Julius signed the last document without looking at it. His office was quiet. It had been quiet for hours — long past the time anyone else had gone home. Julius hadn’t moved from his desk. The overtime was voluntary, technically. But the work kept his hands busy.

It kept him from thinking. About Last night. Harrison. The bite mark that had finally faded from his neck. "Sir, you need to sign this," Sarah said. She set another stack on his desk. Julius scribbled his signature. Pushed the papers back. Sarah gathered them. Started to leave. Then his phone rang.

Julius glanced at the screen. Unknown number. But he recognized the pattern. One of his people. "Leave," he told Sarah. She left without a word. The door closed behind her. Julius answered the phone. "Report," he said.

The voice on the other end was careful. Professional. One of the contacts Julius had placed to monitor Harrison’s movements. "Mr. Vane. He had dinner last night." Julius pressed the phone harder against his ear. "With who?"

"An Alpha woman. Mid-thirties. Professional. They met at Aurelius." The upscale restaurant. Private. Expensive. The kind of place Harrison took people when business mattered. "Identification?" Julius said.

"Anna Chen. Manager at Nexus Global. Just returned to Russia from the United States this morning. She’s been with his company for over ten years. Very close to him." "Two hours. Conversation appeared friendly. Familiar. They left separately. No physical contact observed. But the body language suggested history. Intimacy."

"Anything else?" "She called him King. Like a nickname. He paid for dinner without checking the bill. They have a quarterly meeting scheduled today. 9 AM at Nexus headquarters." Julius ended the call. He sat there. Staring at his desk.

That bastard bit my neck like a vampire just last night. Claimed me. Said I was his. Threatened to destroy anyone I tried to marry. And then he had dinner with another Alpha? A woman who had been in his life for ten years? Who called him King? This must be a joke.

Julius grabbed his phone. Started to call Harrison. Almost demanded an explanation. Then stopped. No. He wouldn’t give Harrison the satisfaction of knowing it bothered him. If Harrison wanted to play games, Julius could play too.

He checked his calendar. Tomorrow’s schedule was packed. But there it was. 9 AM. Nexus Global quarterly meeting. Location: Nexus Global headquarters. He hadn’t planned to attend. Usually sent a representative. Not this time. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Julius reached for his desk phone. Dialed his assistant. "Clear my morning tomorrow," Julius said. "I’m attending the Nexus Global meeting personally."

The Nexus Global conference room was already filling when Julius arrived at exactly 9 AM. Business leaders. Power players. CEOs. The kind of people who moved markets with a phone call. The room was massive. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. A table that could seat thirty people. Everything designed to project power and control.

Harrison sat at the head of the table. As always. Black suit. White shirt. No tie. Looking like he owned the world. Which, in many ways, he did. But what made Julius stop in the doorway was the woman sitting directly behind Harrison.

Close. Very close. Dark hair. Tailored suit. Alpha presence that filled the room without effort. Anna Chen. She sat in the chair reserved for Harrison’s most trusted advisor. The position meant something in these meetings. It meant access. It meant trust. It meant partnership.

And Julius’s assigned seat? Three chairs down. Across the table. Far from Harrison. Like he was irrelevant. Julius walked into the room. Every conversation stopped. Every pair of eyes turned toward him. He never attended these meetings. Everyone knew that.

Harrison looked up. Surprise flickered across his face for a few seconds. Then his face went blank. Julius didn’t acknowledge him. Instead, he scanned the room. Located his nameplate. The seat they assigned him. Far away. Irrelevant.

People were taking their seats. Settling in. Preparing for the meeting to start. Anna was arranging papers on the table behind Harrison. Professional. Efficient. Like she belonged there. Julius made a decision.

He didn’t walk toward his assigned seat. Instead, he walked forward. Straight toward Harrison. The room went silent. Every eye followed him. Watching. Waiting.

Harrison’s face didn’t change. But something moved in his eyes. Wariness. Curiosity. Julius stopped directly beside Anna’s chair. She looked up. Blinked. Clearly surprised to see him standing there.

Anna was beautiful. Professional. The kind of Alpha who commanded respect without demanding it. Her suit was expensive. Her posture perfect. Everything about her screamed competence and control. No wonder Harrison kept her close.

The thought made Julius angry. "Mr. Vane," Anna said. Her voice was calm. "It’s good to finally meet you in person. I’ve heard a lot about your work." Julius didn’t respond to the pleasantry.

Instead, he looked down at her. Then at the chair she occupied. Then back at her face. The room was completely silent now. Even the people who’d been whispering had stopped. Someone across the table dropped their pen. The sound echoed.

Harrison leaned back in his chair. Watching Julius with an unreadable expression. Anna glanced at Harrison. Then back at Julius. Clearly unsure what was happening. That seat wasn’t just a seat.

It was Harrison’s second position. And Julius had just walked up to it with clear intention. Anna started to say something. Probably to offer to move. To diffuse the tension. But Julius spoke first.

He looked directly at Anna. Then asked the question that would change everything. "Can I sit here?" The shock was immediate. Absolute. Harrison’s face went completely blank. Someone actually gasped.

Anna’s eyes widened. She looked at Harrison. Then back at Julius. Because everyone in this room understood what Julius was really asking. He wasn’t just asking for a chair.

He was challenging for position. For power. For the place closest to Harrison Moretti. In front of every major business leader in the city. And everyone was waiting to see what Harrison would do.