Page 12 of Beautifully Scarred Omega

I wasn’t expecting that.

“Yes,” I hear myself say. “The scene where he testifies, knowing it won’t make a difference, but telling the truth anyway. That’s... real courage.”

“Moral courage.” He nods slowly. “The hardest kind. Anyone can be brave when they have something to gain. But to be brave when you know you’re going to lose?” His voice goes quiet. “That’s rare.”

We look at each other. The noise of the ballroom fades, and for a moment it’s just us, Sylvie and Finn, two strangers having a conversation that feels inexplicably real.

“So.” I break eye contact first, smoothing a hand down the front of my dress. “What do you do for work?”

“Marketing, mostly. For a medical company.” He shrugs, self-deprecating again. “Not very interesting, I’m afraid.”

Sure, Frederic Zimmer. Sure you work in marketing.

I’ve seen the dossier Gary sent over. “Marketing for a medical company” is one way to describe owning a chunk of the industry.

I smile like I believe him.

“What about you?” he asks.

“Accounting.”

It’s always my cover. It shuts them up real quick—nobody asks follow-up questions about accounting. The truth is, I know fuck all about numbers.

“Do you enjoy it?”

The question catches me off guard. They usually don’t ask that.

“Yes.” I smile, tilting my head the way Sylvie would. “I love it, actually. I get to do what I’ve been trained to do and put my skills to work.” I pause, something honest bleeding through despite myself. “It feels like... I’m doing something meaningful.”

I expect him to mock me. After all, who would call accounting meaningful work?

But Finn just looks at me, his eyes softening in a way that doesn’t match the profile in my head. “That’s not something you hear very often. Most people just do it for the money.”

Our eyes hold for a moment as something passes between us, unspoken, and I feel a quiet warmth settle in my stomach. I swallow.

I need to redirect this conversation before I accidentally reveal something true.

“What do you say...” I let my voice drop, glancing toward the terrace doors. “We get some fresh air? It’s getting a bit stuffy in here.”

For the first time since we started talking, I let myself look around the room.

And I notice we have an audience.

Half the omegas in attendance are watching us, and several of them are practically vibrating with envy. One woman in a silver dress looks like she might actually combust if I don’t step away from him.

Don’t be jealous, I want to tell them. You have no idea what he really is. You’d never want this alpha anywhere near you.

“Of course.” Finn gestures toward the terrace, and we begin walking.

He doesn’t put a hand on my back to steer me, the way most alphas would. He just walks beside me, matching his pace to mine, leaving space instead of closing it.

Careful, I remind myself. The careful ones are the most dangerous.

The city spreads out below us, a glittering grid of lights and shadows. Above, the sky is clear enough to see actual stars—a rarity in a city this size. A breeze lifts the hair from my shoulders, carrying the smell of night-blooming jasmine from the hotel gardens.

“This view is amazing,” I murmur, and I’m not lying.

Finn moves to stand beside me at the railing. Our fingers are inches apart. Almost touching, but not quite.