Betrothed To The Alpha

CHAPTER 47

I take a deep breath as I stand outside, savoring the momentary peace and quiet. But my solitude is short-lived as a familiar voice calls out my name, causing me to turn around in surprise. My eyes widen as I realize who it is - the last person I expected to see after the events of yesterday.

"Alpha Collins," I greet him.

"Just Collins is fine," he replies, chuckling as he walks towards me. "I can't believe I never corrected you on that."

I can tell he's trying to lighten the mood, but I'm not in the frame of mind for his charm. "What can I do for you?" I ask, forcing a smile onto my face.

After Alex accused Collins of being responsible for leaking those damning photos to the press, I initially dismissed it as a baseless accusation fueled by jealousy. But as I thought about it more, the pieces started to fall into place. The timing of the pictures, the way they perfectly captured the most incriminating moments - it all pointed to someone orchestrating the scandal behind the scenes. Unfortunately, Collins was the only one who stood to benefit from the fallout.

"Why the hostile tone, Hannah?" he asks, his brow furrowing in mock confusion. "Are you still upset about the article?"

I stare at him, stunned by his brazen lack of remorse. A part of me had hoped he would at least have the decency to deny his involvement, but his casual dismissal of the chaos he caused only fuels my growing anger.

"I know it wasn't the best way to convince you to be with me," he continues, reaching for my hand, "but it just shows how far I'm willing to go to make you mine."

I yank my hand away, my skin crawling at his touch. I can't deny that there's a small, treacherous part of me that feels flattered by his relentless pursuit, but it's quickly overshadowed by disgust at his underhanded tactics. Alex nearly lost his position as CEO because of Collins' selfish actions, and that's not something I can easily forgive.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not moved," I tell him, my voice firm and unyielding.

"Really?" he scoffs, disbelief etched across his handsome features. "What I did didn't sway your heart even a little?"

"No, it didn't," I repeat, holding his gaze steadily.

Collins shakes his head, clicking his tongue against his teeth in frustration. "After everything I did to take you away from him and that horrible family of yours?" he growls, his fingers clamping around my arm in a vice-like, painful grip.

My brows furrow at his words, a cold sense of dread settling in the pit of my stomach. "Horrible family of mine? Did you... did you do a background check on me?" I ask, my voice trembling with a mix of anger and disbelief.

"Yes, I did," he admits, his eyes flashing with a dangerous intensity. "And I can't believe I wasted my money on it."

The pain in my arm intensifies as his grip tightens, and I wince, trying to pull away. "You're hurting me, Collins. Please, let go," I plead, my heart hammering in my chest.

"Why? So you can run back to that bastard Alex and continue to let him treat you like a slut?" he snarls, his words dripping with venom.

Before I can even process the cruel insult, my hand flies up, striking him across the face with a resounding smack. I gasp, shocked by my own actions, and quickly stumble back, apologies tumbling from my lips. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to..."

Collins touches his cheek, a rueful smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I guess I deserved that after what I just called you," he admits, his eyes meeting mine with a strange mix of admiration and resentment.

"I'm sorry," I whisper again, taking another step back as he releases his grip on my arm. I turn and walk away before he can utter another word, my heart racing and my mind reeling from the confrontation.

As I make my way back into the restaurant, my phone begins to ring, and I see Alex's name flashing on the screen. I answer, pressing the phone to my ear with a shaking hand.

"Hannah, where are you?" he asks, his voice tinged with urgency.

"Out with a friend. Why do you ask?"

"You need to come back to the pack house immediately. We've been invited to a dinner ball hosted by the Alpha King tonight."

"The Alpha King? A ball? Tonight?" I repeat, my mind struggling to process this sudden development.

"Yes, Hannah. That's why I need you to cut your lunch short and come home to start getting ready."

"Of course, I'll be there as soon as I can, but I have to ask - do you know why the Alpha King has suddenly invited us to his dinner ball this year? You haven't even been officially named Alpha yet."

There's a pause on the other end of the line, and I can almost hear the gears turning in Alex's head. "He didn't say, but I suspect he wants to use the event to determine if the rumors are true."

"What rumors?" I ask, my stomach twisting with a sense of foreboding.

"The fucking rumors that Collins' article started," Alex growls, his anger palpable even through the phone. "Some pack members are questioning whether I'll be a good Alpha, given my tendency to resort to violence when I disagree with someone."

"Oh, I had no idea," I whisper, my heart sinking at the revelation.

"Neither did I until I received the call from the Alpha King. I did some digging and found out that's why he wants to meet me in person - to assess whether I'll be a threat to my own pack."

"Wow," I breathe, running a hand through my hair as the gravity of the situation sinks in. "The damage from Collins' article is even worse than we thought." I was just angry about your CEO position, but now it's affecting your future as Alpha, too.

"Exactly, which is why we need to be on our best behavior tonight, Hannah. I know punching him wasn't my finest moment, but we both know I'm nothing like those rumors suggest."

"I know, Alex. Don't worry, we'll put those rumors to rest tonight," I promise, already making my way back to Bee and Jason to say my goodbyes.

"I'll see you when you get here," Alex says, ending the call.

As I hurry out of the restaurant, my mind is a whirlwind of emotions - anger at Collins' fear for Alex's future and a steely determination to do whatever it takes to help him tonight.