Page 28 of Billionaire Alien Boss Daddy

“Funny. You seem to have a lot of enemies.”

“Occupational hazard,” I mutter, leaning back in the seat. My mind races. Ryan’s out there, and so are his agents. They’ll come after Claire again. I need to end this.

The car pulls into the station, and I’m led inside. The interrogation room smells like stale coffee and desperation. I sit, my hands folded on the table, waiting. The grolgath might have tried to kill me tonight.

But they made one mistake.

They didn’t finish the job.

CHAPTER14

CLARICE

Ipace the office, my heels clicking sharply against the polished floor, my mind racing faster than my steps. Someone tried to kill Shomun.Simon.Sho.Whatever his name is, whatever he is—the thought of him hurt, bleeding, vulnerable, makes my chest tighten so hard I feel like I can’t breathe. I stop by the window, staring out at the city below, but I don’t see the skyline. I see him, standing in his true form, those deep indigo scales catching the light, his red eyes sharp and intense. And I see him collapsing under the weight of a truck, scales dulled, eyes closed.

“Damn it,” I mutter, slamming my palm against the glass. The sting grounds me for a moment, but my thoughts keep spiraling. I’ve been lying to him from the start. Silas hired me to spy on him, and I’ve been doing it—sort of. But somewhere along the way, the mission stopped mattering. Sho stopped being a target and became… everything. He’s not just my boss, my lover, my alien protector of the timeline. He’smine. And I’m his. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. Not Silas, not anyone. Sho makes me feel powerful, desired, seen. He doesn’t just tolerate my flaws—he turns them into strengths. My shyness becomes allure, my insecurity becomes focus, my need for control becomes trust. How could I not love him?

But there’s still the truth. The truth I’ve been hiding. I can’t keep lying to him. I can’t. But I also can’t just blurt it out—not yet. I need to know if he’s the one who broke into Silas’s server room. And with Sho busy dealing with the aftermath of… everything… now’s my chance.

I stride over to his desk, my heart pounding in my ears. His computer is locked, of course, but I’ve seen him type in his password enough times to guess it. I hit the keys—his meeting time, 4:30—and the screen unlocks. I exhale sharply, my hands trembling as I navigate to the files marked “Veritas.”

I scan through the folders on Simon’s computer, my fingers hovering over the keyboard like they’re afraid to touch down. My heart pounds so hard I can feel it in my throat. When I spot the file labeledGreer B and E, I freeze. Breaking and entering? That’s got to be it. I click it open, my breath hitching as I start to read.

The report is written in Simon’s sharp, precise tone. Relief floods through me as I realize he didn’t do it. He’s been investigating the break-in at Silas’s server room, not orchestrating it. One of his main suspects? Ryan Pax. The man I just saw at the fundraiser, with his slick smile and veiled threats. Simon’s notes mention possible grolgath connections, and I shiver. This is way bigger than corporate espionage.

I copy the file, my hands steady despite the adrenaline coursing through me. I redact anything about aliens, about Veritas, about Simon’s true identity. This needs to look like a straightforward investigation report, nothing more. I save it to my cloud and text Silas.

I have something for you. Where can we meet?

The reply comes fast.Old pumping station, Ninth Ward. You remember the one.

I do. It’s been abandoned since Katrina, a crumbling relic of the storm’s devastation. I grab my keys and head out, my mind racing.

The pumping station looms in the distance, its skeletal frame silhouetted against the dying light. I park and step out, the air thick with the scent of rust and decay. Silas is waiting inside, his blonde hair catching the faint glow of his phone screen.

“Claire,” he says, his voice smooth but strained. “You’re late.”

“Traffic,” I lie, stepping closer. “I’ve got your proof.”

I pull up the report on my phone and hand it to him. His eyes narrow as he scans it, his jaw tightening with each line. When he finishes, he looks up at me, his expression a mix of disbelief and anger.

“Ryan Pax? You’re telling me Ryan Pax broke into my server room?”

“Looks like it,” I say, crossing my arms. “Simon’s been investigating him for a while. If Pax has your data, it taints the merger negotiations. You need to tread carefully.”

Silas runs a hand through his hair, his usual composed demeanor cracking. “This is a disaster. If he’s got leverage, he could gut the whole deal.”

“You’re welcome,” I say dryly. “Consider your payment earned.”

He looks at me, his blue eyes softening for a moment. “Claire, you’re good at this. Really good. Come work for me full-time. I’ll double whatever Simon’s paying you.”

I shake my head before he even finishes. “No. I’ve already got a job.”

“With him?” Silas scoffs. “He’s a control freak and a goddamn tyrant. You’re smarter than that.”

“I’m exactly where I want to be,” I say, my voice firm.

Silas studies me for a moment, then shrugs. “Your loss. But if you change your mind…”

---