Alpha's Private Plaything (Elsa and Drake Stone) novel Chapter 285

Chapter 285

Drake remained silent, his expression unreadable, though I could see a vein pulsing in his temple.

“You want to know why I helped her? Because I saw myself in her. Trapped by a man who claimed to care but treated me like a convenient accessory.” I stepped out of the car, smoothing down my skirt with trembling hands. “Her loyalty and affection for you ran deep, Drake. But even the deepest well runs dry when there’s nothing coming back to fill it.”

I closed the door with deliberate gentleness and walked away, feeling Drake’s eyes burning into my back. My legs felt like jelly, and I had to concentrate to keep my pace steady and confident. He wouldn’t thank me for my honesty, but maybe, just maybe, some of it would sink in.

Elsa

Seven days. It had been seven fucking days since I’d walked away from Drake, and every morning I woke up in a cold sweat, expecting to find him looming over my bed. But there had been nothing–no calls, no texts, not even surveillance reports from Taylor. The silence was almost more unnerving than his usual controlling behavior.

I stood in the reception area of Moonlight Real Estate’s executive floor, nervously twisting my necklace between my fingers as manager handed over the last of my credentials. The woman looked exhausted, dark circles under her eyes as she passed me a thick binder.

“You’re the only secretary with direct access to the chairman,” she explained, her voice hollow. “He expects immediate responses at all hours. Good luck.” She walked away without another word.

I bit my lower lip, flipping through the binder with trembling fingers.

“Ms. Hale, Joseph’s voice called from his office doorway. “I need those quarterly projections summarized before the board meeting at two.”

I nodded, quickly straightening my skirt and hurrying to my new desk outside his office. My heels clicked nervously against the marble floor as I walked. The workspace was immaculate–sleek glass and chrome, with floor–to–ceiling windows offering a panoramic view of Twin Moon City. On a clear day like today, I could even see the Stone Enterprises tower in the distance, its dark silhouette a reminder of what I’d left behind.

My stomach twisted with anxiety, bile rising in my throat. Was Drake plotting his revenge? Or had he simply moved on, focusing on his arrangement with Vera now that I was out of the picture? Fuck, why do I even care? I ran my fingers through my hair, tugging slightly at the roots to ground myself.

“Thinking about Stone?”

I jumped at the voice, nearly knocking over my coffee, a few drops splashing onto my sleeve. “Shit!” I muttered, grabbing a tissue. Bruce stood beside my desk, his expensive cologne invading my space before he did. He looked polished as always in a navy suit.

“Mr. Wayne,” I said, forcing professionalism into my voice while wiping frantically at the stain. “What can I do for you?”

He smiled, a predatory gleam in his eyes. “I just wanted to see how you were settling in. You left Wilson Corp rather… abruptly. He leaned

closer, lowering his voice. “Not even a goodbye.”

I suppressed a shudder, instinctively leaning back in my chair to create distance. The memory of his hand on my knee in the car made my skin crawl. “I had pressing matters to attend to.”

10:19 am Pp

Alpher’s Private Plaything

Chapter 285

wined silent, his expressing unreadable, though I could saw a vain picking in his temple.

You want to know why I hwiped her? Because I saw myself in her. Trapped by a man who claimed to care be treated se accessory | dapped out of the cat, smoothing down my skirt with trembling hands. Her loyalty and deren toy bag Ocas even the deepest well runs dry when there’s nothing coming back to fill it

I closed the door with deliberate gentleness and walked away, feeling Draker’s eyes burning into my back. My legs felt like jelly, and I had to concentrate to keep my pace steady and confident. He wouldn’t thank me for my honesty, but maybe, just maylor, some of it would

Seven days. It had been seven fucking days since I’d walked away from Drake, and every morning I woke up in a cold sweat, expecting to fad him looming over my bed. But there had been nothing–no calls, no texts, not even surveillance reports from Taylor. The silence was almost more unnerving than his usual controlling behavior,

I stood in the reception area of Moonlight Real Estate’s executive floor, nervously twisting my necklace between my fingers as manager handed over the last of my credentials. The woman looked exhausted, dark circles under her eyes as she passed me a thick binder.

“You’re the only secretary with direct access to the chairman,” she explained, her voice hollow. “He expects immediate responses at all hours Good luck.” She walked away without another word.

I bit my lower lip, flipping through the binder with trembling fingers.

“Ms. Hale, Joseph’s voice called from his office doorway, “I need those quarterly projections summarized before the board meeting at two.

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