Sold to Bastard Alpha after My Divorce! novel Chapter 96

Chapter 96: Chapter 96

Aria’s POV

The Blood Crown Industries building was terrifying.

I stood on the sidewalk, craning my neck to see the top. Twenty floors. Maybe more. The morning sun bounced off the windows, making the whole structure glow like something out of a dream.

"You can do this," I muttered to myself. "You’ve done harder things. You’ve survived worse."

A man in a suit walked past me. Gave me a weird look.

Right. Talking to myself on a public sidewalk. Very professional. Great first impression.

I smoothed down my blazer. Checked my reflection in the glass doors. White blouse. Hair pulled back in a neat bun. Minimal makeup. I looked competent. Put-together. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

I pushed through the doors.

I walked to the reception desk. A young woman looked up from her computer. Polished. Pretty.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, I’m here for an interview." My voice came out steadier than I felt. "Aria Moon. I have an appointment at ten."

She typed something. Nodded.

"Thirty-second floor. Take the elevator on your left. Someone will meet you there."

A young man stood waiting. Clipboard in hand. Friendly smile.

"Ms. Moon? Right this way, please."

He led me down a long hallway. Past offices with glass walls. Past people typing at computers. Past meeting rooms where serious-looking wolves discussed serious-looking things.

We stopped at a door at the end of the hall. The nameplate read "Director of Human Resources."

"She’ll be with you in just a moment." The young man gestured to a chair. "Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee?"

"Water would be great. Thank you."

He disappeared. I sat down. Crossed my legs. Uncrossed them. Crossed them again.

Why was I so nervous? I’d done interviews before. Dozens of them. I’d worked my way up from convenience store clerk to executive assistant. I knew how to present myself. How to answer questions. How to sell my skills.

But this felt different.

This was wolf territory. These were wolves. And no matter how far I’d come, some part of me was still that scared little Omega who’d been told her whole life that she wasn’t good enough.

The door opened.

"Ms. Moon?"

I stood. Smoothed my skirt. Forced a smile.

"That’s me."

The woman in the doorway was not what I expected.

Mid-fifties, maybe. Silver hair pulled back in a severe bun. Sharp cheekbones. Sharper eyes. She wore a charcoal suit that probably cost more than my monthly salary at Morrison Industries. Every line of her body screamed authority.

She looked at me.

Not just looked. Assessed. Evaluated. Catalogued every detail from my shoes to my hair with the precision of a scanner.

I felt myself straighten under that gaze. Refusing to shrink. Refusing to cower.

"Come in." Her voice was crisp. Professional. No warmth. No coldness. Just... efficiency.

The office was exactly what I expected. Large. Organized. A massive desk with neat stacks of papers. No personal photos. No decorations. Everything functional.

She gestured to a chair. I sat.

She sat across from me. Opened a folder. My resume, probably.

Silence.

She read. I waited. Tried not to fidget.

Finally, she looked up.

"Aria Moon." She said my name like she was tasting it. Deciding if she liked the flavor. "You worked at Morrison Industries for three years. Started as a junior assistant. Ended as executive assistant to the CEO."

"Yes, ma’am."

"Impressive trajectory." Her tone suggested it was anything but. "But Morrison Industries is a human company. In the human world."

"That’s correct."

"And now you want to work here." She set down the folder. Laced her fingers together. "In wolf territory. At Blood Crown Industries."

"Yes."

"Why?"

The question hung in the air. Simple. Loaded.

Why indeed.

"I recently returned to wolf territory," I said carefully. "My daughter needed to be among her own kind. I’m looking for stable employment that will allow me to support her while building a future here."

"Your daughter." Her eyes flickered to my resume. "You listed her on your emergency contact form. Lina Moon. Age three."

"Yes."

"And her father?"

My chest tightened. Just for a second.

"Not in the picture."

Her expression didn’t change. But something shifted behind her eyes. Interest, maybe. Or judgment. I couldn’t tell.

Whether I got the job or not, I’d done it. I’d walked into that building. Faced that woman. Answered her questions without falling apart.

I hadn’t cowered. Hadn’t apologized for existing. Hadn’t made myself small.

Maybe that was victory enough.

---

I found a bench in a small park across from the building. Collapsed onto it. Let my head fall back.

The sky was blue. Perfect and endless and completely indifferent to my anxiety.

My phone buzzed in my pocket.

I pulled it out. Smiled when I saw the name.

Sophie.

I hit answer.

"ARIA!" Her voice exploded through the speaker. "I’ve been dying here! How did it go? Did you nail it? Did you charm them with your incredible competence and devastating good looks?"

God, I missed her.

"I think it went okay," I said. "The interviewer was intense. But I answered all her questions."

"Of course you did! You’re a goddess among mortals! A queen walking among peasants! A—"

"Sophie."

"A LEGEND!"

I laughed. Actually laughed. The tension in my shoulders eased.

"I miss you," I said softly.

"I miss you MORE." Her voice turned dramatic. "It’s been so boring without you. I have no one to drag to lunch. No one to judge terrible fashion choices with. No one to listen to my dating disasters."

We talked for another fifteen minutes. About nothing. About everything. The easy, comfortable chatter of two people who knew each other inside and out.

When I finally hung up, my cheeks hurt from smiling.

The sun was warm on my face. The breeze was gentle. For the first time in days, I felt almost peaceful.

My phone buzzed again.

I glanced at the screen. Unknown number.

A text message.

I opened it.

*Congratulations, you passed the interview!*