-Alex''s POV-


    The stark white light reflecting off theputer screen cast a harsh glow on my face as I scrolled through the files Christian hadpiled. Lines of text blurred together, names and dates dancing before my eyes, yet a nagging itch persisted in the back of my min Something wasn''t clicking, a piece of the puzzle stubbornly refusing to fit.


    Across the table, Christian sprawled back in his chair, a frown etched into his usually bored face. My gaze drifted back to the file,nding once more on Miranda''s picture, her calcting eyes staring back at me. Then, it flicked to Ivan''s file - a picture of stoic perfection.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    This wasn''t the first time I''d enlisted Christian''s investigative skills on Ivan and his pack. Back then, I''d brushed it off as simple diligence, gathering all the necessary intel. But this time, a deeper uncase gnawed at me. It wasn''t just about facts and figures anymore; I craved whaty beneath the surface.


    Was Ivan truly the wless alpha he projected, or was he a master of disguise, expertly concealing a storm of inner demons? My gut churned with a growing suspicion that leaned heavily towards thetter.


    Suddenly, Christian''s voice shattered the silence, snapping me out of my internal monologue. "What does it mean when someone doesn''t answer your text?" he asked, his voiceced with a rare curiosity.


    I whipped my head up, startled. "What?"


    He deepened the frown, holding up his phone for emphasis. "A text. Specifically, what does it mean when a text is tantly ignored?"


    I blinked twice, staring at him as if he''d sprouted a second head. The urge tough bubbled up but something in his demeanor held me back. Here was Christian Vance, the epitome of nonchnce, disying what could only be described as... worry?


    The concept was so oundish that for a moment, I simply stared, speechless. Christian never worried. He breezed through life, leaving a trail of broken hearts and discarded flings in his wake. He simply didn''t care enough to invest emotional energy.


    Yet, here he was and against my better judgement, curiosity gnawed at me.


    "Alright, spill it," I finally conceded, a hint of amusement creeping into my voice. "Who''s the mystery woman holding you hostage with silence? Did someone finally see past your usual charm and bullshit?"


    Thest sentence earned me a well-deserved re, but it did the trick. A smirk tugged at the corner of datthe my lips as I watched the familiar arrogance flicker back into his eyes.


    "Can we just focus on this, Alex?" he snapped, gesturing towards the files ve. scattered across the table.


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