Free Web NovelChapter 73: Chapter 73 Late Night Care
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Alpha Dominic thought she had been out partying, and his voice sounded jealous.
Elara was too tired to explain. "Yeah, it’s late. Didn’t I tell you not to wait up?"
Her impatient tone made the already jealous Alpha even more annoyed.
The warmth that had been growing between them suddenly turned cold.
Alpha Dominic grabbed her wrist. "What’s wrong? Who pissed you off?"
Elara was completely exhausted.
"I’m sorry," she said quietly. "I’m having a terrible day. I shouldn’t have snapped at you."
Alpha Dominic nodded. "You’re right. You were being bitchy to me."
"But I’ll let it slide," he added with a little smirk.
Elara’s annoyance melted away at his teasing tone. She realized a guy like Alpha Dominic wouldn’t waste time on stupid drama.
"Want some food? I could whip up some pasta," Alpha Dominic offered.
Elara’s stomach rumbled loudly. She never ignored her body’s signals. "Spaghetti with black pepper, please."
Alpha Dominic’s eyes lit up with a smile. "Coming right up."
While Elara went to wash up, Alpha Dominic cooked her meal.
When she came back, she watched him plate the pasta like a professional chef.
"Do you cook a lot?" she asked.
"Sometimes," Dominic said honestly.
Elara took a bite and her eyes went wide with surprise. "This is amazing!"
She hadn’t expected Dominic to be such a good cook.
He looked pleased with himself. "Eat up."
Unfortunately, with all the stress on her mind, Elara lost her appetite halfway through.
"Let’s save this for breakfast tomorrow," she suggested. "It’ll still taste good reheated."
Alpha Dominic shook his head. "No wonder you’re so thin. You barely eat anything when it’s fresh and hot."
"I’m just not that hungry right now," Elara explained.
"Well, I’m not wasting good pasta," he said, pulling her plate over. Without thinking twice, he started eating her leftovers.
Elara stared at him in shock. "You don’t mind eating after me?"
Alpha Dominic finished the pasta in just a few bites, but somehow still looked elegant doing it.
He wiped his mouth with a napkin and gave her a meaningful look.
"I’m not that picky," he said. "Now go brush your teeth and get some sleep."
Elara studied him, wondering if Dominic was always this relaxed. "Okay. Thanks for tonight."
As she headed to the bedroom, Alpha Dominic’s expression went dark.
He reached out through the pack mindlink. "Find out what happened at Park Hotel Group today."
His Beta’s voice came back instantly through their mental connection. "On it, Alpha King."
[If she’d had drama with Nadia, she would pretend not to care, but her eyes would be red.
Tonight, though, the worry on her face told him something had gone wrong at the hotel her dad left her.]
Minutes later, his Beta’s report flowed directly into his mind with all the details.
Alpha Dominic’s eyes turned cold. Some people just never learned.
He sent another sharp command through the mindlink. "Crash the Vance family stocks tomorrow." His mental voice was ice cold.
[If the daughter didn’t know how to behave, he’d teach the father a lesson instead.]
--
Elara tossed and turned all night, her mind racing with worst-case scenarios. When she finally gave up and checked her phone, it was only six AM.
She couldn’t fall back asleep, so she threw on some clothes and headed straight back to the hotel. Her father’s legacy wasn’t going down on her watch.
At the hotel, she found the morning manager pacing in the lobby, dark circles under his eyes.
"Elara, thank god you’re here," he said, rushing over. "A bunch of our staff got grilled at the police station all night, but the cops didn’t find anything sketchy."
His voice cracked slightly with exhaustion and stress. "Elara, these workers have been here for years. They wouldn’t steal from guests or trash their stuff. I know these people."
The manager had been with the hotel for ten years. He’d personally hired and trained most of the current staff. Getting accused like this was eating him alive.
Elara kept her voice steady, though her jaw was tight. "Your feelings don’t matter right now. The police need to finish their investigation."
She crossed her arms, her business mask firmly in place. "The company has prepared damage control statements, so get ready. But I’ll make damn sure Jack knows we won’t admit to something we didn’t do!"
The manager’s shoulders sagged with relief, and for the first time in hours, he actually smiled. "Thanks, Elara. All the staff appreciate having someone in their corner."
"We’re family here," Elara said firmly. "Nobody throws my people under the bus. Not on my watch."
