Married To The Billionaire Alpha King-Chapter 44 - my safety

44

~Lira’s POV

I stormed out of that room so fast I barely felt my feet touching the floor. My heart was thumping in my ears, my palms shaking from anger, humiliation, everything swirling together until it made me feel a little sick.

The elevator doors opened just as I reached them, and I stepped inside, breathing hard. Two employees were already there, young girls, probably barely out of school, whispering to each other like they didn’t have better things to do. They stopped talking when I entered, but not really. You could feel it when people only paused to rearrange their words.

I hit the button for the ground floor, crossed my arms, and stood still.

Then their whispers started again, just lower, but clear enough.

"Did you see the way Alpha Darlon talked to her? He never talks to anyone like that."

"I swear something is going on. Why else would he defend her every single time?"

"Elara? That girl? Please, she’s not even that pretty."

"That doesn’t matter. Men don’t care about anything except... well, you know."

"She must be sleeping with him. There’s no other way. People like her don’t get positions like that."

My jaw tightened.

Another girl added, almost spitting the words out, "I can’t stand her. She just came out of nowhere. And now she’s the Alpha’s personal secretary?"

"Shameless things always rise fast."

They laughed, mean, sharp little laughs that made something inside me twist.

I closed my eyes for a moment, anger pulsing through my bones. They hated Elara. And honestly... good. Hatred could be shaped, directed, and sharpened.

And Elara... I knew her type. Quiet. Low self‑esteem. Soft heart. Easy to shake, easy to corner.

So yes... I could work with this.

I reached into my bag, pulled out my phone, and pressed it to my ear even though the screen was blank. My hand shook just slightly, but I forced myself to look calm, casual, like this was just another day.

I spoke loudly, letting the words carry through the elevator.

"Hello? Yes, sweetheart, I’m out of the meeting now. I’m sorry I didn’t check on you before leaving. Your secretary told me that you went to the restroom, so I didn’t want to bother you."

The girls went silent immediately, like someone had flipped a switch. Their wide eyes darted to each other, then back to me. I could feel their curiosity pressing at me, almost tangible.

"Yes... Yes, I miss you too," I added, letting a small smile tug at my lips. My voice softened a little, careful, like I was letting them hear a private side of me without really giving anything away. "I know, I know. I’ll be home soon, my love. You know you’re everything to me."

I could see them lean in, trying not to seem too obvious. I let the pause stretch just a second too long, letting the weight of my words settle.

I continued, as if my conversation were still going, "I’ll be late tonight. Yes, darling. I love you."

I finally hung up and tucked the phone back into my bag, making sure every movement looked effortless, natural. The elevator was so quiet I could hear the low hum of the lights overhead. Even my own breathing sounded loud in the silence.

"Are you not the Blueberries pack’s only highness?" one of them asked, her voice trembling a little, like she wasn’t sure if she had the right to speak.

I turned back slowly. I blinked at them, pretending to be caught off guard in that soft, careful way people get when someone mentions something personal they’ve never confirmed.

"Yes, I am. I’m trying to keep my life private," I said, my tone gentle but firm. "Please, you all should respect that." I waved my hand lightly, as if brushing away the tension, letting them feel my calm control.

"It’s not easy being Alpha Darlon’s wife," I added softly, letting the name drop just enough to carry weight. The words sounded strange even to me, but that was part of it, I wanted them to believe, to be caught between awe and hesitation.

They all gasped. And then they bowed. Actually bowed.

"Your Majesty, you should have told us!"

"We are so sorry, Your Majesty!"

"That means Elara is messing with your man?"

"Yes, that slut..."

I raised my head slightly. "Slut?" I repeated softly.

"She must be," one said. "Who else sleeps her way to the top like this?"

"She probably threw herself at Alpha Darlon. Some women don’t have shame." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"You need to do something, Your Majesty. She will keep embarrassing your marriage."

I placed a hand on my chest, pretending shock. "You girls don’t know the half of it."

They leaned in, hungry.

"Elara used to work for me," I lied, letting the bitterness sprinkle in my voice. "And she was chased out because she broke company rules. Sleeping around with male staff. Just couldn’t keep her legs closed."

They gasped so loud the elevator echoed.

"She caused problems everywhere she went," I continued, shaking my head slowly. "So imagine my shock when I saw her here today. Acting innocent. Acting respectful. As if I don’t know her true nature."

"That means she is really a slut."

"She fooled Alpha Darlon."

"She wants to take your place!"

I sighed dramatically. "I’ll handle it. Thank you for your concern."

The elevator dinged.

They bowed again, almost falling over each other.

I stepped out with a small satisfied smile tugging at my lips.

Outside, I walked toward my car, heels clicking, trying to steady the electric mix of anger and purpose inside me. I leaned against the car door, arms folded, watching the entrance.

Ten minutes later, Ronan walked out, head slightly down, pacing quickly toward me.

He opened the passenger door but then turned to me sharply.

"Lira," he said, "why are you telling people you’re Alpha Darlon’s wife?"

I scoffed. "Oh, please."

"You know you aren’t," he pressed, frowning. "What if someone tells him? He’ll kill me for even standing next to you when you say nonsense like that."

"Relax," I muttered. "Elara took my position."

He blinked. "That doesn’t make you his wife."

I leaned in close. "It should."

He sighed, rubbing his forehead. "What do you want, Lira? Because whenever you talk like this, it means trouble."

A soft smile spread across my face. "I have a job for you."

"No," he said instantly.

"You didn’t even hear it."

"Whatever it is, Alpha Darlon will kill me, and you know it."

"Coward," I muttered.

He glared. "I’m being realistic."

I tilted my head, studying him. "Was it nice seeing Elara again?"

He froze. "...what?"

"Seeing her in a new light," I added, watching every twitch in his expression.

He swallowed. "She looks... different."

Ah. So something was still there. Good.

I stepped closer. "Ronan. You want to do your Master’s, right?"

His jaw tightened. "You know I do."

"I’ll pay for it."

He stared at me, almost afraid to hope. "...what’s the catch?"

I smiled. "You seduce Elara."

He blinked hard. "Lira, what?"

"You heard me. Make sure Alpha Darlon catches you two."

"Do you want me dead?" He threw up his hands. "That man will bury me alive."

I crossed my arms. "Then no Master’s for you. Ever."

"Lira..."

"No money. No help. Nothing." I shrugged lightly. "You know how important the program is. You begged me for support last year. Don’t act like you’ve forgotten."

He stood there silent, torn between fear and ambition.

I waited.

Finally, he whispered, defeated, "If you can assure my safety..."

"I will," I said instantly.

Even though neither of us knew if that was true.

He exhaled shakily. "Fine."

A slow, victorious smile crawled onto my lips.

"Good," I said.