The atmosphere in the executive conference room was charged. It was quiet as every head was facing the person standing in front. The thick glass walls and reinforced double doors ensured that nothing from the outside world intruded and no prying ears heard a pin drop.
At the head of the long, polished table sat Theon Aldrith. His posture was relaxed and intimidating, his presence alone enough to hold the room's attention even when he wasn't speaking. His gaze was fixed ahead, watching the ongoing presentation with focus, though his expression revealed little else.
Beside him, slightly to the right, his assistant, Nathan, sat with a tablet in hand, quietly taking notes. He captured everything that mattered without ever drawing attention to himself. Around the table, the highest-ranking executives of the company were seated. The individuals responsible for the direction of Aldrith Corp. The Chief Financial Officer sat a few seats down, reviewing figures as they appeared on the screen, while other senior executives observed with varying degrees of engagement.
At the far end of the room, a presenter stood, speaking confidently as a series of slides illuminated the screen behind him. His voice was steady and professional, outlining key points that, while important, did not require interruption. Theon listened, or at least appeared to. His attention remained on the presentation, his expression unreadable as he absorbed the information being delivered without visible reaction.
Everything was exactly as it should be.
At first, the disturbance was subtle, almost imperceptible. It was a faint shift in the stillness that didn't immediately demand anyone's attention. Theon didn't move, but a few others in the room began to glance toward the doors with mild confusion. The presenter continued speaking, unaware, but the change in the room was undeniable.
A sound came again, muted and distant, like voices pressed against a barrier. The fact that anything could be heard at all through the soundproof doors meant someone outside was raising their voice really high. Theon's gaze flicked briefly toward the doors now, his attention sharpening slightly, though his posture remained unchanged.
Another sound followed, louder this time, still indistinct but clearly urgent. A few executives shifted in their seats, exchanging brief looks. Nathan paused his note-taking, his brows drawing together as he looked up.
Then the doors burst open.
The sharp sound shattered the calm of the room, the heavy panels swinging wide with force. Every head turned, and the presenter stopped speaking entirely as silence fell.
A woman stood in the doorway, his secretary behind her trying to get her to leave, but the woman ignored him.
She was small in stature compared to most of the men seated around the table, but there was nothing small about her presence. She stood in heels, a fitted pencil skirt hugging her curves, paired with a dark green top that contrasted against the neutral tones of the room. Her entrance was forceful, her posture rigid with anger, her chest rising and falling from the intensity of whatever had driven her there.
Her eyes swept across the room, searching, clearly looking for someone.
Theon noticed all of it in a single glance, but before he could process anything further, it hit him.
Her scent.
It struck him without warning, sudden and overwhelming, like a physical blow to the chest. His entire body reacted instantly, muscles going rigid as something primal surged through him. He froze, his mind stalling as realization began to take shape.
Never in his life had he imagined this. Not like this.
Since he was a teenager, he had thought about meeting his mate more times than he would ever admit. It had always felt inevitable, a moment that would come with clarity and certainty. He had imagined it in countless ways, but never in a boardroom, never in the middle of a meeting, and certainly never like this.
His gaze locked onto her, every detail suddenly sharper. She was beautiful, even in her anger. Her hazel eyes, visible behind the glasses she wore, held a fire that was impossible to ignore. His mouth went dry as another realization settled heavily into place.
She was human.
Before he could process what that meant, her gaze found its target.
"You!"
The word rang out sharply as her eyes locked onto Idris. The force behind it silenced the room even further, leaving no space for interruption.
"You're always preaching about standards and all that crap," she continued, stepping forward with frustration, "but you decided to hire someone who thinks wedding planning equates to running a company's operations?"
A ripple of shock moved through the room. Idris straightened, clearly caught off guard but attempting to regain control.
"Ms. Freeman," he began carefully, "this is a closed qmeet–"
"I don't care," she cut in immediately, her voice sharp and unwavering. "I have been overlooked, overworked, and practically running operations myself for almost a year, making sure everything runs smoothly, fixing problems before they even reach this level, and this is what I get?" Her laugh was short and disbelieving. "A slap in the face."
The tension thickened. Idris tried again, his composure dwindling. "The decision was carefully made–"
"Carefully made?" she repeated, incredulous. "You have to be joking."
There was no restraint in her tone, no hesitation in her words.
Then she turned.
Her attention shifted to the head of the table, and her eyes met his.
The impact was immediate. Theon felt it more sharply this time because it was direct and personal. He had never imagined that the first time his mate would look at him, her eyes would be filled with fury. Something in his chest tightened, unfamiliar and unwelcome, as he held her gaze.
She didn't know who he was to her. To her, he was just another man in the room, another person responsible for what had happened.
"Is this how your company is run?" she demanded, her voice steady despite the anger beneath it. "You let inexperienced people take over critical positions because they managed a wedding plan well?"
No one spoke.
"I must have missed the memo because I wasn't aware that a promotion here requires someone to hold the Aldrith name," she added, her tone colder now. "Do better."
The words landed heavily, simple but cutting. Around the table, shock was evident, but no one dared to intervene. No one spoke to Theon Aldrith like that.
Yet she had.
She turned away from him then, focusing back on Idris just as security rushed into the room. The movement barely slowed her.
"The audacity," she said sharply, "for you to say you'll have me show her the ropes like that wasn't another insult."
Her voice remained firm, unwavering.
"I quit. I give Aldrith Corp six weeks before it's run into the ground. Expect my resignation."
With that, she turned and headed for the door. One of the security guards moved to stop her, but she shoved past him without hesitation, knocking him slightly off balance as she exited.
Silence followed her departure, heavier than before.
No one moved at first, the weight of what had just happened settling over the room. Then, slowly, the executives turned their attention to Theon.
He hadn't moved throughout the entire exchange, and if anything, he looked more stunned than they were.
After a moment, he straightened slightly, composure settling back into place quickly. The shock didn't vanish, but it was buried deep as his gaze shifted to Idris.
"Meet me in my office," he said, his tone even, the complete opposite of the war waging inside him at the moment.
He didn't wait for a response before standing and leaving the room, his movements painfully slow because all he wanted to do was run after her. He stepped out, leaving behind a room full of stunned executives and the undeniable truth that everything had just changed.