Whispers and Doubts
IZZY'S POV
The corridor outside the council chamber was too quiet. Usually, there were people moving around, guards stationed at every turn, voices echoing faintly from behind closed doors. But that morning, it felt empty, empty in a way that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
I adjusted my jacket and walked slower, listening. That’s when I heard them.
“He already signed it. Didn’t even wait for her approval.”
I stopped mid-step. My hand hovered near the door handle of the council room, but I didn’t move. The voices were coming from around the corner, low and rushed.
“She’s supposed to be in charge,” the second voice said. “But if Matteo’s doing all the signing, what does that make her?”
“Decorative,” the first voice muttered. “She’s the boss in name. Everyone knows who’s really pulling the strings.”
I felt my stomach twist, i felt decorative. Like I was some prop on Matteo’s desk.
I moved closer, careful not to make a sound. They were leaning against the wall by the storage room, two soldiers from the inner guard. I’d seen them around, always respectful, always calling me Alpha and now, here they were, laughing about how powerless I was.
“Still,” one said, “I don’t think she’s stupid. Maybe she knows and just doesn’t care.”
The other snorted. “Or maybe she’s scared of him too.”
That was enough. I stepped out from the corner, my boots clicking loudly on the floor. Both men turned, their faces drained of color when they saw me.
“Scared of who?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.
They stared at me, frozen. One of them tried to speak, failed, and swallowed hard. “Izzy.. I mean, Alpha, we didn’t. ”
“Didn’t what?” I asked, walking closer until I was right in front of them. “Didn’t mean for me to hear? Or didn’t mean what you said?”
“W-we were just talking,” the shorter one stammered. “It was nothing.”
“Then you won’t mind saying it again, louder this time.” I said looking at them sternly.
They glanced at each other, terrified now.
“I said louder,” I repeated.
The taller one’s jaw clenched. “We just… thought Matteo was making a lot of decisions. That’s all.”
“Good,” I said. “Because Matteo is making decisions. But he makes them under my authority and if either of you ever doubts that again, you’ll be reassigned so far from headquarters you won’t remember what the council chamber looks like. Clear?”
“Yes, Alpha,” they both mumbled.
“Good, now get back to work.” I snapped.
They nearly ran down the hall. I stood there for a second, breathing hard. Their words shouldn’t have gotten to me, but they did. They said that i was decorative, scared of him and not really in charge.
It wasn’t the first time I’d felt it. That shadow of doubt creeping in whenever Matteo spoke for me. But hearing it out loud, from my own soldiers made something tighten in my chest.
I shook it off and pushed open the door to the council chamber.
The room was full, every seat taken. Old portraits lined the walls, my father among them and the heavy scent of cigar smoke and polished wood filled the air. Matteo stood near the head of the table, smiling like he’d just won something.
“Izzy,” he said warmly as I walked in. “Perfect timing. We were just finalizing the deal with the East Borough. I’ve already drafted the proposal and sent word to..”
“You’ve what?” I cut in, stopping before I reached my chair.
Matteo blinked. “I assumed you’d want it handled quickly. The Borough was pressing for an answer.”
“An answer from me,” I said. “Not you.”
His smile didn’t falter, but there was a flicker of annoyance behind his eyes. “Of course, You’re right but since we’ve already discussed it in principle, I thought it would save you time.”
I stared at him for a long second. “Next time, don’t.”
The room was quiet as I sat down. Councilman Vance cleared his throat and shifted his papers, trying to break the tension. “If we could proceed,” he said, glancing nervously between us.
The meeting began, but I couldn’t focus. Every time I tried to speak, Matteo spoke over me.
“As I’ve already arranged.”
“We’ve secured the funding.”
“I’ve approved the expansion of.”
I slammed my hand on the table. “I didn’t approve that.”
The room went still. Matteo turned to me, still calm, still smiling. “I know. I assumed you would approve it. It’s the most logical move.”
“That’s not how this works,” I said. “Nothing goes forward without my signature period.”
A few people shifted uncomfortably. Vance coughed.
“Of course,” Matteo said, nodding as if I’d just agreed with him. “As Izzy was about to say, transparency is key. Everything we do will go through her office.”
The conversation moved on, but I could feel eyes flicking between us. And in those looks, I saw doubt. The same doubt I’d heard in the hallway. They were wondering who was really leading.
By the time the meeting ended, my head hurt from biting my tongue. I pushed my chair back and walked out before Matteo could try to speak to me. Janet was waiting in the hallway.
“Bad day?” she asked.
“Something like that,” I muttered.
She fell into step beside me. “You want me to guess, or do you want to tell me what happened?”
“Matteo signed a deal without telling me,” I said. “He changed patrol routes. He approved funding and the council didn’t even blink.”
Janet frowned. “That’s a problem.”
“I told him not to do it again.” i said.
“Did he listen?” janet asked.
I didn’t answer.
“That’s what I thought,” she said. We stopped at the stairway, and she turned to face me. “Izzy, you know I’m on your side always. But if he keeps doing things like this and you don’t stop him, people are going to believe he’s the real power here and once they believe that…”
“They’ll never respect me,” I finished for her.
She nodded.
I leaned against the railing and stared down at the empty hall below. “Maybe he’s just trying to help.”
“Or maybe he’s trying to lead,” she said. “And if that’s the case, you need to decide how long you’re willing to let him.”
I stared at the floor, thinking about what the guards said. She’s just the face.
Was that how they all saw me?
As a placeholder? A daughter playing dress-up in her father’s chair while the real decisions happened elsewhere?