TWENTY

“No,” Klyde said firmly, putting down the spoon he was holding not so gently beside his plate. He’s scowling, he’s aware. But he can’t help it when he just heard an absolute nonsense form the alpha in front of him. Of course.

“What do you mean ‘no’?” Wade asked, much too calm for Klyde’s liking. He’s almost simmering with rage, and the alpha is acting like what he said was nothing. Wade even lightly dabbed his mouth clean with a napkin.

“No as in no, Wade.”

“I don’t follow.”

“Of course. You’re an alpha. Since when did your kind understand ‘no’ as an answer?”

What he said was probably too much, judging the way the alpha’s eyes squinted at him and his posture suddenly became too stiff. But Klyde, at the moment, was blinded by his own anger to even acknowledge his wrong.

“I want you to rethink what you just said, Rehan,” the alpha said through gritted teeth.

“No,” Klyde replied, bravely meeting the alpha’s eyes.

“I want /you/ to rethink what you just said.”

“Rehan, listen—”

“No, you listen!” he exclaimed, not able to control his anger any longer. Wade has the audacity to sigh at him, as if the conversation is too much of a task for him. Well, they shouldn’t even be having this conversation in the first place!

“You come to my fucking company, and ask me to go to lunch, saying you want to have a private conversation with me, only to say you want me to remove my fucking secretary?! Do you hear how ridiculous that sounds? What? You think you can just order me around, now?”

“There is a reason why I am asking you to do that,” the alpha replied. It’s amazing how he’s able to stay calm despite the fuming omega across him. If not for the neutralizer the server turned on earlier, surely the room would be soaked by their raging scents.

“What is the reason then?” Klyde angrily asked. The mood was so light earlier, he was even enjoying the foreign foods laid in front of them until the alpha opened his mouth and suddenly told him to replace his secretary.

“I asked you what betrayal smells like, earlier,” Wade calmly stated. Klyde is having none of it, but he let the alpha continue.

“What do you think it smells like?”

“Wade, I don’t have time—”

“Answer me, Rehan,” the alpha ordered firmly. Klyde gritted his teeth.

“Bitter. I told you betrayal would smell bitter.”

“Right. Don’t you think it might smell sweet, sometimes?” Wade asked, clearly repeating his question from the conversation they had earlier in the parking lot.

“What does that have to do with—”

“You are surrounded by sweetness every day.”

Is he—?

“Are you saying Louis is betraying me?” he asked, eyes wide and the tone of his voice dripping with so much disbelief. Wade just looked at him straight in the eyes, but stayed silent.

Klyde scoffed at this, eyes dropping to the food laid in front of them that he suddenly has no interest about, before raising to meet the alpha’s eyes again.

“Is this a joke, Wade? If so, I do not find it funny,” he gritted out.

“I would not dream of joking about this matter, Rehan,” Wade calmly said, lifting his glass to sip some of his water.

“I do not believe you,” Klyde said plainly. His hands are tightly balled into fists on his lap now.

“I expected that.”

“She has been working for me for years!” Klyde could not help but raise his voice this time again.

“Years, Wade! And you suddenly come here to—what? –to tell me she’s been betraying me this whole time?”

“You said she’s been working with you for years, which is why it’s easier for her to betray you. She has been betraying you, yes. But at least not this whole time.”

“Bullshit,” Klyde spat out. He’s being so disrespectful right now, he had long since lost his composure but at the moment, he doesn’t care.

Wade sighed. “You still don’t believe me, do you?”

“Who would believe you? It just doesn’t make sense!”

“I expected that,” the alpha reached to the inner pocket of his suit jacket. Klyde quietly watched him, eyes like a hawk, watching his every movement. Wade does not seem to be bothered by it though.

From the pocket of his coat, he retrieved a small rectangular brown envelope. Klyde watched him place it at the middle of the table.

“I figured you wouldn’t believe me, so I brought evidence,” Wade said, gesturing to the envelope. Klyde just stared at it, but he eventually snatched it off the table. He did not open it though, just clutched it in his hand.

“You don’t have to read it right now. But you definitely should, so you understand what I am implying.”

Klyde did not say a word, just stared at the table in front of them. He suddenly doesn’t have the energy to argue. He heard Wade sigh. Was the conversation tiring for him too?

“Are you finished eating, Rehan?” the alpha asked after a moment of silence between them. He’s not, he wants to say. But after what happened, he doesn’t really have the appetite to continue eating anymore.

He shook his head in answer, he doesn’t even have the energy to talk anymore. All he wants is to get out of here, away from the alpha probably, and clear his mind. He wants to be anywhere but here. Just as he thought they’re slowly being civil with each ither, this happens. Anger is an exhausting emotion.

The two of them wordlessly rose from their seat, and walked out of the private booth. Klyde’s eyes was downturned the whole time he waited for the alpha as he exchanged pleasantries with the host. When they were finally out, they both stood silent for a moment. Klyde refused to step closer to him, keeping a huge distance between them.

“I called my driver,” Wade said.

“I have an important meeting to attend to. I won’t be able to go back with you.”

Klyde likes it better that way. He needs his time alone to organize his thoughts.

