Third-person POV
Noah reached his home, his mind still spinning from the chaotic events at the office.
Grateful for the early release, he quickly ate a light lunch and lay down to rest his exhausted body.
The lingering toll of his heat cycle finally caught up to him, and he drifted into a deep, heavy nap.
When he opened his eyes, it was already past six o'clock in the evening. Realizing he didn't have much time, he jumped out of bed, freshened up, and got dressed in his finest formal attire before immediately heading back to the corporate headquarters to wait for Diamant.
Noah arrived at the office building at exactly 7:40 PM. Wanting to make sure he wasn't late, he stood in the quiet lobby, adjusting his outfit. For the occasion, he had chosen a tailored pink suit paired with a crisp shirt and a sharp black bow tie, a look that perfectly complemented his delicate features.
As he stood there nervously tapping his foot, a sudden, commanding shadow loomed behind him. Noah instinctively turned around to see who it was, and his breath instantly hitched in his throat. To his absolute surprise, it was Diamant Reed.
Woah, Noah thought, his heart doing a sudden flip as his eyes widened. He is really, really good-looking...
Diamant was wearing his signature all-black luxury suit, which fit his broad, muscular frame flawlessly. His striking, long silver hair was combed back neatly, accentuating his sharp jawline and piercing gaze. He exuded an aura of absolute dominance and wealth.
Diamant looked down at his secretary, his eyes briefly sweeping over Noah's pink suit before settling on his face. "Have you been waiting long?"
"No, sir. I just arrived a few moments ago," Noah replied quickly, offering a polite smile.
"Get in the car," Diamant instructed smoothly, gesturing toward the sleek luxury vehicle waiting just outside the glass doors.
"Okay, sir," Noah said, following a step behind as they headed out.
A short drive later, Diamant and Noah arrived at the venue.
The grand ballroom gleamed like a crystal prism, its massive diamond chandeliers scattering brilliant fractals of light across tailored suits and highly polished shoes.
The low, resonant hum of elite conversation, sophisticated laughter, and the gentle clinking of champagne glasses filled the air. This was a world built entirely on confidence, status, and silent, ruthless competition.
Diamant Reed fit into this high-society environment perfectly. His silver hair reflected the warm amber glow of the room as he moved through the crowd—tall, composed, and utterly unreadable. Noah followed a respectful step behind his boss, his expression carefully calm, though his wide eyes couldn't help but take in the glittering chaos surrounding them.
"Stay close," Diamant murmured smoothly, his deep voice cutting through the ambient noise as he prepared to greet a cluster of influential board members across the hall. "And don't let them intimidate you."
Noah nodded softly, his voice barely audible over the chatter. "Yes, sir."
But the corporate world was fast-moving and aggressive.
The moment Diamant was drawn into a tight circle of powerful investors—all full of firm handshakes and superficial laughter that never quite reached their eyes—Noah found himself drifting backward. Within minutes, he was standing entirely alone near the lavish buffet table, clutching a glass of water like a lifeline.
He didn't belong here. He knew it in his heart. Looking around at the wealthy elites, he felt like everyone else knew it too.
Suddenly, the bright light overhead was blocked out as a tall, imposing figure stepped directly in front of him.
Noah blinked, looking up from his glass of water. As his eyes adjusted to the stranger's face, a sudden jolt of recognition hit him. The features were incredibly familiar.
Noah quickly recalled his conversation from two days ago. This was the exact man from the photograph Diamant had shown him in his office.
"Hi there," the man said, offering a charming, easygoing smile. It was Evan Leigh, Diamant's closest friend and a fellow dominant Alpha. "You seem entirely lost in your thoughts."
"Oh, it's nothing," Noah replied, offering a polite, nervous smile as he tried to hide his awkwardness.
"I saw you come in with Diamant earlier," Evan said, his eyes scanning Noah with a sharp, calculating curiosity that contradicted his friendly tone. "Do you know him well? Oh, I'm Evan Leigh, by the way."
Noah extended a hand politely. "I'm his secretary, Noah Lane."
As they shook hands, Noah's nerves got the better of him. In his clumsiness, his arm brushed against a nearby tray, causing a stray glass of red wine to tilt. Noah gasped as a few dark drops spilled forward, splashing right onto his pink suit jacket.
"Shoot!" Noah panicked softly, dabbing at the fabric. "Excuse me, please. I gotta go to the washroom to clean myself up."
In his rush to move away, Noah awkwardly bumped his shoulder against the table. His tote bag slipped from his arm, falling heavily to the floor. The impact caused the vintage glass perfume bottle Diamant had given him to slide right out onto the polished ground.
Seeing the mess, Evan immediately stepped forward with an air of chivalry. "You can go ahead and clean yourself up in the restroom. Don't worry, I'll pick up the bag and your things for you."
"Okay, thanks," Noah breathed, completely flustered as he turned and hurried toward the signs for the executive washrooms.
Once Noah was safely out of sight, Evan knelt down to gather the fallen items. His fingers wrapped around the elegant, custom-made perfume bottle.
Puzzled by the expensive, vintage design, Evan popped the cap slightly and took a faint sniff. His sharp, dominant Alpha senses instantly recognized what it was—and what it was hiding.
Evan's eyes narrowed into slits as the pieces clicked together. Noah was an Omega. And he was deliberately using this powerful, rare suppressant perfume to completely mask his natural scent from the crowd.
Evan stood up, his friendly demeanor vanishing into a cold, dangerous expression. He carefully slipped the perfume bottle into his own jacket pocket, deliberately keeping it.
As Diamant's closest childhood friend, Evan had witnessed the dark reality of the CEO's past.
Diamant had survived a rough childhood completely filled with betrayal, manipulation, and pain inflicted by the very people who were supposed to be close to him.
Evan had stood by his side through all of it. Because of that, Evan was fiercely protective.
The moment he realized Noah was an Omega hiding his identity with a highly specialized scent-blocker, his mind jumped to the worst conclusion.
Evan firmly believed that Noah either harbored deeply ill intentions toward Diamant, or he was nothing more than a deceitful gold-digger chasing after Reeds fortune.
Looking toward the direction of the washrooms, Evan gripped the stolen perfume bottle tightly.
I'll make sure to get rid of you at once, Evan thought, his inner Alpha turning ruthless as he formulated a plan to expose Noah to the room full of dominant Alphas.