Chapter 198

Chapter 198
[Amelia's POV]

I woke up feeling thirsty, my throat dry from the heated activities Alex and I had shared earlier.

Water. Need water.

I reached out automatically, expecting to feel Alex's warm body next to me. Instead, my hand met only cool sheets.

"Alex?" I whispered into the darkness.

No response.

I sat up, pushing my hair back from my face. The bed was definitely empty on his side, though the sheets still held a hint of his warmth. Where could he have gone? It was past midnight.

Maybe he's in the bathroom.

I waited a few minutes, listening for any sounds. Nothing. The apartment was eerily quiet.

My throat felt even drier now. I needed water, and maybe I'd find Alex somewhere in the apartment.

I slipped out of bed, my bare feet silent on the cool hardwood floor. I grabbed Alex's discarded t-shirt from earlier and pulled it on. The soft fabric smelled like him - that intoxicating mix of pine and something uniquely Alpha.

The apartment was bathed in shadows as I made my way down the hallway. Every room I passed was dark and empty.

"Alex?" I called softly again.

Still nothing.

I reached the kitchen and flicked on the soft under-cabinet lighting. The marble countertops gleamed in the gentle glow. No sign of Alex anywhere.

Where did he go?

I opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water, drinking deeply. The cold liquid felt amazing against my parched throat.

As I set the bottle down, my phone buzzed on the counter. The screen lit up with a notification.

Who's texting me this late?

I picked up the phone and saw Emily's name. She had sent me a screenshot. My heart nearly stopped when I saw what it was.

Box office numbers. Thin Ice Beneath box office numbers.

And we were number one.

"Oh my god," I whispered, staring at the screen.

The movie had claimed the top spot for the week. My first film. My debut performance. And it was the national weekly box office champion.

This can't be real.

My hands shook as I opened Emily's message fully. She'd sent several screenshots from different entertainment websites, all confirming the same incredible news.

"MILLIE! Look at this! You're a fucking STAR!" her text read.

I sank onto one of the kitchen stools, my legs suddenly weak. This was beyond my wildest dreams. I'd hoped the movie would do well, maybe break even. But this? This was huge.

My career in the entertainment industry was actually taking off. This success could change everything - for me, for my mother, for our future.

"What are you looking at?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. The phone clattered onto the marble counter as I spun around.

Alex stood behind me, having approached with that silent Alpha grace that always caught me off guard. His amber eyes held a hint of amusement at my startled reaction.

"Alex! You scared me!" I pressed a hand to my racing heart. "Where were you?"

"Couldn't sleep. Went to my office to check on some Pack business." He moved closer, his presence immediately comforting and electrifying at the same time. "Sorry I woke you."

"You didn't wake me. I was thirsty." I gestured to the water bottle. "And then Emily sent me this."

I picked up my phone with trembling fingers and turned the screen toward him. "Look."

Alex's eyebrows rose as he read the box office numbers. For a moment, he was completely silent.

"Holy shit, Amelia." His voice held genuine surprise. "Number one?"

"Number one," I repeated, still hardly believing it myself.

A slow smile spread across his face. "My Omega is a box office queen."

The pride in his voice made my chest tight with emotion. He reached for me, pulling me against his chest.

"I can't believe it," I mumbled against his warm skin. "My first movie and it's... it's actually successful."

"Not just successful. Dominant." His arms tightened around me. "This is incredible."

I pulled back to look at him. "How did you not know about this? Isn't Thin Ice Beneath a Silver Moon Pack production?"

Alex ran a hand through his dark hair, looking slightly sheepish. "I've been so focused on preparing for Black Gold and dealing with some Pack issues that I haven't been monitoring the other projects as closely."

"Pack issues?"

"Nothing serious. Just some territorial disputes with other Packs over distribution rights." He waved dismissively. "The important thing is this success."

He went quiet for a moment, his amber eyes thoughtful.

"You know," he said slowly, "if this movie makes it into the top three for the year... if it maintains this momentum..."

"What?"

"My father might actually start to see your value to the Pack." Alex's voice carried a weight I hadn't heard before. "Edward respects commercial success above almost everything else. If you can prove you're not just talented but profitable..."

My heart began to race again, but for entirely different reasons. "Really?"

"Really." Alex cupped my face in his hands. "A top-three yearly performance would be impossible for him to dismiss. It would prove you belong in this world, that you're an asset to Silver Moon Pack."

"And if I'm an asset to the Pack..."

"Then he can't argue against our relationship." Alex's thumb traced my cheekbone. "He'd have to acknowledge your place here. Your place with me."

Oh god. This could actually change everything.

The possibility hung between us, electric and hopeful. All these months of hiding, of wondering if Alex's father would ever accept me, and now there was a real path forward.

"Do you really think the movie could make top three for the year?" I asked.

"With numbers like these in the first week? Absolutely." Alex's confidence was infectious. "Especially if we play this right, market it properly."

"We?"

"Silver Moon Pack will put our full weight behind promoting this film. This success reflects well on all of us." His eyes gleamed in the kitchen lighting. "And it means I get to show off my incredibly talented mate."

"Alex..." I started, but he silenced me with a soft kiss.

"This changes things, Amelia. This changes everything."

When he pulled back, his expression was fierce with determination and pride.

"My father won't be able to deny what you bring to this Pack. Your talent, your success, your value." His voice dropped to that commanding Alpha tone that always made my knees weak. "He'll have to accept that you're exactly where you belong."

"Really?" The word came out as barely a whisper.

"Really."