The Alpha One

by Samantha Drake

  She was still unsure what she would take, but she hoped that small detail won’t get in the way of things. Sighing, she nodded and sent a silent prayer, and moved to dress herself. She knew she needed to act fast before she changed her mind altogether.

  It did not take her long to dress up in a pair of old black jeans and a white tank top. She knew she would have to change in a uniform anyway, so there was no need for much effort when it came to that. As for hair and makeup, she didn’t bother much either. She simply brushed through her locks and applied some lip balm.

  Meanwhile, somewhere around that same area, Sebastian sat in a café, silently sipping on his cold coffee. Through his lashes, he watched as Jonathan talked on the phone, his eyes catching the random expressions crossing his cousin’s face. Sebastian didn’t know what the news was, but one thing was for sure: Jonathan’s expression was not promising.

  “I understand. Thanks anyway.” Jonathan said, pursing his lips as he hung up.

  “So?” He asked, raising a brow over his deep brown eyes.

  You could safely say Sebastian was far from impatient. He had been waiting two whole days for news from Jonathan’s inside people. He shouldn’t have had any high expectations, but he did. Sebastian had never been the man to understand failure. There was no such word in his vocabulary, and foolishly, he expected the same from the people around him.

  Of course, with the somber look on his cousin’s face, Sebastian knew he was bound to face disappointment. Still, he waited, in the hope that he could make use of any of the information that had been given to his cousin.

  “Well, Camille says it’s almost impossible for her to get any information regarding the project. Marie has a special team on it, only her most trustworthy people. They don’t even work from the company. They only work from her home office. I guess that is also where she keeps all documents.” Jonathan shrugged, sighing as he lifted a hand to call the waitress over.

  “What do you think we should do now?” Sebastian asked, leaning over. His well-built chest muscles pressed against the edge of the table.

  “I think you should give up on the idea. Just try working on something original. I don’t know; you’re the one who is good at these kinds of things.”

  “No, we can’t risk it. We need to find a way to get it.”

  Jonathan frowned, but didn’t address his cousin immediately. First, he turned toward the waitress that had just arrived.

  “Can we have the bill please?”

  “And another coffee to go.” Sebastian added, but didn’t look at the waitress as he spoke. He was deep in thoughts, his hands covering his eyes.

  “Listen, you know I support you, but this is madness. We can’t just break into the woman’s house and steal the information!” Jonathan said as he ran a hand through his blond hair.

  “What else can we do? If we allow Marie to expand into Europe it will be like signing on our own death. Our stocks will go down, hell; we will surely have to close down some of our restaurants.” Sebastian gestured with his hands, trying to prove a point to the man in front of him.

  “I will find a way. Don’t worry. Just give me a few days.” Sebastian said, more to himself than to Jonathan. The words vanished in the air between the two men, but it left behind a wave of tension that lingered there, reminding them of the hard times they were facing. Sebastian knew his will to win was going to kill him eventually. It drove him to do dangerous things, but it was not in his hands. It was who he was: a man that simply cannot lose.

  “Come, let’s go.” It wasn’t until Jonathan stood up that he noticed the waitress had been back with their bill and the coffee he had ordered last minute.

  Of course, while he had been caught in his thoughts, Jonathan had taken care of the bill. His cousin was halfway through the door by the time Sebastian recollected himself.

  The sound of his phone joined that of the chatter going around the café, and Sebastian struggled to answer it while trying to open the glass door with the same hand in which he held his coffee. He would be lying if he said he had not mentally cursed a few times.

  “Hello?” He answered, once he was outside the café, his eyes following Jonathan’s figure as he walked towards his car.

  No answer came from the other end of the line, fact that left Sebastian confused and frowning. Shrugging, he lowered his hand, his gaze fixed on the screen for a second. The number had been foreign, which lead him to think it had probably been nothing but a prank call. Sighing, he prepared to lock his screen, and follow Jonathan into his car, but he never got to. Out of the blue, when he least expected it, something bumped into him.

  Sebastian was too broad to be thrown off of his feet by it, but the shake had been enough to make his hand tremble and spill the hot contents of the cup he was holding.

  “I’m so sorry!” Sebastian heard the words before he gazed up at the person standing in front of him. He had been staring at his ruined white shirt, his mind somewhere in between anger and confusion.

  A pair of hands reached towards him, as if to help, but they retreated fast, probably realizing there was nothing much to be done. Slowly, his eyes followed the pair of arms, just in time to see a woman standing in front of him.

  If it were any other situation, Sebastian knew he would have never failed to notice her beauty. Her dark complexion a matching color with her eyes, shining beneath the warm light of the burning sun. He looked at her scared expression, her eyes never once leaving the stain on his suit.

  “I’m really sorry. I-” She stuttered. “I can’t do much, but here, use this for dry cleaning.” Sebastian hadn’t noticed when she had reached for her purse or wallet, but somehow, he suddenly found himself holding two ten dollar bills in his hands. “I’m sorry again, but I’m in a hurry.”

