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I kept glancing at my phone between rushes. It sat silent on the counter, no messages or missed calls lighting up its screen. Lydia hadn't texted me all morning, not even a cursory How was your date? It was odd. She’d usually be all over any gossip or news about my life.
Then again, Lydia had her own world, one filled with glittering events and social gatherings where she could flaunt her alpha status. She probably got caught up in something more pressing than her omega friend's dating life.
I resigned myself to another uneventful day, the monotony of my routine wrapping around me like a well-worn shawl. As I was wiping down the counter, Blair slid an order across to me.
“Sterling Enterprises, Executive Department. Jaxon Sterling,” she said with a nod. “The usual.” She winked at me.
My heart lurched at the name, pounding against my ribs as if trying to break free. I steadied my shaking hands and focused on preparing the coffee.
With the order securely in carry boxes, I stepped out into the crisp afternoon air and made my way to the Sterling Enterprises building. The revolving doors swept me into a world of hushed tones and polished surfaces. I rode the elevator to the executive floor, where the doors parted with a soft chime.
As I stepped out, I felt it immediately, the weight of numerous gazes on me. It was different from before, these stares burned with curiosity and animosity, especially from some of the women around my age who stood in clusters like exotic birds preening their feathers. Their whispers snaked through the air, words dripping with venom.
I straightened my spine and headed for Colton's and Jaxon's offices. Halfway there, three women stepped in front of me, effectively blocking my path. My gaze locked on to one of them, the same blonde who had tried to intercept me weeks ago during my first delivery here.
“You can hand those to me,” she said with a thin smile that didn't reach her eyes. “I'll take them to Mr. Sterlings.”
I took a step back, meeting her gaze with quiet defiance.
“No, that's all right. I'm capable of completing my delivery, thank you.” My voice was even but firm.
She moved closer again, an imperious tilt to her chin.
“Really, it's no trouble at all,” she insisted. Her companions flanked her like loyal henchmen.
The hallway had become an arena with us at its center, every eye fixed on our standoff. The air was thick with tension as I sidestepped them once more.
But she was relentless. She blocked my way yet again, her eyes cold and calculating.
“An omega like you can't possibly think you're doing anything but bothering everyone here, especially our bosses, with your disgusting omega scents.”
Anger flared within me like a sudden blaze. It wasn't just about her words; it was about every sneer I'd ever received for being an omega, every door that had been slammed in my face because of what I was born as.
“I'm not bothering anyone,” I countered sharply. “And for your information, being an omega doesn't mean I can't do anything.” My hands tightened around the carry boxes. It was all that kept them from trembling with rage.
The woman laughed, a brittle sound that echoed mockingly off the walls.
“You're just deluding yourself if you think they actually want you here.”
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, willing myself to remain composed despite the storm raging inside me.
“You're looking down on omegas,” I said evenly but with an edge that sliced through her condescension like a knife through paper. “You're a bigot and should be ashamed of yourself.”
The corridor had fallen silent; you could have heard a pin drop.
“Colton and Jaxon don't mind my scent. They would have told me otherwise,” I continued boldly, bolstered by their previous kindnesses toward me, by their unexpected gentleness and their warmth that seemed so at odds with their imposing reputations.
The woman opened her mouth to retort but I cut her off before she could spill more venomous words.
“And just so we're clear,” I added with quiet finality. “Jaxon specifically requests that the delivery be made by me on their special request form on every order.”
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd that had gathered around us, a sea of faces marked by shock and surprise as they absorbed what I'd said.
Whispers spread through the office like wildfire, a cascade of murmurs and hushed voices rising in volume as speculation ran rampant through the ranks of Sterling Enterprises employees.
“She calls them by their first names,” I heard one say softly to another.
“Nobody is allowed to call them by their first names,” another said. “It has to always be Mr. Sterling.”
