Sold to Bastard Alpha after My Divorce!-Chapter 99

Aria’s POV

Something was buzzing.

Loud. Insistent. Drilling into my skull like a tiny jackhammer.

I groaned. Tried to turn over. Hit something hard with my elbow.

My eyes flew open.

White ceiling. Fluorescent lights. The hum of air conditioning.

This wasn’t my bedroom.

I sat up too fast. The world tilted. My neck screamed in protest—a sharp, burning pain from sleeping at a wrong angle.

My desk. I was at my desk. In the Blood Crown Industries building.

The buzzing continued. My phone. Alarm.

I grabbed it. Squinted at the screen.

7:15 AM.

Oh no.

Oh no, no, no.

I’d fallen asleep. At work. In my clothes. After spending the entire night reviewing client files like some kind of deranged workaholic.

My reflection stared back at me from the dark computer monitor. Hair escaping from yesterday’s bun in wild directions. Mascara smudged under my eyes like a raccoon. Lipstick somehow migrated to my chin.

I looked like a disaster.

A complete and total disaster.

"No," I whispered. "No, no, no."

I scrambled to my feet. My legs had gone numb from being folded under my chair all night. Pins and needles exploded through my calves as blood rushed back.

The floor was still empty. Thank God. Most people didn’t arrive until 8:30.

I grabbed my bag. Sprinted toward the bathroom. My heels clicked against the marble floor like gunshots in the silence.

The bathroom was mercifully empty.

I skidded to a stop in front of the mirror. Assessed the damage.

My foundation had creased into every line on my face. My eyeshadow had migrated halfway down my cheeks. And my hair—God, my hair looked like something had nested in it overnight.

"Okay." I took a deep breath. "Okay. You can fix this."

I dug through my bag. Found my emergency makeup kit. The one Sophie had insisted I carry "just in case."

Thank you, Sophie. Thank you forever.

I turned on the water. Started scrubbing.

The cold water shocked my system. Woke me up better than any coffee could. I watched yesterday’s makeup swirl down the drain. All that careful preparation. Gone.

But at least the raccoon eyes were disappearing.

I dried my face. Assessed the blank canvas in the mirror.

Better. Still tired. Still clearly someone who’d slept at her desk. But at least I looked human again.

Foundation first. Then concealer. Then powder.

Mascara. Lipstick. A touch of blush so I didn’t look completely dead.

I attacked my hair next. Pulled out the destroyed bun. Ran my fingers through the tangles. Twisted it back up into something presentable.

Not perfect. But passable.

My phone buzzed again.

Not an alarm this time. A call.

Cassius.

Oh God. Cassius.

I’d promised to come home last night. Had I even texted him? I couldn’t remember. Everything after midnight was a blur of spreadsheets and client profiles.

I answered quickly.

"Cassius. I am so sorry."

"Aria?" His voice was warm. Concerned. "Where are you? I woke up and you weren’t here."

"I’m still at work." The words came out in a rush. "I fell asleep at my desk. I didn’t mean to. I was going through the files and I must have just... passed out."

A pause.

"You slept at your desk?"

"I know. I know it’s crazy." I pressed my palm against my forehead. "I’m sorry. I should have called. I should have—"

"Hey." His voice cut through my spiral. Gentle but firm. "Stop apologizing. Are you okay?"

I looked at my reflection. The hastily applied makeup. The desperate hair bun. The shadows under my eyes that no amount of concealer could fully hide.

"I’m fine," I lied. "How’s Lina?" The question burst out of me. The guilt I’d been suppressing all morning finally bubbling to the surface. "Did she sleep okay? Did she ask where I was?"

"She slept fine. And yes, she asked about you." Cassius’s voice softened. "I told her Mommy was working very hard to give her a good life. She said she was proud of you."

My eyes burned.

"She did?"

"Her exact words were ’My mommy is the best mommy in the whole world.’" A pause. "Then she demanded chocolate chip pancakes. So I made her chocolate chip pancakes."

