Run Away from My alpha a thousand times

A soft Taylor Swift melody drifted through the room as Lucia turned in her sleep. The song ended, only to begin again.

She rolled toward her bedside table, grabbed her phone without even glancing at the caller ID.

"This user is not available," she mumbled sleepily and was about to drop the phone when the voice on the other end jolted her awake.

"Miss Lucia, I really need your help."

She blinked, sitting up immediately. Why was her boss calling this early in the morning?

"Is something wrong, ma'am?" she asked politely, trying to mask her drowsiness.

"We have a client, a very important one. He wants to take his measurements today, and he requested you specifically. I know this is your off day, but please could you help us out?" her boss pleaded.

"Of course, that's not a problem."

"Thank you! I'll send you the address. Remember, he is our number one client," her boss added before hanging up.

Lucia glanced at the clock. It was just past nine. She had gone to bed late, restless from the unsettling feeling that she might sleepwalk again. But exhaustion had won.

She forced herself up, grabbing her toothbrush. Music blasted from her speaker. She couldn't help it, singing in the shower was part of her routine.

After getting dressed, she made a quick breakfast of toast. "Thank God for Cassandra," she thought. Her best friend always kept the house in order.

Sliding into her car, she drove straight to the address her boss had sent. The building was tall and gleaming, luxurious, fitting for their top client. Inside, the receptionist directed her to the elevator.

Apparently, her destination was the last floor of the twenty-eight-story building.

She stepped into the elevator just as a group of young women, likely returning from a late breakfast, entered behind her.

Huddling into a corner, Lucia listened quietly as they chatted, unnoticed like a wallflower.

"Did you see what he wore today? He looked like he dressed up for someone! Imagine being that lucky!" one of the girls gushed.

"I know, and did you hear? The new intern made a scene this morning when he arrived. But surprisingly, she didn't get fired."

"It's like he woke up on the right side of the bed for once. He's never in this good a mood," another added, and they all burst into laughter.

"I wish I could date him," one of them sighed dreamily.

"Be careful! You remember what happened to the last person who tried."

"True. I love my job too much to risk getting fired," one of them replied as the elevator stopped. They exited, still giggling, leaving Lucia alone.

From what she had gathered, the client seemed like a cold and intimidating boss the type who controlled his staff with paychecks and bonuses. She silently resolved to get his measurements done quickly and leave before anything went wrong. A bad review could easily cost her job.

The elevator dinged, opening to reveal an entire floor. Only two men sat at a table, both typing away, their attention briefly flicking toward her. Without a word, they pointed down a hallway.

"Charming," Lucia thought. Still, they were handsome.

She followed their silent direction and stopped in front of a large door. Raising her hand to knock, a voice from within called out, "Come in."

Here goes nothing.

She stepped inside. The room was large, dark, and quiet. A man sat at a massive desk, his back turned to her, seemingly watching something on a screen, paying her no mind.

Lucia cleared her throat. No response.

"Excuse me, sir, can you hear me?" she called, louder this time.

Still nothing. He acted as though she didn't exist.

Rude. No wonder his employees thought he was cruel.

Just as she turned to leave, the man spun around to face her.

Lucia froze. Her feet rooted to the floor.

No… this couldn't be real. Not again. The father of her child twice in two days?

He rose and approached her slowly, each step deliberate. Her instincts screamed to back away, and she obeyed without thinking.

In a blink, he was in front of her, caging her between his arms against the wall. Startled, she knocked over a ceramic vase. It shattered, the sharp sound jolting her.

A low chuckle escaped him as he leaned in, his piercing green eyes locking with hers. Her breath caught in her throat. She tried to hold his gaze, stubbornly refusing to look away. But his intense stare made her blink first.

"I believe you're here to take my measurements," he said, his voice deep, rumbling through her.

"Yes," she stammered, sliding under his arm to escape the trap, smoothing her clothes in the process.

He returned to his desk and gestured for her to approach.

Clutching her duffel bag tightly, she forced herself forward, pulling out her measuring tape. Her heart raced. She avoided his gaze, focusing solely on the task, but the close proximity was almost unbearable.

She worked quickly, determined to finish and leave. But as she tried to make her escape, his voice stopped her.

"Sit," he said, motioning to the chair in front of his desk.

Reluctantly, she obeyed, questions swirling in her mind but remaining silent.

"You broke my vase," he said calmly, sliding a paper toward her. "Let's discuss how you'll compensate me."

Lucia's eyes widened in disbelief. The document claimed the vase cost one hundred million dollars. How had he prepared this so quickly?

Speechless, she turned the paper back toward him.

He smiled, a dangerous smile.

"Well, if you can't pay, I could just as easily sue you for theft and rape," he added, folding his arms across the table.

"Rape?" she gasped. "That's ridiculous!"

Her heart thudded wildly. Did he remember that night?

"You slept with me… then ran away. That's rape in my book," he replied smoothly, amusement flickering in his eyes.

"This is extortion!" Lucia cried, throwing her hands in the air.

He stood, moving toward her. She tried to retreat, but her chair trapped her in place.

"Or," he said, leaning closer, smirk playing on his lips, "you could marry me."

Lucia blinked. "Marry… who? Is this a book? A movie?" she stammered.

"Sweet cheeks," he murmured, eyes gleaming, "we've already consummated the marriage."

"There is no way I'm doing that!" she yelped, shoving him aside and bolting from the office, heart pounding in her chest.

Just as she reached the lobby, her phone dinged.

Her stomach dropped as she read the message:

*"My office is always open. Be ready. We are getting married tomorrow. Or you can compensate me now."*

Dragging her feet out of the building, Lucia could only hope that when she woke up tomorrow, this would all turn out to be a bad dream.