Retreat
IT'S BEEN TWO DAYS since Kael's birthday and it's been two days since the tension in the company has started to gloom that everyone felt as though they were walking on eggshells. It is all because a certain Alpha was in a bit of a bad mood.
In normal circumstances, Zenon was definitely a model of a reasonable boss. With godly features and incredible sex appeal is a major plus. The downside of this handsome man is when he's in a bad mood.
His cold eyes would stare through your souls as though they were judging your whole life. And one can definitely feel that cold winter atmosphere around him.
The employees sitting around the table grabbed whatever they could secretly for comfort in case the man leaning his back on his chair at the end table would start spewing his judgements on today's proposal conference. Afraid of having eye contact with the boss, everyone busied themselves either on the proposal file in front of them or watching the team's presenter trembled profusely.
And yet, their whole attention was still on the Alpha who is now scribbling through the report, put his pen beside it, closed the file, and slid it across the table. Everyone held their breath as they watched the file slides and stopped at the center.
They automatically straightened their backs when Zenon stood from his seat. "Dismissed."
Eyes followed as the Alpha walked towards the door opened by his assistant without giving them second glances. When the door clicked closed, everyone blew out the air they were holding in.
"What could be the reason this time?" A young blonde woman spoke first, while their eyes still glued at the door where Zenon and his assistant exited. She was talking about the Alpha's winter atmosphere that's even colder than most of the days.
The person who was presenting the proposal project pulled a chair and slumped himself on it roughly that he almost fell over, good thing somebody had caught his chair in time.
"What else? Isn't it just two days ago that the Acosta had officially announced that the president has wed?" The guy who caught the chair spoke.
"Not what but who."
"Guess that desperate Omega had really married the president." Her tone does not conceal her dislike at all.
"Hush, someone might hear you."
"Hmp, for all I care. A lot of the employees in this company hate that desperate Omega."
The guy presenting a while ago stood from his seat and reached the file from the center of the table. "Stop with the gossip. What's more important is to get the project approved."
His team darted their eyes on him as he flipped the file open. They saw how his shoulders fell and quickly knew what the Alpha scribbled earlier.
Denied.
THE EMPLOYEES make way as soon as they see Zenon walking towards his office, his assistant walking behind him.
"You still have to attend four meetings today. A 10am meeting with A&D, lunch meeting with the Madrigal Corp, 3pm with Williams, and a dinner meeting with the chairman."
Zenon heard her but his mind was elsewhere. There's this stinging bitterness he's been feeling for two days now. The reason? Probably, at home.
Probably.
"Postpone my afternoon meeting on a later date. I'm heading home after the lunch meeting."
"Pardon?"
The Alpha halted and faced the black haired woman. "Was I not clear?"
The woman's lips curved into a smile to cover up that she was a bit startled by the Alpha. "You've been staying at home quite a lot these days."
His brows furrowed with the assistant's remarks. But before he could utter a response, a slender arms wrapped around the Alpha's waist from the back.
"I missed you!" Her shrill voice caught the employees attention. Their eyes rounded as they saw the president was hugged by someone. And this isn't just anyone but the daughter of one of the company's business partners.
Zenon didn't move but those who could sense his pheromones could tell that he was displeased. Unfortunately, this woman is a beta so she can't possibly take the hint.
"Fuck off." His voice was calm yet he said it with a dangerous intent.
The Alpha felt her flinched, followed by loosening her grip. "Sorry, I was just excited that I finally got to see you. Don't you miss me? I've been away for a long time."
Her voice sounds pitiful. In spite that, the Alpha never threw her a glance and walked passed her that almost made the assistant laugh as if she had seen a comedy drama.
The careless woman followed Zenon immediately, ignoring the eyes that were judging her for being ignored by the president while the Alpha's assistant slowly tailed behind them.
This woman has always been like this. She's used to her pushy personality. Let's see how Zenon would embarrass her this time.
"I came back to New York just a few days ago. Father busied me with something but I'm here now," she unnecessarily explained.
Seeing the Alpha heed no attention to her and went in his office, straight to his desk, she felt her blood boil. An idea popped into her head.
She followed inside uninvited. "But guess what I met at the mall three days ago. It's that damn Omega Kaisen Ashworth."
Zenon busied himself in front of his monitor, but how his brows furrowed didn't escape the woman's eyes. Finally! A reaction.
"How dare he out and about living his life shopping like nothing happened. Mind you, he is with a child." She doesn't really want to mention that useless Omega but being a beta, any Omega is a threat so she would use any means to have Zenon hate him more.
But what she said received another ignore response. So, she added, "It's funny how he clings to you for years before and now he has a 4 year-old son with him." But no, no reaction at all. It was as if she was talking by herself in this large space with three people inside.
Embarrassed by her own action, she put the red pouch she was holding roughly on Zenon's desk, nevertheless this action still didn't falter the Alpha.
"Hmp, you're giving me the cold shoulder now but wait until we get married."
"Actually, he is already married, Ms. Whitney." The assistant couldn't help anymore but to interrupt.
The assistant watched how her face immediately went red, her expression contorted, ready to explode. "WHAT? WHAT DID YOU FUCKING SAY?"
Instead of backing away from the imposing, shocked, angry woman, the assistant smiled proudly to irritate the hell out of her. "The president has been married for three months now. It was just two days ago that it was officially announced."
Her eyes became larger with anger. "That's impossible! Zenon! Tell me what she said isn't true!" She's beyond livid yet the Alpha kept on acting as if she doesn't exist.
