Chapter 6 6

Vivian POV

The main conference room of Sterling Corp was a transparent cage of glass and steel. At 8:45 AM, I walked through the heavy doors, expecting to see the campaign boards for *Luna's Whisper*, the fragrance line I had spent the last year building.

Instead, a massive, aggressive projection of Serena Chase's face dominated the main screen.

Olivia Lane stood at the head of the black obsidian table. She wore a sharp red dress, and her scent-a sickeningly sweet wave of pure malice-filled the room.

"The Alpha has decided Serena will be the global face of the new line," Olivia announced, not even bothering to hide her triumphant smirk.

I froze, my nails digging into the leather of my portfolio. "I signed Lily Evans to an ironclad two-year contract. Terminating it now will cost the Pack millions in penalty fees."

Olivia let out a dismissive, breathy laugh. "The Alpha feels Serena's... essence... is a better fit for the brand's new direction. The termination fee is a non-issue."

"It's irresponsible, Olivia," I shot back, my voice tight. "You're bleeding Pack resources for a vanity project."

Olivia's eyes flashed. She took a step forward, deliberately raising her voice so the Pack members lingering outside the glass walls could hear every word. "We all know you're only here because of the Sterlings' charity, Vivian. A little wolfless stray they took in. You should be grateful, not causing trouble."

She paused, her lips curling into a cruel sneer. "After all, the Pack has already wasted enough money tolerating that human liability you called a father."

The mention of William Miller-the kind, hardworking man who had sacrificed everything to raise me-sent a violent shockwave through my system. Deep in my womb, my tiny pup gave a faint, fluttering spasm, sensing its mother's sudden, sharp distress. A fierce, protective instinct flared in my chest, hot and blinding.

Seeing the color drain from my face, Olivia thought she had won. She leaned in close, dropping her voice to a venomous whisper meant only for me.

"The Alpha has finally found a real she-wolf, someone worthy of carrying the Sterling bloodline, not some barren, wolfless stray."

*Barren.*

The word pierced my ear like a silver blade. The rational, submissive Omega I had played for three years vanished, instantly incinerated by a primal, maternal rage. I didn't think. My body moved before my mind could even process the command.

My hand cracked across Olivia's cheek with a resounding, violent slap.

Olivia let out an exaggerated, theatrical shriek. She stumbled backward, clutching her rapidly reddening face, a triumphant gleam flashing in her eyes.

The heavy glass doors swung open. The air in the room instantly froze.

Alpha Julian Sterling stood in the doorway. His crushing Alpha aura suffocated the space, pressing down on my lungs like a physical weight. But what made my stomach churn was his scent-his intoxicating aroma of winter storm and ancient pine was heavily polluted by the cloying stench of Serena's hothouse orchids.

His ice-blue eyes swept the scene. He saw Olivia sobbing into her hands, playing the perfect victim. Then, his gaze locked onto me. I was standing rigid, my chest heaving, my entire body trembling with raw fury.

He didn't ask what happened. He didn't care about the context, the provocation, or the fact that I was his Luna. To him, I was just a wolfless Omega disrupting his perfect order.

A low, rumbling growl echoed directly in my mind, carrying the absolute, unbreakable weight of the *Alpha's Command*.

*"My office. Now."*

The command bypassed my free will entirely. My muscles twitched, forcing my feet to turn toward the door. As I walked past Julian, stripped of my dignity and my right to defend myself, I caught a glimpse of Olivia over his shoulder. She was looking right at me, her tear-stained face twisting into a vicious, victorious smile.