Julius stood in front of the full-length mirror in his bedroom, adjusting the cuffs of his shirt. He had chosen a dark suit that fit him perfectly, hugging his shoulders and chest in a way that felt like armor. He wanted to look like the Alpha he was. He wanted Harrison to see exactly what he was trying to claim.

His phone buzzed on the dresser. It was 1:15 PM. He had forty-five minutes to get to Nexus Global.

"You look like you’re going to war," a voice said from the doorway. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Julius turned. His mother was leaning against the frame, watching him with a knowing look in her eyes.

"It’s just a meeting, Mom," Julius said, turning back to the mirror to fix his tie.

"It’s never just a meeting with a man like Harrison Moretti," she replied.

She walked into the room.

"He says he wants me," Julius said simply. "He says I’m essential."

"He’s dangerous," she whispered, her eyes searching his face. "But he is the only person I trust to keep you safe. Don’t fight him too hard today. Some battles aren’t meant to be won with force."

Julius didn’t answer. He ignored her and grabbed his phone, then headed for the door.

The lobby of Nexus Global was busy, but the moment Julius stepped inside, the receptionist looked up as if she had been waiting for him.

"Mr. Vane? Mr. Moretti is expecting you on the top floor. You can go straight up."

Julius nodded and headed for the private elevator.

As the doors closed, he caught his reflection in the door. He looked calm, but his heart was starting to pick up speed. He could already feel it—that pull in the air that happened whenever he got close to Harrison.

When the elevator opened on the executive floor, the first person he saw was Anna. She was standing by a large desk, holding a tablet. She looked as polished as ever, her blonde hair pulled back in a tight bun.

As an Alpha, she usually gave off a sense of authority, but today, she looked tense.

"You’re on time," Anna said. Her voice was professional, but Julius could smell the slight edge of her scent.

"Harrison doesn’t like to wait," Julius replied.

Anna narrowed her eyes. "He’s in the boardroom. The directors are already there. Just follow me and keep your mouth shut until the meeting is over."

"I don’t take orders from you, Anna," Julius said smoothly.

"Today, you do," she shot back.

She turned and led him toward the doors at the end of the hall. Julius followed, his jaw tight. He hated the way she talked to him, but he hated even more that she seemed to know exactly how Harrison operated.

Anna pushed the doors open.

The boardroom was filled with men and women in expensive suits. At the head of the long table sat Harrison. He was looking at some papers, his face unreadable. He looked like a king presiding over his court.

Harrison looked up when Julius entered. His eyes stayed on Julius for a long moment, taking in the suit and the defiant tilt of Julius’s chin.

A small, almost invisible smirk touched his lips.

"You’re here," Harrison said. His voice was low, carrying through the room easily. "Sit."

Harrison pointed to a chair placed slightly behind and to the right of his own. It wasn’t at the table. It was the position of a very close advisor.

Julius felt the eyes of every director in the room on him. He felt his face heat up, but he didn’t argue. He walked over and sat down.

Anna took her seat at the table, right next to Harrison. She was the one with the seat at the table. Julius was the one in the shadows.

"Let’s begin," Harrison said.

For the next hour, Julius sat there, talking only when it was needed. Harrison smirked, watching him adapt fast in the environment.

He listened to talk of mergers, stock prices, and international trade. Anna was incredible. She answered every question Harrison asked before he even finished asking it. She knew every number, every name, and every risk.

Julius felt a knot of jealousy tighten in his stomach. He was a finance student; he understood what they were talking about, but he wasn’t part of it. He was just a spectator.

Suddenly, the tone of the meeting changed.

An older man at the end of the table slammed his hand down.

"This move is too risky, Harrison! You’re putting half of our liquid assets into a venture that hasn’t even cleared the board. We didn’t agree to this."

Other directors started nodding.

The room began to fill with noise as people started arguing at once. The air became thick with the scents of agitated Alphas and Betas. It was a mess of aggression and fear.

Harrison didn’t say a word. He didn’t even move.

Then, the air changed.

It wasn’t a sound. It was a feeling. A heavy, suffocating pressure suddenly filled the room. It felt like the oxygen had been sucked out of the air.

Julius gasped, his hands gripping the arms of his chair.

It was Harrison.

He was releasing his pheromones.

The Betas at the table stopped talking instantly. They looked confused, rubbing their chests as if they couldn’t catch their breath. They didn’t know why they were scared, they just knew they wanted to leave.

But for Julius and Anna, it was much worse.

Julius felt the Enigma power hit him like a weight. His Alpha instincts, usually so proud and loud, went silent. His body reacted immediately to the pheromones that Harrison released, but he could hold his ground and watch as everyone scrambled in their seats.

He looked at Anna.

Her face was pale. Her hands were trembling so hard she had to drop her tablet on the table. Her head was bowed, her eyes fixed on the table in front of her.

She was in pain.

She was trembling badly, barely able to withstand it like him.

Harrison looked around the quiet room. His eyes were dark, almost entirely black.

"Does anyone else have a problem with the venture?" Harrison asked.

His voice was calm, but it felt like a roar in Julius’s ears.

No one spoke. The directors all looked at the table, their faces filled with a strange, forced obedience.

"Good," Harrison said.

He pulled back the pressure. The air returned to normal, but the tension remained.

"Meeting adjourned. Anna, finalize the signatures. Everyone else, get out."

The directors scrambled to leave. They didn’t linger or chat. They practically ran for the door.

Anna stayed on the chair, her body shaking terribly. She looked drained. She gathered her things slowly and looked at Harrison, then her eyes flickered to Julius.

There was a look of pity in her eyes that made Julius want to punch something. She knew exactly what he was feeling. She knew how it felt to be broken by that power.

She stood up slowly then walked out without saying a word.

Julius stayed in his chair. His heart was still racing, and his muscles felt weak. He looked at Harrison’s back. The room was quiet now, but the scent of Harrison—that dark, heavy smell—remained.

"You can stand up now, Julius," Harrison said, not turning around. "The meeting is over."

Julius stood up, but he had to lean against the back of Harrison’s chair for a second to steady himself.

"Why did you do that?" Julius asked, his voice shaking.

Harrison turned his chair around. He looked perfectly fine, as if he hadn’t just crushed the will of twenty people.

"I had work to do," Harrison said. "And I wanted you to see what it means to be my second. You wanted to sit in that chair. Now you know what the view looks like."

Julius looked at him, his anger finally starting to burn through the fear.

"You treated them like animals."

"I treated them like employees," Harrison corrected.

He stood up and walked toward Julius until they were inches apart.

"And I treated you like mine."