God. This man.

"Thank you, Cassius. For everything. I don’t know what I’d do without you."

"You’d figure it out." His voice was matter-of-fact. "You always do. But I’m glad I can help."

"Where are you now?"

"In the car. Just left the house." I could hear the engine humming in the background. "I’m dropping Lina at school, then heading to the clinic. Normal Tuesday."

"Give her a kiss for me?"

"Already planning on it." The line went dead.

I gave myself one last look in the mirror. Straightened my blazer. Lifted my chin.

"You’ve got this," I told my reflection.

I walked back to my desk. The floor was still empty. Still quiet. Just me and the soft hum of computers in sleep mode.

I sat down. Woke up my monitor. Started reviewing the files I’d organized last night.

By 8:15, I’d reviewed everything twice. My eyes felt like sandpaper. My brain was running on fumes.

But I was ready.

People started arriving around 8:30. The floor came to life. Voices. Footsteps. The smell of coffee drifting from the break room.

I smiled and nodded at everyone who passed. Tried to look like I hadn’t spent the night sleeping at my desk.

Nobody seemed to notice anything wrong.

Small victories.

My phone buzzed.

Cassius again.

I frowned. He never called twice in one morning. Something must be—

I answered immediately.

"Cassius? Is everything okay?"

"Aria." His voice was different now. Tense. Careful. "Don’t panic."

My blood turned to ice.

"What happened?"

"Lina’s fine. She’s safe. But there’s a situation at the school."

"What kind of situation?" I was already grabbing my bag. Already pushing back from my desk. "Is she hurt? Is she—"

"She’s not hurt." He cut me off quickly. "But you need to come in. Something about an incident with another student."

My heart was pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat.

I looked at my desk. At the files I’d spent all night organizing. The mystery inspector could arrive at any moment. My second day at a job I desperately needed. My only chance at building a stable future in this territory.

But Lina.

My baby. My everything.

There was no choice. There had never been a choice.

"I’m on my way."

"I’ll wait at the school for you," Cassius said.

I had to tell Director Black. I walked to her office on legs that didn’t feel entirely steady. Knocked on the door.

"Enter."

She looked up from her desk. Those sharp eyes immediately noting something was wrong.

"Ms. Moon. You look distressed."

"I need to leave." The words came out in a rush. "My daughter. There’s an emergency at her school. I have to go."

Her expression didn’t change.

"The inspector—"

"I know." I stepped forward. Tried to keep my voice professional even as panic clawed at my chest. "I’ve completed all the preparation. Every file is organized and labeled. The client profiles are on my desk. Everything you need is there."

I took a breath.

"I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. My daughter is only three. She needs me."

Silence.

Director Black studied me for a long moment. I couldn’t read her expression. Couldn’t tell if she was angry or disappointed or something else entirely.

Then she nodded.

"Go."

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

"Ms. Moon." Her voice stopped me at the door. "Handle your family situation. We’ll manage things here."

I wanted to cry.

"I’ll make up the time. I promise."

"I know you will." The corner of her mouth twitched. Almost a smile. "Now go."

I practically flew through the lobby. My heels clicking frantically against the marble floor. My bag bouncing against my hip.

I rounded the corner.

Slammed directly into something solid.

Someone solid.

The impact knocked me backward. My bag flew from my shoulder. Contents scattered across the polished floor—lipstick, wallet, phone, all spinning in different directions.

"I’m sorry!" The words tumbled out automatically. "I’m so sorry, I wasn’t looking—"

I dropped to my knees. Started grabbing my things. Hands shaking. Heart pounding.

Lipstick. Wallet. Keys. Phone.

I shoved everything back into my bag. Didn’t look up. Couldn’t waste time.

"Sorry," I said again, already scrambling to my feet. "I have to go—my daughter—emergency—"

I was running before I finished the sentence.