Eren stood in the small office kitchen, steam curling from the cup of warm milk in his hands. Since transferring to the main branch, life had been calmer—quieter—despite the ugly scene with his father days earlier. The whispers about the president's secret wife still circled, but no one had confronted him directly. For now, peace was fragile, but it was peace all the same.
"Looks like you've settled in here."
The voice startled him. He turned and saw Tyler leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, an edge of sarcasm in his tone.
Eren lowered his cup, wary. "Tyler."
"Is this really what a secretary's job looks like?" Tyler tilted his head, lips curling. "While your boss is in a meeting, you're here drinking milk. Must be nice."
Heat crept up Eren's neck. He set the cup down on the counter with deliberate calm and met Tyler's eyes.
"Are you going to ask me why I'm here?" Tyler continued, his voice growing sharper. "Is it not allowed? In case you've forgotten—I'm the journalist—"
"I know." Eren cut him off, sharper than he intended. His Omega instincts bristled at the way Tyler's words dripped with contempt. "They're in the boardroom. What are you doing here?"
Tyler smirked. "Your answers have changed lately. Is it because Adriel brought you here? Did his favor make you arrogant?" His voice dropped, the words meant to pierce. "Don't fool yourself, Eren. Just because he married you doesn't mean he actually likes you. Not someone like you."
The words landed like a blow, a cold weight pressing in Eren's chest. His throat tightened, his scent trembling with unease, but this time he refused to bow his head or shrink away.
His fingers curled around the edge of the counter, steadying himself. "What are you getting at?" he asked, his voice firmer now, his eyes narrowing on Tyler.
That confidence seemed to catch Tyler off guard. He blinked, momentarily stunned. "What?"
Eren held his gaze, refusing to flinch. He wasn't sure what had changed in him—only that he would no longer let Tyler's words reduce him.
"I'm not giving meaning to what Adriel does, and I'm certainly not arrogant just because I'm here at the main branch." Eren's voice was low, steady, though his pulse raced. "I just don't see why I should submit to you when all you do is tear me down. I don't even understand your hostility. You already took my fiancé, Tyler—" his jaw tightened, the words bitter on his tongue "—and yet you still act like I'm the problem. If anyone should be angry, it's me. I'm the one who was wronged."
For once, Tyler said nothing. His mouth opened, but no words came out.
Eren turned, ready to leave, only to freeze when he saw James standing in the doorway. From the fire in his eyes, Eren knew he'd heard enough. His Omega instincts screamed danger, and his scent spiked sharp with nerves, but he forced himself to stand tall.
"What did you just say to Tyler?" James asked, his voice low and cutting.
"You heard it already." Eren tried to step past him, but James's hand shot out, gripping his arm.
Eren jerked back instinctively, but James's hold tightened, the Alpha's dominance pressing down like a heavy weight. "You're getting bold, Omega," James sneered. "Too bold, just because Uncle Adriel shields you. Don't forget your place."
He moved closer, blocking Eren's path, his eyes hard and glittering. "You're not going anywhere until you explain yourself."
Eren's chest rose and fell rapidly, his instincts tugging at him to yield, to appease. But he forced his voice steady. "I haven't forgotten who I am. I just want both of you to leave me alone. I have my own life. Why don't you worry about yours?"
James's expression twisted, fury sharpening his features. He leaned down, his voice a dangerous whisper. "You think you can talk to me like that and walk away? You're nothing without Adriel's protection."
Eren's heart pounded, but he refused to lower his eyes. "I'm not afraid of you, James. Your threats don't matter to me."
"James." Tyler's voice finally cut in, careful but laced with curiosity, as though he was enjoying every second. "Maybe let him go. This isn't worth the mess it'll cause."
But when Eren shot him a glance, Tyler smirked, eyes glinting. "See? He's always been like this—acting high and mighty."
Eren stood frozen between them, his scent trembling with defiance, his body taut. Every instinct screamed at him to back down, but he held his ground, even as James's dominance pressed harder and Tyler's smirk dug deeper.
James's hand shot out, seizing Eren's arm in a bruising grip. His voice was low and venomous.
"You think you're untouchable because Adriel drags you around like some prized Omega? Let's see how far that protection goes when he isn't here."
Eren winced as pain lanced up his arm, but he lifted his chin, refusing to cower. "I never asked for his protection. I'm just doing my job. If that threatens you, James, maybe you should take a good look at yourself."
James's eyes narrowed, rage sparking in them. "Bold words from someone who'd be nothing without him." He yanked Eren closer, their faces only inches apart, his dominance pressing in despite his Beta status. "Remember your place."
Eren's heart hammered, instinct screaming at him to submit, but he dug his nails into his palm and forced the fear down. "You don't get to decide my place. Let me go—or you'll regret it."
The room thickened with tension, Tyler shifting uneasily at the sidelines. "James, maybe this isn't—"
"Stay out of it," James snapped, his grip tightening until Eren bit back a hiss of pain.
Then the air shifted. Heavy. Commanding. A presence that silenced everything.
"What the hell is going on here?"
Adriel's voice cut through the room like a blade. He stood in the doorway, Alpha dominance radiating so powerfully the air itself seemed to bow. Both James and Tyler froze instinctively, the weight of his authority impossible to ignore.
"Release him," Adriel said, each word deliberate, dangerous.
James's jaw worked, defiance flickering in his eyes—then he dropped Eren's arm as though burned.
"Back to work. Both of you. Now."
Neither dared argue. Tyler ducked his head and slipped out, James following stiffly, shoulders tight with resentment.
The silence that followed was suffocating, broken only by the thud of Eren's pulse in his ears.
Adriel strode forward, every step laced with controlled fury until he stood inches from Eren. His hand reached out, carefully cradling Eren's wrist. The red marks from James's grip glared angrily against pale skin. Adriel's thumb brushed over them with surprising gentleness, the contrast making Eren's breath hitch.
"Does it hurt?" Adriel's voice had softened, but the growl beneath it betrayed the storm he was holding back.
Eren swallowed hard, his body betraying him with a tremor. "I'm fine," he whispered, though his chest rose and fell too fast.
Adriel's gaze searched his face, lingering on the flush in his cheeks, the quickness of his breath. "You're not fine." His voice dropped lower, more intimate. "You're mine to protect, Eren. No one lays a hand on you. Ever."
Eren's throat tightened, heat curling low in his belly at the possessive weight of those words. "Adriel…" he breathed, unsure if it was protest or plea.
Adriel's hand slid up from his wrist, grazing the sensitive inside of his forearm before he let go—slowly, deliberately, as though claiming every inch of skin he touched. His eyes lingered one moment longer, dark with unspoken promise, before he finally turned toward the door. When he left, the space seemed emptier, colder. Eren pressed a hand over his chest, trying to quiet the riot of his heart. His wrist still burned where James had gripped him, but it was Adriel's touch—the lingering heat of it—that consumed him entirely.