23

23

Bethany's POV

I sat at the corner of Mason's massive office, drowning in paperwork I didn't even understand. His oak desk dominated the room, the polished surface gleaming under the soft lights. I was buried in reports and emails he had tossed at me without care this morning. He hadn't said a word to me all morning, which should've been a relief.

But then again, silence from Mason was never safe.

My phone buzzed quietly on the desk beside me. I glanced at it, expecting another demand from him, but my breath caught when I saw the name flash across the screen.

Kensington & Co.

My heart stuttered in my chest. With shaky hands, I unlocked my phone and opened the email.

Subject: Interview Reminder

From: Kensington & Co. Recruitment

To: Bethany Whitmore

Dear Miss Whitmore,

We noticed you haven't attended your scheduled interview for the Junior Designer position. We're still interested in meeting you and would like to offer you a chance to reschedule. Please respond within the next 24 hours to confirm your availability.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

Clara Rios

HR Manager, Kensington & Co.

I stared at the words, my chest tightening. Oh God. I couldn't believe I had completely forgotten. This was my dream job, it was supposed to be an escape from this nightmare.

I clenched the phone, the small glimmer of hope piercing through the dark cloud that had been suffocating me for weeks. Maybe this was it. My chance to get out.

But reality crashed over me like a wave.

Mason.

I glanced up at him. He was leaned back in his chair, scrolling through something on his phone, looking perfectly relaxed. Like he wasn't the reason my life had turned into this miserable trap.

Still, I had to try. I mean, he couldn't be cruel enough to take my dreams away from me, would he? He knew how much this meant to me.

I cleared my throat softly, but it still felt too loud and too desperate and I fears he could read through me. Mason didn't look up.

"Um… Mason?" My voice was hesitant, almost fragile.

His eyes flicked up lazily, cold and unreadable. "What?"

I swallowed hard. "I—I got an email from Kensington & Co. They're offering me a chance to reschedule my interview for the Junior Designer position. I wanted to let you know I need to step out to attend it."

For a moment, he said nothing. His face was blank, but his eyes sharpened, narrowing in that way that made my skin crawl.

Then, he chuckled. Low and dark.

"You're joking, right?" He leaned forward, placing his elbows on the desk. "You think you can just leave?"

My throat tightened. "It's important. I was supposed to go weeks ago, but with everything that's happened, I—"

He cut me off with a dismissive wave.

"I don't care." His voice was sharp, slicing through the air. "You work for me now. Or did you forget that?"

I bristled. "This was something I had planned long before I became your… your secretary. This is my career."

He smirked, the kind of smirk that made me want to slap it off his face. "Your career? Bethany, you're an omega. Let's not kid ourselves. Kensington & Co. isn't going to wait around for someone like you."

My chest constricted.

"You're not leaving this office for some ridiculous interview," he said, his voice dropping to a deadly quiet. "Email them back and decline the offer."

My blood ran cold.

"Mason, please. Just let me—"

"I said no."

The finality in his tone left no room for argument.

But I wasn't ready to give up. Not yet.

"This isn't fair!" The words escaped before I could stop them. "You're holding this over me because you can, but you can't control everything I do!"

He slowly stood, his towering form casting a shadow over me. His aura shifted, dark and suffocating, pressing down on me.

"Oh, but I can." His voice was soft, but it carried a dangerous edge.

That was the thing about alphas. They didn't need to raise their voices to be threatening.

"You broke the Grant heirloom, Bethany. You signed the contract. You belong here. You belong to me."

The words settled over me, pressing against my lungs.

"You want to run off to some fashion job and pretend this isn't your life now? No. You will sit at that desk, answer my calls, bring me my coffee, and keep your head down. Understand?"

I didn't answer. I couldn't.

His eyes narrowed. "Do you understand?"

I nodded stiffly.

"Good."

He sat back down, completely at ease, as if he hadn't just shattered the last shred of hope I had.

I turned away quickly, afraid he'd see the tears welling up in my eyes. I stared at the email still open on my phone.

Please respond within the next 24 hours to confirm your availability.

My fingers hovered over the screen.

Every part of me screamed to fight, to hold onto this dream, to tell Mason to go to hell.

But I couldn't.

Not when I was trapped here.

Slowly, with trembling hands, I typed out a response.

Dear Ms. Rios,

Thank you for reaching out. Unfortunately, I will have to decline the opportunity at this time. I appreciate your consideration.

Best,

Bethany Whitmore

I hit send.

And just like that, it was gone. The tiny spark of hope snuffed out.

I stared blankly at the screen, feeling hollow. Like something had been carved out of me. My dream was gone.

And Mason… he had won.

I clenched my fists in my lap, nails digging into my palms. But I wasn't going to break. Not yet.

He could trap me here, humiliate me, strip away everything I had, but I wouldn't let him see me fall apart.

Not in front of him. Never in front of him. I sat in the cold, suffocating office, unable to ignore the truth anymore that I was trapped and I was completely and utterly alone.