<h4>Chapter 38: Chapter 38 I Can Smell His Fear</h4>


    Sebastian’s pov?


    I arrived at the factory, my heart racing with each passing second. Alpha Xavier followed me silently, but I didn’t have time for him.


    [Something’s really wrong.]


    Soren’s voice surged into my mind, low and urgent. [She’s in serious danger.]


    I clenched my jaw, my heart pounding like crazy inside my chest.


    [Stay calm,] I told him, even though I could barely breathe. [We’ll find her. I promise.]


    Soren growled, a sound that echoed inside my skull rather than in the air.


    [If we’re toote—]


    [We won’t be.]


    My reply was sharp, absolute.


    Inside the factory’s conference room, the air was thick with tension.


    Managers whispered in low voices, eyes constantly checking the door.


    As we walked in, the room went dead silent.


    I didn’t slow my steps.?


    Let them stare.?


    Let them flinch.?


    Their silence didn’t surprise me—it was exactly what I expected.?


    As I moved forward, people stepped out of the way, giving me space I hadn’t asked for.?


    No one dared to meet my gaze.?


    These factory workers had never seen me before—as the new CEO of the Silver Peak Pack’spany.?


    But they felt it.?


    My Alpha presence rolled off me in waves, pressing into the room like invisible pressure.?


    Fear was instinctive.?


    I walked straight to the head of the conference table and sat down, not wasting a second.?


    "Has she been found?" I asked, my voice cutting through the silence like a de.?


    I scanned the room slowly, locking eyes with each person for a brief moment.?


    No one answered.?


    The silence grew heavier, almost physical.?


    [They’re hiding something,] Soren growled in the back of my mind, his voice low and angry.?


    [I know,] I replied calmly. [I’ll handle it.]?


    Someone had to speak.?


    And by rank, that someone could only be the factory director.?


    All eyes turned to Thomas Dunn.?


    He shrank under the weight of their stares and mine.?


    My cold, piercing eyes locked onto him, sharp and unblinking.?


    His heartbeat jumped.?


    I could hear it clearly from across the room.?


    "A-Alpha Sebastian ," he stuttered, "she hasn’t b-been found yet."?


    "You’re Thomas Dunn?" I asked, my voice dangerously calm.?


    "Y-Yes, Alpha Sebastian."?


    I leaned forward slightly, my fingers sying across the polished table surface.?


    "As I understand it, you personally received Secretary Cecilia today. Logically, you should know her whereabouts better than anyone else here."?


    My voice remained measured but carried a pressure that could crush souls. The man’s pulse quickened further, visible in the throbbing vein at his temple.?


    His eyes darted nervously around the room, and his breathing becamebored. Still, he attempted to maintain hisposure. "Yes, I did receive Secretary Cecilia and I was the one who saw her off. But I only apanied her to the factory gates. After that, I returned inside. I truly don’t know where she went afterward."?


    "You truly don’t know?" I leaned closer. My eyes pierced into him like ice shards. "What if I told you I already know you’re lying?"?


    Thomas’s mind went nk with panic, his darkplexion fading to an ashen gray.?


    "...No, that’s not—I’m not lying,Alpha Sebastian . I really don’t know where Secretary Cecilia went."?


    The other factory employees lowered their heads, sweating profusely, not daring to breathe.?


    I remained silent. ?


    Their reactions had already confirmed my instincts.?


    Cecilia’s disappearance was absolutely connected to them.?


    Author’s pov


    Alpha Xavier, who had been listening from the side, could no longer contain his rage. He lunged forward, grabbing Thomas by the cor, his face contorted with fury.?


    "Where is my mate?" he growled, the sound barely human. "What have you done to her?"?


    His explosive anger was terrifying—like he might rip the man’s apart at any moment.?


    "Who—who are you? Let go!"Thomas Dunn choked, struggling for breath in Alpha Xavier’s iron grip.?


    Alpha Xavier mmed Thomas Dunn’s head against the conference table with a sickening crack. The sound echoed through the room, making everyone flinch. It seemed as if his skull might have fractured from the impact.?


    Everyone around them froze, each fearing they might be next.?


    Alpha Sebastian watched with cold detachment, his expression unchanged.?


    Beta Sawyer observed the scene with rm. The first thought that crossed his mind wasn’t whether Thomas Dunn would survive, but rather—if Cecilia had been married to such a violent man, she must suffer abuse from him.?


    Alpha Xavier yanked Thomas Dunn’s head back up, his face a mask of murderous rage. "Tell me where my mate is. Now."?


    "I..." Blood streaming from his nose and face, the factory director started to say he didn’t know, but after that first syble, one look at Alpha Xavier’s expression told him the next words might be hisst.?


