Chapter 13 Anything But Home

Eira stepped into his office a minute later.

"You wanted to see me?"

Alpha Killian nodded toward a stack of reports on the side table.

"Run the numbers, clean up the formatting, and flag anything that looks off. I need it by tomorrow afternoon."

Eira lifted the entire stack in one smooth motion.

Alpha Killian started to stand, but she already had the binders balanced against her hip.

"Take two trips."

"I’ve got it."

She walked out before he could argue.

Before lunch, Eira returned and placed her laptop on his desk.

"Done."

Alpha Killian checked the time. "Already?"

"Already."

He opened the file.

She had used the source data to clean the totals, rebuild every chart, and run a basic risk model. She had also added three practical recommendations.

This was not basic admin work. It looked like the kind of analysis consulting firms charged six figures to produce.

Alpha Killian looked up. "This is normal for you?"

"On a slow morning."

The corner of his mouth almost moved.

Almost.

Then his expression turned serious again.

"Marnie told me Beatrice Thorne recommended you."

Eira’s face gave nothing away.

"You have a master’s in electrical engineering from Stanford and a connection to one of the best chip researchers in the country." He closed the laptop. "But you took a placeholder job at Sterling Group."

He leaned back.

"Why?"

"At the time, flexibility mattered more than the title."

It was a careful answer. Honest enough to sound reasonable. Vague enough to tell him almost nothing.

Alpha Killian stood and came around the desk.

"Your husband runs Hale Group, one of our biggest competitors in tech. Then my aunt quietly places you inside my company."

His voice stayed calm, but his eyes remained fixed on hers.

"You understand why that raises a few red flags."

"You think Sebastian planted me here?"

"I think coincidences are usually just facts nobody has connected yet."

"He didn’t." A bitter edge slipped into her voice. "Sebastian has never thought I was capable of anything important enough to spy on."

Alpha Killian caught it.

"So he underestimated you."

"That makes two of you."

The words landed cleanly.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Eira added, "Beatrice asked Marnie for a favor. Marnie helped me. That’s it. No master plan. No corporate espionage."

"Maybe." Alpha Killian studied her. "But it still doesn’t explain why no one knows Sebastian Hale has been married for four years."

Her expression cooled.

"You’ll have to take that up with Sebastian."

"You were okay with being kept a secret?"

"I wasn’t the one hiding the marriage."

That answer hit harder than it should have.

Eira picked up her laptop.

"You have the reports. If we’re done here, I’m going to lunch."

She turned toward the door.

"Miss Crawford."

Eira looked back.

Alpha Killian still had a hundred questions, but pushing harder would only make her shut down.

"Nothing else," he said. "Good work."

She gave him a short nod and walked out.

Alpha Killian stared at the closed door.

She had answered every question without giving him anything he could actually use.

For the first time in years, someone had walked out of his office still holding all the cards.

--

During lunch, Eira opened the shopping app on her cracked phone.

The newest model cost nearly eighteen hundred dollars.

Too expensive.

The thought came automatically. She had spent four years paying household bills and buying things for Alpha Sebastian’s family. Spending money on herself still felt wrong.

Then Alpha Sebastian texted.

Client dinner tonight. Be home on time. Don’t leave Serena alone. She’s still settling in.

Eira stared at the message.

Once, during her first visit to the Hale estate, Alpha Sebastian had refused to leave her alone.

She doesn’t know anyone here. I’m staying with her.

She had stretched that one kindness across four years of marriage.

Now he wanted her to offer the same kindness to his mistress.

Eira muted the conversation without replying.

Then she returned to the shopping app and chose the newest phone. Maximum storage. Same-day delivery to Sterling Tower.

She tapped Place Order, locked the cracked screen, and pushed the phone aside.

Her lunch had gone cold while she was shopping, and she had barely touched it.

When she reached for a drink, she remembered her water bottle was still at the lab.

She headed to the executive break room. It looked more like an airport lounge than an office kitchen.

A high-end coffee machine took up half the counter. The glass-front refrigerator held sparkling water, cold brew, and protein shakes. Baskets of protein bars and trail mix lined the shelves.

Eira opened the refrigerator and reached for a bottle of water.

A familiar mint scent reached her first.

Alpha Killian stepped beside her, took out the water, and handed it to her. Then he picked up a protein bar and set it beside her hand.

"I only came in for water."

"Your lunch is still sitting on your desk."

Eira looked up. "Do you keep track of what every employee eats?"

"No."

The answer came a little too fast.

She glanced at the protein bar. "Chocolate peanut butter."

"It has protein."

"It also tastes like drywall covered in frosting."

One dark eyebrow lifted. "You’ve tried drywall?"

"Only on slow days."

His mouth almost curved. "What do you like, then?"

"Food with an attitude." She twisted open the water. "If it doesn’t fight back, I’m not interested."

"So I picked wrong."

"You didn’t ask."

"No." His eyes stayed on hers for a beat. "Next time, I will."

Then he walked out, leaving Eira with the water and the protein bar.

That morning, he had questioned her like a security risk.

Now he was remembering what she liked.

The man made no sense.

Worse, she was starting to pay attention.

By three, Eira had cleared everything on her desk.

That left her with one problem.

Going home.

She was still looking for an excuse to stay late when Natalie Brooks, one of the executive assistants, hurried over with a hand pressed to her temple. Her face had gone pale.

"I’ve got a migraine, and I’m supposed to cover the Mercer dinner tonight."

"I’ll take it," Eira said.

Natalie stared at her. "You started this morning."

"Send me the briefing."

"It’s not just dinner. You’ll need the guest list, contract notes, meeting schedule, and car arrangements ready before anyone asks."

"I can handle it."

Natalie studied her. "You really want this assignment."

"I really don’t want to go home."

Natalie’s expression softened. "Fair enough. But Alpha Killian has to approve the switch."

Eira walked into Alpha Killian’s office.

He looked up from his laptop. "What is it?"

"Alpha Killian, can I accompany you to tonight’s dinner?"

"You sure?" Alpha Killian’s gaze was unreadable.

Eira nodded. "I’m sure."

--

The Hawthorne was the kind of downtown steakhouse built for quiet deals and expense accounts.

When Eira entered the private dining room beside Alpha Killian, every man at the table stood to greet him.

One of them forgot to sit back down.

Alpha Sebastian.

His eyes locked on Eira, surprise giving way to suspicion.

Now she understood why Alpha Killian had asked if she was sure about coming.

Of course Alpha Sebastian was here.

He recovered a second too late and offered Alpha Killian his hand.

"Alpha Killian."

Alpha Killian shook it once. His smile was polite, but his silver-gray eyes were not.

"Problem, Hale?"

Alpha Sebastian said nothing.

"Good. Then keep your eyes on the contract, not my assistant."