“Thank you for the lunch,” Klyde said politely, voice too flat and formal for the alpha. He doesn’t see the way Wade’s expression turned grim when he gave him a small bow, too formal for two people who are supposed to be married, before turning his back and walking to the direction of the open parking lot where his car is. Wade watched him go, his conscience gnawing at him for putting down the omega’s mood but deep inside he knew he had to do it. Klyde won’t succeed in saving his company completely if he continues to be unaware of the traitors behind him.

He waited for the omega to drive away, before walking back inside the restaurant where he contacted his driver. He hasn’t really contacted his driver yet; he just told the omega he did so he wouldn’t feel guilty going on his own. Because in the short time he knew Klyde, he already figured out that the omega is too kind for his own good despite his front. He hopes the somewhat friendship brewing between them won’t be affected. It’s a shame if it would be destroyed even before it started.

“Pick me up. I’ll send you my location,” he ordered to his driver on the phone.

Wade sent a last glance to the direction of where Klyde’s car disappeared, sighing as he hoped for the best.

--

The moment Klyde stepped foot into the lobby of his building, everyone was already tensed. The mixture of frustration, rage and anxiety in his scent got them on their feet, everyone suddenly standing far too straight than normal. Some employees exchanged looks with each other, asking each other with their eyes, but none seemed to not know why their boss is suddenly in that mood. They had only ever seen Klyde like that a few times anyway, and those few times weren’t pretty. So, now, seeing their usually all smiles CEO scowling as he marched to the elevator had them swallowing really hard.

The ever-present smile on his face was gone, now his lips are downturned. He did not even bother to return the greeting said out loud by their receptionist. He just directly walked past them all, ignoring everyone as he stood in front of the elevator.

The anger was apparent on him, and everyone leaned away at the obvious stench of it. They all flinched when Klyde almost hammered the elevator button with his fingers, hurrying the elevator door to open faster. They were only able to breathe properly once the elevator closed and took off, taking their boss away. A cleaning staff immediately ordered more to clean the air off of their CEO’s angry scent, and everyone worked hurriedly.

Klyde took a big inhale as the elevator door closed, he needs to calm down. He glanced at the envelope he’s holding. It’s a mystery how it stays uncrumpled despite his tight hold on it. When the elevator pinged open, he fixed his posture and walked the hallway down to his office. His eyes automatically flew to Louis’ station, the omega is, as usual, sitting behind her desk. She’s quietly doing some paper works but as soon as she spotted Klyde, she immediately stood up, giving him a small bow in greeting.

“Welcome back, Sir Klyde,” she greeted.

Klyde raked his eyes over her, to her perfectly ironed uniform to her sweet face. She blinked up at him, confused as to why her boss is suddenly staring at her. Klyde gave her a small smile. How can someone this innocent betray him? Maybe Wade was wrong. Of course, he was. But at least, that’s what Klyde is hoping for.

He wordlessly entered his office, and Louis followed him with her gaze. Curious.

Klyde walked directly to his seat, putting the brown envelop on the middle of his table. He stared at it for a good few minutes, contemplating whether he should really open it. Should he? A part of him doesn’t want to. Louis has been working for him for years, there’s just no way the omega could do that to him. A small voice in his head, on the other hand, whispers that he definitely should open it. The voice is telling him that Wade isn’t one to wrongly accuse someone. But the anger that is still radiating off of him is forcing him to ignore it, to just ignore the paper and move on. The alpha shouldn’t even be interfering with his own people.

In the end, he sighed exasperatedly and snatched it off of the table. His jaw is clenching as curiosity also brewed in him. He shouldn’t even be doing this, accusing an omega when he’s an omega himself? But there’s only one way to know if it’s true of not.

He tore the small sticker sealing the envelope and quickly poured its content on his table. Several printed photographs fell from it, along with some folded papers. He ignored the photographs in favor of unfolding the papers first. They’re bank transactions. The paper shows bank transactions under Louis’ name. His wide eyes scanned through it. A voice in his head is screaming “How the heck did Wade get access from this?”, but now, a bigger part of him is questioning the big sum of money being transferred to her account. Louis’ paycheck is big, she’s working for the CEO after all, but the money in her bank account, it's clearly not just from that.

Maybe she has side jobs? Maybe she’s working for other people on the side?

And then it clicked.

He quickly got the pictures, and it shows Louis, dressed in more casual clothes but it was clearly her. The first picture shows her handing an envelope to someone. The second shows a screenshot of documents being forwarded from her email. The rest shows her meeting different people and handing identical envelopes. One even showed her counting money from a smaller envelope.

Klyde slumped back on his seat, letting go of the paper and photographs. He can’t believe what he’s seeing. He wants to believe that maybe this was a mistake. Louis is already like a family to him; she won’t do this. But there are already evidences in front of him.

He collected himself, trying to regain his composure. He inhaled a couple deep breaths before reaching for his intercom. He pressed a button, leaning closer to it to speak.

“Yes, Sir Klyde?” came her static voice. Heavens, Louis.

Klyde closed his eyes briefly before speaking, making his voice sound less shaky.

“Please come to my office, right now.”