After One Night with the Alpha Chapter 135

Elle's POV

I woke to the soft sound of footsteps in my room, and my eyes snapped open to find two of the Rayne family's maids arranging fresh towels by my bedside.

"You're here? How did you get in?" I asked, sitting up slowly and trying to smooth down my messy hair.

The older maid, Maria, smiled gently. "Good morning, Miss West. Mr. Rayne asked us to come take care of you. He's planning to stay here for a while and was worried you might not be comfortable with strangers attending to you. So he had all of us transferred from the main estate."

I blinked, processing this information.

"He also instructed us to tell you that after breakfast, he'll be taking you to see your new home," Maria continued. "Martha and the others have already gone ahead to prepare everything. You'll be able to move in today."

"New home?" I echoed, feeling like I was constantly one step behind everyone else's plans for my life.

"Yes, miss. A beautiful villa nearby. Mr. Rayne selected it personally."

I was amazed by how quickly Brad could make things happen, but I had to admit, moving out of Roy's place would be better for everyone. Living as a guest indefinitely was uncomfortable.

Just as I was getting dressed, I heard excited squealing from the hallway, followed by the sound of rolling luggage. The door burst open and Sophia practically bounced into the room, dragging a large suitcase behind her.

"Elle! I can finally room with you!" she announced, spinning around in a circle before flopping dramatically onto the spare bed. "Freedom at last! I can finally focus on hitting on all the hot guys without Lester breathing down my neck!"

I couldn't help but laugh at her enthusiasm. "Wait, Lester is really leaving you here alone?"

"He's heading back to Frostclaw this morning," Sophia said, rolling around on the bed like a happy puppy. "But he said I could stay a few more days."

Before I could respond, there was a soft knock at the door. We both turned to see Mira standing in the doorway, dressed in an elegant white sundress that made her look like she'd stepped out of a magazine.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," Mira said with a sweet smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I wanted to let you both know that I'll be moving into the new place as well."

My stomach dropped. "You're... what?"

"Brad insisted," Mira said, her voice taking on a slightly smug tone. "He said it would be more lively with all of us there, and it would be convenient for work since we'll be collaborating closely. Oh, I should mention—I've just been appointed as the new Market Manager for Rayne Group's Moon Lake division."

The words hit me like a slap. Market Manager? That was a high-level position, and it meant she'd be working directly with Brad every day.

"How wonderful," Sophia said dryly, her earlier excitement completely gone.

Mira's smile widened. "I know it might seem sudden, but Brad thought it would be perfect. We'll be commuting to work together, handling client meetings... it's going to be quite the adjustment." She paused, then added with fake concern, "I hope that won't be too difficult for you, Elle."

I forced my voice to remain steady. "As long as it's what Brad wants."

"It really is," Mira said, looking genuinely pleased. "He was so thoughtful about the whole arrangement. Anyway, I should go meet with him about furnishing the house and setting up my office space. If you need anything, just let me know."

With that parting shot, she glided out of the room, leaving Sophia and me in stunned silence.

"Holy shit," Sophia breathed. "Did she just—"

"Declare war on me? Yeah, I think so," I finished, surprised by how calm my voice sounded when inside I felt like I was falling apart.

Sophia sat up, her expression fierce. "Elle, you can't let her walk all over you like that! She's basically announcing that she's taking over your life!"

Before I could respond, there was another knock. This time it was Roy and Yara coming to say goodbye.

"Sorry to interrupt," Roy said, though he looked genuinely apologetic about Brad's rushed moving plans. "We wanted to catch you before we left for our honeymoon."

"Thank you so much for having me," I said, standing to hug them both. "Where are you two headed?"

"A little cabin by the ocean," Yara said, practically glowing with happiness as she leaned into Roy's side. "Two weeks of just us and the waves."

"It sounds perfect," I said, meaning it.

After they left, Sophia and I made our way to the new villa. As our car pulled up to the elegant three-story house, I could see Mira directing a team of movers who were unloading expensive-looking furniture from a large truck.

"Those pieces are from Brad's collection in Europe," Mira was saying authoritatively to the workers. "Be extremely careful—they're irreplaceable antiques. The mahogany desk goes in the main office, and make sure the Italian leather chairs are positioned exactly as I've drawn in this diagram."

She looked every inch the lady of the house, confident and in control, giving orders like she'd been living there for years instead of hours.

When she spotted us approaching, her expression shifted to one of polite concern. "Oh, Elle! I hope you don't mind that I took the liberty of arranging the common areas. Brad was worried about you overexerting yourself, so he asked me to handle the heavy lifting."

"How thoughtful of him," I said evenly. "I'll just focus on my own bedroom then."

"Perfect!" Mira chirped. "And Sophia, I've already had the staff set aside the room next to Elle's for you. I took the liberty of choosing some fresh linens—I hope you like rose patterns."

I walked into the house, trying not to notice how Mira had already managed to make her mark on everything. In the main hallway, there were fresh flowers in expensive vases, and I could smell her familiar perfume lingering in the air.

When I reached my designated bedroom, I stopped short. The room was beautifully decorated, but everything felt wrong. The color scheme, the furniture arrangement, even the artwork on the walls—none of it felt like me.

"Excuse me," I called to one of the maids who was hanging up my clothes. "Could you please remove everything from this room except the bed and the basic furniture? All of it—the decorative items, the extra chairs, the artwork. I want it all gone."

The maid looked uncertain. "But Mira specifically chose—"

"I don't care what she chose," I said firmly. "This is my room, and I'll decide how it's decorated. Please remove everything she selected."

I was directing the maids on where to put my own simple belongings when there was a soft knock on my door.

"Elle?" Mira's voice called through the wood. "May I speak with you for a moment?"