  For the first time in his life, Sebastian Hunter had been left speechless. He was dripping with coffee, in the middle of New York, with twenty dollars added to his billion dollar account. He stared behind the woman as she hurried into the bus, her eyes not even sparing him another glance.

  Was he angry? No, Sebastian was furious. He hated people that were clumsy or that did not pay attention to others. But he was also astonished.

  “What was that?” Jonathan was suddenly beside him, constantly looking between him and the money he held in his right hand.

  “I have no idea.”

  *****

  Aline looked in the mirror for a second, her heart pounding as she tied the white apron around the grey dress she had been given. The outfit was a bit loose around her hips and chest, but somehow, the straps of the apron helped a bit when it came to accentuating her slim figure - not that she cared.

  Her heart was beating fast, anxiousness building on top of her chest, making it hard to breathe. Her knees were weak and her palms were sweating. She had tried splashing some water across her face, but it hadn’t helped much.

  Taking in a deep breath, Aline understood there wasn’t much she could do about her nerves; she would just have to deal with them.

  As for the plan, she was still to find out what she would steal, but she knew where she should start searching. According to the brief tour of the house, there was a room upstairs that she was not yet allowed to enter. Apparently it was the owner’s bedroom, a fact that lead her to believe that was probably where any goods would be.

  “Come on, you can do it!” she encouraged, with her hand against the bathroom handle.

  With one swift move, she opened the door, stepping out into the hallway, with her clothes tightly held against her. The woman that had showed her around was still beside the door, leaning against the wall. She was old, probably around fifty, with bright red hair barely reaching her shoulders. Unlike the other two housekeepers, she wasn’t wearing a uniform. Instead, she was dressed in a pair of black loose pants and a white collared shirt.

  From what she gathered, Mrs. Marshall was in charge of the household, but she didn’t know more than that.

  “You sure take a long time t
o slip into a dress.” The woman muttered under her breath as she turned on her heel, already walking towards the kitchen. Aline tried not to pay much attention to what she was saying, having had enough bosses with that attitude before. “For the night, you will be serving appetizers for the guests. You are to do nothing more than that, and nothing less. You just focus on what I say, try not to get too distracted. As you serve the guests, try not to disturb anyone, make them barely notice your presence.” Mrs. Marshall said.

  “I understand.” As she walked behind the woman, Aline tried to look around, to take in the details of the house, in the hope that it would later serve her.

  The house itself was magnificent; Aline had noticed that from the first minute she stepped into it. It was huge, with a classical design she had only seen in movies. It was obvious that the owner had a passion for art and rare pieces.

  Although she hadn’t been given a tour of the bedrooms upstairs, Aline was sure the place was just as beautiful.

  “The other two girls you saw are only here when we have events, so be prepared; starting tomorrow it’s just you and I.” The woman’s voice brought her out of her train of thought, and it was only then that Aline noticed they were back in the kitchen.

  Aline hoped she wouldn’t have to stick around for long, although she knew she couldn’t just disappear after that night. If she did, she would be the first suspect when it will come to the robbery-not that she wouldn’t already be.

  While Aline worked, the sun outside slowly started to set. Partially, the sunrays turned to orange and then vanished altogether. She had spent hours inside the kitchen, following clear instructions on how to prepare the appetizers she was supposed to serve later that night. The owner of the house, Mr. Hunter from what she had heard, had arrived shortly after her, but she was still to have the pleasure of meeting him.

  From what she had heard, he was in his office working, and only Mrs. Marshall was allowed to go in. Aline believed it to be better that way; it was easier to steal from someone she didn’t know. However, she still wondered how was it possible that he didn’t want to meet the newest employee.

  “Okay girls, all our guests are here. We should start serving the appetizers.”

  Aline did not wait to be told twice, she immediately gathered her plate and walked outside the kitchen. In all honesty, when she heard about the dinner party, she expected a table with about twelve people gathered around it. Certainly not that. There must’ve been twenty people inside the large living room. Her first instinct was to gasp, her eyes widening as they took in the fancy appearances of the men and women walking past her.

  Suddenly, Aline was very self-conscious. She struggled to resist the will to untie her hair and get rid of the apron. At first glance, people seemed to be randomly standing across the room, but after taking a closer glance, she could obviously tell they had all gathered in small groups.

  Apparently, she was supposed to walk around the room, nothing more, and nothing less. If anyone wanted to eat, they would grab it on their own. Just as she was to take her first walk around the room, she caught something from the corner of her eyes - or rather someone.

  He was standing in one corner with two other men, talking vigorously about something she couldn’t make out. The coffee stained suit had now been replaced by a new one. Aline almost dropped the tray when she saw him, images of the early hours of the day flashing in the back of her mind.

  If he was there, then he ought to be an important person. She couldn’t allow him to see her, if he did, he might cause a scene, and she would be fired before she even got to dream of fulfilling her plan.

  Suddenly, as Aline was struggling to find a way out, there was a loud noise. The sound of glasses falling and a woman screaming burst through the air, making the room go silent. People rushed past her and towards the woman dripping with wine, the sound of cursing replacing the previous ones.

