<h4>Chapter 76: Chapter 76 Lost in Trantion</h4>


    Cecilia’s pov


    I stood frozen in the hallway, my mind still foggy from our earlier conversation.


    His apology... it was for how he’d spoken to me when I first came to his bedroom.


    So the cold, demanding Alpha had suddenly developed a conscience?


    But what did thosest sentences mean?


    I reyed his words over and over, analyzing each syble carefully.


    I think I understood now.


    The reason he’d been angry earlier was because I hadn’t entered his room immediately - he was frustrated that I, his secretary, had been so hesitant and filled my head with unnecessary concerns.


    With this interpretation, his final statements made sense:


    He was assuring me there would never be anything between us, and he wouldn’t allow any rumors to circte.


    A twinge of embarrassment swept through me.


    Of course that’s what he meant.


    "I understand," I nodded solemnly. "You’re right. The innocent have nothing to hide. I’ll be more professional."


    Alpha Sebastian stared at me with an unreadable expression.


    I’dpletely misunderstood, hadn’t I?


    ...


    Back in my downstairs apartment, my mood had improved considerably.


    Alpha Sebastian might be difficult to please, but at least he was willing to lower his guard and clear the air.


    This way, we could avoid misunderstandings.


    Half-asleepter that night, I heard the soft ping of a message notification.


    I rolled over, fumbling for my phone in the darkness.


    Alpha Sebastian: [Cecilia, remember toe to work tomorrow.]


    I was already drifting back to sleep, my eyes barely open in thin slits as my fingers clumsily typed a reply.


    What I didn’t notice was how my sleepy fingers had shifted ever so slightly upward... Typoing "Yes, boss" into "Yes, baby."


    After sending it, I carelessly swiped away the message window, tossed my phone aside, and rolled over to continue my sweet dreams.


    Author’s pov


    The next morning, at 7:30 AM, Liam had already set out breakfast.


    The Alpha had mentioned he’d be going to the office today.


    Normally, Alpha Sebastian would be up at six for his morning run, seated at the breakfast table by seven, reviewing financial news.


    He’d make calls or hold video conferences in the garden before departing precisely at nine for the office.


    But with his injury, his schedule had been pushed back.


    Eight o’clock came and went with no sign of him.


    Beta Sawyer arrived, surprised to find Alpha Sebastian hadn’t emerged from his bedroom yet. "Did something happenst night? Has our Alpha finally discovered nightclubs?" he joked.


    It was clearly a bad joke.


    Even without his injury, Alpha Sebastian’s nightlife was as exciting as that of a monk who’d taken vows of abstinence.


    Liam folded his hands in front of him, sighing with concern. "It is strange. Alpha Sebastian never sleeps in."


    Neither dared knock on his bedroom door.


    At 8:30 AM, Alpha Sebastian finally emerged.


    His pale, handsome face looked exhausted, as if he hadn’t slept well. Dark circles shadowed his eyes.


    Beta Sawyer and Liam exchanged nces. Had he actually gone clubbing?


    Alpha Sebastian ignored their questioning looks and walked to the dining room. The two men followed close behind.


    As Alpha Sebastian sat down to breakfast, Beta Sawyer assumed his mood was too dark to disturb with the day’s schedule.


    Liam silently served him.


    To their surprise, after taking a sip of juice, Alpha Sebastian smiled. "Mm, the juice is particrly good today."


    Beta Sawyer blinked in confusion.


    Liam stared.


    Wasn’t juice... always the same?


    Perhaps today’s fruit had been exceptionally sweet?


    Alpha Sebastian continued eating with surprisingly good appetite.


    Beta Sawyer felt that reporting work matters now would only disturb this unexpected pleasant mood.


    Just then, his phone rang.


    ncing at it, he muttered, "Why is Cecilia calling me so early?"


    He was about to step outside to answer when a cool voice stopped him.


    "Take it here."


    "...Oh. Right." Beta Sawyer didn’t understand the request but obeyed.


    He answered the call. "Cecilia."


    Her voice came through, warm and cheerful. "Beta Sawyer, what time will you be at the office?"


    "Around nine. Why?"


    "Well, I’m supposed to start work today, but I don’t have my ess card yet, and I don’t know which floor my office is on. I was hoping you coulde down and help me."


    She knew she was being presumptuous, but she was counting on their friendly rtionship to get away with it.


    Beta Sawyerughed. "You haven’t left yet, have you? I’m upstairs. Come up and you can ride to the office with Alpha Sebastian."


    Silence stretched for a few seconds on the other end.


    "I think I’ll just meet you at the office," Cecilia finally replied.


    What kind of employee would barge into their boss’s home and hitch a ride without being invited?


    The dining room was quiet enough that Alpha Sebastian could hear most of her response.


    He set his ss down on the table.


    Hard.


    "Are you her personal assistant now? Tell her to find HR herself!" His tone was arctic.


    His words carried through the phone to Cecilia’s ears.


    Beta Sawyer looked ufortable.


    Cecilia quickly jumped in. "That’s fine, that’s fine! Beta Sawyer, just send me the HR manager’s contact info and I’ll handle it myself."


    Beta Sawyer sighed. "Alright, I’ll send you the HR manager’s details right away."


    "Thanks. See you at the office," She replied brightly before hanging up.


    Cecilia’s pov


    I sat at my vanity table and exhaled deeply.


    So much for convenience.


    First day of work and Alpha Sebastian already caught me trying to get special treatment from a colleague.


    Poor Beta Sawyer got scolded because of me.


    My phone buzzed twice.


    Beta Sawyer’s message had arrived.


    I opened WhatsApp, which I hadn’t checked since waking up—too busy making breakfast and doing my makeup.


    As I was about to tap on Beta Sawyer’s message, I noticed the conversation below it.


    Alpha Sebastian ck.


    But what made my heart stop was the message below his name:


    [Yes, babe]


    My brain short-circuited with horror.


    babe?


    BABE?!


    Wait... this was MY WhatsApp ount, right? MINE! MY ount!


    I had called Alpha Sebastian "BABE"!!


    AAAAAAAHHHHH!!


    My mind exploded like a nuclear mushroom cloud, my pupils dting in panic, my hands trembling as if I’d suddenly developed Parkinson’s...


    No no no!


    This couldn’t be real!


    It absolutely couldn’t be real!


    I threw my phone away, backing up and covering my mouth with both hands, staring at the device lying innocently on the floor with pure anguish.


    It took a full ten minutes of standing there before I could ept this terrible reality.


    I sat back down at my vanity.


    Taking a deep breath, I picked up my phone again and carefully checked the timestamp. He had messaged me at 1 AM.


    I couldn’t see when exactly I’d replied.


    Maybe he was as sleepy as I was when he texted and hasn’t seen my response yet?


    If I could somehow get upstairs and delete it from his phone... but the difficulty level of that mission was astronomical.


    Finally, I decided to try anyway.


    Things were already this bad—what was one more act of desperation?


    I deleted my message first (destroying the evidence), then grabbed my purse and headed upstairs.


    When I appeared in the penthouse dining room, all three men turned to look at me.


    I forced my lips into a painful smile. "Good morning."


    Alpha Sebastian observed my flushed face, his lips curving into a knowing smile as he spoke with deliberate slowness, "Cecilia, you look like you slept... very well."