustered girl who'd faced Daniel minutes earlier.

"Good morning, Miss Throne," the receptionist called out, her tone respectful. "Mr. Westbrook's already in his office."

"Thanks, Rebecca," I replied with a quick smile, not breaking my stride toward the elevator. "Any messages I should know about?"

"Nothing urgent. Have a good day!"

As the elevator carried me up to the executive floor, I caught my reflection in the polished doors. The transformation wasn't just internal—I looked different too. More polished, more sure of myself. Six months at Westbrook Industries had changed me in ways I never expected. The anxious girl who once jumped at every shadow was gone. In her place stood someone who could actually handle her shit.

When I reached my desk, Jennifer was already there, organizing the day's files.

"Look at you, crushing that power walk like it's nothing," she said, handing me my schedule. "Remember when you used to practically sneak to your desk?"

I laughed. "I still check twice for gossips before turning corners. That's progress, right?"

"Serious progress. You know what else is progress? The way you walked right past the accounting department yesterday when they were whispering about you and Alexander. The old Amelia would've hidden in the bathroom for an hour."

"What's the point?" I shrugged, settling into my chair. "They're going to talk regardless. Besides, half the rumors are actually worse than reality."

Jennifer raised an eyebrow. "And the other half?"

I felt my cheeks flush. "None of your business."

The truth was, my relationship with Alexander had evolved into something I couldn't quite define. We weren't exactly dating in the traditional sense, but we weren't just boss and employee either. Whatever it was, I'd learned to navigate it with more confidence than I'd had six months ago.

---

Later that morning, I was refilling my water bottle in the break room when Ella from Marketing approached me. I'd spoken to her a few times at company events, but we weren't close.

"Ms. Throne, hey," she said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Can I talk to you for a minute? It's... kind of important."

I nodded, gesturing toward the empty table in the corner. "What's up?"

Ella glanced around nervously before leaning forward. "I need your help. Everyone knows you're the only person who can walk into the CEO's office without an appointment."

I felt a familiar twinge of discomfort. My "special status" was something I tried not to flaunt.

"I don't know if that's entirely—"

"Please," she interrupted, desperation clear in her voice. "I'm about to lose my job. My performance reviews for the past two months have been terrible, and HR is talking about letting me go."

"I'm sorry to hear that, but I don't see how I can help with your performance issues."

Ella's eyes welled with tears. "Two months ago, my ex-husband showed up at my door claiming he'd changed and wanted to try again." She stared down at her trembling hands. "At first, he was perfect—bringing me coffee every morning, cooking dinner, even helping with my work presentations. I fell for it all."

"Let me guess," I said, already feeling a knot forming in my stomach. "It didn't last."

"Three weeks in, I woke up and he was gone—along with every dollar in my accounts." Her voice cracked. "My friends had warned me. They all said, 'Ella, he did this before, he'll do it again.' But I was so sure he'd changed."

"That's awful," I said, feeling a surge of anger. Men like that reminded me too much of Daniel.

"I've spent weeks trying to track him down, filing police reports, calling banks. None of my friends will lend me money since I ignored their warnings." She wiped a tear away. "I had to beg Finance for a salary advance just to make rent. My department head thinks I'm a mess—which I am—and now I've missed targets two months running."

"Have you explained the situation?"

"I tried. My manager said, 'Leave your personal drama at home.' As if I could just forget about being completely financially ruined." She looked up at me with red-rimmed eyes. "If Mr. Westbrook could just give me thirty more days to get my numbers back up..."

I hesitated. Getting involved in company politics wasn't something I made a habit of, but I couldn't help remembering how it felt to be betrayed, to have your trust violated by someone you thought loved you.

"I can't promise anything," I finally said. "But I'll see what I can do."

Relief flooded her face. "Thank you, Amelia. Really."

Twenty minutes later, I was walking toward Alexander's office with his coffee cup.

I felt the eyes of several employees tracking my movement across the floor. Some looked curious, others envious, a few downright hostile. Six months ago, their stares would have made me want to disappear. Now, I simply straightened my spine and kept walking.

Outside Alexander's door, I could hear his voice, sharp with irritation. I paused, not wanting to interrupt what sounded like an unpleasant phone call.

"I said I'll be there next week," he snapped. "The location change is inconvenient, but unavoidable. Yes... Fine."

I heard something hit the desk—probably his phone—followed by a muttered curse. I knocked softly before pushing the door open.

Alexander sat behind his desk, eyes glowing with anger. Actual glowing—the wolf was close to the surface. Not a good sign.

"Your coffee," I said softly, placing the mug in front of him. "M..." I hesitated before adding, "Mate."

The word still felt strange on my tongue, intimate in a way that made my heart race, but I'd noticed it helped calm him when he was agitated. Sure enough, as he took a sip, the golden glow faded from his eyes, returning them to their normal ice-blue.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, hovering by his desk.

Alexander sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "Come here," he said, his voice softer now.

I walked around the desk, and he pulled me onto his lap with casual possessiveness. But this time, I obediently leaned against his chest, no longer resisting.

"The party that was scheduled to be held in Shadow Kingdom next week has been moved to another pack's territory," he explained, his thumb absently tracing circles on my hip.

"So it's canceled?" I asked.

"No, just relocated," he said, taking another sip of coffee.

I nodded, trying to look like I understood the complexities of werewolf politics. "Well, that's good, I guess? You'll still be able to attend."

"Yes," he said, his eyes locking with mine. "And you'll be coming with me."

I nearly fell off his lap. "What? Me? At a gathering of Alphas?"

"Is that a problem?" His tone made it clear he wasn't really asking.

"But I'm not—I don't know anything about—" I stammered, panic rising in my chest. "Won't everyone there be... important?"

A dangerous smile curved his lips. "You're my mate, Amelia. That makes you more important than any Alpha in attendance."