Chapter 8 Hidden Agendas

Elise's POV

In the aftermath of the meeting with our parents, I couldn't shake the burning jealousy that had taken hold of me. The mere thought of Bonnie working alongside Brian sent my emotions into a frenzy. Despite my warnings to Bonnie, it seemed she might not be taking them seriously. And as if to fan the flames of my insecurity, I couldn't ignore how Brian had been so engrossed in Nathan and Bonnie during the entire evening. It was as if I had become invisible to him.

The growing fear that Brian might actually be interested in Bonnie gnawed at me, stoking the fires of my anger. I needed a plan to keep them apart, to ensure Brian's attention stayed firmly on me. It was during one of these turbulent thoughts that an idea took shape in my mind.

After we had finished dinner, I reached out to my best friend, Taylor. "Hey, Tay, how's it going?" I began, feigning casualness.

"Hey, Elise, everything's good. Why the late-night call?"

I hesitated for a moment before blurting out, "Tay, I need some aphrodisiac drugs."

Her surprise was evident as she asked, "Why on earth would you need something like that?"

With a calculated smirk, I explained my twisted plan. "Remember my cousin who's staying with us?"

Taylor recalled, "Yeah, I remember her."

I continued, "Well, it seems like she's eyeing Brian, and I can't let that happen. So, I thought if I could drug her and get her involved with someone else, her reputation would be ruined in front of my parents and Brian. He'll never be interested in her again."

Taylor hesitated before reluctantly agreeing, "I know someone who can connect us with the underground market for such stuff, but it won't come cheap, and they'll want payment upfront."

We struck a shady deal, and I ended the call with a secret, sinister smile.

I have to get rid of this bitch before Nathan leaves. Without Nathan, I am sure she will make advances toward my man. I have to fix this bitch before it is too late.

Bonnie's POV

With a soft rap on my door, Lionel informed me that both families wished to speak with me. I followed him to the sitting room and took a seat as they began listing the numerous advantages of joining Walters New York, the largest pack company. The offer on the table was an enticing two hundred thousand dollars per annum. The Alpha's parents even mentioned that it would be a favor to them if I accepted the position. With such strong family support, I found it impossible to resist, and without hesitation, I accepted the job offer.

Knowing that both families backed my decision, I felt a bit more at ease about the prospect of facing Elise's potential opposition to my new job. I would start working the next day and would be excused when I have classes.

My first day at work proved to be a whirlwind of activity. Upon entering the office, I was bombarded with a lengthy list of tasks. Fortunately, Nathan was there to guide me through the chaos. He informed me about Brian's specific preferences, emphasizing the importance of delivering his cup of black Blue Mountain coffee before he arrived at eight in the morning. Nathan advised me to place it on the warmer to ensure it stayed hot for Brian's arrival. He also instructed me to arrange for breakfast delivery from the Bistro on Main Street at 10:00.

In addition to these duties, I was responsible for managing emails, printing them in the order they were received, and filtering out messages from unknown personal emails. Contracts requiring signatures were to be organized in a folder labeled "sign," and I needed to keep a recorder handy for note-taking during meetings. Nathan offered some sage advice: "Simply follow my lead, observe my actions, and you should be fine. Just be careful not to upset Brian."

Despite the hectic day, I felt a sense of accomplishment and gratitude for Nathan's guidance. Working alongside him made the challenges more manageable, and our unique friendship made it all the more enjoyable. However, my interactions with Brian were starting to feel uncomfortable, and I couldn't shake my nervousness around him. The memory of our encounter in the closet at the Rossen residence only added to the awkwardness. Still, I pressed on, even though an inexplicable urge to hug him persisted.

As I lay in bed that night, my mind wandered through the events of the past couple of days. Brian's behavior continued to baffle me. Why had he cornered me in the cloakroom, and what possessed him to try and kiss me when he was practically engaged to Elise? "What a pervert," I mumbled to myself. It was evident to me that there was little to no chemistry between Brian and Elise. Whenever they were together, Brian appeared bored, as if he were just some plaything for her amusement, and he couldn't care less about her. I found it hard to fathom being engaged to someone I merely tolerated. Being single was starting to seem like a preferable option.

The following day at work, my inbox pinged with an email from Alpha Brian and Nathan, summoning me to a meeting. Eager to make a good impression, I arrived at the office early. I headed to the office pantry to prepare the Alpha CEO's black coffee and placed it on the warmer, just as Nathan had instructed. Next, I diligently organized my emails, creating a prioritization section in the folder, and sorted out the contracts that required Brian's signature. By the time the Walters brothers arrived, everything was neatly arranged, following Nathan's previous guidance. His approving look and enthusiastic thumbs-up suggested we were quickly becoming best friends in this new professional dynamic.

As we settled down for a quick review of the previous day and outlined our expectations for the current one, Alpha Brian had some significant news to share. He mentioned that I would need to become part of the York pack, given my involvement in the pack business. He proposed a ceremony for the next day at noon. However, that day promised to be hectic due to a shareholders' meeting that might span most of the day. Alpha Brian entrusted me with ensuring that all documents were duplicated for each board member and organized in folders, ensuring everyone had a copy.

Later, I was called into Alpha Brian's office, where he instructed me to expedite the shareholders' packages through the secretary. Additionally, I was tasked with coordinating with department heads to ensure they sent representatives to the board meeting with their updates. Preparations for the meeting also required me to liaise with his Beta, Frankie, and other key pack members to ensure their presence at the company by noon the following day.

Just when I thought my to-do list couldn't get any longer, I was informed that I needed to arrange a farewell party for Nathan. As I absorbed the instructions for the party, the office door burst open, revealing Elise's presence. She approached Alpha Brian, embracing him with a kiss on the lips, and excitement radiated from her when she heard the words "farewell party." Elise boldly declared, "When I am your Luna, this will be my responsibility, not that of your assistant. I will handle all arrangements for the party."

Alpha Brian allowed her to proceed with her plans, nodding in agreement before indicating that she should leave his office. With one less task on my plate, I started making plans for the party, guided by the names and positions Nathan had provided for me to contact.

Later, I decided to call my parents to discuss the idea of severing ties with our home pack. To my surprise, my dad reassured me that joining the York Pack was acceptable. However, he mentioned that he needed to have a conversation with Alpha Brian. My dad's response left me baffled, as I had expected him to object.