  Beside the guest was a girl wearing the same grey uniform as her. Her head was bowed as she took in the insults thrown by the woman. The quiet party had immediately turned into a disaster. As bad as it looked for the other girl, it was all in Aline’s benefit.

  She knew that that was her best chance, the distraction she had been waiting for the whole day. Without much hesitation, she placed the tray she was holding onto a table and dashed up the stairs, her eyes constantly gazing over her shoulder.

  Once upstairs, Aline half ran the distance between the top of the stairs and the room on the other end of the hallway. If anyone was to feel her pulse, they would have guessed she had been running a marathon. Her breath, however, was not fast; on the contrary, it felt like it was caught in her chest, choking her.

  The adrenaline that surged through her body as she opened the bedroom door was like electricity. It burnt her from inside, making her knees weak. Her hands were trembling, her vision blurred by anxiousness.

  It was hard to explain the feeling rushing through her; but if she were to give an example, they were equal to those felt by people that jumped from a plane.

  The room she had entered was far the most magnificent part of the house. It was simple, yet spectacular in its own way. The modern pieces of art hanging around the bed called for her attention. However, it wasn’t art she was there for. She struggled to take in a deep breath as her gaze swept around the room.

  Eventually, her pair of hazel eyes set on the necklace sitting on top of the bed stand.

  Chapter 3

  Sebastian moved with the crowd towards Marie, who was dripping with wine. Her white dress was now shades of red and pink, the stains expanding as the material sucked in the liquid. Her red painted lips were parted, curses flowing off of them in colorful streams.

  “How incompetent can-” Marie continued, as she fluttered her hands in a weak attempt to get rid of the excess wine that trailed down her arms.

  Sebastian was about to interfere and stop the accusations thrown at his employees, but before he got to say, or do anything, his phone started ringing. Sebastian looked between Marie and the caller ID across his screen, pondering on whether or not he should answer.

  “You can go take it; I’ll take care of it.” It was in moments like that he was thankful for his cousin. It was reassuring to know he had someone he could rely on when he couldn’t do everything himself.

  Jonathan was already between Anna and Marie, trying to talk to them. It was obvious he was going to have a handful with the blonde, so he pitied his cousin. Sebastian heard as he sent Anna, the employee, away, as he answered his phone and climbed the stairs towards the upper floor.

  On the other end of the call was his sister, or so he had believed after seeing the caller ID. But now, after listening to the sweet innocent voice on the other end of the line, he knew that was not the case.

  “Uncle!” Sebastian was glad to hear his niece’s voice, but if he were to be honest, she could have called at a better time.

  “Hey, pumpkin. Listen, your uncle is a bit busy now, mind if I call you later?” Sebastian hated hanging up on Sara, but there wasn’t much he could do. He needed to take care of the mess going on downstairs.

  “Fine!” Sara let out a long breath, clearly disappointed, before hanging up.

  Sighing, Sebastian was about to turn on his heel and go downstairs once more, but something made him stop in his tracks.

  He could have imagined it. The shadow behind the partially opened door of his bedroom could have been nothing but a specter of his own imagination. And while he wouldn’t have usually given it much thought, this time around, Sebastian couldn’t fight the urge to check it out.

  Slowly, he approached his bedroom door, his hand extended in front of him, ready to push the door wide open. Now that he was closer, he knew he had been right; the sound of footsteps coming from inside gave the intruder away.

  He knew it wasn’t someone that was supposed to be there. The only person, aside from him, that was allowed in there, was Mrs. Marshall - and she was currently handling things downstairs. The s
ound of a gasp accompanied that of the creaking hinges.

  In all honesty, Sebastian had already made up a thousand scenarios. It could have been anyone, from the housekeepers to the guests downstairs, but he would have never expected it to be the girl whom he had ran into that very same day.

  With wide eyes and parted lips, he took in the girl in front of him. The brown hair that had once swept past her shoulders was now tied in a high ponytail that gave the impression of a longer face. Her eyes were the same, as shocked and as wide as they had been that morning.

  He saw her lips move, trembling as they struggled to form words.

  “You are the twenty dollar bill girl, aren’t you?” He pointed with one finger, his brows furrowed above his brown eyes.

  “Yeah. I-I just started working here. Mrs. Marshall asked me to-” She stuttered, looking around, her gaze searching for something. “Mr. Hunter asked for something, and she asked me to get it.” She nodded, straightening her posture, poorly trying to hide the fear written all over her expression.

  Now, Sebastian was amused. He had no idea why; lies usually infuriated him, but not now. With pursed lips to hide the smirk, he leaned against the doorframe and rose a brow.

  “Really? I think they sent us both for the same thing. What were you here for, again?” He pressed the edge of his phone to his lips, waiting for answer.

  He had to admit, it was fun watching the girl look around, her eyes hastily searching for something, anything at all. Eventually, they landed on the watch he had left there that morning. Hurriedly, she reached for the watch, the other hand still behind her back.

  “The watch. He must’ve been in a hurry and forgot it here.” She nervously laughed, showing him the watch.

  “You’re right; I must’ve forgotten it here.” Sebastian said nonchalantly, watching her as she made a move to walk past him, and then suddenly stopping as she finished processing his words.