    "If you want to die, I can arrange that,"Alpha Xavier snarled, veins bulging at his temples, patience clearly evaporating.?


    "...I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you!" Thomas Dunn finally broke. One more hit like that and he’d be dead oratose.??


    Several knowing employees in the room felt their hearts leap into their throats.?


    Some wanted to intervene, others took a step forward, but all were instantly frozen by the coldest, mostmanding gaze in the room—Alpha Sebastian’s. His eyes promised destruction to anyone who moved.?


    If they let Thomas Dunn speak, they were all finished. But if they tried to stop him, they’d meet the same fate.?


    The atmosphere became unbearably tense.?


    "Secretary Cecilia, she’s—she’s at—"?


    "What is going on here?!"?


    Just as Thomas was about to reveal the truth, a stern voice interrupted from the doorway.?


    Leonard had arrived, with Amara following close behind.?


    Alpha Sebastian turned toward the voice, his eyes glinting with frost, his entire being radiating displeasure that seemed to ask: I’m here—who gave you permission to speak??


    Leonard felt his heart pound, nervously rubbing his nose as he stepped behind Amara.??


    Alpha Xavier, having been so close to getting answers only to be interrupted by some random interloper, felt rage hot enough to incinerate the entire room.?


    He pointed at Leonard andmanded his men, "Take him outside and beat him within an inch of his life."?


    Everyone in the room gasped.?


    As Alpha Xavier’s men moved to follow orders, Leonard panicked and began running around the conference room, with several burly security personnel in pursuit. Chaos erupted once more. Leonard was eventually captured.??


    Amara stood stunned.?


    "Who was this man?" She looked questioningly at Alpha Sebastian, but it was Beta Sawyer who leaned in to exin in a hushed voice, "That’s Secretary Cecilia’s..." Considering the divorce papers weren’t finalized, and knowing he might be the next unfortunate victim of Alpha Xavier’s wrath if he said ’ex-husband,’ he cautiously settled on, "...husband."?


    "Husband? She’s married?!" Amara eximed, no longer concerned with Leonard’s fate,pletely absorbed in this revtion.?


    [Cecilia was actually married.]?


    The emotions that had been building inside her suddenly had nowhere to go.?


    As Alpha Xavier’s men were about to drag Leonard and Dunn outside, another group burst into the conference room—local thugs by the look of them. Seeing Thomas Dunn restrained, their leader shouted "Uncle Dunn!" and charged forward to rescue him.?


    Several men rushed at Alpha Xavier, forcing him to release Thomas Dunn to defend himself. His security detail had to abandon Leonard to protect their Alpha Xavier.?


    Alpha Xavier and his men became entangled in the brawl, and in the confusion, Thomas Dunn was being whisked toward the exit. Beta Sawyer looked urgently at Alpha Sebastian: Should we call people to recapture him??


    Alpha Sebastian gave a single, meaningful nod.?


    Understanding immediately, Beta Sawyer quickly left the conference room.?


    Alpha Xavier, having finished dealing with several thugs, also pursued Thomas Dunn with his men


    The thugs who had been beaten to the floor scrambled out the door after them.?


    The chaotic conference room fell silent once more.?


    Someone helped Leonard to his feet, offering sympathy and concern.?


    "Oh, my back!" Leonardined, rubbing his lower spine. "That man was absolutely barbaric. Couldn’t he just talk things out civilly?" He naturally settled into a chair.?


    Acting as if he were in charge here.?


    The branchpany employees seemed relieved at his arrival, like their savior hade.?


    Sebastian’s pov?


    I stood there, my face impassive as stone.?


    I didn’t rage or speak, just remained standing with one hand in my pocket, watching him with a slightly mocking gaze.?


    My stare made Leonard sweat profusely, shifting ufortably in his seat until he finally stood again awkwardly. "Please, Alpha Sebastian, take a seat."?


    "Vice President Leonard, quite the influence you have here," I remarked with deceptive casualness. ?


    "Perhaps this branch should be renamed after you instead." I punctuated my words by tapping my finger sharply against the table.?


    Leonard’s heart skipped a beat.?


    His eyes darted nervously toward Amara.?


    [He’s guilty,] Soren snarled inside me. [I can smell his fear.]?


    "Alpha Sebastian..." Amara began, then noticed the cial coldness in my eyes. "May I say something? Of course we need to find Secretary Cecilia, but using the factory staff without evidence isn’t fair. You haven’t checked the security footage or called the police, yet you’re threatening to fire everyone if she isn’t found. That’s unreasonable."?


    My eyes narrowed dangerously. "How do you know I haven’t reviewed the footage or gathered evidence?"?


    The question hung in the air like a de.?