Chapter 101: The Unexpected Driver

Words : 1049 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

Chapter 101: The Unexpected DriverEvaline: Once again... it was Saturday. Two weeks had passed since the Alpha Gathering incident, and while the memory of it was still sitting somewhere in the corners of my mind, I had decided not to let it take up space in my heart. I wasn’t going to spend another moment recalling the horrors of that evening. I had other much important matters to focus on. I had a future to build, a child to look after, secrets to hide, and I refused to be the kind of girl who clung to shadows. So I was actually feeling good - cheerful, even - as I left the dorms and headed toward the Academy gates. The late autumn wind tossed my scarf around my neck as I crossed the stone courtyard, and for once, I didn’t mind the way the cold was making my cheeks pink. Saturday meant another day at the Council headquarters. It meant focused work, neat files, and quiet corners where no one disturbed me. Mr. Wood always waited at the gates by this time to pick me up for work. Ever since I started my internship, he hadn’t been late even once. So imagine my surprise when the car I saw waiting wasn’t Mr. Wood’s usual model, and the man leaning against it most certainly wasn’t Mr. Wood. But... River Thorne. I stopped dead in my tracks. He stood tall as always, dressed in dark layers that were hugging his lean frame. A simple coat was slung over his arm, and his dark hair looked slightly tousled by the breeze. He wasn’t smiling. In fact, he looked... impassive. Cold, even. But his presence, his sheer presence, was making everything else around him feel quiet. My stomach twisted, half in dread, half in confusion. And I wasn’t sure which was worse. "What are you doing here?" I asked, stopping a few feet away. I also realized that my voice came sharper than intended because of how surprised I was. He didn’t even blink as he replied. "I’m here to pick you up for work." "I-but where’s Mr. Wood?" "I gave him the day off." My brows shot up at that, and I quickly asked, "Why?" This time, his gaze flicked to mine. "Because I’m allowed to." That... wasn’t an answer. But it was River Thorne I was talking to, and this man had always been good at giving half-replies and expecting obedience. Still, I hesitated. The thought of getting into a car with him, especially alone, made something in me twitch. I hadn’t forgiven him. Not for that night. Not for the silence that followed. He hadn’t even bothered explaining himself, let alone apologizing. "I can take the bus," I said, keeping my voice cool and calm. But in his typical style, he completely ignored me and opened the passenger door with one hand. "Get in, Evaline." I stared at him for a moment before finally giving in. But instead of heading to the passenger side, I moved to sit in the back only to get interrupted. "Don’t even think about it," he said while pinning me with that intense eyes of his. "You’ll sit beside me." I huffed and the words spilled from my mouth before I could stop them. "I’m your assistant, not your girlfriend." For a moment, amusement flickered in his expression and he leaned in closer, speaking in a low voice. "And I’m your boss, not your driver." Stars, he was infuriating. Still, my feet moved. Begrudgingly, I stepped around him and sank into the passenger seat. The car smelled faintly of cedar and something sharper - River’s cologne, maybe. Clean, expensive, and distant. As he slid into the driver’s seat beside me, I crossed my arms and turned to the window. I didn’t want to talk. Not to him. Not today. "You seem happy this morning," he said, shifting gears smoothly as the car rolled forward. "Was," I muttered. He didn’t respond immediately. The silence stretched between us, tense but not suffocating. "I have been busy," he said after a long moment. "Didn’t ask." He sighed softly. "But I know you want answers." My jaw clenched. "No, I wanted answers. That ship sailed two weeks ago." He glanced at me briefly, but I kept my attention on the familiar scenery flying by. Moments later, he finally spoke. "You are still angry." This time I failed to contain my laugh, but there was no humor in it. "Wow. Genius deduction, Alpha." I noticed how his grip tightened slightly on the wheel, causing his knuckles to turn pale. "I’m not here to fight," he murmured seconds later. "Good," I returned. "Because I don’t have time to waste on someone who thinks disappearing after a public humiliation counts as leadership." His jaw tightened, but he didn’t speak this time. The rest of the ride passed in silence, broken only by the soft hum of the engine and the occasional click of the turn signal. It was oddly peaceful, much better than the two of us trying to communicate and failing miserably. I was trying to lift my spirits and focus on completing another day at work, completely unaware of the storm that soon going to hit me. When I was busy bickering with River at the Academy gates, there was someone observing us, someone who shouldn’t have seen us together - Mira, one of Celeste’s closest friends. She recognized the Rogue Alpha King the moment her gaze landed on him, and she also recognized me - someone who should be keeping her distance from River as per Celeste’s sweet warning. She was quick to pull out her phone for a quick picture that she immediately shared with someone with a short message: Guess who’s getting cozy with the Rogue Alpha King again? And just like that, a storm began to brew behind my back. But inside the car, I remained oblivious. My focus was torn between trying to ignore the man beside me and planning on how I was going to keep my distance from him for the rest of the weekend. What I completely failed to focus on was why he came to pick me up in the first place. After all, he couldn’t have done it for nothing.

Chapter 101: The Unexpected Driver

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