Fated To The Four Notorious Alpha Brothers

Chapter 21: Punishment

I’m glad Cole agreed to my plan; he was hesitant at first, but I asked him to trust me, and he eventually did.

Now that I’m home, I’ve just arrived and am leaving the parking lot. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

As I entered the house, a maid approached me.

"Good day, Ms. Alpha. Bryce wants to see you in his office," she announced.

Bryce? He’s home?

"Okay, I’ll drop my bag in my room and head there." I tried to walk away, but the maid blocked my path.

"I’m sorry, but he wants to see you now," she insisted. "I’ll take your bag to your room." She retrieved it and left.

What’s going on? Why does Bryce need me? And why is he even home?

I walked to his office and knocked; his deep, gruff voice ushered me in.

"I just got home..." I began, but stopped when I saw a pile of files on his table.

Does he want me to organize the files again? Is that why he called me?

"Sit down," he ordered, not sparing me a glance, so I took a seat.

"Why did you go to the station?" He groaned, his eyes fixed on his work.

He knows...? I shouldn’t be surprised; he has ears and eyes everywhere.

"I... you know," I whispered.

"So you went against us for your little boyfriend?" He paused, looking up at me, but I remained silent.

"I left my glasses on the table; I need them," he stated, indicating he wanted me to fetch his reading glasses.

"Oh... okay," I said, standing up and leaving the office. I went to his room and searched, but after looking thoroughly, I couldn’t find them. I returned downstairs.

"I couldn’t find them on the table," I reported.

"Go to my closet," he instructed. I left his office, climbed the stairs, entered his room, and after another thorough search, I returned.

"I couldn’t find them."

"Are you sure you searched?"

"I did." What is this? Is he trying to punish me?

"Search again. I left a file on my nightstand; bring it along with the glasses," he instructed.

I went back to his room and immediately found the file, but I still couldn’t locate the glasses.

I returned to him again, but he sent me back once more.

I climbed the stairs, went down, climbed back up, and descended again until I was completely exhausted.

Okay, I see it now; he is punishing me for disobeying his orders.

After the eleventh trip, I collapsed into his office chair.

"I can’t do this anymore," I muttered, shaking my head.

"What did you say?"

"I... I said... I can’t."

"What if I go up there and find the glasses?"

"What?" I huffed. It’s simply impossible. I had searched everywhere for over an hour.

But he stood up. "Come with me." I followed him into the room, and to my shock, I saw the glasses sitting right there on the table.

How come...? What happened? I searched that tabletop many times. Why are the reading glasses there now?

"I guess this is a piece of candy." He looked at me, but I lowered my gaze to the floor. Embarrassed.

"But you’re so good at locating your little boyfriend, aren’t you? You’re also good at kissing him, but you can’t find a pair of reading glasses." He dropped the glasses on the table and started to leave the room.

"Behind me," he ordered as he exited. Why did he return the glasses to the table? I thought he needed them.

He’s just bullying me, that’s all.

I’m sure he had someone place the glasses there a moment ago; it’s the only explanation since I searched that tabletop multiple times without finding them.

I returned to his office. "Coffee; I need it just the way I like it," he said.

But there are maids and cooks for that. Why does he need me to make his coffee? And I don’t know how he likes his coffee.

"How... how do you like it?" I whispered, staring at him.

"You don’t know?" He asked, flipping through a document.

"Y... yes."

"But I’m sure you know what Cole’s favorite meal is; you brought it to him today."

What the hell...!

How far does he plan to take this?

"If you’re still waiting for an answer, you’re wasting your time. You have other things to do. I wouldn’t waste my time if I were you," he groaned.

Other things? Like what?

"Okay, I’ll make it," I said, leaving the office for the kitchen. When I arrived, I found it completely empty.

Where did everyone go? The maids, the chefs... where are they?

And where’s the coffee machine? Where are the coffee beans? Did Bryce do this? Did he ask the maids to hide it?

How am I going to make coffee without a machine, and there’s no instant coffee available either?

Wait, I could buy some. I could order.

Yes, but my phone is not here; it’s in my school bag.

I went to my room, expecting to find my school bag, but it was missing.

Where is it? Where did the maid put my school bag?

After searching, I headed to the servants’ quarters. The servant quarters are where all the workers live. I should find the maid who took my bag; they all live there. But when I arrived, I found no one. Everywhere appeared empty.

Where did they all go?

I ran out of the house and approached the patrol guards. "Where are the maids? The cooks, the cleaners—where is everyone?" I asked.

"Alpha Bryce gave everyone leave; they’re at their respective homes now," the guard replied.

"When are they coming back?"

"Alpha Bryce granted them a week’s leave. They’ll return next week."

"What?!"

"Who will do the cleaning and cooking? This house is huge. Who will be responsible for maintaining it?"

"I... I have no idea; I’m just a patrol guard," the guard said, bowing slightly before walking away.

Once he left, I collapsed against the wall. He’ll make me do the cooking and cleaning for a week. Bryce... Bryce is punishing me.

I won’t survive this; it’s been ages since I cleaned or cooked. Cleaning the entire house every day feels like a suicide mission.

What should I do? I’m truly at a loss here. I expected some punishment, but not to this extent. I had no idea he would go this far.