Jealousy Alpha's Regret novel Chapter 55

Chapter 55

Iris’s POV

I was hunched over my desk, so focused on the intricate moonstone

arrangement that I barely registered the quick footsteps approaching

until they stopped right beside me. My wolf senses caught Marcus

Foster’s excitement before I even looked up.

“Your design was chosen,” Marcus announced, his eyes bright with

professional enthusiasm. “You sketched something more exceptional,

and Sebastien decided to go with yours after seeing both.

Congratulations–if this works out, you’ll be the star of this

collaboration.”

A small flicker of satisfaction warmed my chest, but I kept my

expression neutral. After years of having my work dismissed by

people like Megan, this small victory felt good–but I wasn’t about to

show it.

“Thank you for letting me know,” I replied evenly, turning back to my

sketches. “I’ll make sure it’s perfect.”

My ears picked up a familiar angry heartbeat across the room.

Without looking, I knew exactly where Megan was standing–just

outside Sebastien’s office, her scent sharp with fury. I didn’t need to

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see her face to know she was glaring daggers at me. The air

practically crackled with her resentment.

I continued working, refusing to acknowledge her presence. This was

business, not personal–at least on my end.

It was nearly six when the shadow fell across my desk. I’d sensed

Megan’s approach, her perfume announcing her arrival seconds

before she appeared.

“Little Stone,” she said, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. I

looked up to find her standing over me, a tight smile plastered on her

face as she clutched a thick folder. “I need you to review these

documents before tomorrow morning. The team’s heading out to

celebrate our collaborative success.”

I fought back a bitter laugh. The irony wasn’t lost on me–the person

whose design was actually chosen was being excluded from the

celebration.

“Urgent, I assume?” I asked flatly, already knowing the answer.

“Very,” she replied, her smile never reaching her eyes. “We all need to

pull our weight, don’t we? Even those of us who have… connections.”

The implication hung in the air between us. I accepted the folder

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without comment, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing me

react.

“Enjoy your evening,” she added with mock cheerfulness before

turning to leave. “Everyone! Dinner at Crescent Moon in fifteen

minutes to celebrate our teamwork!”

I watched as the others gathered their things, casting apologetic

glances my way. Lisa hesitated by my desk, but I gave her a small

smile and a slight shake of my head. I didn’t need pity.

“Go ahead,” I told her quietly. “Have fun.”

The office emptied quickly, the excited chatter fading into silence. I

flipped open the folder Megan had left–busy work, as I’d suspected.

Nothing that couldn’t have waited until tomorrow.

“Real mature,” I muttered to myself, settling in for what would clearly

be a long night. “Classic high school power play.”

There was something almost peaceful about the empty office, though.

No pretending, no watching my every word. Just me and my work. I

lost myself in organizing the documents, my mind drifting to the

simpler days when I was just Aurora, a designer whose work spoke for

itself without all this pack politics nonsense.

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The absurdity of the situation was almost laughable. The main

designer forced to stay behind while everyone else celebrated. But in

some ways, I preferred this honest solitude to fake smiles and forced

conversation.

“At least I don’t have to watch Megan holding court,” I whispered to

myself, arranging the papers into neat piles.

I was so absorbed in my work that I missed the approaching footsteps

until they were right outside the design department. The familiar

scent hit me a second later–spicy cedar and something distinctly

Alpha. My heart jumped traitorously in my chest.

“What the hell are you doing here alone?”

I looked up to find Sebastien standing by my desk, his brow furrowed

in confusion. His tailored suit was slightly rumpled after a long day, tie loosened at his neck. Despite everything, my traitorous body still reacted to his presence.

“Jesus, you scared me,” I said, trying to calm my racing heart. “What does it look like I’m doing? Working.”