The woman gritted her teeth and glare at the Alpha's assistant. "To fucking whom?" No. That can't be.
"To the damn Omega with a 4 year-old child." The assistant answered with a smug.
"Xia." Whether it's because she cursed the Omega or everything is bothering his work, she isn't certain but oops, that's a warning voice. Guess it's time to shoo this bitch out of the company.
"Let me escort you out, Ms. Whitney. Let's not bother the president any longer with his work."
The woman was baffled in place so Xia, the assistant, guided her out. Good thing she seems like she really wasn't expecting that she got zero chance now to become the Alpha's wife. Saved her the trouble from calling the guards to drag her ass out of the building.
KAEL COULDN'T help but make face as he watched the four grown males fumble around the playroom with the 4 year-old Amir.
"What are you guys doing here? Isn't it Monday today? Thought New Yorkers were busy people," he asked as he picked up the wooden blocks scattered on the ground.
"Have you ever forgotten who we are?" Cole bragged as he lifted a toy box.
"I have not. What about Ben and Javier then?"
Cole clicked his tongue. "Ben and Javier worked under the family. They're family too."
If Leon is friendly, this other cousin is rather mean to him. I wonder why.
"We're here to accompany you, cousin-in-law. Just in case you get lonely."
"And to stop you from fooling your guards and running away again."
Nonsense. "Have I ever done that?"
Their eyes moved when Eric cleared his throat.
This guy. He shouldn't have asked Zenon's dad to forgive them and let him fire them. Look at him act as if he did nothing.
"I have learned my lesson, a'right." Kael said with a pout on his lips.
"Oh have you?" Cole side-eyed him but his focus immediately went back to the train trail that he and Javier are building.
"I'm sure my cousin-in-law has his reasons."
"You literally trust just anyone."
"Hey! He's our cousin-in-law! He's also family." As if he remembered something, Leon crawled closer to him. "Speaking of family, how are you and my dear cousin? Is he still bullying you?"
"Ha, yah think? These two went missing at the party then came back in different suits. Both of them." Ben pointed out.
"I went to the restroom and just bumped into him." I tried to reason out. Well, it was true but not entirely the reason.
Leon and Ben made a teasing laugh. "Bumped? Then the two of you change into different outfits?"
"That's because..." he didn't know what to say as pictures of why they had to change clothes that night resurfaced in Kael's mind.
He felt his cheeks began to burn. The Omega shakes his head to erase such thoughts.
The four noticed how Kael stopped in his words. He even saw Javier put Amir on his lap and cover the boy's ears. In which Amir tried to take off while holding one of the train car.
"Because?"
"Nothing. Nothing happened."
"Ohh, something definitely happened."
"Nothing happened." The Omega stressed every word just so the two would stop teasing him.
Then the two acted weird by sniffing every air in the room with a wide grin on their faces. "But why do I smell something?"
Kael could hear the long sniffing sound from the two. "Something fishy?"
They sniff again. "Hmm, I don't think so, my dear friend. I think it's something... romantic?" Ben said with a funny accent just to tease him.
Remind him to smack this two if they won't stop once Amir leave the room.
"Well, he got his pheromones on you."
"Javier!" Kael panicked.
Javier pouted yet spoke in a low voice. "Well, it's true."
"Oh, come on, cousin-in-law. You're husband and husband. There's nothing wrong with fooling around."
"We weren't fooling around."
Ben continued as if he heard nothing of the Omega's words. "Isn't it quite the time to 'fool around'? I mean you have proven before that you like Zao. And... well... not to mention you're already basically married even if it's just for inconvenience."
Maybe that's right. But that wasn't him, it's his twin. Maybe Kaisen really had been showing his feelings in public. However, I'm not Kaisen.
Ah, and I've done a few lot of mistakes since coming here. Let's not commit more by owning another Omega's Alpha.
"I don't like him, okay?"
"Who do you like then?"
Everyone jumped in surprise as the subject of their conversation appeared, still wearing his business suit. They figured he just got off work.
Kael immediately looked away as soon as the two eyes met which made the Alpha's brows furrowed. It's been two days since the Omega has been avoiding him, don't even want to make eye contact with him. And here he is playing with these...
Zenon gave the guys a cold glance. "Why are you all in my house?"
"We came to play with our cousin-in-law."
This bastard.
"Stupid." Cole smacked Leon's nape for being a failure. "We came to play with our little Amir."
"Our cousin-in-law might be bored all by himself." Kael grinned his teeth and looked at Leon intensely with wide eyes to warn him from talking. Do I look like a child that needs a playmate?
The Omega laughed nervously. "How could I ever be bored when our little Amir is here to play with?" Still refused to look at the Alpha. Instead, he gestures to Amir to go to him which the child understands immediately and leaves Javier's lap.
"Aish, have you ever heard of being the more, the merrier? You need people your age to play with you."
Kael was dumbfounded. Was I really the reason they came to play? Do I look like I enjoy playing house with them?
"Leon's right. In a few days, everyone would be busy for the company retreat but worry not, me and Javier will be here to accompany you."
"Don't drag Javier into this. He's coming with me."
"Then, only I will be here then."
Displeased with the idea, Zenon opposed it. "And why do you think I'll allow it?"
"Then, is my cousin-in-law coming too?" Leon didn't even bother to hide his excitement.
The Alpha didn't answer immediately as he watched Kael occupy himself to play with Amir as if they weren't talking about him.
Kael was silently hoping Zenon would say no so he could stay and grab every opportunity to visit Tairon to look for his twin. But what the Alpha said had made it entirely impossible.