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His gaze cuts toward the entrance where Kai’s just swaggered into the crowd, utterly unbothered.

The OMB official beside Lucian goes still, his lips thinning with polite disdain. One of the other officials mutters something to the woman with the advisor-eyes. She doesn’t respond, just watches Kai with a kind of pointed quiet.

Lucian’s jaw shifts once. Barely.

But the message is clear.

What the fuck is he doing here?

The whole group looks at Kai the way museum curators might look at a raccoon that’s chewed through a priceless tapestry.

And Kai?

He just grins wider.

I fight the twitch of a laugh - because my body doesn’t know whether to run, collapse, or kiss him until I forget my own name.

This isn’t just scent. It’s not even just lust.

It’srecognition.

And I -

Am not reacting. Irefuse.

I am neutral.

I am boring.

I am a very tired beta with a camera and no interest in this walking, smirking, cinnamon-scented mistake.

And I am absolutely not making eye contact.

Not again.

Not until I can trust my knees.

Still, I swear - Iswear- I canfeelhim smirking from across the room.

Click. Flash.

Keep. It. Together.

I exhale through my nose and lift the camera again.

Focus.Pretend.

But I’m pretty sure the scent-neutralizers are wheezing for help, now.

This is fine. This istotallyfine.

It’s just three alphas -

Three extremely different, extremely illegal thoughts wrapped in tailored fabric -

And something in me that’s starting to ache like it just woke up from a coma and isdeeplypissed it missed the party.

Chapter Five

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