Chapter 11 – The Alpha's Warning
The sound of polished leather shoes against marble echoed in the long hallway of the Zhou Corporation headquarters. Ethan trailed behind Adrian, still feeling the weight of last night's confrontation with the man. His chest was tight, as though a chain bound him, and each step forward only served as a reminder—this contract marriage was nothing like the quiet, uneventful life he had once imagined.
He should have known. Nothing about Adrian Zhou was simple.
Adrian's cold aura was as suffocating as ever. Dressed in a black tailored suit that molded perfectly to his tall, broad frame, he looked every inch the ruthless Alpha CEO the world feared. Employees passing by bowed their heads quickly, not daring to meet his gaze, while whispers followed them like shadows.
"Is that… someone walking with Mr. Zhou?"
"Wait—isn't he…?"
"Shh! Don't let him hear you."
Ethan kept his head down, his hands tightening around the strap of his bag. He hated this attention, hated how his presence at Adrian's side would stir rumors. He was already living under suffocating conditions; gossip would only make things worse.
Finally, Adrian stopped outside his private office. Without so much as a glance back, he pushed open the door and entered. Ethan hesitated, then followed. The heavy oak doors shut behind them with a thud, cutting off the noise of the outside world.
Adrian turned, his eyes narrowing as they landed on Ethan. "From today onward," he said in a voice sharp as a blade, "you will stay in this office when you're at the company. You will not wander, you will not talk to anyone unnecessarily, and you will not draw attention to yourself. Do you understand?"
Ethan's lips pressed into a thin line. "So I'm your prisoner now?"
Adrian's jaw tightened. "Don't test me."
"Test you?" Ethan let out a bitter laugh. "I didn't ask to be dragged into your world, Adrian. You wanted this contract, not me. If you want me to keep silent, fine—I'll keep silent. But don't expect me to sit here like a caged bird while you dictate my every move."
The tension in the room crackled. Adrian's gaze darkened, his Alpha pheromones leaking dangerously, pressing down on Ethan's Omega instincts. Ethan's breath caught—his suppressants dulled the worst of it, but the primal response was still there, deep in his veins, urging submission.
Adrian's eyes flickered when he noticed Ethan's subtle tremble, and for a brief moment, something unreadable crossed his expression. Then, just as quickly, his cold mask returned.
"You're naïve if you think this world will spare you," Adrian said flatly. "Do you know how many rivals I have? How many people would use you against me the moment they realize what you are?"
"What I am?" Ethan's voice shook, more from anger than fear. "Say it. Go on. Say it."
Adrian's lips parted, but he didn't speak. Instead, his eyes locked with Ethan's, and in them was a storm—restraint, conflict, possession.
Finally, Adrian stepped closer, until Ethan was backed against the edge of the desk. He leaned down, his voice low and dangerous. "You are mine, Ethan. Whether you like it or not. That's what you are."
Ethan's heart pounded. He wanted to shove Adrian away, to spit defiance in his face—but his body betrayed him, shivering under the weight of the Alpha's claim. Heat stirred in his blood, faint but undeniable, and it terrified him.
He clenched his fists. "You can control the contract, Adrian, but you'll never control me."
For the first time, Adrian smiled—not warmly, but sharply, like a predator amused by its prey. "We'll see."
---
The atmosphere between them only worsened after that confrontation. Adrian immersed himself in work, ignoring Ethan as though he weren't there, while Ethan sat by the window, staring out at the city skyline.
Yet Ethan couldn't shake off Adrian's words. Mine. The possessiveness in that single word had struck deeper than he wanted to admit. He hated the way it echoed in his chest, hated the way his body seemed to respond despite his pride.
Suppressants or not, instincts were instincts. And instincts didn't care about contracts.
---
Later that evening, when Adrian left for a board meeting, Ethan finally had a moment of peace. He stretched, rolling his stiff shoulders, and wandered over to the bookshelf. It was filled with rows of leather-bound business manuals and finance reports—not exactly exciting reading material.
But then, tucked on the bottom shelf, he noticed something odd. A thin, worn notebook. Unlike the others, it didn't have a title. Curious, Ethan pulled it out. The leather cover was scuffed, the pages yellowed with age.
He flipped it open—and froze.
Inside were handwritten notes, not about business, but about family. Names, dates, even personal comments about people Ethan had never heard of. There were sketches of a family crest, maps, and what looked like coded symbols.
Ethan's brows furrowed. Why would Adrian keep something like this here?
Just as he was about to turn another page, the sound of the office door clicking open startled him. Adrian's voice cut through the silence.
"What are you doing?"
Ethan snapped the notebook shut, heart leaping into his throat. "I—nothing. I was just—"
Adrian's eyes locked on the book in his hands, and in an instant, the air grew cold. He strode forward, snatching the notebook away with such force that Ethan stumbled back.
His Alpha aura exploded, flooding the room like a storm. "Don't ever touch things that don't belong to you."
Ethan's lips trembled, but he forced himself to meet Adrian's glare. "Then don't leave them out in the open."
For a heartbeat, neither of them moved. The tension was unbearable, as though one wrong word would ignite a war.
Then Adrian exhaled sharply, turning his back to Ethan. "This is your final warning. Stay out of my affairs, Ethan. Or you'll regret it."
Ethan's nails dug into his palms, drawing crescents of pain. He wanted to scream, to demand answers, but the truth was clear—Adrian had secrets, dangerous ones, and he was determined to keep them hidden.
But Ethan wasn't a fool. If Adrian thought he could silence him with fear, he was mistaken.
Because Ethan had just realized something important.
Adrian Zhou wasn't just ruthless.
He was hiding something—and whatever it was, it might be the key to breaking free from this suffocating marriage.
And Ethan swore he would uncover it, no matter what it took.